ArcaMax

If I had a dollar for every person who has ever asked me, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me how to manage money and stay out of debt when I was a kid?!" I'd be a wealthy woman. If you have kids in your life as young as 3 and up to young-adult age, consider these excellent books to get those conversations started that can open the doors to ...Read more

Is your monthly grocery spending eating up a big portion of your income? You're not alone. Figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that as of March 2024, on average, a family of four spends $1,341 per month on groceries to be eaten at home. Here, let me do the math: That's $16,092 annually! And that doesn't take into consideration ...Read more

There's nothing enjoyable about credit card debt. An outstanding balance of $5,000 at 29.99% interest means you're paying about $1,500 a year just in interest. Imagine if that $1,500 could instead go toward repaying the balance. You'd pay it off much faster instead of stretching it out over years. And years.

If you're carrying credit card debt,...Read more

Whether "last minute" for you means any time after Thanksgiving or 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, it's nice to have a repertoire of standby gifts that don't require expensive overnight shipping. My standbys are edible gifts -- decadent treats that offer my love and best wishes for the season.

By their very nature, edible gifts are often best when...Read more

Dear Cheapskate: I am retired and my son wants to give me money to buy a house as a gift. Will I be taxed on the money? If so, are there ways to avoid or reduce the amount I will be taxed? -- Lucy

Dear Lucy: Gifts between individuals are tax-free for the recipient. That means you, as the fortunate recipient of your son's generosity, don't have ...Read more

Let's talk about one of the most underrated items in your bathroom cabinet -- Epsom salt. It's cheap, it's unassuming and it has more uses than a Swiss Army knife at a Boy Scout jamboree.

But what is Epsom salt anyway? Is it salt? Is it magic? Nope. It's a naturally occurring mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate -- nothing close to (...Read more

One of the unfortunate side effects of embracing a frugal lifestyle is that gnawing tendency to never throw anything away. Fight the feeling, folks. Turning into a hoarder will only create a new problem in your life. Now, about all those useless candle stubs you're hanging onto -- get them out and keep them by your fireplace or wood burning ...Read more

Once upon a time, a big "SPECIAL" sign was enough to make us think we were getting a deal at the grocery store. But today's shoppers aren't so easily fooled. We've become wiser, knowing there's more to shopping smart than flashy tags and end-of-aisle displays.

A number of studies now promise we can categorize ourselves into four grocery-...Read more

Chair yoga -- it's the latest exercise trend making waves on social media, popping up in feeds with promises of gentle stretches and easy movement for all ages. And let's be honest, who hasn't felt the appeal of something that requires little more than a chair and the willingness to try?

But are the promises real or just another passing fad? ...Read more

When the Instant Pot hit the scene back in 2010, it wasn't just another kitchen gadget -- it was like someone had unlocked a secret to faster, easier home-cooked meals. And if you ask the millions who swear by it, it's become as essential as salt and pepper in the kitchen

When this magic pot made its debut, it introduced a new way of cooking ...Read more