The Thrift Diving Podcast

I have a confession: I have been very unmotivated lately to do many DIY projects. But the lack of motivation has extended to other personal projects, as well. The reason is because I have so many things I want to get done, but I don't know which one to focus on at any given time, that it ends up creating a lot of anxiety and stress, resulting in me doing nothing. Does this happen to you, too?...

Disappointment is a part of life, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with, especially when it comes to things you were hoping would turn out (yes, this includes DIY projects!).  So how then do we deal with disappointment so that we aren't discouraged or lose our confidence? How do we manage our expectations so that we're realistic and practical instead of non-sensible? This w...

It's been 8 months since we made our 2022 goals together in Episode #43. Where are you with those goals? You either haven't started, are making progress, or have completed a goal. In this episode I'll share with you where I am with my 2022 goals, and together we can make a plan for what we need to do going forward to make sure we hit our targets! Click to send me an email or send th...

This week I'm fielding questions from readers Gretchen, Elizabeth, and Sveltana, who wanted to know how to stop bleed-through on an old Hoosier cabinet, which paint and topcoat to use for bedside tables in her 5-year-old's room, and what are the "must have" tools for DIY projects for basic home improvements? Listen to my answers in this episode! Click to send me an email or sen...

I'll be honest with you: I used to not pay attention to my local elected officials. I didn't realize how they affected everything from the amount of property taxes I paid, to how I can use my land and property due to zoning laws, to creating affordable housing, to how parks and forests, etc., are protected and used. But lately, because of Primaries taking place in Maryland right now, I h...

How do you teach the next generation of kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews  the DIY skills, life skills, home improvement, home maintenance, etc. that they need? I've started something this summer with my three sons (ages 16, 12, and 10) called the Summer Life Skills Camp, where I'm teaching them all the important things I want them to learn: how to use tools, how to understand a payst...

I'll tell you the secret: there IS no "one" best paint for furniture. There are only brands you've tried that has features you love and don't love, depending on the project you're working on. So don't get caught up in making sure you only use one particular brand that is deemed "the best." Find what you like based on genuine recommendations, try samples...

In this episode, I was able to pick the brain of a professional furniture refinisher with over 24 years of experience! I asked him questions about his process from start to finish on how to safely and properly refinish wood furniture. Gary LeClerc from StripWell shared so many great tips and tricks for getting the best results, including products he uses in his refinishing shop, what to do and wha...

Getting started with learning to sew doesn't have to be expensive or difficult! I've been sewing for 22 years now after I was inspired one day back in 2000 after eavesdropping on coworkers' conversation. Years later, I have sewn so many things for myself and for my home! You might think it's hard to get started, or expensive, but it's actually not very expensive to add &qu...

After being COVID-free for two years, it finally sunk it's claws into me this week! I apologize in advance for a horribly scratchy voice, but I couldn't NOT publish to share with you how I'm doing! Thankfully, I'm recovering! Here's a quick update! Click to send me an email or send the email to serena@thriftdiving.com. F ollow me on Instagram @ThriftDiving to stay connecte...

Imagine the horror of spending $50....$75....even $200 on a DIY project and it doesn't turn out. It's emotional and financially painful when that happens and it literally happened to me this week as I worked on building a shade canopy with mosquito netting for my patio. Despite planning, part of the project was a complete bust and I wasn't sure how to turn it around or how much more...

I struggle with getting started with DIY projects, too. But then I realized that there is actually a process that I use to complete a DIY project from start to finish. You might be surprised to learn that a lot of that process boils down to either research or planning or sketching out what I plan to do before I even touch the tools and materials! Let's talk about how to go from start to finis...

This week I discovered a bean weevil bug infestation in my pantry--GASP!--thanks to a bad batch of beans given to us. Unfortunately, I didn't discover the bugs until they took over my pantry! In this episode, I'm talking about bug infestation prevention and clean-up! How do YOU prevent bug infestations? Have you ever discovered an insect infestation in your home? What happened and how di...

Spring is here and summer is on the way! In this episode, I'm walking you through how to easily make a "Truth or Dare" giant Jenga game set, which can be played indoors or outdoors! Grab your 2'x4' pieces of wood, a jigsaw, vinyl, Cricut machine, and some fun "truth" questions and "dares"! I'll share with you how to add a little twist to a conventi...

It doesn't matter if you're a renter or a homeowner: water leaks can cause damage to your personal property and your home! Sometimes we overlook the severity of water leaks for several reasons, but they're too important not to address. In this episode, we're going to talk about why people ignore water leaks, where they come from, and how to prevent or minimize damage from water...

I had a thought this week, "It would suck to get old and not be able to DIY anymore." It got me thinking about why home and garden companies don't market very much to Gen X'ers and Baby Boomers (especially women!), when the groups are more likely to have the time and income to afford to buy the tools and materials needed for DIY and home improvement projects. If we're not...

What happens when you hire a professional to do a job for you and they-- GASP! --make a mistake?? Well, professionals are human, too, and they make mistakes, just as a novice DIYer can make a mistake. But there are some things you should do and should not do once a professional you hired has made a mistake. Here's now not to freak out. Click to send me an email or send the email to serena@thr...

Got any money-saving gardening tips? In this episode, I'm sharing a few tips on gardening (things I've learned along the way during my few short years of gardening), including talking about how much money I've spent building a garden in the front of my "she shed." (HINT: It hasn't been cheap!). Click to send me an email or send the email to serena@thriftdiving.com. F...

While most of us aren't true hoarders with a legit mental illness, many of us have "hoarding tendencies." And it's usually one of these 5 excuses that we tell ourselves to give ourselves permission to hold on to things we no longer really need. Here's your homework this week: Listen to this episode and then get rid of THREE things that you've been holding on to becaus...

I have so much respect for contractors, but in every group, there are bad actors. How do you ensure that you aren't ripped off? Let's talk about how to make good choices in who we hire for repairs and home improvements, and what we can do to protect ourselves!  Click to send me an email or send the email to serena@thriftdiving.com. F ollow me on Instagram @ThriftDiving to stay connected!...

Water leaks were the highlight of my week, thanks to a busted pipe in the kitchen, along with leaking in my "she shed," including a fridge in my kitchen that needed a little TLC, too. In all that stress, I questioned whether it's worth to pay for a home warranty or not. Do you have a home warranty that covers your appliances, or do you choose to pay for every repair or appliance rep...

If you love refinishing old furniture like I do, I can guarantee that you'll need to sand down a piece of wood furniture to strip it before re-staining it. You'll need an orbital sander, but you'll also need a variety of grits of sandpaper so that you sand it down properly to accept new stain or a topcoat, without all the scratches left in the wood. Let's talk about how to do r...

When we moved into our old 1973's home back in 2010, I quickly realized that I didn't love our "new" purchased home. It needed upgrades, repairs, and it was dark and dreary. Over the years, I poured time and lots of DIY hours into improving and decorating it on a budget. While it has improved a lot , I still have my moments where the clutter, disorganization, and lack of "...

Have you ever hired professional contractors and have been afraid to speak up and ask questions, especially when you didn't understand how or why they were doing what they were doing? If so, you're not alone. Speaking up and asking questions when you think someone knows more than you isn't easy. But it's important that, from here on out, we start speaking up and speaking out. ...

This has been an insane week, from finding a mouse in my bathroom (EEK!), to finally getting drywall installed! Here's what's been going on this week! ( Click here to see the drywall installation! ) Send me an email or send the email to serena@thriftdiving.com.  F ollow me on Instagram @ThriftDiving to stay connected! WANT TO LEARN TO USE POWER TOOLS? I'm creating an online power to...