ArcaMax

You're standing in the appliance aisle at your favorite home store, staring down two dishwashers. One is modestly priced at $499. The other is more than double that -- $1,299 -- and comes with all the bells, whistles, LED lights and an app that alerts your phone when the rinse cycle finishes.

So you wonder: Is the expensive one really worth it ...Read more

Q: Our condo board just passed a huge special assessment to fix the roof. I live on a fixed income and cannot afford to pay it. Is there anything I can do? — Ruth Ann

A: Special assessments can be a financial challenge for condominium owners, especially when they come unexpectedly.

These assessments are typically levied when the association�...Read more

The year is 1953. Rocket Chemical, a struggling company in San Diego, sets out to create a rust-preventive solvent that can displace water. On the 40th attempt (note: 39 failures), they nailed it. Thus, WD-40 was born.

While the ingredients remain a well-guarded secret more than 50 years later (the company insists there's nothing in it to harm ...Read more

When it comes to compulsive tendencies, there's no question I received more than the standard allotment.

I can sit down fully intending to watch the evening news and end up owning a pasta machine. I can stop by the mall to just look around and come out with three outfits I'll never wear, a gift I'll never give and several things for the house. ...Read more

Of all the choices in home flooring, wood stands out for many as the most beautiful. Wood is durable, coordinates well with any decor and most real estate agents agree it improves the home's value at resale. Knowing how to protect and clean wood floors is essential -- and surprisingly easy.

AS IT HAPPENS

To protect the finish and keep wood ...Read more

There was a time when getting a new cellphone felt like signing a mortgage -- except with worse terms. You'd walk into a carrier store, pick out a shiny new phone, and they'd practically hand it over "for free" -- as long as you promised to stick around for two years and not ask too many questions.

These days, you have options. Big ones. And ...Read more

Fed up with all the greasy smudges and fingerprints on your stainless steel appliances but also tired of spending $10 or more on stainless steel cleaners? Good news! You can skip the expensive store-bought commercial stainless steel cleaners and make your own highly effective cleaner for just pennies.

Stainless steel has become a popular choice...Read more

Bread has a certain shelf life, beyond which it can go stale, become moldy and, in a short time, inedible. It is possible to extend its delicious lifespan once you understand the ins and outs of how to store bread.

It's the starch in any baked goods that makes them become stale. Exposure to air and heat can make the starch crystallize or ...Read more

I'm excited to teach you how to make a fabulous, if not magical, homemade stain remover. This stain remover recipe is so easy and cheap to make. And, wow, does it perform!

Unlike some other homemade laundry stain and detergent products you'll find here at Everyday Cheapskate, this one is also a homemade stain remover for carpet. Ah-ha! That got...Read more

If you think thrift stores are musty graveyards for shoulder pads and shag carpets, allow me to change your mind. Because in this economy, thrift shopping isn't just a hobby -- it's survival with style.

Gone are the days when "secondhand" meant sad and saggy. Today, thrift stores are packed with quality finds if you know how (and where) to look...Read more

If there is one thing that will ruin your kids' lives, it's greed. Teach them while they're young how to pull the plug on greed and you will have prepared them in a very important way to not only survive but also thrive in the real world. You may want to start with this lesson:

LESSON: HOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY THAT IS GREED

As you get older, ...Read more

If I've heard from one reader, I've heard from one thousand -- all with the same problem: wadded-up sheets. I feel their pain because I have suffered this problem as well. So annoying. It can happen in the clothes washer but also in the dryer.

My best solution, which only slightly reduces the problem, has been to launder one sheet at a time and...Read more

Pre-washed, pre-chopped, ready-to-go salad greens in sealed bags can be found in the produce department of just about every grocery store and supermarket. Those bags are certainly a tempting option: What's not to like about having someone else do all the work of chopping and then double- or even triple-washing? Even so, I don't buy bagged salad...Read more

Whether you've got kids out of school, grandkids visiting, or just need a break from routine that doesn't break the bank, there's plenty of frugal fun to be had.

Here are my favorite cheap summer trip ideas for families, singles, couples and empty nesters alike -- proof that great memories don't need a five-star price tag.

1. BE A TOURIST IN ...Read more

Has this ever happened to you? While searching for the Valentine's Day centerpiece, you stumble across the Christmas wrap you bought at the half-off-after-holiday sale two years ago. You still don't know where the centerpiece is.

Or you discover six partially full peanut butter jars in the pantry while putting away the new one you just bought ...Read more