When you think of spring-cleaning, you probably think of your home. But what about your car? It’s served you well all winter long. It’s been through the mud—and snow, sleet, sand, and salt. It needs a good cleaning, too! You could take your car to a professional car detailer and spend $150 or more to…

Dear Mary: Is there a law that says how long the grace period must be? (And if you don’t mind, exactly what is a grace period?) —Justin Dear Justin: In the world of lending and borrowing, the “grace period” is the number of days between the time you make a credit card purchase and when…

Dear Mary: My wife and I have been married for three years. She has memorized my credit card information. This is my personal account, and she is not listed as an authorized user. However, she charges to it without my knowledge, and it’s getting out of hand. About a year ago, I took a loan…

Got ice and snow on top of super cold temperatures this winter? “Everyday Cheapskate” reader Jennifer does, and she wrote, “Do you have a solution for melting ice and snow on walkways, driveways, steps, and windshields?” I do, and at least one of these homemade recipes is sure to come to Jennifer’s rescue, and quite…

To say that I had a love/hate relationship with handheld vacuums for many years would be putting it mildly. I love the idea of a cordless handheld vacuum that is charged up and always ready to make a quick pickup; in fact, it is on my list of household must-haves. But I hate when the…

A few years ago, I received a fun letter from a reader who developed a hobby of looking for money in gutters, parking lots, streets, sidewalks, and other public places. And he keeps a running tab. He included a copy of his “free-money journal” from the previous year. Recently, he sent an update that shows…

Dear Mary: My wife has always insisted on balancing our joint checkbook, and recently, I found out why. The bank statement came yesterday while I was home, so I decided to open it. I was shocked to see a check to her brother for $350. I went through a couple of prior statements and found…

If you wear eyeglasses, I’ll bet you’ve encountered a most annoying problem while wearing a mask—glasses fogging up. That makes it difficult, if not impossible, to see! Why do our eyeglasses fog up when wearing a mask? The answer is simple: condensation. According to ophthalmologist Dr. Jesse Pelletier, recently quoted in Parade, “When the warm…

High-quality and effective skin care shouldn’t be considered a luxury available only to the wealthy. You can find high-quality, reasonably priced skin care products in your drugstore, discount department store, or online. Some years ago, as my dermatologist was wrapping up my routine office visit, I asked him what specific products he recommends I use…