ArcaMax

Faithful readers will recall that my husband and I tested, and now continue to enjoy, the popular meal kit delivery service Home Chef.

Since first writing about it, many of you have shared creative, innovative and clever strategies you are using to enjoy this service and cut your overall food costs.

Enjoy these great reader ideas.

SINGLE ...Read more

Whether you just graduated, you're taking a break from school or you have already started repaying your student loans, these tips will help you keep your student loan debt under control.

1. Know your loans.

It's crucial that you keep track of the lender, balance and repayment status of each of your student loans. If you're not sure, ask your ...Read more

Taking care of hardwood or laminate floors can be challenging given the everyday conditions of a family and pets.

Generally, there are two types of residential wood flooring: real wood (solid or engineered) and laminate that is man-made to look like wood.

Don't know what you have exactly? No worries. When it comes to cleaning wood floors (...Read more

If throwing out perfectly delicious leftover green salad were a crime, I'd be serving a life sentence.

It kills me to do it, but until fairly recently, I had no idea there was a second life for a leftover green salad, dressed or not. Once tossed, passed and partially consumed, that's it, right? Wrong.

SALAD DRESSING

Mix the leftover salad in ...Read more

You bought the biggest home they said you could qualify for, taking advantage of low rates and creative financing. Who knew you could afford such a great house?

But now, several years later, your low interest rate has disappeared, and the adjustable-rate mortgage that seemed like a good idea keeps pushing your payments higher. Or perhaps you ...Read more

Come on ... 'fess up. You feel guilty using 99-cent shampoo because it's really bad for your hair. And anybody knows the $24 salon variety is so much better, especially for chemically treated hair, right? Wrong!

I've got the facts to prove it and the truth to counteract lots of myths out there -- plus some great tips to get you on the right ...Read more

When did you last hold a $50 bill in your hand? They look strange -- faintly colored, graphically random.

You should pick one up sometime to reacquaint yourself with something called U.S. currency. Look closely. It still reads, "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private."

Here's my question: Does pumping my own gasoline at ...Read more

Have you ever discovered you're all out of a certain ingredient when you're in the middle of preparing a recipe? I hate when that happens. And I don't want to run to the store.

For me, an unscheduled trip like that could easily cost $40, maybe more. That's just how impulsive I can be. I've learned that when I'm in a pinch, I need a pinch hitter...Read more

Celebrity chef Alton Brown contends that a kitchen tool that does only one job is mostly useless. He calls anything like a garlic press, strawberry stem remover or hot dog steamer a "unitasker."

His advice? Don't waste your time and money on any kitchen tool if it is only good for one thing.

It sounds a bit like Brown spent time with my ...Read more

Who doesn't wince at the thought of throwing out food that's past its prime? Take bread, for instance. It's no longer fresh. It's hard and dried out. Tossing it in the garbage does seem like the only thing to do.

But wait! Provided it hasn't begun to grow mold, you really can turn leftover bread, rolls or baguettes into something deliciously ...Read more

I get a lot of mail on the subject of weddings. I get stories of joy, tales of woe, great ideas and even a blooper from time to time.

In 27 years, I cannot recall a single time I've heard from a bride or groom saying they wished they'd spent more money on their wedding.

The best wedding mail comes from frugal brides and grooms who are anxious ...Read more

Recently, while brainstorming with a reader who needed to supplement her full-time job, I made a quick list of the ways I've done that in my life. I wanted to help her discover what she does well that others might pay her to do.

PROCESS SERVER

I worked as an independent process server for a company that attorneys hire to have subpoenas ...Read more

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

The first thing is to know the enemy. Actually, there are two: bacteria and drought. Defeat both and your flowers ...Read more

Have you ever wondered if the stuff in your house secretly reproduces itself in the dark of night? I'm nearly convinced that's the case in my home. I do know the problem.

We get new stuff but don't remove an equal amount of old stuff to make room for it. And I'm not talking about useless trash.

I'm the first to admit it's not easy to throw ...Read more

I'm not proud of myself for loading up a shopping cart and then, in some kind of retail panic attack, leaving it in the aisle and fleeing the store. Well, maybe I am a little.

It was about the most impulsive (repulsive, perhaps) thing I've done in some time. And it's all because, despite how far I've come, I'm still me. And I just happened to ...Read more

"The average American household spends most of its money -- 62% of an average $56,000 in annual expenditures -- on just three things: housing, transportation, and food," says Business Insider. If you want to cut costs and save money, food is the place to start.

Reducing restaurant visits and increasing your home-cooked meals is a surefire way ...Read more

It's cheap. It's available in every supermarket and home center in the universe. And it's so useful around your home you may have a difficult time believing it. That's the power of white vinegar -- the same vinegar you cook with and pour on your salad!

WINDOWS

Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a quart of very warm water to make a good window ...Read more

At the foundation of your children's financial intelligence should be this undeniable truth: It is not the amount of money you have but what you do with it that matters.

This is true for a child managing a $5-a-week allowance or a corporate executive with a $5,000-a-week salary.

For the better part of my life, I didn't know this truth. On the ...Read more

For years, I tried to grow a decent vegetable garden. It was the high cost of fresh basil -- $3.50 for a few measly, wilted fresh basil leaves, ditto for a pound of somewhat reddish tomatoes and mostly pink strawberries, that prompted me to try.

I started with tomatoes, basil and peppers -- a salsa garden! In no time, I added zucchini and ...Read more

I have heard arguments for why anything less than $3 per gallon for gasoline is a downright bargain.

Here's one: Three bucks is nothing compared with the cost of petrol in the UK or Europe. And another: Allowing for inflation, we're paying less for gas now than we did 25 years ago. To all of that, I say phooey. To me, gasoline is darned ...Read more