ArcaMax

Dear Mary: I've heard that adding someone to your credit card will help that person establish a credit history, even if they do not use the card. Is that true? How would I go about doing it? -- Pat

Dear Pat: It is true. You would add this adult (at least age 18) as an "authorized user" to your account by calling your credit card issuer's ...Read more

Cornstarch is a low-cost, readily available, humble miracle found in the baking aisle of just about every supermarket and grocery store in the country, and online. Extracted from corn and then processed into a very soft, white powder, cornstarch is sold in boxes and canisters.

Usually, we think of cornstarch as a pantry ingredient used to ...Read more

Well, you've done it again! You clever readers have come up with another batch of fabulous ways that you save time and money every day!

AUTO CLEANER

Use plain old baking soda on a damp rag to remove bugs, tar and anything else from your vehicle. Works great, even on the grill and chrome work. Leaves no residue or odor and won't harm the paint....Read more

Dust bunnies don't just multiply under your couch -- they're hoarding plastic. Scientists have discovered that everyday items we use, wash, wear and toss can release microscopic plastic fragments. These "microplastics" are everywhere: bottled water, teacups, indoor air -- even inside human arteries.

If you've ever dusted a sunny windowsill and ...Read more

In my perfect world, there would be no credit scores. And while I do not believe that credit is necessarily evil, in that perfect world of mine, there would be no need for any of that because it would be, well ... perfect!

Back to reality. There are myriad reasons we need to have good credit histories and excellent credit scores.

Like it or ...Read more

You know the feeling when you reach into the pocket of a coat or pants you haven't worn for a while and pull out a $20 bill? What would it feel like if you pulled out hundreds of dollars? And what if you found money like that month after month?

It's not magic; it can be done. Pin holes in your financial life can turn into massive money-gushers....Read more

I don't know about you, but when I learn some new and amazing household tip that promises to save me time and/or money, well, it just makes my day. I love it! Not all of the tips I get from you, my faithful readers, are brand-new. But since I am not good at keeping 20,000 or more of these delicious little tidbits cataloged in my mind (yes, you'...Read more

What would you pay for a good night's rest? A soccer club in England once spent nearly $200,000 on custom mattresses, pillows and even wallpaper designed to help players sleep before home games. Clearly, they believe sleep is nonnegotiable.

And they're right. Sleep isn't a luxury -- it's essential. Without it, we're cranky, forgetful and prone ...Read more

What would it feel like to check your bank balance and find a pile of money you didn't know you had? Stop wasting money on goods and services that don't matter in the long run. By plugging the money leaks in your life, it's possible you could see the financial equivalent of working a second job in your wallet.

BUYING FROM A TV OR INTERNET AD. ...Read more

A new leather sofa or leather handbag -- so beautiful. Or perhaps it's the car you've had for a long time, the one with leather upholstery that still looks fantastic because that you've babied and protected it against spills and stains. And then somehow, that beautiful leather gets hit with an ink stain. It shouldn't happen, but life being what ...Read more

I love simple DIY household cleaners, not only because they're so much cheaper than their commercial cousins but because they work better. I'm certain that over the years I've tried hundreds of recipes and formulas. Let's just say that some work well; others, not so much.

Recently, I've been researching and testing the wonders of cornstarch to ...Read more

Hiring a professional painter is like hiring a magician. One day your walls are dingy, the next they're flawless. The only trick? The bill. A single room can set you back $400-$600. Multiply that by a few rooms, and you might as well start selling plasma.

The good news: You can paint your own walls. With the right tools and tricks, nobody will ...Read more

Dark, shadowy, dirty lines on the carpet along baseboards, under doors and draperies, along the edges and in the crevices of carpeted stairs are visible signs of a problem called filtration soil. With the right tools and information, you can clean the dirty edges of the carpet. But first, it's important to know what that dirt is and how it got ...Read more

Knowing how to get rid of ants around the house is important. But it's also fun to learn just how fascinating these creatures are. They're industrious and super smart, as far as insects go. Some ants can support up to 50 times their own weight while upside-down on glass. Ants are found almost everywhere on Earth. The largest ant colony ever ...Read more