Posts by Katy Willis

If you just opened your home insurance renewal and the number was higher again for a house that hasn’t changed at all, no new roof, no claim, no addition, nothing, you’re one of a lot of homeowners watching this bill climb every single year for reasons that have nothing to do with anything you did. […]

You find an orange extension cord taped to the back of something in the garage, plug it in anyway, and a plastic pumpkin that hasn’t glowed since the Clinton administration lights back up. That moment, standing in a dusty garage looking at a pumpkin that still works after thirty or forty years, is usually where […]

Skipping a four-year degree does not mean skipping training. In many well-paid careers, employers simply use a different filter. That might be an associate degree and professional license, as it is for several medical-imaging jobs. It might be a paid apprenticeship followed by years of technical experience. In aviation and maritime work, formal credentials and […]

October is unusually well timed for stocking the freezer at ALDI. The grocer cut prices on a group of fall staples starting September 23, including apples, pears, squash, potatoes, herbs, garlic, and Brussels sprouts, and says those reductions will remain in place through at least November 3. That puts foods you can actually use through […]

October has not technically started yet, but the grocery shelves have clearly stopped pretending. This week’s food lineup is heavy on Halloween, from bat-shaped snacks and spooky mac and cheese to a graveyard you are expected to build out of cookies. Thankfully, there are also enough actual meals mixed in that you can buy something […]

ALDI’s middle aisle can be a minefield of things that look useful until they spend three years untouched in a cupboard. This week, though, there are quite a few buys that solve actual problems, including a $6.99 fabric shaver for reviving tired sweaters, a $12.99 household tool kit, inexpensive storage, and a handful of practical […]