Looking for a contractor?

For those of you who follow us you know that we decided to contract out the installation of our roof tar paper and shingles ... and I feel good about it for all the reasons I have already listed.

We did our homework and got 4 quotes from 4 different roofers (all licensed and bonded) and found what we think was a really great deal using a neat little site called ServiceMagic.com. I had never heard of the site before but after doing some research learned that they are kind of like a "gate keeper" for subcontractors. The companies actually pay a weekly fee for Service Magic to refer to them. However, it's not a good ol' boys club. They check backgrounds, company history, liscense, etc. etc. etc. And from what we can tell they check in constantly with their "Quality Pros" to make sure that the company dynamics haven't changed and they are still the same company they advertised themselves as.

After getting the name from Service Magic we went with Islander Roofing, LLC and couldn't be happier. They were professional, quick and overall really nice to work with. Plus, they were also the cheapest. This was a surprise for us since we figured they would pass on the "Service Magic" fee to us but I guess they went with the mentality of a small profit on lots of jobs. Either way, we will definitely be calling on them to bid on the house.

5 "no brainer" ways to save money on your home improvement project

Put the money back in your pocket!
(The chalk line broke last night so Mr. Nick had to fix it, I liked the way it made his hands look though).

1. Return the items you don't use.
Whether you're undertaking a large scale construction project or a small scale renovation you will almost inevitably end up with more supplies than you need. I think the biggest place this is likely to happen is plumbing. Honestly I think being sent to to the store by yourself with nothing but a list from your plumber (professional or not) only to return with the wrong part is cruel and unusual punishment. This happened to me several times with a professional plumber (Mr. Nick was overseas for a year in Kyrgyzstan so I had to suck it up and pay) until finally I ended up buying two of everything in the aisle. Overkill I know, but truly I was at my wits end. And what do you know, I had the right parts! The morale of this story though, is to return the parts you don't end up using. Even little $2 and $3 pieces add up quickly. Mr. Nick and I keep a bucket full of odds and ends and try to go about once a month to get caught up.

2. Take advantage of warranties.
When I buy a tool I expect it work and Mr. Nick is even harder on tools than I am. If something breaks while I was properly using it I take it back. Lowes sells a brand "Kobalt" and it actually says on the package, guaranteed for life. We took back a measuring tape which was pretty beat up but they changed it out no problem.

3. Bid out your materials package.
If you're doing a large scale project most likely you will have a materials list. However, even with simple products (we're currently in the market for garage doors) it pays to shop around. We ended up buying our lumber package at a local lumber store, not a big box chain. A lumber store we almost didn't ask for a bid from since everyone in town said they were expensive. However, they ended up being the cheapest ... by a lot! So for us, it has paid to shop around.

4. Always return rental equipment with a full gas tank.
This one we have gotten lazy on a couple times and each time I do it I kick myself in the foot. It's so easy! For example, when we rented the plate compactor I filled it up with .89 of gas. Cheap! Had I turned it in empty though it would have been $3.99 for the fuel surcharge. It doesn't seem like much but it adds up.

5. Make smart decisions on whether you should buy or rent tools.This is a lesson we learned from my parents who spent a fortune renting scaffolding to build their house before finally breaking down and purchasing a set. Side note: this purchase has worked out quite well for us now that they are done with it and we get to use it for free, or at least I haven't gotten a bill yet from my mother :) Renting tools is pretty economical when you think about what you're getting. However, renting may not be the right choice for you. We opted to buy our chainsaw and our tractor when we considered what the daily charge was for the equipment and how many times we would most likely use it.

How to save money on your site prep

Well it's official. We got our building permit today which means we are now free and clear to build. Here are the steps that had to happen before we could get it:

• Submit barn plans to the County and wait for them to be reviewed
• Have water tested and approved (through County)
• Have septic design with approval
• Have acceptable erosion control measures in place (another inspection from the County)
• Paid building permit fee (which covers costs for the County to inspect and the costs for them to review plans. It's based on the size of the building and the use. This first building permit is not as expensive because the barn is considered an agricultural building).

We also got the go ahead from the County to cover up our post holes (they came out and inspected the foundation).

Now, you may be wondering, how did we dig the holes and put those posts in without having the building permit ... I think we're also wondering that too (or at least I am). I asked Mr. Nick and he said, "Well technically we needed to have the building permit before starting" (voice fades off into non-discernible conversation with himself). So, no harm no foul I suppose.

