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Swap Books You Have for Those You Want
Dear Mary: I had the address of a Web site that allows you to list your books by ISBN and swap them with other members. My plan was to let my daughter enter all of our books into the system so she would have an allowance for her book purchases. …Read more.
Post Office Clerk Demonstrates New Flat Rate
Today's first great reader tip, from Shirley in Indiana, brings new meaning to the term "flat rate" and also earns Shirley a one-year membership to Debt-Proof Living Online (at http://www.DebtProofLiving.com). You are going to love this:
…Read more.
How To Jump Into the Coupon Game
A recent column about couponing produced a lot of mail. I recommended The Coupon Clippers as a way to choose the grocery coupons that you want and need, instead of taking a chance that you'll find them in the Sunday paper or elsewhere. I learned …Read more.
5 Lessons I Wish I'd Learned Sooner
While I refuse to live with regret, I must admit there are a few things I wish I'd learned sooner. Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes, I'm going to give you my top five so you don't have to learn the hard way.
1. The lottery is a …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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