About the kitchen:  It's safe to assume we want good looking, efficient, shiny kitchens with super appliances, granite counters (or comparable), easily maintained surfaces and corresponding baths in our next home.  Unless you're a contractor, that list reaches $50,000 very fast and early. DO YOU NEED THAT MUCH K...more

Before deciding to buy, check local utility companies for gas, electricity, water and garbage monthly charges for a specific address.   In MI, gas usage in winter weather is costly; if you purchase an older home lacking energy saving appliances and insulation, your electricity and gas could approach $1,000 monthly....more

These capsules are heartbreaking,  yet from them, we can learn and apply what insight they may offer.  That's one reason children should be informed of life's realities at an early age.  That's one reason parents and adults in authority should enforce rules and behavioral guidelines which utimately protect the ch...more

Can't say enough good about Habitat for Humanity's RE Stores.  Let's start with architectural quality.  Most remodelers or renovators aren't in architectural class as buyers. Most buyer tastes are simpler due to budget contraints and overall socio-economic status. Most DIYers won't take the time or make the effor...more

Because I had always been a very bright student, the idea of working for minimum wage was abhorrent but eventually I surrendered. And yes, I also was enrolled four nights a week for three years in night school pursuing business studies in addition to working seasonal jobs until I became full-time with a F500.   ...more

95% of my purchases are sale items, discounted items, low-income items, coupon items, discontinued or irregular items. I know this because last year I bought linens that weren't on sale and realized I hadn't purchased EXACTLY what I wanted in a very long time.  In the beginning of my prime consumer years, I wo...more

When worker's have nothing to lose by taking action, often consumers suffer.  We don't monitor most employees in this country.  Since they have no investments or monitoring, mistakes often happen that are left unaddressed. There are scads of possible jobs available for smart observers of what most employees are miss...more

I'm a former job counselor. Thousands emigrated to America for job opportunity, find it, and triumph. Daily Americans hear their stories of success: "Arrived with $50 in my pocket, without real language skills and now have a job, own 20 downtown condos, and travel back (home) whenever I want."  But few Americans think ...more

I'm undergoing a dental update program including a complete root and teeth cleaning accompanied by a dental tooth bleaching.  Basically, running a multi-thousand bill at this juncture.  At the drugstore this week I decided to expedite the process of the bleaching and to get additional gel, since my introductory prescri...more