Yellowj / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Living on the Cheap. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home any time soon, when you consider remodeling, you face this inevitable question: How much will this improvement add to the value of my home? Surprisingly, much of the time the answer is … Read more
Alex Brylov / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter. Freedom of location is one of the biggest perks of remote work. With a strong Wi-Fi connection, you could take Zoom calls from a beachside villa, a mountaintop chalet, or a lawn chair in your backyard. To help you find the optimal spot … Read more
P Stock / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder. Thinking about ditching one of your credit cards? Before you close the account, consider upgrading or downgrading your credit card instead. In general, you can upgrade or downgrade your current credit card to a different card with the same company. Maybe … Read more
mimagephotography / Shutterstock.com Ready for some new inspiration for your home? Paint companies can help. Every year, house paint brands announce a new paint color for the new year to spark your imagination and help to create your perfect space. Following are some of the colors of the year chosen specifically for 2023 by some … Read more
Maurizio Fabbroni / Shutterstock.com Want to buy an all-American car? Sorry, it’s more complicated than simply looking at the brand name. Just because an auto brand is headquartered and has factories in the U.S. doesn’t mean all the parts for all its vehicles were made here or that American hands assembled them. For instance, the … Read more
Sergey Podlesnov / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder. You might think a treasure hunt means diving in the ocean to find sunken ships or exploring ancient ruins in faraway countries looking for hidden chambers full of gold and jewels. But fortunately, you can also become a treasure hunter in … Read more
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on ConsumerWorld.org. Despite media reports of some fashion retailers adding new fees for online customer returns this holiday season, the dozen mass merchandisers and retail chains in Consumer World’s 19th annual return policy survey did not do so, and most still offer completely free returns. A number of large … Read more
Wileydoc / Shutterstock.com Homebuyers finally are getting some relief from sky-high housing costs, according to the latest market report from real estate marketplace Zillow. Nationwide, the typical home value slipped 0.2% in October to $357,733 and is now down 0.5% from its peak in June. In addition, mortgage rates have come down from their highs, … Read more
Hoping to improve the quality of your sleep? You might think living like a bat and spending more time in darkness would help. However, a new study suggests just the opposite. It found students at the University of Washington tended to fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning during winter, … Read more
Elliott Cowand Jr / Shutterstock.com Workers in funky shirts, bells ringing, the cozy-sized stores. There’s just something different about Trader Joe’s compared with its much larger grocery competitors. And its die-hard customer base would agree. From its humble beginnings in Pasadena, California, in 1967, TJ’s has grown to more than 500 stores nationwide, under the … Read more