ArcaMax

Every so often, a reader sends me a message that begins with, "Mary, have you heard about this?" That's usually followed by a link, a whisper of thriftiness, and a promise that the solution will both cost less than pocket change and change my life forever.

This time, it was homemade good ol' basic Febreze Fabric Refresher spray (unscented) ...Read more

Q: We are about halfway through our lease, and our landlord just told us he’s selling the property. In fact, he offered to sell it to us. We’re not sure if we want to buy it, but just in case, what happens to our lease when he sells the property? — Javier

A: When you are renting a property, unexpected changes can happen, including the ...Read more

The finish on hardwood flooring is neither fragile nor indestructible. Hardwood floors must be cleaned properly using the correct solvent level to protect their beauty and fine finish. Some of us (ahem) have had to learn this truth the hard way.

Even though you can't damage hardwood floors by walking on them, all wood is susceptible to stains. ...Read more

Budgets are like training wheels: They help you get moving and offer you confidence as you learn how to balance.

I wish I could come up with a better word than "budget" for managing money. While I've made peace with the word, it still conjures up synonyms like whip, drudgery and cruel master. Personally, I prefer the more elegant term "spending...Read more

Investors are avoiding beaten-down software stocks, warning that the brutal selloff triggered by fears of displacement by artificial intelligence is likely only just beginning.

What’s quickly become known as the AI scare trade has ravaged major software names in the U.S. and Europe in recent weeks. Fund managers at the likes of Amundi SA and...Read more

For this mother of two young, world-class whiners, the techniques described in the booklet seemed way too simple to be effective, the promised results too good to be true. In desperation, however, I decided to give the anti-whining program -- guaranteed to be appropriate for toddlers and up -- my best shot by following the simple daily ...Read more

I didn't set out to overthrow three cleaning products in one afternoon. I was simply standing in my laundry room, staring at a shelf crowded with half-used spray bottles, when I realized two things. First, none of them was empty enough to throw away. Second, none of them was impressive enough to justify buying again.

That was the day a humble ...Read more

Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego are among the world's least affordable cities for homebuyers, a recent report says.

When the price of a regular home is compared to regular local salaries, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego and San José were among the five least affordable cities in the world, according to a survey from financial ...Read more

Westminster Mall, a once-popular shopping center that has been desecrated by graffiti and vandalism since it closed last year, is on track for demolition soon.

It will be replaced with housing, a hotel and some shops and stores, part of a nationwide trend that is seeing outdated, failed malls in high-traffic locations swapped for mixed-use ...Read more

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes fell in January by the most in nearly four years, a month marked by a massive winter storm.

Contract closings decreased 8.4%, the biggest drop since February 2022, to a 3.91 million annualized pace in January, according to National Association of Realtors data released Thursday. That trailed the median ...Read more

Q: I let my cousin stay with me for a couple of weeks while she was having some issues. Those couple of weeks have now turned into a couple of months, and I can’t really deal with her anymore. How do I get her out? — Sheila

A: Sometimes situations that begin with good intentions become more complicated than expected. Offering a helping hand...Read more

Colorado is one of the most expensive states in the country for insurance and the hail that regularly batters roofs, cars and crops from one end of the state to the other is a big reason why.

Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway said Wednesday that a survey of 20 homeowners insurance companies showed that hail is ...Read more

I couldn't pass it up, and I mean that quite literally. Someone dumped it right in the middle of my shortcut through the back of a neighborhood center. I had two choices: hit it head-on or stop to investigate.

Closer examination revealed a unique piece of furniture -- a child-size, solid wood combination five-drawer dresser wardrobe. I dragged ...Read more