Now, that we can "officially" build, here's how we saved money on our site prep.

• We are having the same guy who is installing our septic system (in Thurston County, as of 2010, you have to have a licensed septic installer install your septic. This was a bit of shock to us as we were planning on installing it ourselves (Mr. Nick had designed it). Once we learned we couldn't do that we decided to get the same guy who was going to install our septic to also do the prep work for the barn site. This means one bid for two projects and ultimately a better deal (just like buying in bulk at Costco).
• For our barn site we needed to bring in quite a bit of fill dirt to make a level "pad". One way we were able to save money was through our septic/earthwork guy who knew about a church that was doing some construction and was looking to get rid of their dirt (read, FREE DIRT!) In most areas there are always places looking to get rid of dirt, you just have to put your feelers out.
• We asked our septic installer if we could get his supplier price for the septic parts (he gets a discount because he buys in bulk) and he agreed. Which means we bought directly from the supplier with his price.

So that's it. The bottom line is, if you don't ask (for a discount or a special deal) then you'll never know (no one is going to offer it to you out of the goodness of their heart). I'm not so good at this (I'm also a terrible barterer ... I could be the only person who was told "no" by vendors in Tijuana, Mexico). But Mr. Nick, is super good at this which is just one more reason why I'm so happy to be going through this journey with him.

Great financial websites and money-saving tips

Brace yourself. I have an announcement to make. Wait for it ...



Building a house costs money.



Shocking I know. Here I thought that money tree we planted was going to provide for us these next couple years. Ha! What a joke (we all know I would have killed that poor tree by now anyway).


Recently I picked up a copy of Money Magazine at the library and read a pretty interesting article on the best financial websites out there. Here's the ones that I looked further into:

• Bill Shrink: This is a pretty cool site that analyzes your cell phone, your television, your credit cards, your savings and even gas. It's pretty personalized so you have to put your own info in but I found out where I needed to drive for cheap gas (it even took into account what kind of car I have and how far away I was from the station).
  
• Nerd Wallet: By asking you what you want out of a credit card reward program as well as your personal spending habits (and paying off habits) this site shows you how each potential cardstacks up against each other. I did this and it actually reccomended the card we have (American Express Platinum Delta Sky Miles Card) but who knows what it will find for you.
  
• Do it Yourself or Not: With lists of thousands of DIY projects this website compares how long and how much it would cost for a pro vs you to complete a job (accounting for location by zipcode). There's even a simple thumbs up/thumbs down icon that shows their reccomendation. It's a little clunky to navigate but once I figured out how they organized it things got easier. Ironically, building a home from scratch is not even an option ...
  
• Neighborhood Scout: If you are searching for your own land to build (or a home that's already built) this website compares all sorts of things like schools, average home prices, real estate appreciation rates and crime. According to the site my chances of becoming a victim of violent crime in the state of Washington are 1 in 271. I feel okay with these odds.

Saving money is such a personal thing but I'll share a couple of tips that Mr. Nick and I have employed over the past couple years to get ahead a bit quicker.

• I married my hairdresser. Well, not really, but he is quickly becoming one. When I just need a trim Mr. Nick can wield the scissors pretty well. Recently I cut off quite a bit to donate to Locks of Love, which I opted to go to the professional for, but for just run of the mill grooming I'm more than happy to let him hack away. (As a side note, when we were in college he cut my bangs for me and both of us learned that hair shrinks up once it's dry ... that was an interesting fringe I had for a couple months).
  
• We very rarely eat out. Now this is where I get lucky again because I'm not the cook in our family so I can imagine needing a break if you are the only one putting meals on the table night after night. We always have a fresh pot of rice in the cooker so even on days when Mr. Nick doesn't feel like cooking we can throw some chicken on the Foreman and pair it with rice. When we do eat out we try to use a coupon.
  
• I shop at Ross, Marshalls and Goodwill. Additionally, if I buy something and I haven't worn it in two weeks I return it because, lets face it, if it takes me that long to wear something I'm never going to.
  
