March 1969

THE COLLEGE COST PICTURE: IS IT SO GRIM?

Paying for college generally is pictured as a special kind of middle-age financial torture. You're pushed by those who tell you that you must afford it, and pulled by those who tell you how rough it's going to be. And as if to offer proof, the colleges themselves keep ticking off one tuition boost after another.

AUTOMOBILE LEASING PLANS JUST RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY

Over seven percent of the new cars produced last year went into service under some type of leasing arrangement, and it's estimated that this figure will reach ten percent by the early 1970s. Obviously, the approximately 700,000 people who leased cars in 1968 found leasing more convenient and/or more economical.

A GUIDE TO 1969 NEW-CAR WARRANTIES AND HOW TO KEEP THEM UP

For 1969, all U.S. auto makers have at last adopted virtually the same warranties. Basically, they now warrant their cars as follows. Within the first 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first, any defect in material or workmanship will be repaired or replaced free of charge by an authorized dealer. This 12/12 portion covers every part of the car except tires and battery. (These carry separate warranties from the company manufacturing them.)

RENTAL TOOLS CAN SPEED UP AND SIMPLIFY BIG HOME UPKEEP JOBS

There are tools-- power-operated and otherwise-- that can save you considerable time and effort on specific home projects, yet many are little-known to the average homeowner.

A SERVER YOU CAN USE INSIDE OR ROLL OUTDOORS

GOOD NEWS FOR MEN!

Protect your car from the parking lot peril of carelessly opened doors of adiacent cars.

GOOD-BYE MONO HELLO STEREO

For years record buyers have been taught they couldn't play stereo records on monophonic machines. Now fewer and fewer records are available in mono, and the switch to an all-stereo record industry leaves mono phonograph owners a little bewildered. If you're one of the many in a record buying quandary, here's what you need to know:

SOME POINTERS ON ART WALLS

FAMILY FUN IN CHICAGO

The burly, big-shouldered Chicago of Sandburg still exists, but you scarcely know it's there as you pursue the city's cultural and recreational attractions. Admission to most of them is free or nominal. The city's Visitor Information Center at Clark and Randolph Streets (332-2323) will happily supply you with additional places to go.

THE LUGGAGE SCENE: A BRAND-NEW BAG

If you haven't shopped for luggage lately, you're in for an exciting surprise. A few of the old familiar names persist-- two-suiter and pullman, for example-- but the products they represent bear about as much resemblance to the originals as color TV does to an old-fashioned stereoscope.

HIGH-STYLE FAMILY ROOM FROM A BACK PORCH

HOW TO GET THE BEST SHRUBS AND... EVERGREENS FOR YOUR MONEY

Now that spring is coming on fast, it's time to start thinking about buying plants. And whether you order one evergreen or a complete landscape job, you should have a general idea of what you are getting for your money.

SORCERY WITH SHADES

10 SHOWCASE KITCHENS

Here and on the next seven pages, you'll witness a spectacular of colorful, carefree kitchens. The concepts behind them can help you plan a spiritlifting kitchen that's great to look at, fun to work in. So don't wait. Let these pages guide you to the correct decisions for your new kitchen.

FOR SUMMER SPLENDOR: ANNUALS IN CONTAINERS

Annuals provide bright masses of color for the summer garden --and some new, prize-winning varieties, as well as other new introductions, should make 1969 gardens especially colorful. Annuals take naturally to pot or planter culture, so they're ideal accents on a patio or deck where garden space is limited or nonexistent.

EIGHT GOOD HOUSES THAT YOU CAN AFFORD

Here are eight more houses in the series we started last month-- each one has a distinction that doesn't depend upon the money invested. Each has an excellence of design that makes for good looks and good living.

Just how well do you take care of your dog or cat?

If you think grooming should be restricted to pampered show dogs and cats, you're wrong. Proper care is an important part of any pet's good health and good disposition. It can even prolong the life span. Though grooming differs with each breed of dog or cat (some require more than others), it should always include coat cleaning and brushing, and care of eyes, nails, and teeth.

