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Everyday Cheapskate: Clutter's Last Stand

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

What would we do if we actually had to use everything we own, including all that stuff in the drawers, cupboards, closets, shelves and boxes in our kitchen, bedrooms, living room, basement, attic, garage, rafters, driveway, patio, side yard and cars?

Could we do it? It's not likely. Instead, we pack it, stack it and pile it away -- we even pay ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How to Stop Making Bad Decisions

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I saw the funniest sign, but it wasn't funny for long because I started to think about it. Suddenly, the humor melted away. The sign read: "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is, you're stupid and make bad decisions."

Ouch! Those 15 words hit hard because I've made more than my share of bad money decisions in my life.

I've ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Should You Lend Money to Family and Friends? Read This First.

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Over the years, I've heard from dozens of readers who have lent money to friends and family members, only to have become outraged when the deal goes sour. The problem is, they write to me after they've made the loan. By now, they've been waiting months, even years, for repayment, without success, hoping I can wave a magic wand to get their money...Read more

350jb/Dreamstime/TNS

Mortgage rate scenarios to watch following a likely Fed rate cut

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Nearly everyone thinks the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this week. That sentiment has translated to falling mortgage rates. Last week, the average 30-year fixed rate dropped to 6.38%, according to Bankrate’s national survey of lenders. Rates haven’t been this low in nearly a year.

“These lower rates reflect growing market ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

AI is transforming how we bank: What this means for your money

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Artifical intelligence (AI) is likely to reshape our lives in as big a way as the internet did in the 1990s and smartphones did in the 2000s (scary or exciting as that may be). That means changes to your regular life and your banking life, too. You’re likely encountering AI in your financial life already, with or without knowing it.

Banks ...Read more

Epicstock/Dreamstime/TNS

13 states that don't tax your retirement income

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

When their working days eventually come to an end, many retirees will think about the best place to spend their golden years. Not all states treat retirement income — such as pension payouts or distributions from 401(k) plans and IRAs — the same way, which makes state and local taxes a key consideration for anyone expecting to be on a fixed ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Meal Prep for People Who Hate Meal Prep

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Some people love meal prep. They plan every meal, color-code containers, and smile as they portion out grilled chicken and broccoli like a seasoned chef. This article is not for them.

This is for the rest of us. The folks who want dinner on the table but without surrendering their entire weekend to a week's worth of meals all neatly loaded into...Read more

Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Analysis says San Francisco's housing costs have returned to 'normal'. What does that mean?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A report recently released by real estate company Redfin makes a startling claim: San Francisco's housing costs have returned to "normal."

The City by the Bay, consistently ranked as one of the most expensive in the U.S., has seen signs that the housing market is leveling out: Home-price growth is slowing and mortgage rates are starting to fall...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Is our new home in an HOA neighborhood or not?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: We just bought a house in a nice neighborhood that we thought didn’t have a homeowners association. One of the neighbors told us there is an association, but all it does is maintain the road. We are being asked to pay a hundred dollars once a year. Is this legit? — Dan

A: Buying a home is an exciting milestone, but it can come with ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How to Clean a Washing Machine

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

If you assume the inside of your washer is the cleanest place in your home because you put detergent through it with every load of laundry, join the club. Most people think that -- and that's a really bad assumption.

Have you ever wondered why there's dirty residue on the agitator? Why do washed clothes sometimes come out with stains they didn'...Read more

Hyosub Shin/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

How Home Depot uncovered the biggest alleged retail theft in its history

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The bust last month of members of an alleged organized retail theft ring in California that Home Depot said was the largest in its history was the result of a corporate investigation years in the making.

In an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a Home Depot official detailed how the company tracked the alleged members, ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: 8 Little Words That Can Change Your Life

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

You hear it all the time, but do you know what it means to live below your means? Have you figured out how to do that?

To live below your means is to choose a lifestyle you can pay for with the money you have and still have some left over.

Living below your means that in this high-pressure, credit-based, gotta-have-it-all-right-now culture is ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Giving Is Good for You!

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Fundraisers and requests from charities used to bother me. So did the collection plate at church. I felt guilty because no matter how much money we made, there was never enough to give any of it away. And with all the debt we had (it was plenty!), how could I be expected to help others when I couldn't even help myself?

Then our financial house ...Read more

Dreamstime/TNS

What is the rule of 55 and how does it work?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The rule of 55 can benefit workers who have an employer-sponsored retirement account such as a 401(k) and are looking to retire early or need access to the funds if they’ve lost their job near the end of their career. It can be a lifeline for workers who need cash flow and lack other viable alternatives.

Here’s how the rule of 55 works and ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Groceries and the Dating Game or What Expiration Dates Really Mean

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me about food expiration dates, I could afford to buy a lot of the milk that gets tossed each week just for being one day "past."

These questions come in by the dozen -- from readers, neighbors and once from a stranger in the dairy aisle holding a suspicious-looking yogurt cup like it was a ticking...Read more

Real estate Q&A: What can I do after neighbor trimmed my hedge without permission?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: My next-door neighbor has been pressuring me to trim my hedge to match his landscaping, but I haven’t wanted to. A couple of weeks ago, I came home and found that he had trimmed the hedge himself, the way he wanted it. I was furious, and he essentially told me that he was going to do it anyway and that I should deal with it. What are my ...Read more

Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times/TNS

How a Macy's parking structure became LA's latest luxury apartment complex

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — An unlikely corner of one of L.A.'s once-famous/now-dead malls is open for business again this week as residents move into luxury apartments on the spot that used to be a Macy's parking lot.

The Westside Pavilion was one of the city's premier shopping venues and a cultural touchstone for generations of Angelenos, appearing in ...Read more

April Saul/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Why this major builder is shifting to data centers in Trump's America

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Skanska USA Building builds big. One of the 10 largest general contractors in the United States, its Swedish owners bought Blue Bell-based Barclay White in 2000; added their name and capital; built a national staff of engineers, architects, and managers; and now have offices directing construction in New York and California, Texas and Florida, ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: 14 Ways to Use Coffee Filters That Don't Involve Coffee

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

It was a dumb mistake. I grabbed the biggest package of coffee filters -- a pack of 1,000 -- only to discover much later that I'd picked up the wrong size for my coffeemaker.

Coffee filters are not expensive, which is probably the reason I didn't bother returning them to the store. I suppose I should have tried, but I didn't. Instead, I began ...Read more

Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Bernard Arnault bets on LA's Rodeo Drive with new Tiffany, Louis Vuitton flagship

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Bernard Arnault is pressing ahead with two major developments on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, tightening his grip on one of the world’s most exclusive retail corridors.

Arnault’s luxury conglomerate, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, is planning a new Tiffany & Co. flagship store on the site of the old Luxe Hotel, which will be ...Read more

 

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