One way to reduce the risk of problems big and small with your credit is to take a few protective measures, says Grimes at WorkMoney. These include: Regularly review all three credit reports. You can do this free at AnnualCreditReport.com, or at each of the credit bureaus’ websites. (You can also request your credit report…

Inverters are more energy-efficient: An air conditioner uses a lot of juice when the compressor kicks on and a conventional unit continues its power-hungry ways throughout the cooling process. By operating in the middle of the power band, an inverter can be significantly more frugal. That efficiency saves you money: According to one Department of…

Still balancing your laptop on a stack of old books? It’s time to upgrade. Having the right laptop stand can make life more comfortable, so you can stop craning your neck while you work. The best stands raise your laptop’s screen (or external monitor!) close to eye level, which is better for maintaining a healthy…

We have a few tips and pointers on what to think about before you shop for a portable power station. Price: Portable power stations can be very expensive, but discounts, sales, and deals are common. If you can afford to wait, you can very likely get your chosen power station for less. Capacity: Figure out…

But all that succulent pork can be expensive. HoneyBaked Ham’s 7-pound bone-in ham is priced at $100, while a boneless 3-pounder is $80. So we wanted to find out whether spending that much was really worth it. Our roster included a HoneyBaked ham, an Aldi exclusive, as well as hams from Costco, Sam’s Club, and…

John Muir famously set off for the mountains with “some bread and tea in a pair of blankets with some sugar and a tin cup.” I admire his ultralight spirit and disdain for comfort on the trail, but I’d be willing to bet that if Muir were around today, he’d bring a good down sleeping…

Do you take a lot of notes? Whether you’re in school or working in a job that requires lots of jotting down ideas, you may opt for typing notes on a laptop, but physically writing something down helps you remember and learn more. Putting real pen to paper also just feels good. However, having a…

Whitehurst also notes that if you qualify for the full rebate, you could effectively get one of the top-rated electric ranges from CR’s tests for just a couple hundred dollars—or even less. Irene Nielson, director of implementation for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Buildings program (NRDC), says her organization was “really happy to see electrification…

All modern cars have child safety door locks that, when activated, prevent the rear doors from being opened from inside the vehicle. They’re designed to keep kids from opening the rear doors, but the safety feature can lead to rear-seat occupants being unable to open the doors in an emergency. (Your car’s owner’s manual will…

Indiegogo-backed Ceretone is yet another hearing aid company aimed at people looking for a low-cost, low-complexity way to give their hearing a boost. At $349 for a pair—or $229 for a single ear’s aid—the tiny hearing aids are designed to have only a modest impact on hearing. Fortunately, they also make an equally modest impact…