Summer is over, so many of you may be thinking of projects that didn’t get done during nice weather: expanding the vegetable garden, repairing the front porch steps or even building a backyard deck.

But don’t lament what didn’t get done — plan how you’ll get it done when the weather warms again. 

I’m considering putting a small deck adjacent to my house’s patio, one that would dry quickly after a Midwest spring rain. First things first, I need to decide upfront how much time and energy I can put into this outdoor building project. What’s most pressing for me to figure out is the footings, which go into the ground and support the legs or posts of the deck.

I could dig 3-foot deep holes and fill them with cement, making sturdy and freeze-resistant piers. This is a good idea, as I certainly don’t want the deck to warp and weave in response to seasonal changes.

On the other hand, I could use deck blocks, which sit on top of a base of fine gravel. They’re easy to move around, require no digging and allow the project to move along more quickly. However, they are susceptible to frost heaving. But if I think it’s possible this deck wouldn’t be permanent, it would be easier to take it apart and relocate it if I used deck blocks.

Have you built a deck? What approach did you take to support the posts? Are you dreaming of building a deck? Share your experiences and plans by posting a comment below.

In Life on the Homestead, an excerpt from Jenna Woginrich’s book, Made from Scratch, Jenna recounts sitting on a friend’s porch watching the “farm channel.” Her friend comes out of the house to look and says, “I’ve seen that episode.” A TV on the porch? Nope, just the daily antics of the farm residents — chickens, goats, pigs, horses …

If you have animals, you know how funny, endearing and frustrating they can be on occasion — great fodder for sitting-on-the-porch storytelling opportunities.

For instance, in a previous life I owned a pot-bellied pig that would get lonesome and walk about an eighth of a mile into the field to hang out with the horses. She could have come up to the porch and hung with the dogs, but she seemed to prefer horses. This was fine, except she never was aware when it was getting to be dusk. There she would be, stuck in the field. Alone. In the dark, snuffling and complaining. I would walk into the field calling her name, shine a flash light in front of her and we would walk, very slowly, with her following the little pool of light all the way back to her cozy pen.

Whether you have city dogs, cats or birds, or a farm full of livestock, you have some great stories to tell. Please share your favorite in the comments section below.

Photo by Vasyl Aleksuyk/Fotolia

Fixing leaky plumbing, repairing broken steps and painting the house are all jobs that many of us hire someone to do for us. But during this downturn in the economy, cash for necessary repairs might be in short supply.

Are there any fix-it projects that you have taken on recently, that you previously would have hired someone to do? In the comments section below, tell us about the projects you have attempted and how it went.

Purchasing the materials for a DIY project can involve making a number of decisions. For instance, if you’re building a backyard deck, you can choose from a range of materials that are inexpensive, but may last for only a couple of years, to expensive composite wood that can last a decade or more.

Decks can be constructed from high-end composite lumber, soft pine, durable cedar or redwood, or inexpensive slab lumber from a local sawmill. And the wood doesn’t have to be new; you might find it at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore or tear down an old building for the lumber. Each type of wood has advantages and disadvantages — price and durability are the key factors to weigh in your decision.

When you’re deciding on the materials for an outdoor wooden project, are you more apt to be swayed by cost or durability? Share your experiences in the comments section, below.

During these tough times it might be interesting to find out how far you can make $20 go. Here is the challenge: during the course of a week (or a day!), start out with one $20 bill in your wallet. Keep track of how you were able to meet regular expenses with the $20. You could, of course, use it all on a tank of gas. But consider some of your usual non-essential purchases, such as lunch, a magazine, a latte or a car wash.

See how far you can make that bill stretch. Show us how thrifty you can be.

Post your results in the comment section below.