How about shoes or clothes?

And drop cloths to protect the floors.

I ran an online clothing business for a few years with a partner but it wasnt as organized as it should have been.

You are much more likely to have improved confidence wearing nice clothes.

I don't buy things that often (i.e. buying a new gadget or clothes every few weeks) and know that I'm able to save a decent amount, but I don't actually know how my money is being spent.Blocking 30 minutes each week to review the previous week and plan goals for next week to make sure I am on track to meet my monthly goals.

Hi Marian.I think many here will agree that perhaps the BEST course of action is to find a portfolio lender in your area, put on some nice clothes, gather up your plans (and financial data) and go talk to them.Portfolio lenders don't sell off their loans on the secondary market, so they aren't as restrictive.

At one point I opened a closed closet and looked at what clothes I had hanging and they all looked dirty.

Most people will fall a lot at first so I would tell them wear some padded clothing.

@Mindy Jensen - we spent less than 10 minutes in the house but had to drive with our windows down for the rest of the day because the smell was embedded in our clothes.  

One bonus, though, is since I did them all myself when I wore a younger man's clothes, I know how long they take, can apply an hourly rate, and how much materials cost to estimate a reasonable cost of repair and I also know what a good and a bad job looks like; this all helps tremendously in selecting and managing contractors.