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Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/TNS

More people embracing leaves: 'What falls in my yard stays in my yard'

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

CHICAGO -- Fall leaves get a warm welcome from Christie Hunt.

The River Forest, Illinois, resident rakes them into her flower beds, where they decay, providing fertilizer and valuable winter habitat for bees, moths, butterflies and fireflies.

She also piles leaves around her fig tree, where they provide protection against the cold.

And when ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Sandwiched Between Aging Parents and Adult Children

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

A lovely new assisted living complex is under construction close to where I live. As beautiful as this place is, it has become a daily reminder to me of how difficult it can be to talk to aging parents about their health and future needs.

If you're 40 or older, you're part of the Sandwich Generation, which refers to middle-aged individuals who ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: A Nappy Solution for a Common Problem

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I love to discover a second use for something most of us have around the house or can easily find. Today's first tip may give you a big surprise but for sure a big laugh. By the way, this really works!

Plant Potty Liner: Line the bottom of baskets and pots with a disposable diaper (yes, clean and unused!) before you put in the potting soil and ...Read more

Evgeny Dissx/Dreamstime/TNS

Bitcoin nears $90,000 as crypto market exceeds pandemic-era peak

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Bitcoin’s record-breaking rally took the digital asset close to $90,000 for the first time and lifted the overall value of the crypto market above its pandemic-era peak as traders bet on a boom under President-elect Donald Trump.

The largest token has jumped about 32% since the U.S. election on Nov. 5, hitting an all-time high of $89,599 on ...Read more

Searchlight Pictures/Searchlight Pictures/TNS

'A Real Pain' review: Eisenberg delivers thoughtful study of 2 hurting men

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Hearing the title “A Real Pain,” you can’t help but imagine a multi-camera sitcom or, perhaps, a disposable laugher starring Adam Sandler.

In reality, this second directorial feature from Jesse Eisenberg — who also wrote and co-stars in the film — is a thoughtful study of two characters dealing with sadness and depression in their own...Read more

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS

Lower taxes, higher tariffs: What Trump's tax plans mean for you

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Taxes may not be the first thing on your mind following the presidential election, but there’s no doubt that tax policy will play a key role in the year ahead, given that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is set to expire at the end of 2025.

The TCJA was the largest overhaul of the tax code in three decades, with massive changes for both ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Three Daughters and a Ring

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Got a question? Lots of readers do, and chances are pretty good their questions just might be your questions too. At the very least, you may find these answers to be somewhat educational, if not entertaining!

Dear Cheapskate: I have a big problem and have told my daughters and their daughters that I am going to accept your advice to solve it. I...Read more

Mario Tama/Getty Images North America/TNS

Bitcoin hits another record high in 'undeniable bull market'

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Bitcoin continued its relentless surge higher, climbing above $88,000 for the first time, boosted by President-elect Donald Trump’s embrace of digital assets and the prospect of a Congress featuring pro-crypto lawmakers.

Trump’s decisive victory in the presidential election has prompted celebratory chest-thumping from the digital-asset ...Read more

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America/TNS

Tesla fans go all in driving $300 billion rally on Trump win

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Tesla Inc. fans have been reinvigorated by Donald Trump’s presidential triumph. The stock’s climb has been seemingly unstoppable as investors pile into the shares, confident that a second Trump term will bring windfalls to the Elon Musk-led electric vehicle maker.

All together, the stock has advanced over 39%, adding more than $300 billion ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Inherited IRA rules: 7 things all beneficiaries must know

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

An inherited IRA may be the most complex issue to handle well when wrapping up an estate. If you’ve recently inherited an individual retirement account, you can find yourself at the tricky three-way intersection of estate planning, financial planning and tax planning. One wrong decision can lead to expensive consequences, and good luck trying ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trillion-dollar companies: 9 most valuable mega-cap stocks

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The most valuable companies in the world have grown to impressive heights in recent years, with nine publicly traded companies reaching market capitalizations of roughly $1 trillion or more. All but one of the companies come from the tech sector, with many offering products and services that consumers use every day. Several of them also made it ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: 3 Fun Ways to Avoid the Heartbreak of Post-Holiday Stress Disorder

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Who among us hasn't at some time during the hectic days of December said those old familiar words, "Next year I'm going to get started earlier!" I don't know what you meant by "earlier," but today seems about right.

Here for your consideration are three ideas meant to encourage you to head off the heartbreak of post-holiday stress disorder ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Who's responsible for hedge damaged by landscaper?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: The landscaper hired by our HOA for the community damaged a large hedge in our yard that now must be replaced. My HOA says the damage is not their responsibility and that I must resolve the problem myself. Do I have to deal directly with the landscape company? —Jo Ann

A: No, your community association will need to deal with this problem. ...Read more

File photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Las Vegas real estate market on 'wild ride' for past 5 years: Zillow

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Las Vegas’ residential real estate market has been on a “wild ride” for the past five years but could finally be getting off the roller coaster ride that started during the pandemic, according to new statistical analysis from Zillow.

The Las Vegas market recently entered more “balanced territory,” said Kara Ng, a senior economist with...Read more

Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Other cities want less self-storage. Philadelphia can't get enough of it

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

PHILADELPHIA — On a windblown stretch of the Delaware riverfront in late September, an array of local leaders lined up to praise a new use for Pier 40.

After sitting derelict for years, the monumental Beaux-Arts remnant of Philadelphia’s industrial history was sold to PrimeSpace Capital, and the New York-based developer refurbished its ...Read more

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/TNS

After a century, concrete plant that helped build LA makes way for a deluxe tower

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

If the new apartment tower had been planned for another plot of land, chances are good the concrete plant in the middle of the city would have helped build it.

But, as it happens, the century-old facility on La Brea Avenue that has provided concrete for buildings and roads across the Los Angeles region sat where the tower is to go up.

Now, the...Read more

Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Older home buyers, more cash, and (relatively) fewer first-timers: A national survey sheds light on the state of the housing market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Rising home prices are continuing both to benefit established homeowners and to challenge buyers trying to purchase their first home, according to the National Association of Realtors’ annual report surveying buyers and sellers.

“The U.S. housing market is split into two groups: first-time buyers struggling to enter the market and current ...Read more

Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Economic opportunity or environmental burden? Massive proposed real estate project ignites debate in Chicago

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A massive commercial real estate project proposed for Chicago’s Southeast Side remains in limbo as its planners battle environmental activists over how best to rebuild the area’s economy.

A group backed by the Ozinga family wants to burrow several hundred feet beneath a contaminated former steel mill site and create a 6 million-square-foot ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: A Little Change Can Really Make a Difference

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Years ago, I read a news story about Starbucks Corp. that left me stunned. In a nutshell, it seems that the company practice has been to place "tip jars" by the cash registers where customers can drop their loose change to tip the baristas. In California, there is a law that prohibits managers and supervisors from sharing in employee tips. And ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: When All Else Fails, Cover It With Chocolate

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

As the story goes, the local inventor invited the town's pastry makers to observe his latest invention: an automated pastry-making machine. To his dismay, the bakers deemed it unfit because it could not consistently turn out perfect pastries.

Not one to give up easily, the inventor took one of the chefs aside and asked, "What do YOU do when you...Read more

 

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