THIS IS CARDBOARD!

There's no end to the decorative accessories you can conjure up from ordinary corrugated containers. The method is simple-- and the results rewarding. You work with bits and pieces of stiff cardboard and a sharp knife or some single-edged razor blades. (Have a plentiful supply of blades on hand, since you need a sharp one to cut unusual shapes and to trim around the outer edges of cardboard.)

THESE ARE TEAS?

... well-mannered tea table enveloped ... stiff white damask is out! What's in? ... informal settings that introduce swinging new dimension to the traditional tea service. Try our four entertaining examples, then invent more.

KITCHEN SHORTCUTS

COOKING FOR JUST TWO?

CUSTOM CANDLESTICKS

Our easy-to-make candlesticks hold tall or short candles, dress up any table. They're all fashioned from such basic materials as wood knobs, glass caster cups, several sizes of cardboard cylinders, and cores from rolls of tape-- things you might find stashed away on a seldom-used shelf.

TABLE LINEN STORAGE

GOOD PLACES TO PUT A LAUNDRY

Too many home laundries are more convenient for plumbing than for people. Sure, appliances need electrical and water connections, a gas line perhaps, and a vent for the dryer-- but that's no reason for locating them in a remote corner of the basement.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT MILDEW DAMAGE TO PAINT

Mildew and moisture are inseparable. If you live in a ... area, you already know ... moldy fungus growth can ... paint. Even in dry climates just a few warm, damp ... may let it gain a foothold on ... in your house.

EASY-DOES-IT WEED KILLING

In the continuing battle against garden weeds, hand-to-hand combat is out, chemical warfare is in. You can use your garden spreader or sprayer to apply chemical controls that will free your lawn and flower beds of weeds in record time.

TRY VINYLS FOR SEWING AND CRAFTS

Only once in a blue moon does a new craft and fashion fabric come along with the immediate appeal of vinyl. There are virtually hundreds of uses for this very practical, very high-style fabric. But, as with everything else that's new, vinyl takes a little getting used to before you'll feel comfortable sewing with it.

BEDROOM BUILT-INS

QUEEN-SIZE SEWING BOX

HOW TO ORDER MATERIAL FROM THE MAGAZINE

You may obtain this 52-page illustrated booklet that answers many questions in working with different fabrics available for use today. Each fabric is detailed as to characteristics, pattern selection, marking and cutting instructions, sewing treatments and pressing.

REALLY GREAT TROUT FISHING

Most beginners choose spinning tackle, the gear that really made casting easy. Sensitive rods and active, sinking lures are best. Monofilament lines should be light-- four to eight pounds. Trout will hit small spoons, spinners, poppers, and flies; besides casting, you can still-fish pools with worms or minnows.

THE LAZY LIFE IN THE SUNNY VIRGIN ISLANDS

Are you looking for a foreign vacation retreat where you can truly laze away your time, breaking the spell only occasionally for a shopping spree, a nightclub swing, or a sailing expedition? Then head for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

THE SUN COASTS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLES

Homer called it his "wine-dark" sea, but the Mediterranean is a sea of many shades, some the deep-blue of an astronaut's sky, some the translucent green of Venetian glass, some the gold of sunsets. No other sea has quite that beauty, nor the Mediterranean's magic light that shimmers like a halo over its exotic eastern shores and isles.

A MUSEUM OF AMERICANA IN DELAWARE

Just outside Wilmington, Delaware, there's a 130-year-old house that grew and grew until it became a museum of nearly 200 rooms. Its most recent owner, Henry Francis DuPont, furnished it with the loving care and exquisite taste that only millionaires can afford on such an elaborate scale.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR SPRING FLOWERS

It's well worth taking a family vacation (or part of one) to see the breathtaking displays of floral color to be found in many states during the spring and early summer. Here are some of the best spots in the country.

SHOPPING EDITOR'S CHOICE

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

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Burt Jr. doubts the truth of what is printed on the breakfast food packages. If it really lived up to its promises, he claims, "we'd need seat belts on the kitchen chairs."