Guest Author - Diane Kern

Everyone can use a little more money no matter what your income is. Good Feng Shui means having everything in working order and in good condition. When that is not the case your money is negatively affected.

It would be a shame to let your hard earned cash dwindle for lack of attention around your home. What do I mean by that? Do you have any neglected repair projects around your house? Have you taken a maintenance inventory of your property and belongings lately? If the answer to the first question is yes, and the second question is no, then you could be letting your money run away and not even know it.

Let’s take that maintenance inventory. Walk around your house both inside and out. Carefully inspect all appliances, plumbing, electrical equipment. Is everything in good working order? Do you have a leaky pipe or a dripping faucet? There goes your money down the drain! Are your appliances working properly? Are they due for replacement or can they be fixed. For instance, the gaskets around your refrigerator can dry out preventing a tight seal. That’s cold cash being wasted! Now the electrical. Is your service up to date or are there extension cords snaking along the walls and under carpets? Do you have lamps that need rewiring? Money up in smoke!

Now check your windows and doors. Do they open and close properly? Do you have cracked window glass? Do the doors sag? Are frames cracked and sagging? That money is just flying out the window! What about your walls? Is it time to refresh with a new coat of paint? That’s tired money just sitting around and not doing anything!

Ok, now think of all the things you have in your house. I know, that sounds overwhelming. You are looking for things that are broken, chipped, non functioning, no longer fit, are no longer loved and no longer used. Get organized and discard the broken, repair those you wish to keep if you can, and donate those you no longer use. Be ruthless. Clutter is never good especially if it is useless stuff.

So far we have dealt with items that can waste actual money (dripping faucets) and items that represent loss of money or a mindset that represents a lack of money (holding on to useless items) Now do the same outside your home. Do you have piles of trash, garden refuse and broken equipment outside? Start a yard cleanup. Is there that ugly corner of your property you have been meaning to take care of? Deal with it now.

When you are finished you will have a new outlook on life, renewed energy and a more positive attitude. And that money will hang around a little longer giving you new opportunities.

There are some great home improvement tips in this book based on the HGTV series.