Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Stainless steel appliances are handsome, but those good looks come with a definite downside, I've discovered: fingerprints stick out like a sore thumb. To get rid of them manufacturers recommend special stainless steel cleaners (everyday cleaning products can reportedly scratch the appliance surface). But these stainless steel products don't come come cheap - some are more than $10 a bottle. Then I came across this suggestion: Use rubbing rubbing alcohol instead. It works - really well. I dab some on a microfiber cleaning cloth, swipe it
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
As of today, Jan. 27, merchants can start adding a surcharge to purchases made with credit cards. But luckily for consumers in Massachusetts, it can't happen here. The change is designed to ease the burden of "swipe fees" - the fees that banks charge merchants to process credit card transactions. It's the result of a class action suit brought some years back by retailers who take a particular hit from those fees. The suit was settled last summer, and that settlement allows merchants in the United
Thursday, January 24, 2013
When it comes to small appliances that pack a punch, you can't beat a George Foreman grill. (Sorry: I cannot resist a pun.) About 10 years ago I bought the smallest, cheapest model, The Champ, which I've used mostly for quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches (no need to butter the bread, and the cheese melts perfectly). The grill makes quick work of them, and is super-easy to clean. Last month, after a 10-year workout, my George Foreman Champ conked out. I bought a replacement at Target
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
I bought long-term care insurance - the kind that covers nursing home or in-home care if I become enfeebled - just before I turned 50. I don't recall needing a physical, but I do recall (ironically, as it turns out) a phone call in which I was quizzed by a nurse presumably assigned to ferret out people on the cusp of dementia. The call involved repeating back various bits of information that the nurse provided, along the lines of "I'm going to list 10 animals. After
I remember the days when banks offered all sorts of goodies to garner business. Back in the 1970s, I got an entire set of dinner dishes courtesy of Northampton Institution for Savings - one place setting per $25 deposit, I think. So tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 19) will be a throwback of sorts, when Greenfield Savings Bank celebrates the grand opening of its new branch at 325A King St. in Northampton with a Winter Carnival - and free goodies like s'mores, hot chocolate, face painting and snowflake
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Who doesn't love a surprise? The Panera Bread chain is banking that the answer is no one. Last week my husband surprised me with one of Panera's orange scones. It was delicious. Even better? It was free, because he'd just signed up for Panera's loyalty club, MyPanera. He picked up an extra MyPanera card so I could join, too. The card had a little label on it that read, "You will get your first surprise just for registering!" While the surprise can be any of Panera's pastries
I was at Home Depot this week, returning a towel bar I'd bought back in the fall. The bar had cost $7.99, so with the state sales tax of 6.25 percent the total price was $8.49. But my refund rang up as $7.99. Where's my sales tax? I asked the woman at the returns desk. In the state's coffers, she answered: On returns more than 90 days after the date of the original purchase, stores aren't required to return the sales tax. That was news to me, and
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Mo Willems of Northampton - the author/illustrator who introduced one very driven Pigeon to the kiddie lit scene - is a big supporter of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst. And right now the Carle is sponsoring a fun contest, "The Piggie Portrait Gallery," based on a poster Willems designed for it a few years ago. The challenge? Identifying the 16 examples of 20th-century art that Willems paid homage to in his poster. The prize? One correct entry will receive a copy
In a press release not long ago, the state's Office of Consumer Affairs put forth a shocking - shocking! - statistic: Only 52 percent of Massachusetts residents review their credit reports each year. Only 52 percent? I'm amazed that the figure is that high. That's because I'm part of the other 48 percent - the slackers who never bother to check their reports. It was time to do something about it. So I went to annualcreditreport.com, the only website where you can obtain truly free reports,
Starbucks stores introduced a new cup yesterday - not the latest variation on a Cafe Misto or a Sun-dried Sumatra Rasuna, but an actual cup. For $1, you can buy a reusable cup that will hold either a tall or grande beverage (there are lines inside to indicate the size). Each time you use it you'll get a 10 cent discount, which means that after 10 uses the cup will have paid for itself. And in the meantime, you'll have avoided adding all those cardboard Starbucks
