How To

How to Shop for a Pet

As the holidays start to roll in and you craft a list of gifts to buy, the thought of a fuzzy hairball with warm puppy breath jumping out of a red box may capture your sensibilities. That animals make a fun addition to a family is no surprise. But think twice before gifting a pet--for yourself or a family member...

Happy National Candy Day! 7 Tips for Storing Post-Halloween Candy

Who decided November 4 should be National Candy Day when everyone knows America's true candy rush comes on Halloween? Perhaps, however, the people who designate these days figured Halloween bags would be empty within four days and we'd be ready to shop for more.

11 Creative Uses for Leftover Halloween Candy

Whether your trick-o-treating crowd was sparse this year or you intentionally stocked the candy dish beyond overflowing, you’re probably still staring at a mound of insulin, snacking it away.

How to Select the Right Vacuum Cleaner

No one desires to plunk down hundreds for a vacuum cleaner. It's a boring purchase. But when the old clunker just doesn't suck anymore, it's time for a new model--and fast. Having bought four vacuums in the past seven years I have a decent idea of which dirt demolishing sidekicks make the best appliances and which ones don't make the grade.

How to Avoid the Top 5 Marketing Traps

I bet you think you're immune to commercials. In-store marketing ropes in the weak-minded shopper, not you. Right? When the advertising revolution began several decades ago, multiple neurologists were confident that the human brain would essentially shut down when exposed to so many hundreds of marketing messages in one day.

How to Start a Food Buying Club

So you love the idea of bulk buying, but can't fathom storing 30 pounds of flour at a time. Or you'd like to buy organic products but don't want to pay the 40% higher price for produce...

50 Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes for Adults & Children

With Christmas expenses looming, this may not be the best time to invest time and money in Halloween costumes. Still, no one wants to be left out of the fun, so we've come up with 50 easy and creative costumes for adults, children, couples and groups that won't cost you an arm and a leg, unless you're a real zombie, that is.

6 Tips for Organizing your Coupons

Shopping with coupons is a big hassle. All those minute scraps of papers stuck to the fridge or floating through the junk drawer just add clutter and always seem to expire too soon. Don't fret, newbie couponer.

6 Secrets of Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping affords the thrill of CIA black ops sans physical danger. You are charged with investigating a company, from the vantage point of Joe Blow shopper, and reporting your findings to the management company.

5 Tips for Shopping with Children

You can hear them aisles away. They release an outburst of deep emotional trauma, easily confused with heinous child abuse, incurring a "do something about that kid" stare from everyone in the store...