ArcaMax

I just asked Siri, "How do most people relax?" She rattled off a list of activities including "Nosh on chocolate," "Rub your feet over a golf ball," "Count backward," "Meditate" and "Drip cold water on your wrists."

Siri completely missed my favorite way to relax. I iron (not to be confused with "I pump iron," which I do not). No, really. There...Read more

It took me a long time to fully understand this profound truth: Money is not for spending. It is for managing first and then for spending. No one knows better than I do that it takes courage to believe that, but when you do, it will transform the way you think about and then manage your money.

Imagine this: It's Friday, a day you have come to ...Read more

The most important thing you can do to make your personal economy strong is to have an umbrella, an emergency fund with enough money in it to pay all your bills for six months. And it needs to be safe and secure in a bank account.

You read that right: half a year's income! Wait. You can't even imagine being able to save $50? No worries. The ...Read more

If you're in debt, you have to get out. The best way to do that is to put together a plan -- but remember a plan is only as good as your ability to stick with it. Just like diets, all of them work; the true test is sticking with one. No matter how effective the plan is in theory, if the regimen is outlandish and impractical, you will not stick ...Read more

Just when I think I've heard every possible way to save time and money, here comes the mail to teach me something new. "Everyday Cheapskate" readers just have to be the smartest and most clever on the planet -- good-looking, too. Enjoy!

If you have more apples than you can reasonably use in the short-term, they'll last up to six months if you ...Read more

As we head into a new year, you may be settling in for a well-deserved rest from all the busyness of the holiday season. But not so fast. Before you haul all the boxes and torn-apart wrappings to the trash, take a quick inventory of the gift cards you and your family just received. The sad truth is that of the $308 billion Americans spent in ...Read more

If there's one subject that shows up in my inbox more often than any other, it has to be rust. Ugly, orange-ish stains on tubs, showers, toilets, washing machines, sinks and even stainless steel.

One reader (who shall remain nameless, as I have hopelessly misplaced your message) wrote that tiny rust marks have appeared on his new stainless ...Read more

Contrary to popular belief, you can put silver in the dishwasher without causing harm, provided you are careful to follow a simple set of rules.

I grew up being fearful of the oddest things. I wasn't bold enough to question why, so I just did as I was told. Here's one: Never, ever put silver in the dishwasher. Ever!

I didn't know what would ...Read more

It was Christmas Eve several years ago. Everything was ready. Our overnight company would be arriving in a matter of hours. I opened the refrigerator to discover the inside had reached a balmy 70 F. This could not have happened at a worse time. Away to my computer I flew like a flash, straight to RepairClinic.com, where I entered the make and ...Read more

Dear Mary: Is there any problem with disposing of cooking grease and oil down the kitchen drain, as long as one is careful to follow with very hot water? My wife and I are at odds on this and have agreed to let you settle the argument. Hope to hear back soon. We could use some harmony. -- Ben

Dear Ben: While I'm not exactly a marriage counselor...Read more