ArcaMax

Whether from your garden, the market or someone else as a gift, you can persuade cut flowers to remain beautiful for at least a week -- maybe two, or even longer -- when you follow a few fabulous flower secrets.

The two enemies of cut flowers are bacteria and drought. Defeat both and your flowers will last and last. You will be amazed!

START ...Read more

I cannot begin to tell you all that I've learned over the last few months about kitchen appliances -- both large and small. My husband is remodeling our kitchen. Wouldn't you assume that selecting appliances would be the easy part in the planning process? Oh, what I have learned -- and do intend on sharing with you in the very near future -- is ...Read more

It was a lovely meal. The conversation was engaging, the entree delightful. A good time was had by all. The guests are long gone, and now you are stuck with an ugly red wine stain on your prized tablecloth. Is this linen destined for the ragbag? Not if you know this super simple solution.

RED WINE STAINS. If you get red wine on a washable ...Read more

If the paper monster has you buried under an avalanche of receipts, bank statements, ATM slips, investment records, paycheck stubs and bills, the good news is you can probably throw most of it away without worry when you have a simple record- keeping routine. But before you fire up the shredder, you need to know what to keep, and for how long.

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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

It's time to reach into the inbox and pull out a few questions from my loyal readers, the answers to which I suspect might be of interest to others. I love receiving your questions, by the way, so keep them coming!

Dear Mary: What is tamari? It is an ingredient in a recipe for Spiced Hazelnuts I would like to make. Where can I find it? -- ...Read more

Some years ago, on my Debt-Proof Living website, I asked: What would you do if faced with an unexpected windfall of $10,000?

Responses ranged from saving every penny, to giving all of it away, to using all of it to get caught up on bills. This got me thinking: What fascinating response would I get if I were to change the word "windfall" to "...Read more

It's reader response day, when I take the opportunity to report just a few of the comments I get from you, my dear readers, every single day of my life. And you wonder why I keep doing this. I guess it's no secret that I thrive on hearing from you and getting your feedback on what you read.

Comment on: "Best Inexpensive Heated Mattress Pad"

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Every year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 48 million people become ill from food contamination. To avoid this, many dietitians say washing produce thoroughly with a vinegar solution can help kill bacteria and ensure it is safe for consumption.

Walk into any grocery store these days and it's more than ...Read more

A new leather sofa or leather handbag -- so beautiful. Or perhaps it's the car you've had for a long time, the one with leather upholstery that still looks fantastic because that you've babied and protected it against spills and stains. And then somehow, that beautiful leather gets hit with an ink stain. It shouldn't happen, but life being what ...Read more

I'm not certain about when a subject becomes a saga, but I think sure we've crossed over into saga territory on the subject of terrific ways to use Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid that have nothing to do with washing dishes.

Seriously, these days, I can't wait to open my inbox to see if there could possibly be more. And the saga continues ...

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What would it feel like to check your bank balance and find a pile of money you didn't know you had? Stop wasting money on goods and services that don't matter in the long run. By plugging the money leaks in your life, it's possible you could see the financial equivalent of working a second job in your wallet.

BUYING FROM A TV OR INTERNET AD. ...Read more

Kitchen cabinets are for storing dishes, not grease. Unfortunately, wood cabinets -- painted or natural with a clear finish -- are prone to all sorts of grease, grime and gunk from simply being in the kitchen.

Depending on just how much grease and grime you're looking at and the supplies you have available, here are four options for your ...Read more

My fondness for TV game show lighting rounds -- the duration of the round is a predetermined length of time, and the goal is to accomplish as much as possible within that period -- may have something to do with my attention span. Lightning-round questions are short, the answers quick and concise.

I see we have lots of questions in the audience,...Read more

Today, my dear readers, I have a question for you: Is there a difference between borrowing and financing? Don't stress. I'll tell you. There is, and understanding the difference is important to your financial health.

Debt is the result of both borrowing and financing. But think of debt as a rope. You can use it to lift, rescue and tie things ...Read more

I had to laugh when I opened my mail to read how one reader was able to restore his shower doors to being so clean and sparkly they looked brand-new! I had a can of his remedy sitting right there next to my computer.

Hold on! It was NOT there to be used as a computer screen cleaner. (I've never tried it; I do not intend to; and I hope you do ...Read more

If you or someone you love will be heading off to college soon, a laptop will be absolutely essential. But where to start? Nowadays, students' computers are just as important as their student ID. But where to start?

College is expensive enough, so it's important to shop smart. But not to worry. My EC team and I have done the hard part, figuring...Read more

Here's why I love it when readers send me their time- and money-saving tips: Reading them makes me think and focus, if only for a few minutes. And that's the secret to staying on track with managing my time and money.

I know that I move in the direction of my thoughts. So, whether a tip is relevant or not to what I'm doing in the moment, simply...Read more

Just this past weekend, while selecting grout for my new laundry room floor, I did a double take in the flooring aisle at Home Depot. The beautiful "hardwood" flooring didn't seem to match the sign that clearly read "Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring." What?! Really? Truth.

But even the most luxurious vinyl comes with its own challenge, as evidenced ...Read more

Isopropyl alcohol, commonly known as rubbing alcohol, is extremely useful around the house because it acts as both a solvent and a disinfectant. And it's cheap! All of this makes rubbing alcohol a nearly magical ingredient in so many useful homemade solutions.

Rubbing alcohol comes in varying strengths, from 70 percent all the way to 99 percent...Read more