"How'd you like the towel?" I asked a guy in my household.

Paying for costly inkjet cartridges often ticks off consumers because the expense can quickly exceed the price of the printer. But the machine is useless without them.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Appliances are getting smarter when it comes to using electricity, and that could reduce your utility bill and help the environment. And the best part: You will not even have to do a thing to make it work.

Have you ever wondered about the cost of running your home? From your appliances to your heat pump and your air conditioning, the energy spent adds up to dollars on your monthly electric bill. For example, running a hair dryer costs approximately .09 an hour. A clock costs .14 a month to run. A pool or lawn pump costs a little more than .06 an hour. Here's a breakdown of some costs in your home from Progress Energy and ways to trim your daily usage.

NEW YORK (AP) — The cost of making phone calls has been dropping rapidly in the last few years. If you want take full advantage of that, you'll need to try some new things, because the phone companies aren't going to thrust savings on you. Here are 10 tips on how to cut the cost of your phone service.

PORTLAND, Ore. — If you're looking to spruce up your wardrobe this fall but don't have a dime to spend on it, consider throwing a swap.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Stroll through the mall on a weekend and you get the impression teens save money to buy clothes or iPods and video game systems, but a new survey shows their priority is quite different — saving for college.

Whether you’re a Dave Ramsay junkie or trying to learn from some big mistakes in your spending habits, it’s no secret that using credit cards encourages more spending. But I have to assume that you have some clue about how important a budget is to curbing your spending before reading this. Both credit cards and cash have major benefits and drawbacks.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to have me sit in the car while she got a loaf of bread. What seemed like a century later, she would come out with a couple of grocery bags. It became a running joke in the family.

The best time to buy a new furnace is before you need it.

Apartment hunting can beat you down. Just try a casual online search for apartments in your target area and you’ll be snared into a web of locators who will poach your inbox and cell phone with reckless abandon. No, apartment hunting is not for the faint of heart, and if you don’t know your way around the industry you’ll pay for your ignorance.

Fall youth sports are in full swing, but that doesn't mean it's time to stock up on bottled water, which in many cases is an offense to your wallet, the environment and common sense.

AKRON, Ohio — There are lots of things that aren’t selling during the recession. But sex isn’t one of them.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — When Lawrence Martin watched his friend close his shop and sell off his store full of windows and cabinets for one-tenth their retail value, he got an idea: Why not start an online site for contractors to sell their excess inventory?

ORLANDO, Fla. — Ed Binkley has designed many costly mansions in his day, including a concept home for Tiger Woods. Now he is turning his attention to homes that are small but comfortable, affordable and green.

Stormy weather delayed my flight plans and prompted me to spend over 10 hours traveling through three airports. My growling stomach felt like extra baggage as I tried to find a frugal meal plan. I fed my appetite without starving my wallet with the following steps:

I’m always talking about how going green can save you money. And it’s true. If you’re trying to cut back on expenses, the easiest ways to do so probably also are eco-friendly.

Brown grass, swimming pools and water-crazy kids add cents and dollars to your utility bill every summer. In fact, residents can see their water bills increase as much as 35 percent during the summer, says Dan Clayton, director of public works for the city of Williamsburg, Va.

CHICAGO — As the recession lingers, strapped charitable donors are still coming to terms with their reduced ability to give.

NEW YORK — It's time to start calling in favors, honing your truck-driving skills and stockpiling boxes for the move back to school.

Your eyes are not deceiving you in the grocery store. Yes, your bag of Doritos just got bigger. No, the price didn't change.

ST. LOUIS — When Chris and Brian Gesme of Wildwood, Mo., asked their daughter what kind of party she wanted for her fourth birthday, Lauren had a surprising answer.

NEW YORK — For many of the people laid off during the recession, the next career move is a home-based business. It's an ideal solution for many, but these new entrepreneurs need to be aware of some caveats in running a company from home.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — On her big day, nobody had to know that Rebecca Sweeney made her own bouquet. Or made her own table centerpieces or designed and printed her own invitations.

NEW YORK — Herman Joseph's eyes light up when he lists some of his favorite clothing lines: True Religion. Rock & Republic. 7 For All Mankind.

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Frustrated job hunters are increasingly, and reluctantly, turning to part-time work to make ends meet and improve their chances of getting a full-time job, say employment agencies and search firms.

