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Fun (Cheap) Birthday Gift Ideas for Kids
Several months ago, I got a message from Elaine G., who recently had joined a moms group. With all of her newly minted friendships, she and her little one are getting invitations to lots of toddlers' birthday parties. Her dilemma took me back to …Read more.
What You Need To Know if Your Bank Fails
If it seems that more banks are closing this year than normal, you are absolutely right. Since January 2009, 106 banks and 19 credit unions have failed in the U.S. That's more than four times the number of closings in 2008. It's the most since the …Read more.
Make Your Own Sanitizing Wipes
Dear Mary: I would like to find a recipe to make hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Do you know of one? — Delores, e-mail
Dear Delores: I have been thinking about the same thing, now that we're learning that products like Purell are …Read more.
7 Simple Ways To Stretch Food Further
Buying groceries on sale and cooking meals at home are excellent ways to keep the cost of food under control, but there are other things we can do. Here, for your enjoyment, are simple ways other "Everyday Cheapskate" readers make food and …Read more.
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How To Disinfect Cold-Water LaundryDear Mary: How can I disinfect my colors when I launder them in cold water? I don't want the colors to run, but I want to make sure that the bacteria are killed. Because the colors are dark, I can't use bleach. — Mary H., Florida Dear Mary: Household ammonia, white vinegar and Pine-Sol are all disinfecting agents you can use in place of bleach to kill germs and bacteria in laundry. Hydrogen peroxide is another disinfectant, but it's also a natural bleaching agent, so I wouldn't use it on colors. And try adding one cup of white distilled vinegar to that last rinse as a softening agent. The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve the soaps and detergents so they rinse away more easily. Dear Mary: Should spouses have their own credit card accounts? My husband and I have one account for which I am the "authorized user." Are spouses who only have cards as authorized users jeopardizing their future credit scores and possibly setting themselves up for other problems if the primary account holder dies? — Dana, e-mail Dear Dana: The answer to both of your questions is yes. If your husband is carrying a balance on his credit card account and he dies owing money, the entire balance will become due and payable. As an authorized user, you will have no rights on that account. You will not have the option to make payments on the outstanding balance, creating a problem at a time that is already stressful. If you have not done so recently, order your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com so you can begin to monitor your credit history. Do you have a question for Mary? Send it to mary@everydaycheapskate.com. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.debtproofliving.com and author of 16 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." To find out more about Mary and to read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2007 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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