If you're replacing the countertops in your home with a natural stone or quartz material, you're often stuck with leftover pieces from the fabrication job. Instead of throwing the pricey scraps away, use them as decorative pieces around the house. Ask the fabricator to make small rectangular shelves that can sit on top of radiators or be mounted on the wall as extra storage. Use small pieces to make beautiful bookends, and even use a piece cut into a circle or square to upgrade a tabletop. You can often find scraps at your local countertop company, selling for next to nothing.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Do you know what two things in your home are responsible for more than 50% of the energy consumption of your entire household? It should come as no surprise to find out it's your heating/cooling system and electric water heater. So if you want to reduce your energy waste by putting in minimal effort to get maximum results, focus on raising the thermostat when you're cooling your home, lowering it when heating, and changing the setting on your water heater to conserve and save the most energy.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

You probably have a box of old baking soda in your refrigerator that needs to be replaced. But don't toss out the old box; you can use it to help clean around the house. Fill your coffeepot with 1/4 cup of baking soda and cool water. Dissolve the mixture, then run it through your automatic coffee maker. The baking soda mixture will help disinfect and clean the inside of your coffee maker, picking up mineral deposits and grime. Follow it up with a full pot of clean water to make sure it's sparkling clean.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION