What skills should you have to buy a fixer upper?
A fixer-upper could be a way to buy a good house in a competitive market — or it could be a maddening money pit. The key is assessing what skills you…
Author: Rick Good
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader's money, real estate, and business coverage.
Six documents every homeowner should keep on hand
As a homeowner, you may find yourself with a lot of paperwork. While you don’t have to keep everything, it is a good idea to keep certain files for tax or…
The 8,000 year story of your sweater
When you break out your warm clothes every winter or fondly remember the hand-knitted sweaters that your grandmother made for you when you were a kid,…
Commonwealth or state?
There are four commonwealths among the 50 states. In terms of rights, taxes, and representation there is zero difference between a commonwealth and a…
Countdown to Christmas dinner at your house
* Five days before: Plan the menu and the place settings, table decorations and center pieces. Plan the system and decide whether guests will fill their…
Christmas is ground zero for young picky eaters
The struggle is real with kids and food, but especially at holidays when most of the food may well be different than what they are used to seeing. You…
Teach teens how to save with these banking apps
Financial literacy is an essential life skill, one that teens should start learning well before they leave the nest. These tools offer the benefits and…
The story of the lovely menorah
The enchanting Hanukkah menorah isn’t the only menorah used in Jewish art, design, and ritual. In Hebrew, menorah simply means lamp and there are several…
What to buy (and avoid) at the Christmas tree lot
Have you ever brought home a beautiful pine tree, decorated it, and then watched with horror as it lost all of its pine needles within two weeks? If you…
Make your artificial tree smell real
There’s nothing quite like the crisp and clean scent of a fresh-cut pine tree at Christmas — but there’s nothing quite like the mess that a real tree can…