Tag: Everyday Cheapskate

Simple Ways to Curb Impulsive Buying

Having just come through holiday spending extravaganza 2020, otherwise known as Christmas in America, I’m getting dizzy from early reports of how many billions of dollars we spent—and I can’t help but think about what an impulsive shopper I am. It’s that momentary thrill of the impulse purchase, the destroyer of budgets. It’s in my…


How to Successfully Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution—Yes, Really!

More than half of Americans, reportedly, make New Year’s resolutions. And 88 percent of those resolutions end in failure, according to a study by British psychologist Richard Wiseman. There is a reason for this fail rate, and once we understand it, we’ll be able to keep our resolutions long enough to make them stick. The…


Own Less; Live More

What would you do if you had to use—let alone actually enjoy—everything you own? Truth be told, most of us will never live long enough to accomplish such an overwhelming requirement. Instead, we pack it, stack it, and pile it away—even pay rent to store it. Then we keep right on accumulating, acquiring, and attaining…


How to Clean a Steam Iron so It Steams and Looks Like New

Before you toss that steam iron because it refuses to steam and the soleplate is sporting a brown, burned-on, gross mess—you might want to give it a little love with a good cleanup. It’s not difficult to bring a tired steam iron back to working like a dream. As always, check the owner’s manual before…


5 Easy Ways to Keep Cats out of Your Yard and Garden

If you’ve ever suffered the annoyance of outdoor cats ruining your yard and garden, help is on the way! Consider any of these options to quickly send them on their way without harming them. Sprinkle Used Coffee Grounds Cats naturally seek out bare soil to use as their toilet space, making gardens their favorite outdoor…


Reader Tips: Got a Bundt Cake Pan? Try This!

Today’s first great reader tip makes me laugh. Imagine a chicken standing to attention in a Bundt pan. This is the best idea I’ve heard all day, and I think you’ll agree. Stand the Bird To roast a whole chicken more evenly and quickly, set your Bundt pan on a cookie sheet. Now, stand that…


How to Cook and Keep the Kitchen Clean at the Same Time

I love to cook. And I enjoy inviting guests for dinner parties or more casual meals. What I hate is the big, ugly mess that happens in the kitchen as I’m cooking and concentrating on getting everything on the table—and my kitchen is right out there in the open for all to see. That’s why…


Gift-Giving: What’s the Point?

The simple act of gift-giving has become extremely complicated. I blame that on the consumer credit industry. Think about it: You can be completely broke but still spend thousands of dollars on Christmas gifts—and believe it is not only your right to do so but that you are obligated to do it. This culture has…


Organization Is Just One Salami Slice Away

Have you ever not answered the phone because you couldn’t find it? While searching for the Valentine’s Day centerpiece, have you stumbled over the Christmas wrap purchased at an after-holiday sale two years ago? Ever gone out to dinner because there wasn’t one clean dish in the house? Getting organized is like dieting. We know…


6 Reasons You Need to Add Vinegar to the Laundry

When buying vinegar to use in the laundry, choose distilled white vinegar with 5 percent acidity. It’s is a great addition to laundry for lots of reasons: It’s Cheap Plain distilled white 5 percent vinegar runs around 2.5 cents per ounce in the typical supermarket when purchased by the gallon. Name-brand liquid fabric softeners come…