“Gleaming hardwood floors” sound great in real estate listings, but the reality of trying to keep them in good condition with kids, pets, and Central New York weather can prove stressful. Our 1918 home features a spacious foyer, but its wall-to-wall hardwood isn’t the most practical floor covering for a busy entryway. Through the years I’ve tried various waterproof mats and rugs, but struggled to find something that provided sufficient protection and was easy to keep clean.

After brainstorming various options that would have required either removing some of the wood floor or damaging it to apply a new surface over the top, I found companies offering vinyl rugs that looked like vintage tile. The problem? They cost hundreds of dollars and the sizes didn’t quite match the layout of my space. A custom rug would be even more expensive.

I found that multiple companies manufacture “penny tile” sheet vinyl flooring (note to manufacturers: you should do more of this–people love the vintage look!), and I got to thinking that maybe I could make my own “rug.” Maybe I wouldn’t even have to worry about finishing the edges, or anything…just cut to fit and see how I liked it.

I headed to Lowes to see what my options were in the floor remnant section, and they just happened to have an 8’x12′ remnant in a small hex tile pattern. I wasn’t crazy about the black, but the style was period appropriate for my house, and there wasn’t anything in stock that I liked better, so I decided to give it a try.

Originally I was going to do wall-to-wall, butting right up against the trim. I considered removing and reinstalling the quarter round molding to keep the vinyl in place. But an unfortunate mismeasurement (“Measure twice, cut once? Who, me?”) meant that I cut the sheet too small. I decided to go with it and cut a smaller L-shape tailored to my space so the rug would look more like a tile inlay in the larger floor, with a portion that jutted out to meet up with the entry door.

I wasn’t loving the “just” black, though. Yes, it was “hex tile” that was period appropriate for my house, but the overall effect reminded me of an industrial rubber mat. So being the little bit “extra” that I am, I decided to add “accent tiles” with paint.

I hate it when I’m in Lowes and the employees ask if I need help, because I am invariably up to something that shouldn’t really be done. Expecting any kind of off-the-shelf paint to adhere to a high-traffic vinyl floor is one such thing. In the end, after dismissing a friendly employee with an “I’m all set, thank you,” and deliberating so long that I seemed anything but “all set,” I decided to try Zinsser Perma-White in satin, which I’d used on a different sort of project previously and knew it could stand up to some abuse.

Yes, I’m crazy enough that I considered hand painting each tile with a little brush, but I thought stenciling might go a bit quicker. I used stencil blanks to create my own stencils for “flower” shapes and a border around the edges of my rug. I found a website somewhere that could generate a grid of hex shapes (after counting along the edges of my rug–ugh!), and then spent a little bit of trial and error and maths figuring out a pattern that was more or less evenly spaced. I penciled small “X” marks on the vinyl where the white tiles needed to be.

I used a foam roller and my stencils and did just one good coat of paint–all I had the patience and the willingness to cripple my muscles for–to create my tile pattern. I figured if the paint didn’t work out long term, I could always redo it or just abandon this idea altogether.

In the end I was quite pleased with the result, and it fits in with the period and character of my home. Up close it doesn’t fool anyone, but at a glance most visitors assume it’s tile.

I completed this project in August 2023, and now in the midst of winter (January 2024), it’s doing just what I’d hoped. There’s plenty of space for our family to come in from the weather and remove wet, slushy boots without trying to balance on smaller water proof mats. Best of all, I’ve been able to sweep and mop the mat without damaging the paint, and it seems none the worse for wear after daily foot traffic.

The vinyl is not adhered to the floor in any way (this was important to me), but it stays in place quite well and the edges don’t try to curl up. Periodically I lift up the rug to clean underneath, because dirt still finds a way of migrating beneath, but it’s large enough that water has stayed off the wood like I’d hoped.

Similar ready-made rugs cost hundreds of dollars, but my waterproof vinyl floor rug with a custom vintage penny tile look came in under $70 including the remnant and all of the supplies!

The post DIY Vinyl Floor Rug Keeps Snow Melt Off Hardwood Floors appeared first on Jen Spends Less.

It’s rare to come across a new cleaning product that really revolutionizes my housekeeping and makes life easier.

I’ve always kind of hated washing dishes by hand. My sister teases me about the way dirty dish water grosses me out; just the thought of bits of food lurking and floating around beneath the suds. Eww! (And I’m not the only one; I’ve seen memes about this). I know, I know, that’s what kitchen gloves are for…but it was still a chore I hated.

To make matters worse, I have a large single-basin farmhouse sink in my kitchen, which sometimes I think was a mistake. I grew up with a two-basin kitchen sink; soapy water in one side, rinse off on the other. In my single-basin sink I used plastic wash tubs for the soapy water, but they’d become grody over time. I used to joke that the dishes probably came out dirtier than they went in. Pots and pans never really fit in the wash tubs. Plus, there was no room to store the wash tub and it looked ugly in my kitchen.

