Money is the most difficult subject to discuss between two people in love. Why? Several reasons: It’s personal. We’re taught as children to never ask how much people earn, what things cost or how much money people have. It’s rude; it’s poor manners; and it is just not done. We spend the first two decades…
Stock the Pantry to Save Money
Just in case you haven’t been paying close attention to what’s going on with the cost of food, the average cost of ground beef in the U.S. has hit once again hit an all-time high—$4.78 a pound. I believe it, and not only beef. It is shocking how grocery prices are going up, which understandably…
Are Home Purchase Preapproval Letters Helpful?
Dear Monty: We have a showing scheduled next week for a home. The seller’s agent is asking for a copy of our preapproval letter. Our approval is for quite a bit more than we are willing to offer, and we are concerned that when they learn we can pay more, they will not be as…
The Case for Dressing on Purpose
While some Americans have trickled back to the office, a large percent are staying home, and with this new work-from-home reality, it seems we have forgotten how to get dressed in the morning. Without any expectation to dress up, it’s easier to not put on proper clothing, leaving us to wander through our spaces looking disheveled and…
Install an Ironing Center
An ironing center is convenient, even if you don’t like to iron. When it’s located in a laundry area with a clothes washer and dryer it’s easy to remove a special care shirt from the dryer and give it a quick hit so it’s ready to wear. A built-in, recessed ironing center can be installed…
A Savvy Shopper’s Secrets for Buying in Bulk: How to Tell a Bum Deal from a Real Steal
Buying in bulk is an article of faith in these cost-conscious times, and judging by the boom in discount warehouse paradises and mega-markets, the trend is showing no sign of slacking. But is bulk buying really the answer to our prayers? That depends. When you first visit a discount warehouse, it’s stunning—aisle after aisle of…
How Waterwise, Drought-Tolerant Garden Landscapes Are Being Developed
By Alex Groves From The Orange County Register Santa Ana—Flowers, shrubs, and grass are pretty to look at, but they can also transform outdoor spaces into something that feels like home. That, however, takes water. With an eye toward changing environmental conditions of the future, researchers are testing plants and newfangled tech that will help…
This Twin Cities Guru Is Changing How We Look at Gardening
By Nancy Ngo From Star Tribune (Minneapolis) A fifth-generation gardener from Bailey Nurseries takes a make-it-fun approach. Minneapolis—Are you a Martha, a Kelly or a Tommy? Garden guru Ryan McEnaney uses those three gardening personalities (based on real people) to help you determine your gardening style. McEnaney, a member of the fifth generation working at…
Design Recipes: 9 Tips to Separate Remote ‘Work’ From ‘Home’
By Cathy Hobbs From Tribune News Service As home and work have converged for many, it can be challenging to discern how to separate the two. How do you avoid having home feel like “the office” while still creating an environment that feels like home? Where is the work-life balance? Here are some recommendations for…
Ask the Builder: Uncovering—and Hiding—Treasure at Your Home
I took over weekly grocery shopping duties to give my lovely wife a break after more than 40 years. I continue to be astonished at the prices of ordinary food staples like bacon, eggs, bread, and milk. Do you suffer from the same sticker shock? Do you have dusty cartons of egg money hidden in…
US News
RSS Error: A feed could not be found at `https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-us/feed`; the status code is `200` and content-type is `text/html; charset=utf-8`