When we moved into our first home just over 10 years ago, we remodeled everything. After we painted the kitchen cabinets and installed a new Pergo laminate floor, we bought new appliances. We bought a nice dishwasher with all of the bells and whistles. After using the new dishwasher for a few months, we noticed that our new laminate floor was warped. The new dishwasher had a defective part and had been leaking and getting under our floor. Luckily, the dishwasher manufacture paid to fix the dishwasher and for another new floor since the dishwasher was still under warranty. The repair man told us to go to a metal shop and have them make us a pan to stick under the dishwasher so that if there was ever a leak again, we would see it before it ruined our floor. We paid about $20 for a metal pan with 3 sides and an opening in the front. When we sold our house just a few months ago, the inspector reported that the dishwasher was leaking. It was a small leak, so it wasn't enough to come out the front and alert us. The pan however, did save the floor. Without it, the floor would have slowly been ruined over time.

We have been working hard at our new home, painting the cabinets and installing a laminate floor. On Labor Day we scored a stainless steel dishwasher for $200 at the RC Willey Labor Day Sale. After previously buying a dishwasher with all of the bells and whistles, we learned that all we ever used was the normal cycle and didn't need the extra stuff. Our new dishwasher is simple and uncomplicated and hopefully won't leak. Before we installed the dishwasher we called a metal shop to have a pan made. The price of metal must have gone up because they wanted $70! I decided to look around on the internet for a pan and after a lot of searching found one at http://www.floorsaverpan.com. I was so excited to find that someone actually made these! I can't believe that they are not sold in every hardware store in the world. I then did something I had never done before. I emailed the company and asked if they would send me one for free and I would blog about it in exchange. I would have bought one anyway, but it doesn't hurt to ask. It turns out the man who sells them is a plumber who saw a need and decided to do something about it. He doesn't advertise or promote his product at all which is probably why it was so hard to find. Here it is! The simple product that every home with a dishwasher should have. It will save you thousands of dollars.

I wish the previous owners of our home had used one of these. When we pulled out the old dishwasher we discovered why several of the tiles in front of the sink/dishwasher were broken.

Before we installed our new laminate floor, we had to replace some of the damaged and warped subfloor. You can see that post here. We thought the sink had leaked and caused the damage. It makes more sense that it was the dishwasher since a leak under the dishwasher can go undetected for months and even years, causing extensive damage. The previous owners must have had a leak that they never knew about. It warped the subfloor underneath the tile, causing the tiles to break on the uneven floor.

We bought some mold paint additive and mixed it in some leftover primer we had. The mold paint additive is supposed to block mold and it was cheaper than replacing the wood and drywall.

We used some scraps of laminate and finished it off with a lot of caulk.

Finally we got to put the floor saver pan in.

Now I get to enjoy my new dishwasher without worrying about my new expensive floor ever being ruined.

I am not being paid to write this review, but am writing it hoping that I can save at least one other person from the nightmare that an undetected leak can cause. Here are the Floor Saver Pan features:

• Floor Saver Pan is a water barrier that fits neatly under your built-in dishwasher
• Made from a tough recycled ABS plastic
• Impact resistant (not effected by dishwasher legs or weight of machine)
• Sits out of sight & takes up minimal space
• Will not allow an undetected water leak to damage your floor
• Channels water from a leak to the front of the dishwasher so immediate repair can be initiated
• Inexpensive insurance for your expensive flooring
• Protects cabinets, subfloors, basements and house structure from water damage

I challenge you to pull out your dishwasher and see if you have any unknown water damage. If you do, then fix it and put a Floor Saver Pan in. If you don't, put a Floor Saver Pan in before you do have an unexpected leak costing you thousands of dollars.

*I have even convinced the owner to do a giveaway and will be posting that soon.

I think spending a little money to prevent a huge expense is a great Penny Pinching idea. What have you been doing to save some $$$?

76th Penny Pinching Party, See Ya Later Refrigerator

See Ya Later, Refrigerator

My area has a great program where the utility company will come and take your old refrigerator or freezer and send you a $30 check. Why do they do this? Here is what they say on their website at Rocky Mountain Power:

Why get rid of your old refrigerator or freezer?

