Do you love the feel of printed books? If you've amassed a collection of paperbacks, hardbacks, textbooks and even audiobooks over the years and would like to swap them to read new books, consider joining PaperBackSwap.com. All you do is list what you have in your home library to swap. When another member requests it, you mail it to them and you earn a credit to choose from the 4 million available books. When you receive the book, you can keep it for as long as you want or swap it again.

It's easy to make upcycled firestarters to use to get your wood-burning stove or fireplace roaring in the fall and winter months. Save cardboard egg cartons, old candles and dryer lint. Tear large pieces of dryer lint and place it inside each egg carton compartment. Then melt the old candle in a heat-resistant glass container over simmering water. Pour the melted wax into each compartment, covering the dryer lint. Allow it to cool. To use your firestarter, just tear one compartment and light the cardboard in the fireplace. It'll burn slowly and evenly and allow your fire to "catch" and get going. 

One way to take advantage of the fall's bountiful harvests is to make several casseroles that you can freeze and enjoy later in the year. Many food blogs and home cooks recommend investing in 8-by-8-inch glass Pyrex casserole dishes that have matching lids; it makes it easy to bake, cool, cover and freeze all in one container. But if the idea of spending more money on casserole dishes is less than desirable, try this instead: Make your own food blocks. Line a casserole dish with a few layers of parchment paper. Make your casserole in the dish, allow to cool and then freeze it. When the casserole is frozen solid, pop it out and wrap it in aluminum foil, then place it in the freezer. When you're ready to eat it, put it back into the dish and heat it up.