On the Cover

• Live well on less: 71 ways to spend smarter (and save a lot), p. 124
• Expert advice for thriving in tough times, p. 148
• Delicious recipes from warehouse-club staples, p. 142
• Spring trends 101: what works for you, p. 132
• Lip balms, p. 111
• The Best Natural Peanut Butter, p. 107
• Reusable bags, p. 115

 

In This Issue

Thoughts, p. 4
 
 The Simple List, p. 8
 
 Contributors, p. 22
 
 Editor’s Note, p. 25 
 
 Your Words
How do you save money on everyday essentials?, p. 27
 
 Solutions 

• New Uses for Old Things, p. 35
• Products of the Month, p. 38
• Ask Real Simple: removing sticker residue from clothing, p. 42

Life Lessons
Veronica Chambers on how she uses humor to deal with the cultural baggage that comes with her interracial marriage, p. 47
 
 Personal Best
Erin Rooney Doland explains how to purge the clutter from your life, p. 119
 
 Reality Check
My Year in Haiku, p. 180
 
 Real Simple to Go, p. 182
 
 
 

The Guide

Beauty
Tips to make haircuts, manicures, and more last longer between appointments, p. 55
 
 Style
Fourteen spring wardrobe refreshers―all less than $100, p. 63
 
 Life
Taking the fear and frustration out of a trip to the emergency room, p. 69
 
 Body
When it pays to save―or splurge―on health-care essentials, p. 81
 
 Home
Eight common household hazards and how to get rid of them, p. 89
 
 Moneywise
Saving on car costs and DVDs, plus where to find deals at the grocery store, p. 99
 
 
 

Road Test

• The Best Natural Peanut Butter, p. 107
   Note: Despite the recent peanut-butter salmonella scare, none of Real Simple’s winning peanut butters have been affected. Each company has issued a notice to assure consumers that its peanut-butter products are not made with peanuts from the Peanut Corporation of America, the manufacturer linked to the salmonella outbreak. For up-to-date news regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s salmonella investigation, refer to fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html.
• Lip balms, p. 111
• Reusable bags, p. 115

 

Features

• Spend less without having to scrimp! Just use these smart strategies, p. 124
• Which spring fashion trends will work for you? Take advice from the pros, p. 132
• The tastiest warehouse deals around―and how to cook with them, p. 142
• A diverse group of experts―from a rabbi to a bartender―share survival strategies for tough times, p. 148
• A room must be well proportioned to really work: 15 simple steps to make everything fit, p. 154

 

Cooking

• Five Easy Dinners, p. 165
• Nutritional Index, p. 178