Everyday Cheapskate: Frugal Advice for Perplexing Situations

Dear Cheapskate: I often keep onions, garlic and potatoes in my cupboard for weeks before finding the time to cook with them -- and by then they've gone soft or sprouted! What's the best way to store these ingredients to keep them fresh as long as possible? Your column is fabulous! Keep up the good work. -- Amy M.

Dear Amy: Never refrigerate potatoes or dry onions (as opposed to scallions or the sweet varieties). Never wash until ready to use. Store in a dark, cool space like a closet or pantry. These root vegetables require good air circulation.

To get dry onions to last for months: Cut one leg from a clean pair of pantyhose. Drop an onion into the toe, tight a knot close to the onion. Drop in another. Repeat until filled. Hang from a nail in the pantry. Need an onion? Cut right below the lowest knot. Suspended with air circulation encourages long life and discourages sprouting. This technique works well with garlic and potatoes too. And you won't believe how many you can fit in one pantyhose leg!

As for storing potatoes, I love the research done by the folks at TheKitchn.com. They discovered what has turned out for me to be the very best way to store potatoes: in a cardboard box! I keep a small cardboard box that is just big enough to hold them in a single layer. I do not seal the box, keeping the top flaps barely folded down, so that it remains mostly open. This fits easily in a bottom cupboard in my kitchen where it is dark. Stored this way, potatoes remain nice and firm, mostly sprout-free (depending on the type of potato) for at least six weeks! I follow this same storage routine for fresh garlic but in a separate, small cardboard box. Should you give these options a try, I'd love to know what you think.

Dear Cheapskate: I am wondering if it is a good idea to refinance my home and pay off all my debt. I owe $132,000 on my first mortgage and $24,000 on my second. I also have about $20,000 in credit card debt. My house is worth about $200,000 and my lender tells me it is a good idea, but I'm not really sure. The interest rate is 8.1% and my FICO score is about 642. They are also offering a reward program where as long as I pay on time every month, my interest rate goes down 0.4% every year. What do you think? Is this a good idea? Thank you for your help. -- Stephanie R.

Dear Stephanie: You cannot get out of debt by borrowing more money any more than an alcoholic can become sober by having another drink. What you suggest is not a way to pay off all your debt -- you will simply move your unsecured debt to your home. The interest rate you suggest is not particularly attractive because your credit score is below average.

Given the information I have, I would not advise you to do this. As bad as your situation is now, if you are unable to stay current on your credit card payments, they'll trash your credit score. But if you were to move that debt to your home and then miss a payment, this lender (who clearly does not have your best interests in mind) will start foreclosure proceedings faster than you can pack your stuff and get out. Buckle down and stop looking for shortcuts and phony fixes. Get serious about paying off your credit cards now.

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Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, "Ask Mary." This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book "Debt-Proof Living."