ArcaMax

Imagine that by some stroke of luck and shopping reversal you had all the cash you've spent on clothes you didn't wear in your wardrobe-buying lifetime. For most of us, that would represent quite a nice nest egg given our history of making so many back-of-the-closet mistakes.

This problem is, we shop without a plan, and the endeavor boils down ...Read more

I love the story author Jaroldeen Edwards tells in her book "Things I Wish I'd Known Sooner," when she took a trip with her daughter Carolyn one drab, rainy day. Her daughter wanted to drive more than two hours to see some flowers a woman had planted. She wasn't too thrilled, but her daughter insisted, saying, "You're going to love this, Mom!" ...Read more

Living in a tidy, organized home can help lower your stress and make daily life more peaceful. And I know from experience the challenge can come down to figuring out what to do with all the items you need to clear out, especially big things like furniture and appliances.

Getting rid of things quickly can help prevent clutter from piling up. If ...Read more

Are you facing a difficult or unpleasant situation in your life? You may not be able to change it, but you can change the way you think about it. That's because you have 100% control over your attitude -- the way you choose to respond to whatever life hands you.

Years ago, my husband and I decided not to replace my car once the lease was up. ...Read more

You received a gift that doesn't exactly send you to the moon because it doesn't go with anything in your tastefully decorated pad. Is it OK to turn around and give that gift to someone else for their birthday or other special occasion? If you return it, must you tell the giver? Would it be tacky to sell it on eBay?

There is no single, clear-...Read more

Of all my pet peeves (yes, I do have more than a few), I put laundry stains right up at the top of the list. That's why I was so interested to read today's first great reader tip. Blueberry stains are one of the most challenging. But who knew they could also be one of the easiest to remove?

BLUEBERRY STAINS

My family eats a lot of blueberries ...Read more

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when it happened, but sometime over the past decade or so, the general population of this country formed a belief that bottled water is better than tap -- safer and healthier, too. It is easy to figure out where this idea originated. It was with bottled water suppliers. It was pretty ingenious to convince ...Read more

Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that -- in case I run out of this but have plenty of that. Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when I'm in a pinch for paper towels. Or using a paper towel to create a coffee filter when I discover at the worst moment that we're out of filters! ...Read more

Recently I got a frantic letter from Barbara, who lives in Florida. It seems her teenage son has taken up bodybuilding, and her husband is adhering rigidly to the Atkins diet, both of which are heavy on protein. Barb got through the first week with a major case of mixed emotions: Her husband lost 7 pounds, her son gained 4 pounds -- and her food...Read more

If there's one thing I know about myself, it's this: I don't work well in chaos. Recently I came to terms with my office. Specifically, my desk.

I have a fairly small desk, by design. I have just enough space for my computer and a couple of monitors. The desk has only three small drawers that are so full of clutter, I can barely coax them to ...Read more

Clothing is not optional, but spending a lot of money on it is, says author Gregory Karp in his book "Living Rich by Spending Smart."

Off the top of your head, how much would you say your family spends on clothing in a year? According to the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey, a family of four spends an average of $1,434 a year on apparel plus ...Read more