While saving up for the next phase of any major work it is really easy to get discouraged or feel like you aren’t making any progress. This post explores some of the smaller jobs we did that all together make a big difference.
We have a HUGE list of small jobs to do around the house that are minor repairs or tweaks that would make *life that* much easier, but that we can never seem to get all done because daily life (work, etc.) gets in the way (No matter how much you wish for more there will only ever be 24 hours in a day). It is important to really make the effort to do a few of these on a regular basis so you can feel like things are still moving forward.
Here are 3 small things that make a big difference that we finally crossed off our list:
1. Replace the broken doorknob on the basement door
The doorknob itself worked fine but the metal rosette was torn and had a jagged edge where it attached to the knob. You could easily cut your hand if you grabbed it the wrong way (not fun when you are carrying a laundry basket full of clothes). Not having to worry about cutting your hand when going to the basement is wonderful.
Total time: 15 minutes
Total cost: $30
2. Change the door handle on the fridge to the opposite side
The fridge opened to the left but the counter was on the right so it was irritating when we had to put away food from the counter or take out items to cook with and have to bring the items a-l-l the way over to the counter (we know, we know, its a small thing but one that drove us nuts). After almost six months of living with it we finally changed the handle to the other side and now the fridge opens to the right. It took a while to get used to opening the fridge on the right side but now we wonder how we did it the other way for so long.
Total time: 20 minutes
Total cost: $0
3. Install ceiling light in the kitchen
We took down an old (grease covered) ceiling light/fan combo when we moved in, intending to install a light we had brought from Chris’ old apartment, but when we went to put up the new light we couldn’t. The problem was that the light was missing a part of the mounting bracket which must have got lost in the move. We moved a standing floor lamp (yes really) into the kitchen as a temporary light source until we found a light that was to our taste and budget. Shouldn’t take more that a weekend right? Six months later we were still using the floor lamp… The ceiling lights we did like were out of our price range and we were not crazy about the ones we saw in the big box stores at our price point. Others we did like were just not bright enough for the kitchen. We went to Living Lighting at the King St. location where the sales associate could not have been more helpful! She asked what we were looking for and how much we wanted to spend and then suggested a light that, while they didn’t have it in stock could order it in. Now we have a bright kitchen light without breaking the bank and the floor lamp has been moved back to its proper home in the living room.
Total time: 30 minutes
Total cost: $130
These 3 small and inexpensive jobs may not seem like much, but they make a huge difference in our day-to-day life. They also keep the momentum moving forward when you are waiting for larger budget items to come together.
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