ArcaMax

You spend a perfectly nice Saturday pulling weeds, trimming roses and finally conquering that corner of the yard that's been giving you side-eye since spring. You feel productive, a little sunburned and oddly proud. Fast-forward to 3 a.m. -- you're wide awake and scratching like you rolled around in fiberglass. What on earth happened?

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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

I am always entertained and often educated by the tips readers mail in. Today is no exception. I'm pretty sure you're about to agree with me.

SAFELY FROZEN

I am on a waiting list to get a safe deposit box at my bank. While I wait, I am keeping my important papers in a heavy freezer bag, in the deep freeze. I hear that in a fire, the inside of ...Read more

There are many things in my life that I enjoy but would not be completely devastated if required to give them up. My dishwasher is not one of them.

During our last kitchen remodel, we donated the old appliances to Habitat for Humanity -- all except for my stripped down 14-year-old Whirlpool dishwasher.

Even though it has been replaced, it ...Read more

When my kids were little, I shelled out a pile of hard-earned dollars to make matching Popeye the Sailor Man costumes. I spent entire evenings determined to make them authentic to the muscular guy himself, right down to the boys each carrying a can of spinach! I'm still not convinced anyone under age 25 had any idea who they were supposed to be....Read more

They're convenient and tasty, but have you ever considered the high cost of your favorite prepared mixes and spices?

In less time than it takes you to run to the market to pick up a box of Rice-A-Rani or Shake'N Bake, you could make them yourself -- and save a bundle in the process.

With each of these "copycat" recipes, I've indicated the ...Read more

If you don't have enough money to pay all your bills, which should you pay first, and which ones can slide for a while? That's the question frequently showing up in my email inbox these days. The past year has been so difficult for so many. And with each request for help I receive, the more my heart breaks for my dear readers going through such ...Read more

If it seems as though you never have enough money to consistently save some of it for emergencies -- consistent, regular deposits out of every paycheck that go straight into a savings account -- perhaps it's time to consider that you're handing over your savings to restaurants, drive-thrus, diners and coffee shops. Think about it.

No matter ...Read more

Every fall, trees throw their own version of a ticker-tape parade, and like clockwork, we're the lucky ones who get to clean up the confetti. Leaves everywhere -- on the lawn, in the flower beds, and somehow in the dog's water bowl. Again.

But here's the good news: Raking doesn't have to cost a fortune or leave you flattened on the couch with ...Read more

Habit is defined as behavior repeated so often it becomes almost automatic. I am in awe of the power of habit. It's a force to change your life, and it is available to anyone no matter the situation or the circumstances.

For five years, author Tom Corley observed the daily habits of the rich and the poor and documented his findings in his book,...Read more

No one likes to talk about it, but truth be told, it happens. Toilets malfunction. They get clogged. Sure, it's inconvenient, but more than that, downright embarrassing if you're somewhere other than the privacy of your own home. Here's a cheat sheet so you'll know ahead of time how to unclog a toilet.

STOP IT FROM OVERFLOWING

The moment you ...Read more