Q: I sprayed for weeds in my yard and aphids on my roses, and neither treatment seemed to work. Do you think my two biggest pest problems have developed resistance to pesticides? A: Pesticide resistance is a serious worldwide problem, but there are other possible reasons your sprays did not work. It would take genetic…
The Value of Trivial Pursuits
For decades, I’ve been collecting and disseminating timesaving and money-saving tips. Readers email them to me, comment with them on my website at EverydayCheapskate.com, hand them to me on little scraps of paper and even send them in the mail. Some are hilarious, others downright weird. And the very best ones show up in this…
Social Security Pop-up Ads Are So Misleading
In the last month or so, I’ve written two columns about Social Security “news” articles I’ve seen in various publications with misleading headlines that are intended to lure you into reading the rest of the story. What’s contained in the article is never as dramatic or newsworthy as the exaggerated headline would indicate. These Social…
Fall Care for Water Gardens
Q: This is the first year we have had a water garden. What do we do with the plants over the winter? We expect the pond to freeze for several weeks over the winter. We live in an area that gets a few inches of snow each winter, but the winters are not too bad….
Grass, Garlic, and Amaryllis
Q: We are discussing when to cut down our ornamental grasses. I want to see them last through the winter and let the birds eat any seeds. My husband wants to cut them down in the fall because he says it is easier then. The plants are still upright and not beaten down. We can…
The Basics of Home Canning and How to Get Started—Quick and Easy!
So you planted a garden, lucked out when your property included fruit trees, stumbled upon a produce sale you just couldn’t pass up, or joined a Community Supported Agriculture group. Good for you! Now what? What will you do with all that bounty? Your choices are 1) quickly consume your harvest before it spoils, 2)…
Things in Wine
Winemakers love to say their products are made of grapes and nothing else. It’s largely accurate, but if you really get into the weeds, it’s hardly all that’s at play. As a “basically natural” product, wine is one of the most complicated of beverages. It’s 180 degrees from the formulation that leads us to Coke,…
Tips for Finding Social Security Information Online
I’m sure lots of my readers are always looking for Social Security information online. So am I. Even though I’ve got 50 years’ worth of Social Security knowledge stacked up in my brain, it sometimes gets a little muddled and I need to check something out or verify what I think I know. So, I…
Make a Temporary Repair to a Leaking Sink Drain
Dear James: I noticed a damp spot from an extremely slow leak under my kitchen sink. I cannot afford to call a plumber right now. Is there some method to temporarily repair it? — David J. Dear David: A plumber would rightly recommend that the drain should be replaced, and it will eventually need replacement….
Immunocompromised People Should Take Precautions With Pets
Q: I have a compromised immune system, and I want to adopt a cat. What do I need to know about protecting my health? A: Many people are immunocompromised because of physiologic factors like pregnancy or extremes of age, metabolic conditions such as diabetes, infectious diseases like HIV, or treatment with immunosuppressant drugs for autoimmune…
US News
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