My family has enjoyed four summers in our current home, and while we’ve put on a new roof, updated the furnace and central air, and changed out some flooring, most of our efforts at improvement have been focused inside the home. As we roll into summer 2015, we’ve decided the time has come to invest some time, effort, and yes, even money, into our outdoor space. We’re blessed with a large backyard, and with three growing youngsters, getting outside and playing is a BIG priority in our house.

 

That being said, I’m big into the DIY movement. There are some areas I’ll admit that an amateur has no business in, which is why we didn’t replace our own roof or furnace. But our big project this summer is putting on a deck and building a small playset for the kids. I have friends and family, plenty of tools, and the grit and determination necessary for the task…all I need is a grill, some burgers, and a cooler full of refreshments. We have tentative plans to get this backyard done in a week. That might seem optimistic, but if you’ve ever watched HGTV, they knock those things out in a weekend!

Our first step is to visit Lowe’s and decide on lumber. We looked at composite decking, and after doing some questionable math in my head, I came up with an awesome price for a 12’x24’ deck. Unfortunately, I then had to multiply that by three…and that’s why we’re going with treated lumber for the deck. We have some money set aside, but we’ll probably also take some money out of our Afena Home Equity line. We’ve decided to finish the deck first and then tackle the playset. I’ll be utilizing all the money saving tricks in my arsenal, and hopefully, by the end of the week (or month!), we’ll have a backyard to celebrate the 4^th of July in.

Do you have plans for this summer? I’d love to hear about them. I’ll share my story about how building the deck goes later on this month, and hopefully be able to give some money saving tips as well. Here’s to a summer of cook outs, bonfires, and enjoying time together in our own backyard. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.