ArcaMax

A number of years ago, I met Kathryn and Galen. They'd won a contest sponsored by Woman's Day magazine. The prize? A money makeover and financial coaching with ... me!

Not only were they drowning in debt but Galen was also dealing with a protracted season of unemployment.

Even with our new scaled-back lifestyle, my students were $1,000 short ...Read more

Our homes are well-accessorized with glass from windowpanes to shower doors to tabletops to lovely glassware. While glass is both beautiful and durable, normal wear and tear or mindless abuse can result in ugly surface scratches.

I wanted to kick myself around the block. Rather than stop and think, I grabbed a razor blade to remove adhesive ...Read more

Whether you're a newlywed, a recent grad moving into your first apartment or one of the 25% of millennials who Forbes recently reported will be moving back home with Mom and Dad, surely the idea of furnishing a kitchen has crossed your mind.

I'd love to help you get started. Here's the deal: There are a few basic kitchen tools you absolutely ...Read more

So you're getting ready to sell your house. Just thinking about it can be an overwhelming experience.

Should you hire a real estate agent? Should you do a FSBO (for sale by owner) to keep from paying that big commission? Should you spend a lot of money to paint and re-carpet -- at least the front rooms?

Where do you start, and what can you do ...Read more

I know it's hard. I know you're desperate. You're stressed and losing sleep. Things are tough. You have to do something, and soon. But whatever you do, don't touch your retirement account. Don't borrow against it. Don't withdraw from it. Just leave it alone.

What's so bad about liquidating a retirement account? Here are five reasons you'll ...Read more

Got creepy bugs and crawling insects like ants, centipedes, cockroaches, silverfish or bedbugs trying to take over your home or garden? Need to know how to get rid of them? Don't call an exterminator quite yet. I'm confident this is a problem you can fix yourself with diatomaceous earth -- cheaper and faster!

FOOD-GRADE DE

If you want to treat...Read more

I would like to personally thank the late John W. Hammes, an architect working in Racine, Wisconsin, who in 1927 invented the garbage disposal. What a brilliant idea. Is there anything more convenient in a kitchen than a garbage disposal? For me, it's right up there with my dishwasher.

I've learned the hard way that a garbage disposal is not a ...Read more

Finally, you found the perfect pair of jeans. They fit great and feel fantastic. Basically, you want them to last forever, but that's not going to happen. In fact, just the opposite is what I'm hearing from my readers: These days, jeans seem to rip and fall apart long before their time. This problem sent me in search of a solution to make jeans ...Read more

Faithful readers will recall that over the past years, I'd received more requests for the best inexpensive cordless stick vacuum than all other such requests combined . I heard you loud and clear because I'd been hearing the same request from myself.

Twice now I've pointed you to my Best Inexpensive Cordless Stick Vacuum, and twice ...Read more

I should not have even picked it up. I knew better. After all, what was I expecting from a magazine titled SHOP Etc.?

I can say with all honesty that before flipping open the magazine, I needed nothing. Not a thing. I was content and quite busy with my work. If anything was tugging at my attention, it was my garden and all my planting issues --...Read more

All around the country, newly minted high school graduates will soon be heading off to college. They'll be taking a lot of things with them, but statistics tell us that financial literacy is not likely to be one of them. If I could spend a little time with these awesome students, I'd attempt to cram the basics of money management into their ...Read more

You're worried the washing machine may be on its last spin cycle. It makes a horrible screeching sound and needs a lot of coaxing to make it all the way through a full cycle. Should you spend $319 to fix this inefficient appliance or replace it with a $999 new model that will use less electricity and water? Deciding whether to repair or replace ...Read more

When it comes to furnishing your home, it's difficult to find anything more luxurious and elegant than fine leather. With that elegance comes the challenge of how to clean it and maintain it so it gets even better with age.

If your leather furniture is stained or looking a little on the tired side, follow these suggestions to perk it up.

TYPE ...Read more

Are the popular reality television shows anything close to what you consider reality? Take the venerable hit show "Survivor," which is getting ready to launch its 39th season, for example. To me, that seems more like fantasy than reality. And, honestly, I can't remember the last time I had to survive on approximately 14 grains of rice per day or...Read more

When I was a kid, vacation meant four kids crammed into the back seat of a sedan, poking and elbowing one another while counting the miles between rest stops.

Things have changed dramatically since then. But even with onboard DVD players, electronic devices, spacious minivans, air travel, cruises and theme parks, family vacations can either be ...Read more

Have you ever wondered how retailers can possibly afford to offer the no-interest, no-payment, no-money down kind of deals you see advertised? That was the subject of a question I received recently.

Dear Mary: There are several appliances, electronics and furniture stores in our area that run television commercials offering nothing down, no ...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.

...Read more

I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around this documented fact: In 2016, it was reported that half of all produce grown in the U.S. is thrown out. At the same time, there is growing hunger and poverty right here in America.

As I read this news story, I assumed naively that all U.S.-grown produce makes it to market. Then consumers like...Read more

When it comes to kitchen appliances, nothing says modern and sleek like a beautiful new electric smooth-top ceramic or glass cooktop.

While a smooth-top beats a coil element-type cooktop in the style department, it requires a different kind of proactive care to keep it looking good while preventing discoloration and scratching.

WHAT NOT TO DO ...Read more

Some time ago, I got a request from EC reader Kelly for a recipe for homemade furniture polish. She said that she uses a lot of it and it was getting expensive.

My first thought was, "Of course," and to suggest she time her purchases with furniture polish sales and then stock up. That was fresh on my mind, as I'd recently purchased a can of ...Read more