Dear Mary: I am reading your book, "Debt-Proof Living," and have begun tracking my expenses. I have a home-based business. Should I include business expenses or just personal expenses in the tracking? -- Lucy, Vermont

Dear Lucy: You should keep ...

I love to read about the ingenious ways people are dealing with the effects of this unrelenting recession. Reminds me of a news story I read recently about the rise in popularity of thrift stores. They're becoming so popular, in fact, new ones are...

Take a stroll through all the rooms in your home tonight when it's dark. Notice all the little green or red lights staring at you from TVs, cable boxes, phone chargers, computer peripherals, sound systems, the coffee maker and the microwave. I did...

All debt falls into one of three categories: reasonable, toxic and neutral.

Reasonable, or good, debt is the result of borrowing money to buy something that has a high likelihood of increasing in value, and in so doing will increase your net ...

Dear Mary: I love the recipes you include from time to time in your column. I am trying to find recipe substitutes for the popular creamed soups, like cream of celery, cream of mushroom, etc. These condensed soups are killing my budget. I don't ...

Want to get latex paint out of carpet, upholstery or any other kind of fabric -- even if it's old and dried up? Saturate the stain with lacquer thinner (not paint thinner, not mineral spirits or anything else you might be tempted to substitute) ...