ArcaMax

A number of years ago, I met Kathryn and Galen. They'd won a contest sponsored by Woman's Day magazine. The prize? A money makeover and financial coaching with ... me! From our first meeting, we became fast friends. Not only were they drowning in debt but Galen was also dealing with a protracted season of unemployment. Their financial situation ...Read more

CREDIT UNIONS VERSUS BANKS

Dear Mary: What is the difference between a bank and a credit union? -- Justina

Dear Justina: Great question! A bank is a for-profit financial business run by paid board members that's primary purpose is to make profits for the shareholders.

A credit union is a nonprofit financial business that's owned by its ...Read more

It's amazing how saving a little here and a little there can add up to big savings. Each of these great reader tips doesn't really save much on its own. But added up over time? In a way that changes your attitude and keeps you focused? That can really make a difference.

Don't believe me? Think about the amount of cosmetics you've tossed because...Read more

There comes a point every summer evening when the house starts behaving like it's hosting a chili cookoff.

The sun goes down. The birds settle in. The neighborhood quiets. Yet somehow your living room still feels like it's stuck on HOT and a stale sigh that says "Good luck sleeping tonight."

That's when most people march straight to the ...Read more

"True wealth is about taking control of your future and making conscious decisions about what you really want in life," say authors Marc Eisenson, Gerri Detweiler and Nancy Castleman in their book "Invest In Yourself: Six Secrets to a Rich Life."

To create a rich life, these three respected consumer advocates encourage readers to diversify ...Read more

Have you ever figured how many hours you'll have to work to pay for the new car of your dreams or fancy restaurant meal? Perhaps you should, suggests one of my readers who starts out today's batch of clever reader tips:

CURB THE URGE

My husband and I have finally found a way to curb our runaway spending. When we see something we want (eating ...Read more

Affluence is not measured by your annual income. Affluence is determined by how many of your resources you manage not to spend -- the amount of income you keep.

The idea that you should live below your means is obvious, isn't it? It's not like this is the first time you've ever heard of the concept. You know that cutting spending is hard work. ...Read more

There's a particular smell that tells you summer has officially arrived. Not fresh-cut grass. Not sunscreen. Not barbecue smoke drifting through the neighborhood.

I'm talking about that sharp, chemical cloud that settles over patios, garages and occasionally entire ZIP codes once people begin attacking bugs with the enthusiasm of a medieval ...Read more

PAINT FOR PICK-UP

Most counties have Hazardous Household Material programs and collection sites where residents can drop off items that should not end up in landfills. They get all types of paint, ranging from latex, oil-based, primer, interior, exterior and stain. Sometimes the paint dropped off at the site is brand-new -- never even opened. ...Read more

Have I got a story for you, and when I say "you," I refer primarily to my readers who are having a difficult time understanding why I do not use a debit card. I am careful to always pay with a credit card when making a large purchase, when I order something online or put up a deposit for goods or services to be delivered in the future.

Several ...Read more

Today's topic is not pretty, but unless you have $8,000 earmarked for dental care, it could prevent a lot of pain -- both dental and financial.

Periodontal disease is an infection that destroys the attachment fibers and supporting bones that hold the teeth in the jawbone and the jawbone itself.

Bacteria get caught between the teeth and under ...Read more

It seems to me that nearly every household product has at some time decided it needed to become "concentrated." Concentrated detergent, concentrated cleaner, concentrated juice, even concentrated coffee. These days I'm half expecting concentrated throw pillows.

The promise is always the same: smaller bottle, bigger value. Less packaging, more ...Read more

Dear Mary: My husband says that it costs more to make ice in the freezer than to buy it in bags. I find that hard to believe. Do you know the answer? -- J.M.

Dear J.M.: Let's say a 10-pound bag of ice at the store costs $2. Two dollars' worth of water from your tap would be nearly 350 gallons at the U.S. average price of about 0.0058 cents per ...Read more

Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850, generated by a mathematical algorithm (a mostly secret formula) based on information in your credit report compared with information on tens of millions of other people. The resulting number is said to be a highly accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay your bills.

If it ...Read more

There's no doubt that credit cards are convenient. They're compact, easy to carry and work just about anywhere. And that's the problem. What seems like no big deal on a daily basis can add up to one whopping surprise at the end of the month.

In the event you have fallen into a mind-numbing "coma" that has you swiping the plastic with abandon, ...Read more

Every summer starts with good intentions: This will be the year we stay ahead of things. The year we don't waste food, lose track of sunscreen, or make six emergency grocery runs a week because nobody knows what's for dinner.

And then suddenly it's July, the refrigerator is full, the counters are cluttered, nobody can find the sunscreen, and ...Read more

Today is a good day to reach into my virtual mailbag and pull out letters from two of my dear readers.

Dear Mary: We are homeowners with about $175,000 in equity, which we will need to buy a bigger house in the future. Our home needs some expensive improvements (new windows, updated kitchen, siding), none of which are urgent, but which will be ...Read more

Homeowners beware. These days, home loan scam artists are lurking around every corner. They're hungry, they're determined and they're coming after your equity.

Unscrupulous loan peddlers are known as predatory lenders because of their uncanny resemblance to vultures. These loans encourage people to consolidate their debts and suggest this will ...Read more

In today's offering of tips from your fellow readers, you're going to get a bonus: a new vocabulary word. Read on.

My dream is to own a second home in Sweden, and to be able to purchase it without a long-term mortgage. I found a picture of the home I dream of and hung it where I will see it often during the day. This has "dreamwashed" my mind, ...Read more

Every summer, right about the time the house starts feeling like a toaster oven with furniture, people begin searching for bigger solutions.

A stronger fan. A portable air conditioner. Blackout curtains that look like military equipment. Somebody with a decent advertising budget trying to sell a "cooling mattress" for the price of a used car.

...Read more