• Save energy – Refrigerators built prior to 1990 can use four times more energy than a high-efficiency one built today. 
• Save money – By discontinuing the use of a second refrigerator, you can save up to $150 a year on your electricity bill.
• Protect the environment – About 95 percent of your old refrigerator or freezer will be reused.
• Get paid – Receive a $30 incentive check.
• Free CFLs – You'll also receive a free kit at the time of pickup, including two free CFLs, a refrigerator/freezer thermometer card and information to help you become wattsmart.

What is eligible?

This program is offered to all Rocky Mountain Power residential customers in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Refrigerators must be in working condition and must be plugged in to verify they are working. Units a minimum of 10 cubic feet in size (based on inside measurements) qualify for the program. Please make sure your old unit is empty when it is picked up.

Remember, when shopping for a new refrigerator or freezer, look for ENERGY STAR® labeled models. You may be eligible for anincentive.

I had an old deep freezer in my garage that I had been using until last week when we moved to our new house. My freezer was a 35 year old hand-me-down from my parents. It worked great, but rather than haul it over to our new house I decided to have it recycled and get my $30 check. Hopefully when our old house sells, we can buy a new and more efficient freezer. So here is the kit they left me when they took my old freezer:

It included two free CFLs, a refrigerator/freezer thermometer card and information on how to become wattsmart. I will get my $30 check in the mail in a couple of weeks and I didn't have to haul that thing away myself! Thanks Rocky Mountain Power!

If you live in a different area it doesn't hurt to call your utility company and see what kinds of incentives they offer.

FedEx Giveaway & $25 American Express Gift Card

Sorry, this contest is now over.
Congratulations to DANA from Saturday Mornings! You are the winner of the FedEx & $25 American Express gift card! Just send me your address so I can get this to you in time to ship all of your gifts. By the way, I just checked out Saturday Mornings and love it! I love the photo puzzle idea that is posted right now and all of the other great ideas on the blog.


Are you about to ship some Christmas packages? Here are some really great tips along with a giveaway from FedEx:

Ship it Smart with FedEx

Follow these easy packing and shipping tips from the experts at FedEx.  You can also visit fedex.com/packaging for more helpful advice.

• Choose the right supplies

o   Use sturdy boxes with flaps intact. For heavier items, use double-wall boxes.  Keep within the weight specifications for your box. 

o   Make sure your box is large enough to put adequate padding around contents. Position your item in the center of the box and surround by cushioning such as bubble wrap, packing “peanuts,” densely packed shredded paper or foam pads. Use enough packing material – ideally one inch on all sides – so the item does not shift during transit. 

o   Use tape designed for packing, not duct or masking tape. Use the “H Tape” method to securely close all of the box flaps.

o   Do not wrap the outer box with paper or string, which can get caught in automated processing equipment.

o   FedEx Office offers a variety of the most popular packing supplies, including boxes, tape, bubble wrap and other essentials for purchase.  Locations also provide free FedEx shipping supplies for FedEx Express shipments.

·                     Use smart labeling

o   Position the address label squarely on the largest surface, and provide complete sender and recipient addresses, including phone numbers and ZIP codes.

o   Put the recipient’s address and your return address inside the box as well.

·         Call in the experts

o   FedEx Office has shipping specialists trained in pack and ship best practices to give you advice or pack up your gifts for you.

o   The more than 1,800 FedEx Office locations across the U.S. offer a full range of FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery shipping options – with most stores open as late as 11 p.m. and 300 that are open 24 hours.  

·         Set up shipments online

o   FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com was the industry’s first Internet-based shipping option.  To use, customers simply click the “Prepare Shipment Online” option under the “Ship” tab on the fedex.com U.S. home page, register as a user and follow the easy-to-use instructions.  No extra software is required.

• Ship early and avoid the lines

o   Customers have until December 17, 2010, to find and send that perfect holiday gift via FedEx Ground or FedEx Home Delivery.  Last-minute shoppers have until December 23, 2010, to ship FedEx Express.

o   Customers can log onto fedex.com to determine shipping options, including rates and transit times to ensure that gifts are shipped in time to arrive for the holidays.