• I don't dryclean my clothes. Now I do dryclean Mr. Nick's shirts but this is where I balance the things I want to do and things I don't want to do. For me, I am willing to pay this price in order to have more time to actually hang out with him. Plus, I could never in a million years get his shirts as nice as they do. But for my work clothes I wash at home. I use Dryell when necessary and I bought a compact little steamer which has always been enough to get the job done.
  
• I buy generic. Unless of course the name-brand is on sale because we are Proctor and Gamble shareholders, but in almost all cases I go with the generic.
  
• I make my own coffee. At home, for .7 cents a cup (I put 2 spendas in each cup and yes, I figured it out because that's what we do in our house, we figure out how much things are costing us). For Christmas I was given a Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker that can brew one or twelve cups of coffee at a time. It would work out especially well if Mr. Nick drank coffee because it can do two side-by-side but he's a tea man.
  

So there you have it. I'd love to know, how do you save money in your life?

Photo: Here I am with my new short haircut, courtesy of the professional. I don't love it but I do love that I was able to donate it to a great cause.

Apartment garden therapy?

Summer is finally here! We have emerged triumphant on the other side of one of the coldest Junes in record books. Today is beautiful and sunny and dare I say, to hot (Pacific Northwesterners are a fickle bunch aren't we?)

First, as a disclaimer I think it's important to note that the only thing I have ever grown with any sort of moderate success is catnip and jade ... that being said, it appears I may have sprouted my very first lavender plant. Hopefully not my last though as there are 71 of his brothers and sisters germinating as we speak.

Everything I have read says that lavender plants are incredibly hard to grow from seed but, Mr. Nick only agreed to my dream of a lavender field if we could do it on the cheap. So late one night we walked our little butts over to Fred Meyer and picked up all the necessary supplies for an apartment garden. Of course, you should never shop for anything after 10 p.m. because that's when you start to buy more things, like ...

Enough cucumbers and tomato plants to keep us in Greek salads for eternity. And while we were at it we threw in some corn too because, hey, who doesn't like sweet white corn. Granted it was a good ten minute debate to figure out which sweet white corn variety would best serve our refined palates. In the end we went with Lilly Miller's Silver Queen White Corn because the back of the package said that Silver Queen's "outstanding flavor and texture are the standard for white corn." Looking back now that seems like a dumb selling point ... wouldn't I want something that excels above the standard?

The corn is thriving (despite my lack of a green thumb) while the cucumbers and tomatoes are chugging along, but so far just that one teeny tiny semblance of a lavender plant. If the rest don't start following suit I may have to resort to "Plan B" which involves stealing established plants under the cover of darkness from inappropriate places: the hospital where I work, the church down the street, the roundabout by the elementary school ... why is it that only the places I would feel guilty taking from can afford a landscaping budget? I can see the headline now: "Local woman caught with dirt under her nails and plants in her pocket: Husband refusing to post bail."

Construction Estimating Spreadsheet

For anyone who needs it (now or in the future) here is an outline of the spreadsheet we're using to estimate our potential costs for our construction loan. The second tab is my personal estimating spreadsheet which doesn't include everything but does breakdown the main rooms.

Click here to download

Construction Loan 101

Nick and I met with Olympia Federal Savings Bank this morning to talk about construction loans. We've never had a brick and mortar bank before as we've always been happy USAA customers but apparently Olyfed is one of the few banks in the area making construction loans right now. While we're not ready to submit an application yet (we're going to build the barn with cash) it's good to know the basics:

• Need 20% down payment for the construction loan.
• Have 6 months to get certificate of occupancy. As owner-builders this was a little worrysome to me but the woman said we could get a special exception made.
• Need to produce a line-item budget of how much it will cost to build the house. Now me, being the excellent list maker and spreadsheet inventor that I have always been, has already created a line by line estimation of what it will cost to build the house. I asked the woman if what I had created would work and she kind of laughed like I would need to do more work...well low and behold, I included more line items than the bank. There are some rough estimates that we had done which I'll need to finalize but I'm more done than not.
• Once we start building we'll only pay interest on the money we take out only and not the whole balance, AND the best part...
• They reimburse us for our purchases instead of paying directly with their money. Which for us is just about the best scenario ever as we have a very good mileage card. (The Platinum Delta Sky Miles card in case you're looking for one yourself. I went to Greece on my miles and Nick and I both went to Nicaragua, not to mention countless other domestic flights. In a lot of cases (like home improvement stores and gas, woot woot!) you get double miles.)