Savvy Saving Bytes

I’m with Mark Twain when he said that New Year’s was a harmless annual institution of no particular use to anyone, except as a scapegoat for drunks, friendly calls and humbug resolutions. In counterpoint to that, I also like Edith L. Pierce’s suggestion that we open a book of blank pages on New Year’s Eve [...]

‘Tis the time of year to stow away monetary practicalities and take in the visual treat of New York City dressed to the nines in Christmas glitter, silver spangles and a zillion twinkling lights. From the top: Would it be Christmas in New York without a shot of Rockefeller Center skaters and the gilded statue [...]

We’re all familiar with cozy Christmas quotations, such as “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…” and “Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house…” So for a change of pace, here are some Christmas quotes with a bit more zing… “Our children await Christmas presents like politicians getting in election returns: there’s [...]

During steamy New York City summer nights, I sleep in the nude, cooled by a sweeping fan. This is good for both my electric bill (I never use an air conditioner at night) and for my nightclothes budget, which pretty much hovers in the zero zone. When fall arrives with crisper breezes and sleeping turns [...]

If you are considering buying a home and wondering how much of a difference there is between the highest and lowest property taxes in the country, here’s the per capita* low-down. Alabama has the lowest property tax in the USA, but if you buy a home in New Jersey, which has the highest property tax, [...]