October 1969

Should you be in the stock market?

Almost invariably, the answer is yes-- you just about have to be in the market these days to stay ahead of inflation. Yet far too many families hold off, waiting for a windfall or that next raise. Instead, they should be making stocks a basic part of their family financial portfolio right now.

A primer on table wines

Volumes have been written about wines. But, to the beginner, they might as well be written in another language. If you're just entering the world of wines, this brief review may help.

The right handsaw

A good craftsman knows all of his saws-- what they can do and what they can't. You'll find your woodworking projects will go faster and look much more professional if you use the proper handsaw. Each saw has a handle, a blade, and a tooth design which fit it for specific cutting jobs in your shop.

Good News

Double the usable space in any closet in 30 minutes-- and do it with simple hand tools.

How to get your boat ready for winter

Putting a boat away for the winter is like tucking a baby into bed for the night. It should be done fondly and with careful attention to detail.

How to choose and plant evergreens

Now is the time to select and plant evergreens (unless you live in a severe-winter area-- then postpone the job until spring). Here are tips on how to use the five most common plant forms in landscaping, and an indication of what you can expect to pay.

Under-hood jobs any man can do

Here-- in plain and easy-to-do steps-- is your guide to handling those all-important minor maintenance jobs. Now that modern cars can go up to 6,000 miles between oil changes, these small tasks may be tended to infrequently or forgotten completely. The problem is made worse by the chronic lack of mechanics willing to take care of such piddling jobs.

Step-by-step home maintenance

Ideally, a home is a warm, dry place where the entire family can be snug and comfortable-- even in the worst kind of winter weather. But what if the roof leaks, rooms are drafty, or your heating system is not operating as efficiently as it should?

How to keep a big dog

Keeping a big dog doesn't amount to a great deal more than keeping a small or medium-size dog. The operative word is "more." It stands to reason you need to provide more food, more room, and more grooming.

A great "first" workshop

What it costs to get there

Is it less expensive these days to travel by car, plane, train, or bus? Anyone who's planned a personal or business trip or a family vacation has asked himself this question, usually without bothering to find the answer to it.

How to live more in the rooms you have!

Forget the labels-- dining room, bedroom, living room. Don't think ''rooms"-- think "centers." Centers that let you fit more living into the same space. It's a brand-new '70s concept-- a liberating new way to think of a house. Very simply, you ask how else you could be making use of that precious floor space-- and away you go! We'll show you how to rethink the space you have-- juggle and adjust it to suit your family's way of living.

THE PEOPLE SQUEEZE

Already, seven out of ten Americans live on little more than one percent of our land. Unless something happens to stop this trend, our future promises to be a nightmare.

A flower-bulb show for $25...

Bulbs are a sound investment. And you need only a few dozen, wisely selected, to delight you with a show of color for at least three years to come (except in warm-weather areas). Prorate what you spend this fall over that amount of time, and you'll find it's a return on your money that's hard to beat.

Crazy coverlets to stitch up quick

After the children leave home...

Within a few months, your son will be heading across country for his first job, and/or your daughter will be getting married. Soon all the hullabaloo will be over, and you will be free. Now what?

Better breakfast ideas

Pastry finishes

A sleep/study unit you can build

How to order material from the magazine

How safe is your furnace?

Whether your family can count on comfortable heat-- or frequent service calls-- this winter is largely up to you. Do you recognize danger signals from a faulty furnace, or do you wait for a costly breakdown? Here are tips to help forestall trouble.

A Better Homes and Gardens Family discovers the Caribbean

To show you how easy it is to have a fun time on even a first-time trip to a foreign country, we followed a Better Homes and Gardens couple on their tour of the Caribbean last March. Share the excitement of their discovery in the story and pictures on the following five pages. You'll find tips for planning your own Caribbean vacation on page 158.

Very special snack bars

Good news for gals

Well-stacked cabinets are within easy reach and so are all the cabinets' contents. These versatile stacking units are available in two widths, in single units, or stacking and expanding units for more flexible space-making.

Leftovers, on purpose

Planned overs or leftovers-- which will It be for you? Put your imagination to work to create new uses for extras. Plan ahead so you regularly prepare more of a recipe than is needed for one meal. Then you're ready to eliminate waste by using the extra amount for your planned-over idea!

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the fun and convenience of shopping by mail! You can order with complete confidence: each company will refund your money if you're not delighted.

The man next door

A dozen awards for civic accomplishments were handed out at the Chamber of Commerce dinner, prompting Uncle Dodd Buckner to recall when there weren't more than two or three plaques in the entire county.