• Allow recipients to receive gifts on their schedule

o   FedEx Office now offers two complimentary services that allow package recipients to pick up their items whenever it’s most convenient for them.

o   The Hold at FedEx Location service is great for customers who know their recipient won’t be home to accept delivery of a package.  Customers can choose to have their FedEx Express or FedEx Ground package sent to a domestic FedEx Office store of their choosing before any delivery attempt is made.  FedEx Express packages may also be sent to FedEx World Service Centers, including select international locations.  Packages are held for up to five business days and a government-issued ID is required to pick up packages.

o   With FedEx Redirect to Hold, U.S.-based customers who missed a delivery attempt by FedEx Express or FedEx Ground or know they will not be available to accept a package at a given time can have the package re-routed to a local FedEx Office store.

o   Both solutions are provided to customers free of charge – an offering competitors cannot match.

o   Also, when shipping FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Office can set up one of three convenient delivery options to ensure that recipients are home at the delivery time.  For an additional charge, customers can choose FedEx Evening Home Delivery® for delivery between 5 and 8 p.m., FedEx Date Certain Home Delivery® for a specific delivery date and FedEx Appointment Home Delivery® for a certain date and time for delivery.  These appointment options are not offered by any other competitors today.  

·         Track it

o   Tracking a package for real-time delivery status and location information is easy and convenient on fedex.com.

o   In fact, more than six million package-tracking requests are handled on an average day – and even more during the busy holiday shipping season.

o   Customers can also confirm a package’s status by calling 1.800.Go.FedEx (1.800.463.3339).

Ship it Green with FedEx

FedEx offers the following tips to get your package to its holiday destination while minimizing the environmental impact.

• Use the smallest box possible while adequately protecting your item.  For fragile presents, double box the gift for more protection while shipping and reuse an older box for the interior box.

• Purchase boxes made from recycled materials.  FedEx envelopes are made from 100 percent recycled content.  FedEx 10 kg and 25 kg boxes contain a minimum of 70 percent recycled content and are recyclable. 

• If you must reuse an exterior box, make sure it is in good condition with no holes, tears or corner dents.  Remove any old labels to avoid confusion.

• Look for eco-friendly solutions to cushion your package’s contents.  FedEx suggests solutions such as shredded paper, biodegradable packing “peanuts” or light-weight used clothing. 

• Make sure you package your product properly with the correct amount of cushioning material and utilize a sturdy corrugated shipping container.  Remember that the less your package weighs, the fewer resources it will use.

• Save a truck stop.  While you’re running other errands, drop off your FedEx Express shipments at one of more than 52,000 FedEx drop off locations. Both FedEx Ground and FedEx Express packages can be dropped at more than 1,800 FedEx Office locations nationwide.

• Ship with a company that has strong environmental priorities.  By the end of 2010, FedEx will operate more than 335 hybrid and electric vehicles around the globe and more than 1,800 alternative fuel vehicles and equipment.  The FedEx hybrid fleet has logged more than five million miles of revenue service since being introduced in 2004 – the equivalent of over 200 laps around the equator. 

·         Visit http://fedex.com/us/holiday/or http://news.van.fedex.com/holiday2010for more helpful holiday tips.

I was just sent this great package from FedEx and they want to send one to one of my readers too. One lucky reader will get:

·         An 8x8x8 brown FedEx box

·         A roll of heavy-duty packing tape

·         Bubble wrap

·         Brown packing paper

·         Holiday-themed address cards to put inside your packed box

·         A $25 American Express gift card to ship your gifts at any FedEx location

·         A Pack & Ship Tips sheet loaded with helpful info FedEx packaging experts

I am going to keep this contest short so that the lucky reader will have time to ship their gifts with this great package.

You have until Monday, December 13th to enter.

Just leave a comment

For extra entries you can tweet, blog, or post on facebook about this contest. Just leave me a separate comment for each.

3 Knives You Must Have!

Last month CSN Stores gave me a $60 gift certificate to buy anything I wanted at any of their 200+ stores. This was the post I did about it: Tons of Unique Items at CSN Stores. I had a very hard time deciding what to get, but it finally became very obvious to me what I really NEEDED to get.

