ArcaMax

Many outdoor cleaning and storage solutions can be rather expensive, especially when compared with Everyday Cheapskate do-it-yourself or homemade alternatives. Here are some of my favorite cleaning tips and storage solutions for the garage and patio that will give you the results you need without the costs you don't.

BARBECUE COVER

Protect ...Read more

It's discouraging when you reach for the honey, only to discover it is no longer a smooth liquid, but all grainy -- like sugar. You may have even tossed it into the trash assuming that it had gone bad and was no longer edible. Truth be told, it is still perfectly delicious and nutritious. It's easy to turn crystallized honey back into its liquid...Read more

For a good deal of my life, I lived under a dark cloud of fear that I would end up financially destitute -- a bag lady. Studies reveal that I'm not the only one. Most of us have felt that way, not because we're broke but because we lack confidence. That makes us timid, worried and financially insecure.

Look, we don't have to accept financial ...Read more

Let's talk about plastic wrap. That clingy, crinkly roll we all keep in the drawer -- the one that never tears straight and sticks to everything except the bowl you're trying to cover. It's convenient until you stop and ask: Is this really the best we can do?

Spoiler: It's not. And honestly, it's time to break the habit.

THE TROUBLE WITH ...Read more

Are you feeling jittery about taking a family vacation this summer? You're not alone. Whether it's your family's safety abroad, the high cost of gasoline or a thin bank account that has you unsettled, this might be a great time to consider a dramatic alternative: a stay-at-home vacation!

You can become tourists in your own town by uncovering ...Read more

Dear Mary: Please give me some pointers on bouncing back from bankruptcy. Will this have any effect on future employment opportunities? -- Emmaline

Dear Emmaline: Pay your bills on time; never be late. Do not run up big balances. Do not apply for a lot of credit. Never use more than 30% of your credit limits. Never allow a credit card balance ...Read more

A question that I answered in a previous column brought a small avalanche of mail, mostly from readers who were aghast that I would suggest they save such a significant portion of their paychecks for retirement. It was money they insisted they could not afford to save.

I can only imagine that for a person who saves nothing, suggesting they ...Read more

Weeds.

Those freeloaders of the garden world. No matter how lovingly you tend your tomatoes or fluff your mulch, those green invaders always show up like uninvited houseguests who overstay their welcome -- and bring their cousins.

If you've found yourself muttering on your knees while yanking weeds or reading weed killer labels that sound like...Read more

Clothes pinned to a clothesline flapping in the breeze and drying in the sunshine is a visual that brings me back to my childhood. And oh, that amazing smell of line-dried clean sheets. Know what I mean? Modern-day clothes dryers have almost completely replaced traditional outdoor clotheslines.

A clothes dryer is a convenient appliance that ...Read more

The wedding was beautiful and fulfilled your fondest dreams. But it's over, and now it's time to settle in and enjoy your new life together. Lucky for you, I'm here to warn you about some common money myths that newlyweds have been known to bring with them into their marriages.

MYTH: DOUBLE THE INCOME, HALF THE EXPENSES

This is what I call ...Read more

Kitchen cabinets are for storing dishes, not grease. Unfortunately, wood cabinets, whether painted or natural with a clear finish, are prone to all sorts of grease, grime and gunk from simply being in the kitchen.

Depending on just how much grease and grime you're looking at and the supplies you have available, here are several options for your...Read more

By a show of hands, let me see how many of you have a credit card in your name. Uh-huh, I see those hands. It appears that my audience falls right in line with national averages: About 70% of you have at least one credit card. And how would you categorize your relationship with your card issuer?

If you are carrying credit card debt, it really ...Read more

Here is a wonderfully creative collection of tips that spotlight my readers' resourcefulness and intelligence in the kitchen and pantry. From clever tricks involving coffee filters, kitchen mallets and shower caps (yes, shower caps!) to simple storage solutions for sugars and spices -- get ready to take conventional wisdom to an unconventional ...Read more

"Sorry my place is such a mess!" If you have to pull out that one every time you welcome friends or family into your house, it might be time to get organized. Marla Cilley, also known as the FlyLady, calls that CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome!

Organization is an important aspect of any home. And we're quite familiar with the rule: a ...Read more

I'll be honest -- I'm just as surprised as you are to be wading into the murky waters of U.S. health care. Specifically? Health insurance. It's a tangled mess. Even if your coverage comes neatly wrapped in your job's benefits package, it's still messy. Premiums keep climbing, deductibles are sky-high, and somehow we're paying more for less.

And...Read more

By Victor Block

In the winter of 1805, a group of men constructed a rustic fort near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. They stayed there until the following spring, then returned to their homes.

These men were members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Their exploration of uncharted areas of the country had been commissioned by ...Read more

It was shocking, if not surreal. The email message was from a woman I'd never met and whose name I recognized only because, a few months earlier, she mailed me a book she'd written.

The message announced that she and her family were planning a road trip to Disneyland and would just love to stay with us since (at the time) we lived nearby and oh...Read more

Shortly after takeoff, the pilot circled over the Great Salt Lake, tipping the wings ever so slightly so we could witness the unusual reddish-purple color of the water -- a phenomenon, he explained, that occurs when a particular species of algae meets up with a certain bacteria. It was quite fascinating.

Just as he was bringing the plane level ...Read more

If I asked you to deduct your monthly expenses from your monthly income, I have a feeling you'd look pretty good on paper. The mystery for many people is why they can't get through a month without using a credit card to cover unexpected expenses, such as a prescription for a sick child, a quarterly insurance premium or a wedding shower gift.

...Read more

If you've ever stared at a grocery aisle full of cooking oils, wondering if you're picking a kitchen staple or a chemistry experiment, you're not alone. The world of cooking oils is a confusing place, and the debate over seed oils is heating up. Are they really as bad as some say? And if so, what should we use instead? Let's clear this up.

WHAT...Read more