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Everyday Cheapskate: Ask Me Anything: Secured Cards, Nail Polish Stains and More

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Every day, it seems, my virtual mailbag fills up with mail from my dear readers. Many messages include questions about everything you can imagine and some that are beyond imagination! Today, I've chosen to answer a small sampling of them.

Dear Mary: I ruined my credit starting about 10 years ago, in the usual foolish way people do with ...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Trump Tower couple alleges their intimate exchange was recorded in federal lawsuit: 'I felt very violated'

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

CHICAGO — Georgia Litle and her husband, Clint Litle, huddled in the bathroom of their lavish condo at Trump Tower and turned on the shower.

They hoped the running water would drown out their “highly personal and sexual” conversation last May after a neighbor complained about the noise. But what happened next crossed the line, the couple...Read more

Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America/TNS

Bond traders boost bets on a Fed cut this year after ceasefire

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Bond traders boosted wagers that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates this year as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire sent oil tumbling.

Treasuries rallied along with other government debt markets, paring losses since the war began Feb. 28. The energy price surge it caused threatened to stoke inflation and cause central banks either to delay ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How to Painlessly Declutter and Organize Your Home in 10 Minutes

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

If you think organizing your home or getting your personal affairs in order requires a lot of time, you might be right. However, if you feel that you just don't have enough time to spend on these tasks, then you're probably wrong. All you have to do is recognize little chunks of free time throughout the day.

This is the best idea ever. OK, ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Fight over private home listings heats up in WA as real estate giants clash

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Imagine you're shopping for a home. You've been scouring Zillow and Redfin for months with no luck. But, unbeknown to you, your dream home is actually for sale — you’ll just never see it, let alone get a chance to compete for it.

That scenario is a nightmare for homebuyers, and for the group in charge of Washington's real estate listing ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: 5 Rules to Build Wealth

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

At the tender age of 11, I made a solemn vow that when I grew up I was going to be rich. My plan was simple: Marry well.

I bless the day I married my husband, a man who is rich in character and unfailing love. I assumed his money would follow. While waiting for wealth to descend upon me, I made the near-tragic error of spending as though I were...Read more

David Guralnick/The Detroit News/TNS

Sign of the times: GM brand names removed from Renaissance Center

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

General Motors Co.’s vehicle brand names are no longer displayed on the Renaissance Center's digital signage.

The vehicle brand names had appeared after the GM logo was removed from the tallest tower in January when the company moved its headquarters to Bedrock's Hudson's Detroit on Woodward, said GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly.

GM, which owns ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The One Cleaning Tool I Buy at the Dollar Store

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

There are plenty of things I won't buy at the dollar store. If it has a plug or a moving part, or claims to last "forever," I'm cautious. But there is one humble cleaning tool I buy there on purpose every single time, and I feel downright clever doing it.

Microfiber cloths.

Not the fancy, color-coded, premium-packaged ones promising laboratory...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Downtown LA's cratering real estate market is changing -- rich renters are buying their buildings

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — As the office market bottoms out after a long fall, renters are swooping in to buy their own buildings.

Occupant businesses are seizing the opportunity to become owners, especially in downtown Los Angeles, where glittering high-rises have plummeted in value since occupancy dropped during the pandemic. It has never fully ...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Why Culver City is the hottest spot for businesses expanding in LA

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES -- Culver City, a once-quiet corner of L.A. County people would pass through on their way somewhere else, has emerged as a destination of choice for some of the world’s best-known companies.

Apple, Amazon, TikTok, and Sony are just a few of the big names with a strong presence in the city of fewer than 40,000 residents, ...Read more

Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Commentary: 'Eat real food' is great advice, but it's only part of the equation

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

“Eat real food.” That new message, a key pillar of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, isn’t controversial. Nutritionists, scientists, politicians and lunchbox-packing parents all generally agree that’s a solid goal.

You’ve heard this statistic before: More than half of the calories Americans consume — 53% for adults and...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Real estate Q&A: How can we stop neighbor's dogs from running wild?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: Our neighbor two doors down lets their dogs run wild. They have a fence, but they never keep the gate closed, and their three dogs are always all over the neighborhood doing their business on various lawns and bothering people. Is there anything we can do to stop this? — Juan

A: Handling neighborhood problems can be tough, especially when ...Read more

Trekandshoot/Dreamstime/TNS

Mortgage rate forecast: April 2026

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Mortgage rates ended March near their highest levels since mid-2025. In an ominous sign for the spring homebuying season, it’s possible that they’ll keep rising, mortgage experts say.

Blame the war in Iran, which has sent oil prices soaring in recent weeks. Higher energy prices translate to both higher inflation and rising 10-year Treasury ...Read more

Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/TNS

'You're a liar.' Why the world's biggest building boom has run into a wall in California

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

MONTEREY PARK, California — Bryan Marsh was booed by the crowd as he approached the podium in Monterey Park's City Hall. Things weren't going as planned.

In front of a wall of people holding "No Data Center" placards, he outlined how his company, Australia's HMC StratCap, invested tens of millions of dollars and became the city's largest ...Read more

Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Influencer or agent? In today's market, Realtors have to be both to score clients

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

PHILADELPHIA — Before Caroline Podraza and her husband, Evan Roth, could find the right house, they had to find the right agent. There were, of course, agents attached to the listings they had saved, plus referrals from friends and suggestions from colleagues. But the choices quickly became overwhelming.

With more than 11,000 real estate ...Read more

Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Nevada's HOA dispute resolution process could get makeover

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Nevada’s HOA dispute resolution process is being looked at right now for “potential improvements” by the Nevada Real Estate Division, a spokesperson said.

Homeowners who have a dispute with an HOA must currently go through the state’s dispute resolution process before they’re allowed to file a civil suit, Teri Williams, a spokesperson...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The Pain and Pleasure Principle

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I don't care much for pain. In fact, I'll do almost anything to avoid it. I also know that pain can be a good thing.

The human nervous system triggers a sensation of pain to stop us from doing something that might cause a severe injury and to let us know that something may be wrong.

While we mostly think of pain in terms of physical wellbeing,...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Clever Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

If you drink morning coffee, then it's likely you throw away used coffee grounds every day. If you don't, chances are there's a coffee shop nearby where you can get some; just stop by and see if they give them away. Here are some ideas for reusing them.

REPEL INSECTS AND FLEAS

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, coffee grounds ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Make It Yourself: Copper Cleaner, Aluminum Cleaner and Dishwasher Detergent

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

There are so many good reasons to make your own household cleaners. It's cheaper, healthier and greener, too. The homemade household cleaners I share with you from time to time do not contain chemicals. That means you can always count on them to be nontoxic.

Dear Cheapskate: The copper post tops on my deck are becoming tarnished. Do you know of...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Sorry your house burned down. Here's a $23,000 HOA bill -- due next month

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — All things considered, La Vina’s fire recovery is going fairly well.

The luxury community on the northwest tip of Altadena lost 52 of its 272 homes in the Eaton fire last year, but more than 70% are currently being rebuilt, and repairs to communal spaces are well underway.

But behind closed gates, a battle has been brewing ...Read more

 

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