In my family, I’m famous for sofa shopping. When we moved across Washington state, from Olympia to Spokane, I shopped in several dozen stores to find just the right sofa for our new home. I found a beautiful navy sofa with a corduroy fabric that was comfy and soft. It... Read more →

Three types of condensing gas boilers are being recalled due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The 60,000 gas boilers were sold under the brand names Prestige Solo, Prestige Excellence, and Aerco Esteem. The boilers can release carbon monoxide due to delayed ignitions or component damage, posing a risk... Read more →

There’s a new trend in product safety that American consumers need to know about. E-commerce has radically changed how Americans shop. With so many products coming from outside the United States, particularly products imported from China, the number of safety warnings is increasing. Under a current exemption, goods valued under... Read more →

Recently, I wrote about what prices might go up due to the tariffs President Trump is imposing. Among them are autos; laptops, tablets, and smartphones; furniture; appliances; shoes; books; carpet; and paper products. Also likely to increase in costs are fertilizer, cotton, wool, alcohol, bottled water, pet food, baby supplies,... Read more →

Some consumers have been stock piling food and other items for months in anticipation of prices going up due to Trump’s tariffs and other policies. With 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on China, it will begin Saturday. When I went grocery shopping this week, I... Read more →

February is a good month to look for winter clothing on sale. One example is evening dresses. If one of your kids needs a prom dress, now would be a good time to go shopping. Prices will go up again when prom season begins. Since I’m walking often in the... Read more →

Happy New Year. It's going to be a challenging year for consumers, but with continuing research and action, we'll make it through. ln addition to reading my blog regularly, you can get helpful information from my free, weekly newsletter, "Helpful Money Tips for You." It will arrive on Thursdays in... Read more →

It’s that time of year. Many people are familiar with after Christmas sales and January white sales. On Monday, I took my coupons that Macy’s keeps sending me to the store to see if I could find anything good on sale. Right away, I saw some red and green plaid... Read more →

Photo: Simon Law The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday banned all uses of the solvent trichloroethylene, or TCE, a toxin that can cause health issues such as cancer. The agency also banned all consumer and many commercial uses of perchloroethylene, or PCE, an industrial solvent which is used for... Read more →

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, but the deals don’t stop in December. December has plenty of worthwhile deals especially if you can wait until after Christmas. In fact, you can snap up gifts for birthdays and other occasions in 2025 for great savings. Green Monday Green... Read more →