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How to Get More Bang for Your Buck

How to Get More Bang for Your Buck

To get the best value on everything from food to furniture, you need smart strategies. In these quick videos, Real Simple’s food, fashion, beauty, and home design experts walk you through simple things you can do to save a little dough.

Easy Decorating

How To: Make a Floral Centerpiece With Takeout Containers
Making a centerpiece to enliven your dinner table doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming, as you’ll see in this video. The fresh, fun, and easy floral centerpiece here will cost you mere dollars and take only minutes.

How To: Freeze and Quick-Thaw Meats

Buying meat in bulk can save you money and time (in the form of last-minute supermarket trips). Keep it fresher longer—this video shows how.

Photo: Time Inc. Studios

How To: Wash Cashmere

Dry cleaning isn’t the most effective way to care for your cashmere—it’s just the most expensive way. This video demonstrates how to keep your cashmere looking like new for years to come, for just a few cents a pop.

Photo: Time Inc. Studios

How To: Make a Floral Centerpiece With Recycled Cans

A backyard party or barbecue doesn’t call for elaborate decorations, just something fun for the table―like this rustic, charming, and easy centerpiece. It's so simple—as this video shows, you can assemble it in minutes—you can make it with your kids.

Photo: Time Inc. Studios

How to Paint a Wall

Getting ready to paint a wall? Don’t skip the prep work: A properly primed surface makes all the difference. This video shows how to make both painting and priming a snap.

Photo: Time Inc. Studios

How To: Make a Centerpiece with Recycled Cans

How To: Clean Makeup Brushes

How To: Make Salad Dressing

How to Keep Flowers Fresh Longer

How To: Clean a Diamond Ring

Do It Yourself

How To: Manicure Your Nails
No time for a professional manicure? For easy at-home maintenance, try this video’s tips on how to file and shape your nails.

How To: Clean Silver Jewelry
It's easy to clean tarnished silver without taking it to a professional. This video shows how to polish your pretty pieces in a snap.

Sell Your Home Checklist

How to get your castle sold.

Make small fixes. Inspect your home with a buyer’s eyes, and correct the flaws that are most egregious (if affordable) or can be relatively easily fixed—from repairing cracks in the walkways to repainting dingy walls or oiling creaky hinges.
Decide whether to work with an agent or self-sell. For a commission, an agent will take care of many details you may not want to be bothered with (placing ads, fielding calls, making signs, etc.) and bring experience to the table. To find a good one, ask friends and relatives, then interview several candidates. Have each one walk through your house to see how he or she would price it and how the two of you get along. Sign an agreement for the shortest commitment possible, usually three to six months. If you self-sell, help is available (for a fee) at forsalebyowner.com.
Set a price. A real estate agent will give you a market analysis free of charge or commitment. Ask a few to get a broader picture of the market, then ask to see listings for properties similar to yours that have sold in the past six months. Check out comparable listings yourself in the real estate section of your newspaper or on websites. Or get an analysis from a certified appraiser (appraisalinstitute.org). Then decide whether you want a quick, easy sale or the highest possible price.

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