Next month I will have been married for 14 years and I have never boughten myself a good set of kitchen knives. I have been using the same $10 Walmart chefs knife for 14 years and I have never had it sharpened. I have always been afraid of having sharp knives because I am a bit of a klutz and being the thrifty person I am I have never been able to justify hundreds of dollars on a nice knife set. I have spent a lot of time deciding where to put my dull knives and even did this post last year:

Where Do You Keep Your Kitchen Knives?

An an anonymous commenter pointed out to me that most kitchen knife accidents are caused by dull knives.

It was very obvious to me that I needed some new knives with my $60 gift certificate. I spent several hours researching which knives to buy and this is what I came up with:
All of the cooking blogs love Victorinox and the best part is that they are affordable! Just do a google search for "victorinox reviews" and you will find a ton of cooks praising them.
Victorinox is by the inventors of the Swiss Army knife and they have a whole line of kitchen knives. I knew that I didn't want a big block of knives and after some more research I found out from the professionals that I only needed 3 knives.

1. A chef's knife. I really wanted a Santoku knife for this. The santoku knife is a modified variation of the chef's knife with origins from Japan. It has a finer edge which allows for finer precision-cutting. The blade width and weight usually matches that of the handle so if feels more balanced in the hand. It is also made from harder tempered steel. It is shorter, lighter, and easier for smaller hands (like mine). I also love the divots on the sides of the blade that help prevent the vegetables from sticking to the knife.
I got this one for $34.99 at CSN Stores Cookware.com

I am LOVING this knife! It fits perfect in my hand and feels so light that I can cut a ton of vegetables without cramping. I can't believe how thin it cuts too. I did cut myself the first time using it though. I was used to my very dull chefs knife so when I used my fingers to slide the vegetables off of the knife it sliced my finger a little. The blade is VERY sharp. I have learned my lesson and am more careful now, so hopefully I won't have any more accidents.

2. An 8" or larger bread knife. I mostly use this for bread, but it comes in handy for slicing pineapple and other fruits.

I got this one for $22.99 at CSN Stores Cookware.com

3. Paring knives are great for fine precision work like peeling, coring, etc... I got a set of 3 (you really only need one, but they are so cheap and often come in sets). I have used these quite a lot and have enjoyed how easily I am able to core, peel and make precision cuts.

I got these for $12.00 at CSN Stores Cookware.com

Thank you to CSN Stores for my new knives that didn't cost a fortune! I wish I would have done this research 14 years ago, but better late than never.

Always Get a Second Opinion

Getting a second opinion is always a good idea for most things. Here are some second opinions that have saved me:

Mechanic:

You know those coupons that come in the mail for a discount on emissions and safety inspection? I usually use those to save some money, but sometimes they can end up costing more money in the end. Years ago we took our car in for a simple inspection and were given a list of things that needed to be fixed before it would pass. They of course wanted to fix everything and charge us several hundred dollars. We took our car to another place that said we didn't need to fix most of the things on the list and they charged a lot less too.

Last year we took our mini van in to a different place with a coupon for a simple inspection. We were given a long list of things that should be fixed, but they still passed our van without them being fixed. They wanted about $500 to flush the transmission, put in a new air filter, and a few other things that he highly recommend we do. We were sent a letter each week from this mechanic reminding us of what needed to be done.

My DH bought a new air filter for a few dollars and put it in himself. We took our van into a reputable mechanic that we trusted for the other things. He said the only thing that needed to be done was the transmission flush, but the other stuff would actually be bad on the van and he didn't recommend them. He even explained how he does the transmission flush in 2 parts and how it is better on the vehicle than normal transmission flushes. The total cost for the transmission flush was $75.

By getting a second opinion from another mechanic we saved about $400.

Lesson learned: Most of those mechanics that send out coupons need your business and are not always honest. Really good mechanics have enough business that they don't need coupons and you often have to schedule an appointment to get in.

