Rip saws have coarser teeth than crosscut saws , but either will work for occasional work. If I had to choose one hand saw for all-around rough sawing, I'd choose a rip saw. When buying lumber, pass up the first few pieces in the stack and look for the good boards below them. It's neither twisted nor knotty. Generally, once you reach the good wood in a pile, you'll find what you need pretty quickly, but you may have to wade through a lot of junk.
Insulation can save money and make the house more comfortable at the same time.
Like everything else, though, it's got to be chosen and installed correctly. Small repairs in most kinds of siding are easy, assuming you can reach the damage and find repair material. Keeping an eye on your roof is one of the most effective and remunerative forms of preventive maintenance. Deadbolts are easy to install, although you may have to buy two jumbo drill bits to put them in. Floor squeaks should be easy to control, if you can get under the floor.