ArcaMax

Recently, I've been on yet another of my seemingly never-ending quests to pare down and clean out. I got this surge of energy after reading how Graham Hill is living with less. A lot less.

Hill, a self-made young millionaire who decided he really didn't need lots of stuff, wrote about it in the New York Times. He lives in a 420-square-foot ...Read more

Being wasteful is easy, especially when everything seems to be so plentiful and simple to replenish. Just order more. Or run to the store, right?

Sure, we love to buy things on sale, but that's not the only way -- or the best way -- to cut costs. Discovering simple ways to make things last longer is the surefire way to save time and money.

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Let's be honest -- keeping a home clean sometimes feels like trying to shovel snow in a blizzard. No matter how much you scrub, wipe and mutter under your breath, there's always another mess waiting in the wings. But over the years, I've discovered a little miracle in a can that keeps my sanity intact. It's called Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser, ...Read more

What would you do if you had to use -- let alone actually enjoy -- everything you own?

Truth be told, most of us will never live long enough to accomplish such an overwhelming requirement. Instead, we pack it, stack it and pile it away -- even pay rent to store it. Then we keep right on accumulating, acquiring and attaining even more. More ...Read more

When asked to describe the perfect bath towel, most people would include the words "thick" and "thirsty." Cotton Inc., a research and marketing company, agrees and goes on to say that the perfect towel can also stand up to constant use and laundering for at least a decade.

The secret to buying the perfect towel is in understanding fibers, loops...Read more

Before you toss that steam iron because it refuses to steam and the soleplate is sporting a brown, burned-on, gross mess -- you might want to give it a little love with a good cleanup. It's not difficult to bring a tired steam iron back to working like a dream!

As always, check the owners manual before proceeding with any cleaning process so ...Read more

Over the years, readers like you have sent me incredible tips -- creative, practical and sometimes downright ingenious. These nuggets of wisdom have saved me time, money and a fair amount of frustration.

While I've carefully held onto these gems, somewhere along the way, the names of these clever contributors seem to have wandered off. But ...Read more

Dear Mary: How can I get rid of white water rings on wood tables? Thanks! -- Amy

Dear Amy: There are homemade remedies, but I've had only marginal results using things such as mayonnaise or other household products to remove the infuriating white marks you describe.

I suggest you save yourself a lot of time and frustration with a Homax White ...Read more

As I rifle through my virtual mailbag where readers send their best ideas for how to save time and money, some invariably arrive without the sender's name. Not all are worthy of passing along, but now and then, one of these orphans is just too good to cast aside. Today I have a collection of these no-name submissions that are up for adoption.

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I promise not to ask if you remember when the price of gold was fixed at $35 an ounce or when U.S. currency was tied to the gold standard (hint: The Gold Standard Act was passed on March 14, 1900, but later suspended). Things have changed drastically over the years, with gold now hovering around $1,800 per ounce.

Let's turn to your jewelry box,...Read more