April 1966

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SAVE YOUR OLD TAX RETURNS?

Each year when you prepare your tax return, you probably make a copy for your own file. (If you don't, you should!) But perhaps you wonder what earthly use all those old returns and supporting records will ever be. Before you put them in the wastebasket, consider what might happen.

SHOULD YOU EVER LEND MONEY TO A RELATIVE?

If you lend money to anybody, a relative ought to qualify, too. But you should either make the loan on a businesslike basis or else just think of the money as a gift.

LIFE INSURANCE: "PAR" OR "NONPAR"?

Sometime when buying life insurance you may well have to decide whether a participating or nonparticipating policy best meets your needs. Your choice could be influenced by trends in the national economy, the life expectancy of Americans in general, and also by how long you will live. You then must decide whether you want to be completely certain of the total benefits you'll receive, or only reasonably sure.

WHO PAYS FOR CHILD CARE WHEN YOUR WIFE IS SICK?

CAN YOU MAKE MONEY IN STOCKS BY USING A FORMULA?

Investment formulas set up certain automatic signals to buy or sell stocks. Obeying these signals does not guarantee that you'll make money in the market, but a good formula may help you buy stocks at lower prices and sell them at higher prices than you normally would. In any case, it will tend to discipline your investing-- an important first step to success in the market.

SHED YOUR OUTDOOR STORAGE PROBLEMS

SPACEMAKING!

Building an addition is often the answer when a growing family faces the problem of too little space. As children mature, they require more room for themselves and a place for friends to gather. Meanwhile, parents need a special spot to relax away from the boisterous crowd. By careful planning, you can gain more from an addition than just a little more space.

DON'T LET SUMMER STOP THE MUSIC!

If your child is among the millions taking music lessons, don't let summer vacation slow him down. Instead, find ways to increase his music learning during the summer months.

HOW TO MAKE A DRAPERY DECISION

What's one of the first things you notice upon entering a room? Chances are, it's draperies. Since draperies are so important to the over-all appearance of a room, they should be selected carefully. Not only should you make sure color, pattern, fabric, and style are compatible with your other furnishings. You must also consider such prosaic matters as wearability and upkeep when making a drapery decision.

DECORATING WRONGS MADE RIGHT

COMMUNITIES AT WAR AGAINST CANCER

In every one of the 50 states, volunteer armies of citizens, banded together into local units of the American Cancer Society, are winning real victories in the war against cancer using tactics your own town might copy.

PERSONALITY DECORATING

Are your same old rooms getting weary? Then breathe new life into them with a treatment we call personality decorating-- decorating as you like it. This is the sure way to revive a home that's smothering in sameness. The recovery starts when you plan decorating to fit the way your family lives-- then the cure is personally guaranteed when you let your home show it's yours, in no uncertain terms!

THE ANNUALS ARE BETTER EVERY YEAR!

Plants aren't what they used to be-- and the change is all for the better! From humble beginnings many years ago, vastly improved varieties have been developed. Thanks to concerted efforts of plant hybridizers around the world, particularly in the past 30 years, these new plants are not only healthier --they also produce bigger, better formed, more colorful blossoms in greater profusion than ever.

CARS IN YOUR FAMILY

At any time, you could encounter the common driving situations described here. Many of these can be prevented by proper car maintenance. Others are avoided only by how you handle your car and how knowledgeable you are about conditions that spawn potential accidents. Carefully read the procedures we recommend, and make them second nature. Then share them with every driver you know.

A 1,580-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE--BY THE EDITORS OF BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

How do the editors of Better Homes & Gardens set out to design a very special house? In the case of this split-entry model, we acted just about as a family would. Our building, furnishings, kitchen and landscaping experts visited an architect, primed him with our ideas and needs, and helped him create a compact house that's every bit as convenient, comfortable and handsome as one twice its size and cost.

THIS COMPACT KITCHEN HAS EVERYTHING RIGHT

Compactness begins with the plan-- a group of three islands in a 10x14-foot space surrounded by passageways for easy access to all sides. You can compress this into a smaller space; for example, by reducing the distance between sink and cooking islands, eliminating the breakfast bar, or omitting passageways around the kitchen area. Cleanup and food preparation island is backed by a narrow breakfast bar for quick serving and dishwashing. Small appliance cabinet sits on the counter where it's easy to reach from both sides.

A GUIDE TO DINING OUT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

Eating out-- at home or abroad-- is more fun when you can understand the menu and can order food without crossing your fingers. Follow this simple guide, and you won't be fazed by a foreign phrase.

INGENIOUS NEW STORAGE FOR THE DINING ROOM

If your dining room is like most, it's filled with a number of things-- glassware, china, silver, and other accessories. To store them, here are some of the most versatile and attractive furniture units we've found. In the dining room-- or most any room in the house-- they solve the "where-to-put-it" problem beautifully.

WHAT'S RIGHT FOR COUNTER HEIGHT?

VEGETABLES--CAN AND GLASS CONTAINER SIZES

CRAFT NEWS!

PRODUCTS TO MAKE HOBBIES LESS WORK-- AND MORE FUN!

SHELF CLOCKS

The pursuit of time is under way today in earnest. In almost every section of the country, antique dealers report an increasing demand for nineteenth century shelf clocks. They are being used not only as decorative accessories, but for utilitarian purposes as well.

COMPACT--BUT CONVENIENT

HANDYMAN HOW-TO

Tips, techniques, and ideas chosen especially to help make your outdoor work easier and safer this summer.

GOOD NEWS FOR MEN!

An automatic timer will work overtime in your home. For example, it can give your house a "lived-in" look while you're away.

"GET-AWAY-FROM-IT-ALL" VACATIONS

Ever stood alone on a wind-swept mountain lookout? Combed a deserted beach for driftwood or shells? Packed back to a remote, ice-blue wilderness lake? If you haven't, then make this the summer you try a change-of-pace vacation, where you can unwind completely. In regions like the six described here, your family can share a memorable adventure outdoors, and do it without straining your vacation budget. For free literature, turn to page 138.

SHOPPING BY MAIL

Discover the ease of shopping by mail! Order with complete confidence. Each firm will refund your money if you're not thoroughly pleased.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

I assured a stern-looking lady at the P.T.A. that we don't let our 10-year-old daughter watch monster programs on television. But I didn't explain that it's because Judy gets so upset when anybody is mean to the monster.