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Everyday Cheapskate: Epsom Salt: The Frugal Fix-All You Didn't Know You Needed

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Let's talk about one of the most underrated items in your bathroom cabinet -- Epsom salt. It's cheap, it's unassuming and it has more uses than a Swiss Army knife at a Boy Scout jamboree.

But what is Epsom salt anyway? Is it salt? Is it magic? Nope. It's a naturally occurring mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate -- nothing close to (...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: A Clever Use for Useless Candle Stubs

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

One of the unfortunate side effects of embracing a frugal lifestyle is that gnawing tendency to never throw anything away. Fight the feeling, folks. Turning into a hoarder will only create a new problem in your life. Now, about all those useless candle stubs you're hanging onto -- get them out and keep them by your fireplace or wood burning ...Read more

Transversospinales/Dreamstime/TNS

How to start investing in cryptocurrency: A guide for beginners

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Cryptocurrencies are enormously volatile, but that volatility can create opportunities for profit if you’re looking to trade these digital assets. Cryptos such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have risen a lot since their debut — but they’ve also experienced tremendous boom-bust cycles along the way. Experienced traders have been speculating on ...Read more

Prykhodov/Dreamstime/TNS

Apple Cash: How to use it to send and receive money

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

If you’re an iPhone user, you might not realize that you already have access to Apple Cash. It’s a digital cash card that’s built into Apple devices and can be found in the default Wallet app. (Note: You must link an eligible debit card to use this service.)

The main function of Apple Cash is to make it easier for Apple device users to ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: What's Your Grocery Shopping Personality?

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Once upon a time, a big "SPECIAL" sign was enough to make us think we were getting a deal at the grocery store. But today's shoppers aren't so easily fooled. We've become wiser, knowing there's more to shopping smart than flashy tags and end-of-aisle displays.

A number of studies now promise we can categorize ourselves into four grocery-...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Bankrate's 2024 holiday spending report

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

This winter, amid the holiday parties and gift-giving, many Americans will be doing their best to keep holiday celebrations within budget. While the current annual inflation rate is back to levels seen in early 2021, prices of common goods going into the holiday season are still much higher than they were pre-pandemic, according to the Bureau of...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

As you're shopping this season, beware these common holiday scams

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Imagine you’ve got the perfect holiday gift idea for your kiddo, but it’s sold out in stores. Luckily, you found a seller online who can ship the gift for a low price! They send you a link to their digital payment account so you can pay for the gift in advance. After all, the item is popular, and you want to get it before someone else does. ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

1 in 4 people say they'll go into debt for the holidays. Is social media to blame?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Americans are used to being bombarded with holiday advertising in shopping malls and TV commercials. But now, ads have infiltrated our evening scroll. Companies and influencers tell us to buy this gift or that decoration to impress our friends, get a great deal or have the best-decorated yard on the block.

More than 1 in 4 holiday shoppers (27%...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The Lowdown on Chair Yoga, Free Resources, Real Benefits, No Gimmicks

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Chair yoga -- it's the latest exercise trend making waves on social media, popping up in feeds with promises of gentle stretches and easy movement for all ages. And let's be honest, who hasn't felt the appeal of something that requires little more than a chair and the willingness to try?

But are the promises real or just another passing fad? ...Read more

John T. Greilick/The Detroit News/TNS

Detroit's Renaissance Center would lose two towers, add apartments, riverfront park under new proposal

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

DETROIT — The Renaissance Center would shrink to three towers with residential, office and hotel tenancy to create space for a six-acre riverfront park in a more than $1.6 billion redevelopment plan dependent on $250 million in state support that would make billionaire mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert's real estate firm shared owner of the complex ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

The holidays are full of potentially awkward money talks

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

There are plenty of conversational landmines to avoid around the holiday dinner table. Money leads the way, according to a recent Bankrate survey. We found that only 38% of U.S. adults are comfortable discussing their bank account balances with family members and close friends. Fewer than half (47%) are comfortable discussing their love lives, ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

What are commission-free annuities and are they good for retirement?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Annuities are often popular with retirees and those looking to retire because of the steady income stream they can provide. But annuities tend to come with high costs and commissions for salespeople, often masquerading as financial advisers, that eat into investors’ returns.

Some firms now offer annuities without commissions, which could be ...Read more

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Jonathan Levin: Trump is making the 60/40 portfolio great again

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The post-election stock market is already giving investors a wild ride. Big individual stock selloffs, massive rallies, and a dizzying array of market narratives built on Wall Street’s best attempts to read President-elect Donald Trump’s mind. All told, the S&P 500 Index is up almost 4% since Election Day, but the numbers don’t do justice ...Read more

Marcos Calvo Mesa/DREAMSTIME/TNS

The 10 golden rules of investing everyone should follow

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Investing can often be broken down into a few simple rules that investors can follow to be successful. But success can be as much about what to do as it is what not to do. On top of that, our emotions throw a wrench into the whole process. While everyone knows you need to “buy low and sell high,” our temperament often leads us to selling low...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How an Instant Pot Can Practically Pay for Itself

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

When the Instant Pot hit the scene back in 2010, it wasn't just another kitchen gadget -- it was like someone had unlocked a secret to faster, easier home-cooked meals. And if you ask the millions who swear by it, it's become as essential as salt and pepper in the kitchen

When this magic pot made its debut, it introduced a new way of cooking ...Read more

Survey: 72% of people are concerned they won't see promised Social Security benefits, upon retirement age

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Social Security has been an important safety net for Americans for nearly 90 years, and today, the majority of Americans expect to rely on it when they retire. However, a new Bankrate survey shows many people are concerned they won’t receive those benefits once they reach retirement age.

More than half (53%) of Americans who haven’t retired...Read more

Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times/TNS

An affordable housing complex for Hollywood workers grapples with tenant complaints

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Dozens of tenants at an affordable housing complex for arts and entertainment workers are in rebellion amid a dispute over a rent increase and other alleged issues at the Hollywood property.

A group of residents at the Hollywood Arts Collective released a statement Thursday accusing Thomas Safran & Associates, the property management company, ...Read more

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Google unveils unique and eco-friendly mass timber office

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SUNNYVALE, California — Google unveiled Wednesday its first mass timber office building, a cutting-edge and eco-friendly structure in Sunnyvale the search giant hopes will be a productive and healthy workspace.

Over time, the five-story structure — built on the site of the one-time headquarters of video games pioneer Atari — is expected ...Read more

Jim Watson/Getty Images North America/TNS

How the second Trump administration could affect the housing market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Across Southern California, and for that matter much of the country, housing is unaffordable for many, whether someone is trying to buy a house or rent an apartment.

Voter concern over the nation's cost of living, including housing, appears to have played a big role in returning Donald Trump to the White House.

Now, can he fix it?

During the ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: My partner wants to cash out of rental we both own. What are my options?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: A while back, I bought a property with a partner, and we each paid part of the purchase price. Since then, I have been taking care of it and paying the taxes and insurance. We have been splitting the profit from renting it. Now, my partner wants to quit the partnership and cash out. How would this work? — Anonymous

A: When people own ...Read more

 

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