green living, smart spending
What are the best cars of 2013? The April issue of Consumer Reports tells all, with reviews of 281 models. Watch the CR video, below, or just read the winners by category. Budget car – Hyundai Elantra ($18,445). One of CR’s top-rated compact sedans, the well- rounded Elantra delivers a lot for the money. It’s
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Because I travel a lot, I applied for Global Entry, the so-called “trusted traveler” pass, to get me through airport security and US Customs lines faster, on special security lines. At airports in the USA, Global Entry includes TSA Pre-Check. The line is shorter because you don’t have to take off your shoes or
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The new Cadillac ATS performance sedan has been named “Best of the Year” 2013 car by MotorWeek, the longest running automotive series on television. This award includes only vehicles made in America, on assembly lines operated both by Detroit based manufacturers and foreign companies including Toyota/Lexus, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan/Infiniti, which have been building cars
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Hotels are inventing new discount gimmicks to lure budget-minded travelers. My favorite of the moment is from Starwood, which lets you pay your birth date. This discount deal favors seniors and boomers, who can pay $43 for a room if they were born in 1943, $53 if they were born in 1953, and so on.
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The impending mandated federal budget cuts, also known as sequestration, are a disaster for US national parks, wildlife, and for those of us who love the outdoors. The impending mandated federal budget cuts, also known as sequestration, are a disaster for US national parks, wildlife, and for those of us who love the outdoors. Sequestration
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The Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles is one of the growing number of older buildings rehabbed and retrofitted into a modern and LEED ceritified hotel. This is a 74-room boutique hotel in the Kimpton collection. Kimpton is one of my favorite hotel companies, because its brands, including Monaco, have both a strong green streak and
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The Force has been with Volkswagen ever since it introduced the appealing 2011 TV commercial The Force. It’s just been voted one of the ten best auto commercials in the last 25 years. You know the commercial. It’s the one with the little boy dressed as Darth Vader, and when he points his hands at
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All new car models undergo strict crash testing. Some do better than others. What are the top safety picks for 2013? Here’s the list from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is awarding its Top Safety Rating+ to just 13 models. Winners include the Acura TL; Dodge Avenger and its twin, the Chrysler
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If you have a spare $70,000, you can get a special three-day package for two in a hotel suite overlooking the US Capitol building and the inauguration of President Obama. The deal is at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. More than just a room with a view, this Presidential Entourage package offers several
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