Maynard's Garage: 2012 Volkswagen Passat: Bringing Unusual Features to a Mainstream Segment - The 2012 Passat is Volkswagen's first German-American offspring that satisfies for its European sensitivity and U.S.-spec comfort and compliance. The new model was re-engineered to meet the demands and expectations of this country, and it is the first model built at the new factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Perhaps It's Time to Buy a Cow - This just in: The retail price of beef increased in 2011 by 10 percent, with the average price per pound coming in at $4.83 for USDA Choice. And it's expected to rise by another 10 percent in 2012, with experts warning the price hike will hit by summer.

Supermarket Tricks That Make Us Spend More - TVs at checkout lines. I have not seen this yet, but I hear it's coming. The trick is to distract us from the checkout scanner while exposing us to product ads for items that are coincidentally within easy reach, or that we'll encounter on our next shopping trip.

Break Your Bad Money Habits - Money a little tight these days? You might assume it's due to rising costs, tightening credit and the fact you haven't had a raise in, like, forever. But truthfully, if your basic needs are being met, problems you're having are more likely a result of bad money habits you've picked up ? behaviors you've repeated so often they've become almost automatic.

Finding Holiday Joy - Holiday joy can be a fleeting thing this time of year, as many people feel more like Scrooge than Tiny Tim. Behind the advertising blitz that bombards us with consumerist images of smiling, well-dressed people giving cheerfully wrapped packages is the dark truth of depression. Out of 14 countries, the U.S. tops the list in depression, according to a recent World Health Organization poll.

The Frugalista's Holiday Shopping Guide - We all want to look like fashionistas over the holidays. But in today's tough economy, sometimes we have to achieve that fashion savvy on a frugalista budget. The good news is that with some intelligent pre-planning, you can spend less and still make a big impact.

'Tween 12 and 20 - Teenagers have problems and they're eager to find solutions.

Is Organic Worth It? - My supermarket has caught organic fever. What used to be a little table in the produce department with a couple of apples and a few other items marked "organic" has now morphed into nearly half of that side of the store.

WD-40 for Everything! - It's not new. The blue and yellow can is about as familiar as anything I remember from my childhood. Banished to a shelf in the garage, I assumed WD-40 was for cars. Boy was I wrong! WD-40 is amazing. And cheap. A 12-oz. can is just $4.47 at Home Depot.

Work It! Suiting up for Work  - Back to school, back to work. As we celebrate Labor Day and the end of summer, it's time to get down to business again and rethink those professional wardrobes.

Less Waste Using the Ice Cube Method - Today's first tipster has challenged me to change my ways. I'm getting a stack of ice cube trays, and I'm going to put them to good use.

Electric Emerald: If You Aren?t Going to Use the Chevrolet Volt As an Electric Car, Don?t Buy One - Good things come to those who wait, and for those considering a 2012 Chevrolet Volt, that means a $1,005 price cut over the 2011 model.

Cross-Country Explorer: Volvo XC70 Wagon is Built for the Long Haul - You learn a lot about a car after spending 12 hours on a 450-mile drive.

Staycations - Staycations are local vacations that benefit your community, pocketbook and the environment.

Diving into Deep Water: 10 Tips for Buying Swimwear - Let's face it: this is the time of year we all dread. Whether you're the size 6 who wants to buy the size 4 or the size 16 who just doesn't want to wear a swimsuit at all, shopping for a swimsuit is a stressful experience.

Four-Cylinder Ford Fusion Melds Finesse, Function - The Fusion sedan was a breakthrough car for Ford Motor Co. when it debuted in 2005, and it has gone on to become Ford's best-selling car. Last year it had a sales record of 219,219, which was the first Ford car since 2004 to break 200,000 annual sales.

The Perfect Spring Dress - What's the one thing you can grab in your closet when you have a wardrobe emergency and need something quick to get you out of a fashion dilemma? It has to be a dress. Add a great pair of shoes, and you're set.

Autoword: Maxima Presence: Nissan?s Other Midsize Sedan Wears a Mantle of Intrigue - There is an aura of intrigue that swirls around the Nissan Maxima. In the company lineup, it has its own exalted position, above and to the right. It resonates with entry-level luxury, seems a little bigger than life and drives with full-bodied assurance.

Grocery Shopping and Healthy Eating - For many people grocery shopping is something they do because they have to, not because they want to. The challenge of finding time in the week and ensuring it is when finances are in the account can add to the 'fun' of the task. The event can be further compounded by having to take children and for some - their spouse - with them. Then comes the real fun ... making wise food choices.

How Your Credit Report Can Help Protect Against Identity Theft - Identity theft is more common than ever. As people figure out new ways to get and use your personal information, the crime becomes very real for hundreds of people every month.

