We are living with a major eye sore for several months until we have cash for a new outside foyer. DH tore down the old one before it collapsed. It would be easier to finance it and have it look nice but I'm done with that mentality.

What would you do?

How do you pay for your home improvements?

We refinanced to pay for the major repairs in our home but are now doing one project at a time, paying with cash.

Right now I'm nursing them all through -- you should see my frig - no money for such things right now.

I think I'm depressed today.

Cash and Cash only---if we do not have it we do not get it done. Simple as that---I have a list a mile long but there is no way that I would not pay cash----ESPECIALLY right now with the way the world seems to be going. Do not think painting a room takes priority over saving.

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"Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts."
~Unknown~

We use our savings...if something is going to be really expensive, we might put it off for a year to save more money for it. We wouldn't go into debt for any home improvement (unless it was an emergency). Usually takes us 6 months to make a decision on non-emergency home improvements anyhow! LOL!

cash only.

That's us. Saving by procrastination.

We paid for our house in cash straight up, and then took out a mortgage to pay for the initial remodel (to make it livable). After that it has been strictly cash, and it will be from now on.

We use cash. We will sometimes take advantage of a 0% financing offer, but that's only if I have the money in our savings account to pay the bill if I need to.

We pay with cash. I have a list of everything I want to get done, painting every room again, ceilings painted, hardwood floors redone and then new carpet....we just take it month by month and do a little each month as we can afford to do it. I hope to have my inside wish list done by this spring, keep your fingers crossed!! We have so much to do outside, but luckily it will be snowing soon and no one will see our yard with too many dandelions! Big projects we just save up until we can get it done. My husband does teaching part time at a college one night a week for 3 months and makes $1,500...not too bad. Of course all that money goes back to his "play" items. He bought a computer, labtop, camera and now he wants recliners, another labtop, xbox or wii....of course that could be spent on new steps, new fridge, new carpet, but I figure he goes to work at night so he can spend it on what he wants!

We do a combination. Since we tend to buy fixers, I don't feel bad about taking out a home equity loan, do a bunch of remodelling then re-financing our first to roll in the work. I just don't use a home equity loan / LOC for things other than home remodelling. Some small jobs we can do out of pocket and we pay cash. Some things we finance privately with "12 months, same as cash" deals as long as we can pay off the loan before the 12 months is up.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."