23 Reader Tips That Save Time and Money

I was installing beadboard panels on the kitchen walls, a fairly easy task—until it came to cutting the holes for the electrical outlets. Then I had this thought: Take off the outlet cover, screw it on backwards, paint its outer rim white, and then—before the paint dries—press the panel against it. Sure enough, I got an accurate line to guide the cut without measuring.

—Dan Myers
Fishers, Indiana