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Everyday Cheapskate: Are High-Efficiency Washers Worth It?
It's time once again to reach into the mailbag to answer a question from my dear readers. It's kinda my favorite day, which should give you an idea of how much I love to hear from you. While I cannot respond personally to all your messages and letters, know that I read every one, selecting those to answer here that I believe will have a ...Read more
Commentary: No more delays: The REAL ID deadline must stick
It has become as predictable as the sun rising and setting each day, that the REAL ID requirement for air travel gets delayed.
The current deadline requiring REAL ID for air travel is May 7, with no word from the Department of Homeland Security that it will be moved. The Transportation Security Administration will enforce the deadline, while ...Read more
Commentary: No more delays: The REAL ID deadline must stick
It has become as predictable as the sun rising and setting each day, that the REAL ID requirement for air travel gets delayed.
The current deadline requiring REAL ID for air travel is May 7, with no word from the Department of Homeland Security that it will be moved. The Transportation Security Administration will enforce the deadline, while ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Why Houseplants Turn Brown and How to Stop It
Not only do houseplants bring warmth and a sense of calm to a home, but they are also an inexpensive way to decorate. Keeping your beautiful houseplants looking healthy and green is the challenge. The most common question is: Why do the leaves turn brown?
According to the Smart Garden Guide, there are many reasons why the leaves on your indoor ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Debt and That Squished Feeling
Dear Mary: We would like to enlarge our small two-bedroom bungalow. Our kids are reaching the teen years, and we need more space. We have always budgeted our money.
We have $6,000 in our emergency fund and drive two paid-for cars, and our only debt is our mortgage. We have college savings accounts for our kids and tithe to our church. Our ...Read more
Tariffs could cost the average American household $3,800 per year. Here's how to save for it
Tariffs could cost the average American household $3,800 in 2025, according to The Budget Lab at Yale University. This estimate comes even as President Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs earlier this month, temporarily reducing most tariffs to 10% in the meantime, while maintaining higher rates for countries including China.
Tariffs — ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: How to Make the Most of Your Money in 2025 (Without Feeling Like You're Living in a Bunker)
Let's be honest -- nobody wakes up thinking, "Today, I'd love to pinch every penny so hard Abe Lincoln winces." But with prices climbing faster than my stress level when I realize I've left my phone at home and have to survive a whole day without it, smart money habits are a must. The good news? You don't have to live off canned beans in a dimly...Read more
Real estate Q&A: If something happens to me, how can my daughter keep property we co-own?
Q: I am buying a vacation home with one of my children, and we will take turns using it and split the cost and expenses. We want to make sure that if something happens to me, she does not have to split the house with her siblings, whom I made other arrangements for in my will. What can we do? —Marjorie
A: When a property is co-owned with ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Must-Follow Steps When You're Out of a Job
These days, it's practically inevitable that you or someone close to you will face a period of unemployment. Consider these practical tips while dealing with the financial and emotional toll of leaving one job and searching for another.
DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY
Losing a job can cause shame, humiliation and embarrassment. You may feel depressed...Read more
San Diego bans 'price-fixing' software from RealPage to set rents
San Diego voted Tuesday to ban software that it says is being used to illegally raise residential rents.
The city council targeted software used by Texas company RealPage, which has been in federal crosshairs since August when the Biden administration filed an antitrust lawsuit against it. The Justice Department claimed the software’s ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Use Your Tax Refund to Make Your Life Better
Discovering that you'll be getting a tax refund is certainly not the worst news you've had in your life. In fact, it's easy to see a tax refund as some kind of gift from the universe. You might even be feeling kinda proud of your forced savings account, to which you knowingly contribute every payday while living from paycheck to paycheck and ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Your Money Temperament and Why It Matters
Whether you're aware of it or not, you have a money temperament. Everyone does. It's the way you naturally think about money, behave with money or react to money. To loosely assess your money temperament, and to have a little fun with it, consider the following scenario and choose the response that's closest to what you would do.
Your rich ...Read more
Here's what happens if you don't file your taxes
The tax-filing deadline is typically April 15 each year. If you can’t make that deadline, it’s easy to get a six-month extension for filing your return, though your tax payment is still due by April 15.
But what happens if you don’t file taxes by either of those deadlines? The consequences are very different depending on whether you’re ...Read more
7 investing mistakes financial pros say you should avoid
Investing in 2025 is more accessible than ever — but it isn’t always easy. With nearly constant market volatility and financial advice flooding your social media feed, it’s easy to make mistakes that hurt your long-term returns.
Whether you have $5 or $500,000, avoiding these common traps can save you from costly mistakes and future ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Can co-op board force us to install free-standing AC?
Q: I live in a 16-unit co-op with a water-cooled AC that runs throughout the building. My unit and one other are still on the system. The Board told us that when the pump goes out, we must add a free-standing AC. Does the Board have the authority to do this and not maintain the system? — Lance
A: While condominiums and cooperatives often look...Read more
Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch
SAN JOSE, Calif — Vacancy levels improved and rental rates rose during the first three months of 2025, a welcome improvement in the battered South Bay office market after months of weaker conditions, a new report shows.
“The Silicon Valley office market showed resilience in the first quarter,” Colliers stated in its first-quarter report ...Read more
Tariffs chill Southern California's vast industrial property market
Demand for warehouses used to move goods through Los Angeles County ports is expected to fall if widespread tariffs take effect, potentially damaging the economic vitality of one of the world's largest industrial real estate markets.
Leasing of buildings used to collect and distribute imported goods has slowed at least temporarily as businesses...Read more
Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch
SAN JOSE, Calif — Vacancy levels improved and rental rates rose during the first three months of 2025, a welcome improvement in the battered South Bay office market after months of weaker conditions, a new report shows.
“The Silicon Valley office market showed resilience in the first quarter,” Colliers stated in its first-quarter report ...Read more
Trump's 90-day tariff 'pause' leads to wild reversal in markets -- should investors stay on guard?
U.S. President Donald Trump threw markets for another loop on the roller coaster saga of tariffs, announcing that he was pausing the implementation of his “Liberation Day” global tariffs for 90 days on non-retaliating countries. Stocks soared on the day of the news, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closing up 9.5% and 12.2%, respectively, as ...Read more
California's former insurance commissioner sees grim future, more wildfires
Former California insurance commissioner David Jones described the L.A. area firestorms in January as a “canary in the coal mine” warning for climate change that will bring more catastrophic fires all-year and push the property and casualty insurance industry to the brink of a financial crisis.
“Climate change is the canary in the coal ...Read more
Inside Consumer
Popular Stories
- Real estate Q&A: If something happens to me, how can my daughter keep property we co-own?
- Tariffs could cost the average American household $3,800 per year. Here's how to save for it
- Commentary: No more delays: The REAL ID deadline must stick
- Real estate Q&A: Can co-op board force us to install free-standing AC?
- Silicon Valley office market improves as vacancies shrink, deals grow
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