The $4 cure-all already in your medicine cabinet

You decide to refurnish a stool you found in your attic, but you don’t want to buy a special tool to sand the curved edges. The cost-effective alternative: Wrap a 2"-wide strip of sandpaper around a drill (as shown), securing with double-sided tape. When you turn the drill on and move it across the wood, the sandpaper rotating on the drill will quickly smooth out the edges.

MONEY SAVED: $16 for an electric sander