Whether they sell beaded earrings, painted flowerpots or homemade soaps, Web sites that offer an alternative to chain stores are popping up and growing in popularity.

Even when times are tough, you can still give rooms in your home a fresh look without spending a lot of money, experts say.

Guess how much a one-day pass to Disneyworld costs? $67. Unless you only plan on sending one family member to the park, multiply that by three or four and then by four or five days and your trip will quickly become a burden. Is there any way to visit the world's best parks within a reasonable budget?

DALLAS — For some people, the U.S. savings bonds they've bought end up forgotten in a drawer, closet or safe-deposit box.

ST. LOUIS — Your shelves are overflowing, but your bank account isn't.

Some of the best money-saving tips in the garden were sent in by readers of this column. Thanks to the experienced gardeners who always have known you can have a green thumb without a lot of green in the wallet.

DES MOINES, Iowa — With the federal deficit topping a record $1 trillion and rapidly on its way to nearly doubling by this fall, the government desperately needs to squeeze out every tax dollar it can find. That could translate into more audits or at least a letter from the IRS politely asking you to refigure your taxes.

NEW YORK — As you head out to a nice dinner or on vacation at the height of the summer travel season, everyone will understand if you tip less because of the recession, right?

NEW YORK — If one man's trash is another man's treasure, then what untold riches could a yard sale bring?

CHICAGO — Over the river and through the recession to grandmother's house they go. The lingering recession is forcing cash-strapped parents to cancel camp for the kids. Instead, they're being packed off to their grandparents'.

Homeowners worried about missing mortgage payments and entering foreclosure may have another option: a loan modification.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chad Crockford, 27, still splurges on going out with friends on the weekends, entrance fees for road races and the wedding he and his fiancee have planned for next year.

Brown grass, swimming pools and water-crazy kids add cents and dollars to your utility bill every summer. In fact, residents can see their water bills increase as much as 35 percent during the summer, says Dan Clayton, director of public works for the city of Williamsburg, Va.

PHILADELPHIA — Kelly Ohlert has a job at a Philadelphia law firm, but she can't afford to buy a home to accommodate her growing family.

Even the most prudent, future thinking parents who buy diapers seven months out and regularly hit the 75 percent off aisles at Baby Mart would agree on one thing. When the kiddo arrives, you are willing to spend anything in the name of peace. Whatever gadget, soother, clothing, or toy will make your baby sleep better, eat better, and think better will claim your paycheck. You will spend ruthlessly without abandon. Take it from a mom who's been there — print this out and take it with you to Infant Kingdom before dipping into your 401K.

The bulk of sweeping new credit card regulations won't take effect until February, and many card issuers are already raising interest rates and slashing credit lines.

Consumer advice experts generally agree on one thing about extended warranties: They are seldom worth the price. But consumers keep buying them.

Listen up freshmen. Take a hint from the millions who have trod in your future footsteps before making colossal financial mistakes during your first collegiate year. You will be let off a very tight leash, very soon, and the new freedoms will make your head spin. Sleeping in, huge chunks of free time during the day, and professors who love to call "walks" are part of the perks you'll enjoy during university.

It's summer party season, and you're thinking of inviting a couple of dozen friends for a sit-down dinner. Or 200 for a backyard blowout saluting your 90-year-old granny. Or just a few (read: 50) folks to a wedding at your home. And you're thinking you need help.

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Christopher Fuentes, a self-described "computer geek" from Massapequa Park, N.Y., first got the idea to barter his computer know-how when the stock market crashed in the fall and newly unemployed friends were asking him for lessons.

Christine Vanderberg knows what it's like to be loaded down with credit card debt — also what it takes to climb out of it.

CHICAGO — For her February wedding, Shona Lepis selected a floor-length satin gown with beading and a bustle, a sundial necklace and a vintage-chic bouquet with roses, hyacinths and sprigs of frost-white andromeda.

NEW YORK — They're the punishing conditions that come with a credit card: interest rates, late fees, monthly minimums. As much as you grumble, there's little you can do.

It's possible to make or save money by just opening the mail. Bills, pay stub statements and even junk mail can be a source of savings. For instance, within the last two weeks, a careful review of bills and statements has saved more than $200 in my home.