Dentist:

A dentist has the power to make your life a lot better or ruin you for life. Back before we had decent dental insurance we didn't have very many options for dentists. My DH has had to have a couple of root canals due to poor dentistry. It would have been cheaper and less painful to pay for a good dentist out of our own pockets and not need the root canals later on. I also had a young inexperienced dentist chip the back off of my front tooth while drilling another tooth for a cavity. That tooth is forever sensitive now.

Several years ago I took my kids to a pediatric dentist. He said my son needed a cavity filled, but while he was filling the cavity he drilled into another tooth and said that it needed to be filled also. I think he was just drilling for more money personally. The same pediatric dentist looked at my 2 year old daughters front tooth and said that it was slightly discolored and needed to be pulled out. He wanted to fit her with a retainer with a fake tooth until her permanent one came in about 5-7 years later! He said if he didn't pull out her tooth that the permanent tooth would come in damaged and a dark brown-black color. The total cost to me after insurance was around $700 not to mention the trauma this would cause a 2 year old.

By this time I had good dental insurance and had a wonderful dentist for myself. I took my daughter to get a second opinion from my dentist and he said she didn't need her tooth pulled out. He said that it would cause more damage to pull her tooth out since her other teeth wouldn't have the resistance of that tooth in place. I stopped seeing that pediatric dentist and have been taking my kids to see my dentist ever since. Now that my daughter is 8, her front teeth are beautiful. No damage happened from leaving her tooth in.

Ophthalmologist (Eye Dr.):

When my daughter went to kindergarten she failed the eye test just barely. I found an ophthalmologist and took her in expecting to get a prescription for glasses. Instead he diagnosed her with amblyopia (lazy eye) and she had to wear a full time eye patch with glasses for a year (her kindergarten year). I felt like I should get a second opinion, but didn't.

3 years later I decided to have my 11 year old son's eyes checked since he was having head aches. The same Dr. diagnosed my son with amblyopia and wanted him in glasses and an eye patch. He then wanted me to make an appointment for my 2 year old since he was likely to have the same problem. This is when I put my foot down and got a second opinion. I found an expert in children's eyes, a pediatric ophthalmologist and took my son in. He told me that my son had 20/20 vision and didn't even need glasses. A few weeks later I took my daughter in and was told that she doesn't have amblyopia and he gave her a different prescription (less strong) than what she had been wearing for the last 3 years. If I would have just paid the $35 to have a second opinion 3 years ago, my daughter wouldn't have had to wear an eye patch to kindergarten. I look back at pictures of her wearing her patch and just want to cry.

It is always a good idea to get a second opinion, even if it does cost you time and money for the second opinion you will save in the end. I have learned my lesson.

What experiences have you had?

No Fake Allowed, Tip-Out Trays

Hooked on Getting Rid of the FAKE
You know those fake panels on the front of most sinks? For some reason fake anything really bothers me. I don't like fake flowers, plants, panels, anything fake. I also hate wasted space. When I moved into my home 8 years ago, getting rid of the fake panels on my sink was one of my first improvements along with painting the 1980's dark oak cabinets in my kitchen. This is a very simple home improvement that anyone can do. They are called Tip-Out Trays and can be found at any home improvement store. I looked at Lowes and found them for around $17.

All you do is detach your fake panel and install the hardware that comes in the box. My panels came off very easily and I was able to do this project by myself with no problems. I also added a handle to match my cabinets. Here is a picture from Lowes (click on it to go to the Lowes website)

I like to keep old toothbrushes for cleaning in mine and my lemonade Kool-Aid for cleaning my dishwasher with. If you don't understand what the lemonade has to do with my dishwasher, click HERE.

Today is Hooked on Houses link party and I thought I would link this post since I seem to be hooked on this subject this week. So go check out the other links and her fun blog.

Save $$$ Dumping cable and Using TiVo

I hate bills coming in the mail with a passion. I hate paying monthly bills and try to reduce the number that I get each month. I only have 1 credit card so I only get one bill in the mail for that. I have to pay for gas and electricity, but I don't have to pay for TV. I am the type of person who thinks ahead and you really have to think ahead with this. Some people are happy paying $13 (not sure the exact price) a month for their TiVo service thinking it is a lot cheaper than the $300-$400 you pay for lifetime service. But what about 2-3 years from now when the amount they have paid is equal to $300-$400 and they could be paying nothing if they had just bought the lifetime service? So if you are the type of person who thinks ahead this deal is for you!