I read some rave expert reviews of Dawn Powerwash and decided to give it a dry. I ditched the gross wash tub, simply sprayed some Powerwash onto the pots and pans I was washing by hand, scrubbed with a sponge, and rinsed. The Powerwash easily broke up grease and cooked-on food, making the task super simple and quick. I discovered I enjoyed washing the dishes!

In addition to washing my pots and pans, I’ve also experimented using Powerwash for other cleaning tasks that I could never find a satisfying solution for:

• I had sticker residue on a polyester kimono that just would not come off. As a last ditch effort, I sprayed Powerwash on the residue and was able to gently scrub it off in no time. The Powerwash did not leave any kind of mark.
• I’ve never found a solution to remove oil stains from clothing to my satisfaction. When I splattered cooking oil on my favorite new shirt, I sprayed some Powerwash on the spots before laundering, and they came right out. And again, the fabric color held fast.
• I have an antique cast aluminum trivet that I found at a flea market. It had some ancient food residue and grease embedded in the crevices. No amount of soaking and scrubbing seemed to get it completely clean. On a whim I decided to spray it with Powerwash and let it sit. After a little while I noticed the Powerwash suds beginning to turn brown…it was clearly dissolving that residue! I gave it a rinse and to my surprise–without any scrubbing at all–the trivet was almost completely, sparkling clean. I sprayed again and used a toothbrush to clean up the few stubborn spots that remained.

I’m really sensitive to scented products, and I’d heard that the regular Powerwash scent is kind of a lot, so I decided to go with the Free and Clear version. You should know that Free and Clear is not scent free, but it has a light pear-like smell that I find pleasant and not bothersome.

My husband, who deals with eczema on his hands, was concerned something so tough and concentrated would be too rough on his skin, but it seems not to be a problem for him (I think no longer soaking his hands in hot soapy water anymore helps a lot). “Why can’t I just squeeze some regular dish soap and a little water?” he asked. Because it’s magical, that’s why. He quickly became convinced after trying it.

Powerwash comes in a neat spray bottle that is, frankly, fun to use. You can be a little bit more environmentally friendly and save some money by purchasing refills and re-using the pump for as long as it works.

I’m not sponsored by the company, just had to share a product that has really improved my housekeeping and that I hope they never stop making! Have you tried it?

The post Best Things I’ve Bought: Dawn Powerwash appeared first on Jen Spends Less.

Now that I’m school shopping for two boys, I’m really looking to save all the money I can while buying quality clothes that will last. My previous tips on school shopping still hold true, although I will say that 11-year-olds heading into middle school are much pickier than they used to be. I’ve really been pushing it with my boys’ wardrobes, and they need a lot.

Kohl’s had a few coupon codes that were promising, so I headed to their site to load up my cart. With my Kohl’s Charge (which I pay in full every month that I use it), I could take an extra 30% off. They were also offering an extra $10 off $50 on back-to-school items (ie. clothes!). In addition, I had a code for free shipping with my Kohl’s card.

Tip: If you have a card and your flyer in the mail gives you less than 30% off, or if you don’t have a free shipping code, head to a coupon site like Retail Me Not (my go-to) and find the codes there.

My cart quickly ballooned to $200+ and I was thinking of dropping some items when I realized that I could work the coupons to my advantage and save more by dividing up my purchases.

Nazare Tedesco Nazare Confusa GIF from Nazaretedesco GIFs

Unfortunately Kohl’s doesn’t have a “save for later” function in their cart, but you can create lists and save items to them. I added all of the items to a list, then removed them from my cart. I was then able to add items from the list back into my cart in increments of about $50.

Now here’s how the coupons work at Kohl’s: the $50 threshold for the $10 off coupon factors in the price before any other coupons are factored in. The percent off coupons always come into play after dollar amount coupons are subtracted from the total. So the 30% off applies only to the remaining balance after that $10 is subtracted–a nice thing when you have a minimum threshold to meet.

I ended up making a total of four orders, all shipped free, at about $30 each. If I had just plunked everything in my cart and checked out (and let’s say it was $200 even), I’d have saved $10 on the clothes, plus an additional $57 with the 30% off. By dividing the orders into increments of $50, I saved $10 on each order, plus an additional $12 per order with the 30% off (yep, those coupons work repeatedly). I saved a total of $88–an extra $21!

The only downside to this (and not a big one) is that I missed out on earning any Kohl’s Cash. It was more important to me that I save the money up front, because as I’ve said before, I don’t consider saving in the future saving at all. Often times I’m at a loss when I have Kohl’s Cash to redeem anyway, because the redemption period doesn’t coincide with great sales and I don’t want to spend more than the Cash (which is what they’re counting on). I did earn a few Yes2You Rewards points on each order, so that’s something at least.