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE - Get a Free Credit Report Every 12 Months.

Crazed Coupe: Nissan?s Juke Jumps Outside the Lines - Don't judge a Juke by its cover. Nissan's new sport-ute of a car has a tree-frog smirk, but it is truly fun to drive and functional.

Mayan 2012 Calendar Change - The Mayans just happened to be one of the first to know that the sun was the center of our solar system rather than the earth. The Mayans also knew that in the same way our earth revolves around the sun, our solar system revolves around the center of the galaxy.

?Going Paperless? - Americans still use more than 90 million tons of paper, or about 700 pounds per person per year. Developing nations like China, India and the rest of Asia are the fastest-growing per-capita users of paper, but at about 100 pounds per person per year.

Honda?s New Hybrid Coupe is Thrifty, Thrilling - The Honda CR-Z is the thinking driver's sporty car. The two-seat, gasoline-electric hybrid has three modes of performance, hatchback cargo capacity that will hold a bicycle with the front wheel removed, and pricing that starts at less than $20,000.

n Fashion: Finding the Camel Connection -  This fall, you can lighten up girls! Get over the black hump and jump on board the camel craze. Here's how to make the camel connection:

Look, a Silver Lining in the Great Recession - Once a year, two organizations, The National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and the Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values, conduct a huge study that produces a document, "The State of Our Unions," the latest of which has just been released.
Saving Water - In my younger days, I never would have believed that the mighty Rio Grande ever would dry up. Yet today it ? along with the Nile, Ganges, Colorado and many other rivers ? does not always reach the sea.

In Fashion: Red Hot Fall: Fall?s Color Palette - Don't let life get you down ... just open your closet and throw some color on. How about Lipstick Red? Purple Orchid? Living Coral? Blue Lagoon? These are the new hues touted by the color authorities at Pantone, a color forecasting company, and by fashion designers hoping that we'll all get in a much brighter mood when fall rolls around.

A Surprising Risk-Free, High-Yield, Guaranteed Investment - Now and then, I get this kind of question: "I have $1,000 to invest. Which stocks or mutual funds are risk-free with a guaranteed rate of return?"

Reworked 2011 Mustang is Revitalized and Ready to Run - Two blocks into my test drive of the 2011 Ford Mustang, I knew this was a horse of a different color. The improvements are readily felt and enjoyed.

10 Steps to Improving Your Local Economy - Our current recession is an indication that this global economy is not working. Economist and author Michael Shuman said recently "about 42 percent of our economy is 'place based,' or created through small, locally owned businesses." This means that almost half our economy depends upon small independent businesses that make up the backbone of our hometowns.

Isn't it Romantic? - Romance isn't limited to just chocolates and champagne. How about a little lace to go with it? This is the perfect time of year to flirt a little bit with your wardrobe. Send a message of love to your inner style diva. A ruffle here, a strappy sandal there, and the woman in workout sweats is instantly transformed into a ravishing romantic

Autoword: Ford Taurus Brings Swagger Back to U.S. Automaker - Ford's Taurus is the recreation of the big family sedan that epitomized American car culture. The 2010 version is uniquely American in presence and style, but embraces global standards for safety, performance and quality.

4 Online Tools Make Budgeting Fun - Like a road map for a cross-country road trip or the blueprints to build your dream house, a spending plan shows where you are and how to get where you want to be.

'Tween 12 and 20: Cool Advice for Teens and Their Parents - Cool advice for teens and their parents from nationally syndicated columnist Dr. Robert Wallace..

7 Easy Ways to Go Green Now! - A global campaign is underway to get individuals and organizations to reduce their emissions by 10% by 2010. What can you do to reduce your emission foot-print? Here are 7 tips you can use to make our environment more eco-friendly

Mars and Venus  - John Gray's Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

How To Prepare for the Worst - Suppose you lost your job, your health or your spouse. Could you cope? Would you end up broke? With the economy on life support, it's time to stress test our finances.

Lenore Skenazy: The Risk of Avoiding All Risk - In the town of Milford, Conn., in 2005, a grandma named Una decided to build a pool. That way, her 14 grandchildren could play in it. Except, she worried, one couldn't.

Autoword: From 0 to 60 in $2,100,000 - How  does an automaker sell a $2.1 million convertible in this economy? If it is Bugatti, it takes its rakish Veyron Grand Sport "roadster" on a monthlong tour to its 11 dealerships in the United States. It then invites select media for a test drive and potential owners to an open-car "experience" at the dealerships.

Autoword: Soul has Spirit: Kia Loads Economy Model with Style and Comfort - The Kia Soul offers four trim levels with comfort and many amenities for all ages.