ArcaMax

It was a dumb mistake. I grabbed the biggest package of coffee filters -- a pack of 1,000 -- only to discover much later that I'd picked up the wrong size for my coffeemaker.

Coffee filters are not expensive, which is probably the reason I didn't bother returning them to the store. I suppose I should have tried, but I didn't. Instead, I began ...Read more

I was way off base when I guessed "egg-gathering basket." Leslie Hindman, host of the TV show "Appraisal Fair," held up this round cage contraption with folding sides and asked us to guess, "What the Heck Is It?" Salad spinner was the right choice, but who knew people were wasting their money on needless pieces of kitchen equipment back in the ...Read more

Over the years, I've noticed a growing trend in my mailbox: readers in search of financial planners or advisers -- or assistants. When taken in the message's context, it's pretty clear that not everyone means the same thing when they refer to a financial planner-adviser-assistant-helper.

One reader wanted to know where to find a financial ...Read more

You're standing in the appliance aisle at your favorite home store, staring down two dishwashers. One is modestly priced at $499. The other is more than double that -- $1,299 -- and comes with all the bells, whistles, LED lights and an app that alerts your phone when the rinse cycle finishes.

So you wonder: Is the expensive one really worth it ...Read more

Q: Our condo board just passed a huge special assessment to fix the roof. I live on a fixed income and cannot afford to pay it. Is there anything I can do? — Ruth Ann

A: Special assessments can be a financial challenge for condominium owners, especially when they come unexpectedly.

These assessments are typically levied when the association�...Read more

The year is 1953. Rocket Chemical, a struggling company in San Diego, sets out to create a rust-preventive solvent that can displace water. On the 40th attempt (note: 39 failures), they nailed it. Thus, WD-40 was born.

While the ingredients remain a well-guarded secret more than 50 years later (the company insists there's nothing in it to harm ...Read more

When it comes to compulsive tendencies, there's no question I received more than the standard allotment.

I can sit down fully intending to watch the evening news and end up owning a pasta machine. I can stop by the mall to just look around and come out with three outfits I'll never wear, a gift I'll never give and several things for the house. ...Read more

Of all the choices in home flooring, wood stands out for many as the most beautiful. Wood is durable, coordinates well with any decor and most real estate agents agree it improves the home's value at resale. Knowing how to protect and clean wood floors is essential -- and surprisingly easy.

AS IT HAPPENS

To protect the finish and keep wood ...Read more

There was a time when getting a new cellphone felt like signing a mortgage -- except with worse terms. You'd walk into a carrier store, pick out a shiny new phone, and they'd practically hand it over "for free" -- as long as you promised to stick around for two years and not ask too many questions.

These days, you have options. Big ones. And ...Read more

Q: We bought a house a few years ago that has a converted garage, which the seller told us was done by the book. When we recently put in a shed, the town sent someone out to inspect it. The inspector noticed our converted garage and wrote us a citation. Now they are saying we need to remove the improvements and turn it back into a garage. Do we ...Read more