ArcaMax

I call it a hall tree. It's an antique piece of furniture with hooks for coats, a lovely mirror, and two umbrella stands -- each with a tin plate to catch the drips. My husband surprised me with it one Christmas morning more than 30 years ago, and I've loved it every day since.

Yesterday, I casually mentioned that I'm thinking about painting it...Read more

Q: I live in a condo on the top floor. About a year ago, there was a leak caused by the condo association’s AC unit, which damaged my wall. The association claimed that they had repaired the unit and roof, but stated that repairs — to my interior were my responsibility. Recently, the same leak happened in the same spot, caused by the same AC...Read more

I'm going to go on a limb and assume that you have a junk drawer. We all have one, and I don't know about you, but I'm not about to get rid of mine. After all, where else would we put our junk?

Recently, a reader wrote asking how to conquer his junk drawer. "I can't find anything in there so I keep re-buying all the stuff I bought already!" he ...Read more

Using inexpensive distilled white vinegar in the laundry is smart because it will whiten, brighten, reduce odor and soften clothes without harsh chemicals.

IT'S CHEAP

Plain distilled white 5% vinegar runs around 3.5 cents per ounce in the typical supermarket when purchased by the gallon, and even cheaper when you can find it at the dollar ...Read more

They're convenient and, we're told, more healthy. But there are few things quite as boring or more difficult to prepare well than boneless skinless chicken breasts (BSCBs).

Here's the problem: Chicken skin helps keep the chicken moist, and the bones add flavor.

Remove both and what do you have? The potential for dry, tasteless, tough chicken. ...Read more

Dust mites. You can't see them, but they're everywhere -- your bedding, your couch cushions, your rugs and, yes, your favorite recliner. These tiny, eight-legged creatures are like the worst kind of houseguest: They never pay rent, they eat your skin flakes, and they leave behind waste that makes you sneeze.

Even if you're not particularly ...Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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