ArcaMax

The most important thing you can do to make your personal economy strong is to have an umbrella -- a contingency fund with at least enough money to pay all of your bills without a paycheck for three to six months.

Call it $10,000. On a weekly basis, try to save 10% of your paycheck. It may sound like a lot, so if you can't do 10%, start with 5%...Read more

From time to time, this kind of question pops up in my inbox: How can I get started investing in stocks and mutual funds that are risk-free and have guaranteed high rates of return?

Of course, that makes me laugh, not only because there is no such thing as a risk-free investment -- let alone one with a guaranteed high rate of return -- but also...Read more

If the cost to keep your pets fed, healthy, cared for, and looking good has gotten so high, you're the one coughing up fur balls, take heart. There are many little ways to cut the cost of pet care that will add up to big savings.

According to one survey, owning a dog costs an average of $1,480 in basic expenses annually. For cats, average ...Read more

Every spring the same thing happens. The sun comes out, the grass wakes up, and suddenly the yard starts whispering all the little things it needs. A loose plant leaning sideways. Bare spots in the lawn. Garden tools scattered like they had a party overnight. A hose that looks like it wrestled a garden snake and lost.

Our first instinct is ...Read more

It's no secret that more and more people -- especially seniors on fixed incomes -- are sinking deeper into credit card debt. Why is this? I don't think it's because we've had so many emergencies (the common reason to have credit cards, right?). It's because we don't want to feel poor.

At this point, I should define "feeling poor." It's not easy...Read more

How maddening to reach for the brown sugar, expecting it to be soft and fluffy, only to find a rock-hard clump in the bottom of the box. Or how about this: Brown sugar is on sale, so you stock up. Even without opening the bags or boxes left on the shelf, the contents, in time, turn brick-hard. Should you toss the bricks into the garbage? Better ...Read more

Don't assume your kids are going to learn in school how to manage money well. There is a growing recognition for the need, but few children are lucky enough to learn about money matters in school. If you have kids, teaching them about money rests squarely on your shoulders. So, how are you doing with that? Don't know where to start? Today, I've ...Read more

One afternoon not long ago, I decided to conduct a little experiment. Nothing scientific. No clipboard required. Just a kitchen timer and a bit of curiosity. I wanted to know how long everyday housework actually takes.

Like many people, I sometimes catch myself thinking certain chores will take forever. Wiping the kitchen counters. Emptying the...Read more

Not long ago, a Realtor dropped off the flier announcing plans for the annual neighborhood garage sale. "Join us to make this the biggest sale ever!" the flyer read.

Since making our move to Colorado, we have never participated in this annual ritual. This year would be no exception. I've learned the hard way that for a compulsive shopper it ...Read more

In the cupboard right above my washing machine, there's a bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap standing in a coffee mug. I'm sure it's five years old, and it appears that it will be good for at least another five. When I come across a stain, I grab the soap, dip the end into water and use it to scrub the stain -- almost as if it were a big eraser -- ...Read more

For decades, I've been collecting and disseminating timesaving and money-saving tips. Readers email them to me, comment with them on my website at EverydayCheapskate.com, hand them to me on little scraps of paper and even send them in the mail. Some are hilarious, others downright weird. And the very best ones show up in this column. Thousands ...Read more

Walk down the laundry aisle at any grocery store or supermarket and you might think washing clothes requires an entire chemistry lab.

There are scent boosters, fabric softeners, color catchers, wrinkle releasers, stain fighters, brighteners, whiteners, odor removers and at least six products claiming to make towels "fluffier than ever." It's ...Read more

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

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

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

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