ArcaMax

Q: My neighbor down the block walks their dogs up and down the street. The dogs often relieve themselves on my lawn, and the neighbor doesn’t pick it up. It’s really getting old. What can I do about it? — Irwin

A: Dealing with neighborhood issues can be frustrating, especially when it feels like someone is not respecting your property. ...Read more

This DIY recipe for upholstery cleaner is easy to make, super effective and (you know what's coming) cheap!

YOU'LL NEED:

-- cheese grater

-- eggbeater or whisk

-- medium mixing bowl

-- 6 tablespoons grated Fels Naptha laundry bar soap*

-- 2 tablespoons borax*

-- 2 cups boiling water

*available in most supermarkets in the laundry aisle, ...Read more

There was a time when I didn't have much opinion on paying for college with student loans. That was before the advent of email and thousands of messages, all with a similar subject line: "Help! I'm drowning in student loan debt!"

That was before I learned that about 85% of college graduates do not end up working in their major. That was before ...Read more

While drinking coffee has health benefits, using your Keurig machine daily without routine cleaning and maintenance can lead to awful consequences.

It's essential to clean a Keurig because it can be a health hazard if not cleaned properly. Like any coffee maker (or espresso machine), Keurigs can grow mold if not properly drained, descaled and ...Read more

Every so often, a reader sends me a message that begins with, "Mary, have you heard about this?" That's usually followed by a link, a whisper of thriftiness, and a promise that the solution will both cost less than pocket change and change my life forever.

This time, it was homemade good ol' basic Febreze Fabric Refresher spray (unscented) ...Read more

Q: We are about halfway through our lease, and our landlord just told us he’s selling the property. In fact, he offered to sell it to us. We’re not sure if we want to buy it, but just in case, what happens to our lease when he sells the property? — Javier

A: When you are renting a property, unexpected changes can happen, including the ...Read more

The finish on hardwood flooring is neither fragile nor indestructible. Hardwood floors must be cleaned properly using the correct solvent level to protect their beauty and fine finish. Some of us (ahem) have had to learn this truth the hard way.

Even though you can't damage hardwood floors by walking on them, all wood is susceptible to stains. ...Read more

Budgets are like training wheels: They help you get moving and offer you confidence as you learn how to balance.

I wish I could come up with a better word than "budget" for managing money. While I've made peace with the word, it still conjures up synonyms like whip, drudgery and cruel master. Personally, I prefer the more elegant term "spending...Read more

Investors are avoiding beaten-down software stocks, warning that the brutal selloff triggered by fears of displacement by artificial intelligence is likely only just beginning.

What’s quickly become known as the AI scare trade has ravaged major software names in the U.S. and Europe in recent weeks. Fund managers at the likes of Amundi SA and...Read more

For this mother of two young, world-class whiners, the techniques described in the booklet seemed way too simple to be effective, the promised results too good to be true. In desperation, however, I decided to give the anti-whining program -- guaranteed to be appropriate for toddlers and up -- my best shot by following the simple daily ...Read more

I didn't set out to overthrow three cleaning products in one afternoon. I was simply standing in my laundry room, staring at a shelf crowded with half-used spray bottles, when I realized two things. First, none of them was empty enough to throw away. Second, none of them was impressive enough to justify buying again.

That was the day a humble ...Read more