Mary Hunt
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Mary Hunt
Mary’s column features household tips, money-saving strategies, reader questions and recipes. Debuting in January 2003, Everyday Cheapskate has been embraced by consumers unsure about the economy and looking to tighten their financial belts. Mary is a longtime resident of Southern California, first as a student and graduate of The Master’s College in Los Angeles and, along with her husband, as a resident in Orange County for the past 35 years.
Posts
Own Less; Live More
What would you do if you had to use—let alone actually enjoy—everything you own?
How to Clean a Steam Iron So It Steams and Looks Like New
Revive your steam iron with a simple cleanup process. Get rid of those pesky brown stains with these easy steps!
Forget the Mayonnaise for Removing Water Rings on Furniture
Need some help around the house? Here are some effective thrifty tips for removing white marks from furniture, and more!
Binder Clips Useful to Organize the Home
Binder clips are a great way to organize not just your papers but your linens, too. Clip together folded and matched napkins and...
How to Turn Scrap Gold Into Cash Without Getting Ripped Off
All of those chains, bracelets, and earrings may now be broken, but they're not junk. They're not worth much as jewelry in their sorry state,...
Got Debt? Do Something About It!
Doing something about consumer debt is good for your finances—and just about every other area of your life.
Clearing Up the Confusion Around Date Labels on Packaged Foods
While most food processors date and code their products and decide what their codes mean, it is the Food and Drug Administration that mandates dating,...
10 Things to Do with a Tax Refund
Planning what to do with your tax refund? Find out how to maximize its impact by allocating it strategically towards savings and financial stability.
Avoid These Expensive Tax Mistakes
Make sure you don't run any of these red flags up the flagpole on your tax return.
7 Reasons You Would Be Smart to Add Borax to Every Wash Load
Readily available in supermarkets in the laundry or cleaning aisles and online, borax has a number of important household uses.
Affordable Health Insurance Alternatives When COBRA Isn’t an Option
"We have no choice but to keep our coverage, but we also need to pay for other necessities like a roof over our heads and...
Greed Is Never Good
Just imagine living in an environment that is void of greed. It can happen. I know because I have experienced it.
An Efficient Way to Slash Home Heating Bills
Just as I was knee-deep in researching, testing, and learning all I could about electric space heaters, this letter popped up in my inbox.
Please, Can’t Someone Make a Decent Steam Iron?!
"I need a new iron. I've searched the Internet trying to find the best steam iron for the best price and all I get is...
Money Is Not for Spending
It took me a long time to fully understand this profound truth: Money is not for spending. It is for managing first and then for...
4 Rules to Get Out of Debt
I have developed the Rapid Debt-Repayment Plan, which fits these criteria and consists of four rules. If you will diligently apply these rules to your...
How to Get $1,000 Into Your Emergency Fund Painlessly
The secret to getting there is to start small—like with $50. Now it's time to figure out how to come up with this seed money...
Do Not Delay in Spending Those Gift Cards
The sad truth is that of the $308 billion Americans spent in gift card sales for Christmas 2024, about $27 billion of this amount will...
An Ingenious Way to Keep Butter Soft and Fresh
Butter? Vacuums? Credit card debt? What do they all have in common? A few thrifty ways for seniors to economize and get the most bang...
Save Money Using What You Have On Hand
From pasta to vinegar, there are all kinds of things in your kitchen pantry that could save you all kinds of money—and frustration too! You're...
Surprising Ways to Use Car Wax Around the House (And None Involve Your Car)
Let me guess: There's an old can of car wax lurking in your garage, possibly next to a stash of mystery keys and a box...
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