There is nothing cheap about owning a home, is there? While plenty of people choose to rent instead of own, many of us take pleasure in owning our own place. Choosing a home is a big decision - starting with the location. How good is the neighborhood and how are the schools? What will the commute be like for work? Are there favorite conveniences nearby? Then there’s the house itself - how big is the property and is the house the right size? What is the condition of the home and the rooms, especially the kitchen and bathrooms. Luckily our home is in excellent shape, though some expensive items like our kitchen appliances are nearly due to be replaced.

I like to search through Consumer Reports before I make big purchases, especially for cars and appliances. Even if you don’t have a subscription to the magazine, you can find a lot of information on the web or review the books for free at your local library. For us it has saved us a lot of headaches, helping us to make better choices in our purchases. Kitchen appliances aren’t cheap, so it’s worth taking the time to buy the best one for our budget that will last us a good long time and save on energy bills too.