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Related Midwest/Related Midwest/TNS

New White Sox park would bring riverfront-friendly design and big economic impact, developer says

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A new White Sox stadium near downtown would make the most of views of the Chicago River and the Willis Tower, bringing explosive growth to the South Loop, prospective developers said Wednesday.

Drawings from Related Midwest show a new stadium with walls of windows looking onto the South Branch of the Chicago River, while spectators inside gaze...Read more

Real estate Q&A: How can I sell 'underinsured' condo?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I have a contract on my condominium and was told the lender cannot finance the sale due to the association being underinsured. The policy deductible is too high, and the limit is too low. We just renewed the policy, and our monthly dues increased to pay for the larger premium. How can I sell my apartment? Do I have any legal remedies? —Greg...Read more

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Hotel deals implode in Bay Area and California as economy turns murky

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN JOSE, California — The market for hotel purchases has nosedived in both the Bay Area and California, in a sign that investors believe the weakness in the lodging sector has yet to run its course.

Measured by dollar amount, acquisitions of hotels plunged by 48.3% in Northern California and by 60.2% in Southern California, Atlas Hospitality...Read more

Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

How corporate investors are taking over Tampa Bay's neighborhoods

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The calls, texts and letters started about two years ago. St. Petersburg, Florida, resident Tamika Morris has a pile of junk mailers just inside her front door and dozens of numbers blocked on her phone.

The messages are always the same. Companies, with names like “HomeInc” and “HomeVestors,” offer to pay cash “as is” for her ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: An Easy Solution for a Big Oops!

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Cheapskate: Help! I dripped latex paint on my new carpeting and discovered it too late. It dried hard and I'm afraid the carpet is ruined. -- Ruby R., California

Dear Ruby: Relax. Even if it's been there for a long time, you can get latex paint out of carpet or any type of fabric with lacquer thinner (not paint thinner!) available at ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Readers Share How They Save Time and Money Every Day

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

My readers have no doubt that I am a big fan of finding every possible way to save time and money. And when they take time to send me their latest ideas and efforts, it pretty much makes my day! Check these out:

TEACH THE KIDS

In an ongoing effort to educate my 12-year-old I have started a new tracking system. On a large white board I have a ...Read more

Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Demand for office space nearly back to pre-pandemic levels in some cities, but not in Chicago, report finds

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Demand for Chicago office space kept falling in 2023, a sign that a true recovery for downtown could be years away.

The drop-off comes even as some high-flying cities like New York City saw demand nearly return to 2019 levels, while tech-heavy markets on the West Coast remain stuck in the doldrums far behind Chicago, according to a new study by...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Here's what one college financial aid expert advises about the latest FAFSA delay

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

There has been much apprehension and hand-wringing again this week since the U.S. Department of Education announced — again — a delay in its process for federal financial aid for college students.

The department said that student data from the newly revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid would not be sent to colleges until March,...Read more

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America/TNS

Yellen says commercial property is a worry, but regulators are on it

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that while losses in commercial real estate are a worry, U.S. regulators are working to ensure that loan-loss reserves and liquidity levels in the financial system are adequate to cope.

A combination of factors “is going to put a lot of stress on the owners of these properties,” Yellen told lawmakers ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The Least Kids Need to Know About Credit

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Money is an excellent tool to teach kids how the world operates. You can use financial principles to teach them about social issues, too. That's because money is about values, relationships, choices and self-worth.

One important lesson you need to teach your kids before they leave home is about how to build and maintain good credit. Let's title...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Simplifying Saves Time and Money

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

When our lives get chaotic, we pay dearly in terms of stress and money. There are hundreds of things you can do to simplify your life. Here are seven to help you get started ... one a day for the next week.

1. Carry only the keys you use every day. Clean everything else off your key ring. If you don't recognize what a key is for, toss it. If ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The Great Mystery of Household Accumulation

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Have you ever noticed that no matter the size of your apartment, condominium, house, garage, drawers, closets, hard drive, handbag or briefcase -- it mysteriously fills to capacity?

Our first apartment was 300 square feet. We were newlyweds and still in that "cozy stage," so it wasn't a problem. Three years later, we were packed to the gills ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I can't tell you how many times I've heard from readers who are stuck in a mindset that says in order to be frugal in the grocery store, one must live on a diet of high-carb, low-quality and basically unhealthy junk food. And conversely, sticking to a healthy diet is expensive and generally out of reach for most families.

Today, I would like to...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Cash Wedding Gifts -- Rude or Totally Acceptable?

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Cheapskate: I just love your column, it has certainly helped me. My question has to do with wedding gifts. Recently I've been swamped with invitations. I was wondering if you had some good ideas for affordable gifts. I'm tempted to give money or gift certificates, even though they say that is rude. -- Avid C., Texas

Dear Avid: If the ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How to Avoid Credit Counseling Fraud

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

No sooner had I read the latest statistics on consumer debt in the U.S. (also known as household debt, credit card and other unsecured debt) than a message washed up on my desk echoing the same matter, but on a much smaller level. This reader's debt situation pales in the face of total U.S. consumer debt that has now climbed to $17,300,000,000,...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Don't Pump the Mascara

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Cheapskate: I'm tired of paying $9 for mascara that gets all dried out and clumpy after just a few weeks! Is there anything we can do to increase the useful life of our mascara? -- Ellen, Pennsylvania

Dear Ellen: I hear you, sister! Try these solutions. Don't "pump" the mascara wand when you use it because that forces air into the tube, ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Simple Rules to Live By

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I have a quirk, a kind of brain glitch that annoys me to no end. I cannot easily distinguish left from right. My brain locks up and gives me that infamous "404 Page Cannot Be Displayed" message.

Of course, I blame this on Mrs. Sailor. It goes back to that day in first grade when she called on me to answer a simple "left or right?" question. I ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Little Ways to Save Big!

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

The secret to starting a serious savings program is to look for small, painless ways to save, and then repeat them consistently over and over again. Look for hidden savings every place that you spend. It all adds up quickly when you are consistent -- even the nickels and dimes.

SAVE THE CHANGE

Here's a challenge: Get a big jar and set it ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Overcoming the Job Loss Blues

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Losing a job can be as traumatic as losing someone you love. In fact, studies show the loss of a job is one of life's five most stressful events. But as devastating as it is to be suddenly unemployed, many survivors say it was a gift in disguise. As with most of life's challenges, losing a job can be a blessing or a curse. It all depends on your...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The 5 Questions My Readers Ask Most Often

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

If you were to dive into my inbox, you might assume you'd find lots of questions on laundry, copycat recipes or what the best inexpensive fill-in-the-blank is. I do get lots of those. But it's questions about credit cards and consumer debt that come out the winner in that contest.

You, like I, may find that curious because I am not a financial ...Read more