My older kid is more conscious of labels now, and at Kohl’s almost all of the big names–Nike, Adidas, Under Armour–are excluded from coupons. It’s frustrating, but honestly they’re all overpriced just for a name, anyway. I’ve had great luck thrifting like new brand name items instead, and my son doesn’t care where they come from as long as they look cool. There are plenty of other quality brands at Kohl’s that are coupon eligible (today I bought khaki pants for church, athletic shorts, plain hoodies, and a couple pairs of Lee brand jogging pants).

Whether you’re shopping at Kohl’s or someplace else, if shipping isn’t a factor read the rules of the coupon codes (they often work more than once) and decide if it makes sense to divide up your order. Make the rules work best for you.

P.S. Don’t forget your Ebates (now, in a questionable marketing move, renamed “Rakuten“) to get some cash back on your purchases!

The post Got Free Shipping? Dividing Orders Can Pay appeared first on Jen Spends Less.

Reader Jennifer writes:

Thank you so much for all the wonderful tips and ideas on your website. I came upon your site when I was researching stained/leaded glass ideas and now I’m hooked!  The window transformation you created a few years ago was exactly what I was thinking of and your detailed tutorial gave me the confidence to try a similar project on my own – a decorative divider between our living/dining rooms.

Because you listed your supply list of the Gallery Glass materials you needed and since your window dimensions were fairly similar, I was able to calculate correctly and didn’t purchase too much or too little.  I had an 11” X 53” piece of glass cut locally and ordered two 6’ long pieces of 1” oak trim for the frame; brass roll hooks to mount at the top; and a few brass S-hooks from a box store.  (I had originally purchased some brass chain for hanging but I wanted more head clearance, so I decided not to use it after all).

I was a little apprehensive about the U groove in the wood and didn’t want to mess it up, so my husband helped me figure out the measurements for the frame, and then I used a box miter saw to cut the wood. I stained each of the four pieces with Minwax Red Mahogany and applied a coat of satin varnish.  I glued the finished leaded glass into the frame using E6000 clear adhesive for extra support, then I used screws and a little wood glue to hold the frame together.  Here is the result:

The post Reader Project: Jennifer’s Faux Leaded Glass Divider appeared first on Jen Spends Less.

I was very disappointed to learn that, thanks to unscrupulous consumers completely abusing LL Bean’s generous return policy, the company has had to make some drastic changes that hurt many people.

LL Bean had formerly offered a 100% satisfaction guarantee allowing customers to return unsatisfactory products at any time. They report huge losses due to people trading in thrift store purchases, or even dumpster finds, for new items.

The new return policy itself doesn’t bother me all that much — I have never had cause to return an LL Bean item. Utility items we own, such as backpacks and suitcases, are holding up amazingly well. I’ve had a few items of clothing that faded after many washes, or that I just grew tired of, and I donated them. The only returns I’ve made were items that I ordered online and didn’t fit or otherwise weren’t as expected, and I made those returns promptly.

LL Bean is a favorite of mine due to their well-made, dependable, yet affordable products. From the single large suitcase that accommodated our family of four in England for two weeks, to my sons’ backpack still going strong after 5 years, to the down comforter that keeps my old-house bedroom snug in the winter, I have been satisfied with these and many other purchases through they years.

But in addition to the return policy change, they are also axing their no-minimum free shipping in favor of a $50 shipping threshold. The days of knowing I can visit the LL Bean website and snap up some inexpensive necessity are over.

Worst of all, the company is planning “workforce reduction through early retirement incentives and changes in workers’ pension plans.”

Online, I have seen people talk about buying used LL Bean items and returning for new. It’s not being frugal, it’s cheap, it’s stealing, and it’s shameful.

The post You’re not frugal, you’re stealing. appeared first on Jen Spends Less.

I don’t like to spend a lot of money on temporary items that I know I will want to change later, which is why after ripping out the carpeting in our hallway a long time ago, I did not go out and buy a pricey runner or two.

I have ideas for the hallway, but the finished project is a long way off yet. But I did start sanding the floor down so I can refinish it, and have been worried that the foot traffic might damage the bare wood.

I was in a Dollar Tree store shopping for something entirely different when I noticed that they sold small rag rugs. I thought, “I bet I could sew those together and make one big long runner!”

Our hallway is long, a little over 20 feet, but luckily there were just enough matching rugs to make a runner long enough for my hallway. They measure about 17 x 26 inches. I bought 14.

With heavy duty upholstery thread, I used a simple overcast stitch by hand to sew the edges of the rugs together.

The end result is decidedly…I don’t know…rustic? Bohemian? I wasn’t sure at first about the wonky edges, but my older son D, who likes to weigh in on such things, says he likes it a lot. D says it reminds him of a beach house, and since this area used to be covered by ocean millions of years ago, it makes sense. OK then.

I bought a 5 x 8 non-slip rug pad (another $14) and cut it into strips to place underneath, so it doesn’t slip all over the place. I think it brightens the hallway just a bit, and it’s comfy to walk on. Total project cost less than $30 and some time sewing. Not bad!

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