I was just emailed this promotion and thought I would pass it along. It is a great deal! If you are looking to get rid of cable or satellite TV and save $60-$100 a month, or whatever you are paying, this is for you!

Get TiVo and dump your cable. You will never miss it, I promise. You can subscribe to Netflix and get tons of movies and TV shows for $8 a month. You can also rent movies from your TiVo and tons of other cool features that will have you wondering why you have been paying for cable. I do not get paid to advertise for TiVo, I just love it. I researched every system out there very thoroughly before deciding that TiVo was the best deal around.

To see my post about TiVo click on this link: I Heart TiVo and Netflix
To go to TiVo's website just click on the picture.

I Heart TiVo and Netflix!

2 years ago we signed up for the qwest promotion of phone, internet, and DirectTV for $99 a month. Until then we had never had cable or satellite TV. We figured it was a good deal since we were paying around $90 a month just for phone and internet. I called to see what taxes would be, but was told that the total cost would not be more than $99 a month even with taxes. After someone came out to install the DirectTV we discovered that we would need to pay an additional $5 a month for another reciever so that we could get service to more than 1 TV. We ended up buying another DVR for this, adding $100 to the cost. Qwest charged us an additional $250 for equipment that they did not tell us about up front. Our bills were never $99 a month or even $105 with the addition of another reciever. We paid $130 every month with taxes and everything. I would have never signed up for this deal had I been told up front all of these fees and I was stuck in a 2 year contract!!!

We had never had a DVR before and really got hooked on it. It was so convenient to be able to set it to record all of our favorite shows and then watch them whenever we wanted. We watched a few shows on HGTV, Disney, National Geographic and other channels, but not enough to make it worth the cost. My kids got hooked on Spongebob and a couple of other Nickelodeon shows. As soon as the contract was up, we knew that we wanted to drop DirectTV, but we couldn't give up our DVRs. I researched all of the options for days before coming to this conclusion:

TiVo with lifetime service
The initial cost up front is a lot, but we will save money in the end. We bought 2 HD TiVos with 2 lifetime service contracts. We paid around $1200 for everything (long gasp with jaw open). Yes I know that is a lot of money and it would have never even been an option for us 5 years ago, but we will save money in the long run. We dumped DirectTV and are already saving $60 a month. We hooked up our TiVos to our antenna on the roof of our house and get free HD! We didn't have to buy a special antenna, but are using a 30+ year old one and getting better picture quality than cable! We don't get any bills in the mail and have no monthly fees! We did the math and figure that our TiVos will start paying off and truely be free after 2 1/2 years.

Here is the second great thing about having TiVo:
Our kids started complaining when we told them that we were getting rid of DirectTV because they would loose Spongebob Squarepants and a few other shows. We then told them about Netflix. We signed up for Netflix and pay $9 a month with taxes. We get instant movies and shows on our TiVo! Spongebob is one of those instant shows along with several other favorites from the Disney Channel and other cable channels. We also get thousands of movies instantly. We also get 1 DVD in the mail at a time, which ends up being about 6 DVDs a month for us. Now the kids are saying that they love Netflix way more than DirectTV. I love that they are no longer watching comercials and asking for all of the toys in them.

Now I know that $1,200 for 2 HD TiVos is a lot. You can get 1 TiVo with lifetime service for around $600. If that is still too much check out craigslist or KSL Classifieds if you live in Utah county. I have found used TiVos (not HD) for $100-$200 with the lifetime service included.

Netflix sent me a thank you in the mail last week for me to share with friends and family. You can get 1 month of Netflix for free! We only got 2 weeks for free, so this is an additional 2 weeks. I have four cards with codes on them. If anyone wants one of these codes, just send me an email jen(at)ibizprint(dot)com (Soon to be jen(at)thethriftyhome(dot)com)
I will email you back the code! First 4 people to email me will get the codes!