It’s tempting to hire a contractor that you see working in your neighborhood. I recently noticed a company’s truck at three different houses near me and casually asked the supervisor if they trim trees or do concrete work. Right away, the “tree guy” gave me a bid of $800 to prune a large Japanese maple, and within minutes he offered a $100 discount because I was in their service area. The next day, their “concrete guy” made an estimate for $12,000 with no mention of permits or a written contract. Read more

I was looking up at some cobwebs in the ceiling corners of my living room and they’re always a good reminder that it’s time for a deep clean. Many of us get motivated to do spring cleaning when the flowers start blooming, the days warm up and the sunlight lasts longer. In fact, one survey found that more than 70% of us do some form of spring cleaning every year. So, take our quiz to see how prepared you are for the job at hand. Good luck! Read more

Like a lot of you, I haven’t gone anywhere on an airplane in a long, long time, but that’s about to change. With out-of-state trips planned for this month and next, I decided to read up on my rights in case I have to cancel a flight or get bumped or delayed. Read more

The 2022 Diamond Certified Directory is in the final stages of production, which means printing is just around the corner! More than 800,000 copies of the Directory will be sent to homes and businesses throughout the Greater Bay Area. Read more

When it comes to ensuring a successful move, preparation is absolutely crucial. Consider the following preparation tips:

1. Go easy on the cushion wrap. When packing boxes, you can speed up the process by using newspaper instead of cushion wrap or packing peanuts. Read more

We’ve all been hearing about examples of consumer outrage and it has me worried. Are we taking out our frustrations about the pandemic, divisive politics and life in general on whoever can’t solve our problem at a given moment? I’ve heard stories about people melting down because a store has run out of their favorite cheese. It’s obviously not just about the cheese—there’s a lot more going on. Read more

I started thinking about this topic after reading an article about Warren Buffett and his frugal habits. It said he still lives in the same house he bought in 1958, drives older cars, rarely takes out loans and prefers not to spend a lot of money eating out. Buffett still uses a flip phone and doesn’t like designer suits. In the Yahoo Finance article, he’s quoted as saying, “Don’t save what’s left after spending, but spend what’s left after saving.” Read more