Smart Living

Get practical advice and inspiration on organizing, home décor, lifestyle and personal finance for everyday living.

Woman putting clothes away.

How To Keep Your Home Clean And Clutter-Free

While we all strive for a clutter-free home, limited space can sometimes make that challenging. This is how clutter is born, with small items accumulating and taking over precious space, making every room feel cramped and chaotic.

Family Together Christmas Celebration

There’s More Than Turkey On The Table: Top Dishes From Around The World To Try This Christmas

The turkey is often the queen of the Christmas table, but while Christmas without one is almost unthinkable in the United States, Canada or the UK, it’s not really the top choice in most countries around the world.

House decorated with Christmas lights

How To Spruce Up Your Holiday Décor: A Guide To Picking The Right Christmas Lights

The holiday season truly comes to life when you plug in the Christmas lights for a wondrous décor. It’s an exciting time of the year, but it’s equally difficult to pick the right lights for your home. Which style and size could best fit your home? Ask yourself a few basic questions starting with your holiday budget, the type of Christmas lights best suited for your display design, theme and your energy requirements.

Happy women friends are shopping for presents at Christmas

StorageCafe’s Best Lifestyle Stories of 2024

The real estate market is often all about numbers and trends, but the way those big-picture stats affect our everyday lives is huge. It’s fascinating to see how we’ve adapted to major events—like the health crisis—and how those changes have influenced our lifestyle and housing choices.

a girl with her own hands makes a Christmas decor for the house. Merry Christmas and happy new year concept. Girl packing Christmas gift box.

Unleash Your Creativity With 5 DIY Christmas Decorations For 2024

’Tis the season to be jolly and crafty! DIY Christmas decorations aren’t just trinkets — they’re memory keepers, guardians of cherished traditions and carriers of family tales passed down through the years. When crafted with love and a sprinkle of magic, these festive homemade Christmas decorations become timeless treasures, ready to twinkle with the spirit of the season year after year.

modern house decorated for Halloween with carved pumpkins, bats and spiders

Happy Scarily Thrifty Halloween! How To Save On Costumes, Candy, Décor And More

There’s no denying that Halloween is a well-loved holiday. Dressing up in your favorite costume and eating candy guilt-free while getting a good scare sounds like a good time you don’t want to pass up. But how much you end up spending doesn’t have to give you a scare. In 2023 alone, Americans spent about $12B on Halloween or about $100 per person for costumes, candy, decorations and greeting cards combined. If spending less this Halloween is on your wish list, we have some tips and tricks for you to do just that below.

Halloween preparation. Halloween decoration made of craft paper.

Halloween On A Budget: How Self Storage Can Save You Money

Halloween has crept a long way from its eerie origins. While All Hallows’ Eve has transformed through the centuries, it wasn’t until the 1930s that trick-or-treating became a tradition in the U.S. and businesses began conjuring up mass-produced Halloween costumes. Now, Halloween is a monster-sized, billion-dollar industry, with a cauldron full of costumes and decorations ranging from the mainstream to the macabre.

Home decorated for Halloween

A Spooktacular Roundup: The Top 10 U.S. Metros For Halloween Fun And Thrills

When it comes to celebrating Halloween, Americans go all in. This year alone, Halloween spending is projected to reach a staggering $11.6 billion on candy, costumes, and decorations, as reported by the National Retail Federation. But Halloween isn’t just about dollars and cents—it’s about creating the right atmosphere. From extravagant haunted houses and festive parades to an abundance of candy and eerie decorations, certain U.S. cities truly embody the Halloween spirit.

Halloween celebration

How Much Does Halloween Really Cost? Plan Wisely To Avoid The Scare Of Hidden Costs

Americans’ love for Halloween is almost frightening — this year alone, we are on our way to spending $11.6 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That breaks down to about $104 Halloween costs per person, a whopping 49% more than 10 years ago.

Happy young family in pumpkin patch field

9 Non-Spooky Ways To Help You Celebrate Halloween

As soon as October starts, it’s the official Halloween month. And while for many people it means it’s open season to get the scare of a lifetime, others might prefer to celebrate in a tamer way that’s both kid- and adult-friendly. While you’re likely to find more events where the spook factor is high, you can still find various ways to have some season-themed fun in a not-so-scary way. Here are some suggestions we’ve come up with to help you do that:

living room of a Halloween-decorated home

5 Spooktacular DIY Decorating Ideas For Halloween

Halloween is almost upon us. If you’re looking to bring that spooky season spark to your home at the last minute, you might be in need of some suggestions to help you quickly adorn your house and garden with decorations that scream Halloween. We’ve put together a short list of ideas for you to try out before All Hallows’ Eve strikes:

Two boxes in hands. Young couple with dog are moving to new home

Moving With Pets: A Comprehensive Guide

Pets have a special way of making a house feel like a home. They become familiar with every corner, watch over the place and always greet you with excitement, as if anywhere would feel right as long as you’re there. But when it comes to moving with pets, how can you ensure your furry friend feels just as comfortable in your new space?