With our big move only a few months away, we’ve started preparing the house to sell. This week we’re sharing the projects we’re tackling—some are quick fixes and others are larger updates. We fast-tracked a makeover of the hall bathroom, and John has proposed a 2020 shopping challenge that encourages us to source more items locally when possible. We also explored whether a simple pen-and-paper budgeting method can actually help save money. Plus, there’s an unexpected rant about The Bachelor thrown in for good measure.
What’s new
- If you missed our recent announcement about moving, you can catch the details in Episode #163 or read the post where we added extra information and answered common questions.
- We mentioned our veranda project from a few years back. We finished it in 2014, so it hadn’t received a full refresh in nearly six years. Exposure to the elements left some wood trim flaking, but a few hours of priming and repainting refreshed the space and made a big difference.
- Our hall bathroom arrived with the house looking like a creamy-themed room—walls, trim, counters and even the floors leaned toward yellow-cream tones. The wood vanity was the only darker element.
- When we refreshed spaces for our second book, Lovable Livable Home, we painted the walls, trim and vanity white. That shift made the yellow tile feel more vintage and charming instead of dated—provided it was cleaned and brightened appropriately.
- We’ve tackled yellow tile before in our last home’s guest bathroom and were able to make it feel fresh for about $51. Small investments and thoughtful updates can stretch a long way.
- We’re particularly excited about the counter and cabinet updates in the hall bathroom. Progress is happening and the space already looks so much better. We’ll share an in-depth post with budget details once everything is complete, but you can also catch quicker updates on Instagram.
- Our friends Teresa and Andrew had a kitchen transformed by a local craftsman named Billy, who installed new inset cabinet doors, drawer boxes and hardware while keeping the original cabinet boxes. Seeing that before-and-after inspired us to pursue similar inset door updates for our hall bathroom.
- Billy’s work also appears in projects for friends and in rental renovations where the original cabinet boxes stayed in place while new doors, drawers and hardware transformed the entire room. Those makeovers demonstrate how a relatively small budget can create a high-end look.
- For our hall bathroom, new inset fronts, drawer boxes, soft-close hardware, and professional painting and installation came in under $750. That felt like a great investment for a custom, eight-foot-long double sink setup that fit wall to wall without demolishing the old vanity.
Can We Just Talk About Kakeibo?
- We recently came across articles about kakeibo, a Japanese budgeting method that emphasizes tracking spending and reflecting on finances with pen and paper. The practice ties into broader research that shows benefits from journaling and writing things down, like greater awareness and improved habits.
- Kakeibo can be as simple as keeping a dedicated notebook to record income, fixed costs, variable spending and savings goals, then reviewing weekly or monthly to adjust behaviors. There are planners and printables available if you prefer a guided format, but many people get started with a plain notebook and consistent entries.
- Using analog tools for organization isn’t new to us—we’ve mentioned keeping schedules and planners in earlier episodes—and kakeibo fits that same mindset of slowing down, being intentional, and using a low-tech system to influence daily choices.
We’re Digging
- We tried to dig up an old photo from a high school library parade, but for now enjoy the photo above taken at one of the most delightful independent bookstores we’ve visited. We wrote a full post about that charming shop and other independent bookstore recommendations.
- Indie bookstore directories make it easy to search for a book and find local shops where you can order or pick it up in person—supporting local sellers while still finding what you want.
- As a TV recommendation, Love Is Blind became a guilty-pleasure favorite for us after watching The Circle; we’ve enjoyed the conversations around it and found the show entertaining.
If you’re trying to track down something we mentioned in past episodes, we have a master list of all the things we’ve been digging through our show notes, and a Book Club page that collects book recommendations we’ve shared.
Finally, thanks to Universal Furniture for sponsoring the episode. They’re offering a giveaway running through April 1st for one of our listeners. Check their giveaway page for details if you’d like to enter.
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