February 1972

GET MORE MILES PER DOLLAR

Economy driving means more than saving a few pennies on your gas bill. It extends the life of your engine and tires, makes you a safer driver-- and cuts down on pollution as well.

Be slick about motor oils

What do you say when a service station attendant says, "You're a quart low?'' Be careful how you answer. The wrong decision could cost you several thousand miles of engine life and needless repairs.

A new lease on family car ownership

Are you on a car-buying treadmill? Cars normally are financed on a 30- to 36-month basis while the trade-in cycle is from 25 to 30 months. The typical car, therefore, is not paid off before you buy the next one-- and the old balance is tacked on to your new loan.

How to stay out of TAX trouble

It's not easy to avoid mistakes on your income tax return these days. For one thing, it's just plain tough to keep track of all the pieces of paper and notes which record the flood of activities affecting most families' financial lives. For another, our tax laws are complex and often open to differing interpretations.

GOOD NEWS

Can you provide hospital care at HOME?

Probably no unexpected expense is ever less welcome than the sudden cost of hospital care for someone who has become acutely ill. Even a brief hospital visit can entail expenses beyond those covered by most health insurance plans; a prolonged hospital illness may well mean financial disaster.

What's happening to the AMERICAN FAMILY?

The editors of Better Homes and Gardens want to know what you think is happening to family life in America. This month we present the first half of an in-depth questionnaire especially developed to survey your views on families and family life in America today. This detailed questionnaire is concluded in next month's magazine. The results of the survey will be published in Better Homes and Gardens.

HOUSEPLANT HOW-TO

Tubers are available now. Unless you have unlimited space at your disposal, you'll be wise to start with only one or two. Mature plants take up a lot of room and shouldn't be crammed in among other plants where air circulation is poor.

A FACTORY-BUILT HOUSE with a custom look

The key feature of this house is its flexibility. The basic plan consists of three separate units, or modules, that combine to form a two-bath, three-bedroom house. However, the same basic floor plan could be changed to a one- or five-bedroom house to meet your family's particular needs and budget.

How to swap your garage for Living Space

One of the quickest and least expensive ways to add to your living space is to remodel your garage. Since the basic structure is already complete, all you need do is finish off the ceiling, walls and floor-- a job so easy you can do it yourself with only a few simple tools.

Is the auto service industry overdue for an overhaul?

An auto diagnostic center in Denver, Colorado, inspects cars before and after repairs. The center does no repairs itself. Instead, owners take their cars to dealerships, independent garages or service stations of their choice. Of more than 1500 cars a year brought in for rechecking after repairs were made, only one percent --just 15 cars-- were repaired to factory specifications.

Converting your fireplace to gas

If you like your fireplace but not the mess it makes, consider converting to a gas-fired unit. It does away with the expense of buying wood and the bother of cleaning out ashes.

Bedroom in a box

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STUDENTS' RIGHTS

In a landmark decision made in 1967, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that "neither the Fourteenth Amendment nor the Bill of Rights is for adults alone." Many school systems, however, have been slow to get the word.

ROOM ARRANGEMENTS THAT WORK

When was the last time you switched your furniture around? If your present arrangement doesn't fit your family's needs, here's help. We take typical rooms (shown in sketches) and demonstrate (in photographs) how to make them work better. Along with each room, there's a small floor plan to explain all of the winning moves.

BRIGHT AND BASIC COMPACT AND COMPLETE

Here's proof you can get a convenient and good-looking laundry center on even the tightest budget. The secret is to make the most of what you have on hand.

FIRST CLASS AND FUNCTION FILLED

This top-drawer clothes-care center has all the accessories and conveniences you could ask for. And its warm and inviting look lets it double as a hobby center for you and a play area for your children. Even though it's filled with first-class features, it doesn't require as much money, time or handyman skill as you'd expect.

Which laundry appliances are right for you?

If the time has come for you to buy a new washer and dryer, you have some important decisions to make before you get to the store.

How to build your own laundry cabinetry

Is your electric mixer underemployed?

Sure you have an electric mixer! You use it for many tasks that are more difficult or time-consuming if done by hand. But maybe you should rethink your use of this appliance to make sure you're making the most of it.

How to care for new fabrics

Today's laundry basket holds a bewildering variety of fabrics. These guidelines will help you care for the basic fibers and finishes you're likely to encounter in garments and other household items.

Meat cuts for calorie counters

You can diet and still eat lots of meat. Though meat is relatively high in calories, it's also high in protein and is one of the most necessary foods for good health.

How to order material from the magazine

How to work with plastic pipe

Remember how easily those old Tinker Toy sets went together? Installing new waterlines can be just as simple with today's CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) pipes. And to put them together, the only tools you'll need are a saw, knife and paintbrush.

Make a better home for your dog

If your dog has been tearing up your house, maybe it's time he moved out into one of his own. Being "in the doghouse" is no punishment to a dog. There are many sound reasons for him to camp out on a permanent basis. You save him from the dry indoor air that's so hard on his respiratory system and skin during winter.

Offbeat medical deductions you may be overlooking

There could be some unusual medical deductions you're entitled to take on your income tax return, thanks to recent decisions by the IRS or the courts. The following samples of what has been allowed recently could apply to your situation.

INDIAN COUNTRY OF THE SOUTHWEST

Scattered across the high desert country of the Southwest-- hidden in its pine-scented chasms and tucked into cotton-wood-shaded riverbanks-- are the remains of North America's greatest Indian civilizations. For it was here that the Pueblos built fortress-like cave dwellings and elaborate, many-storied stone-and-adobe apartment complexes while worrying the desert into well-tilled cropland.

Free Indian Country Literature

For more information on the Southwest Indian Country, feature on page 131 of this issue, use the references and sources below.

Shopping editor's choice

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

The man next door

I'm always tempted by those ads for musical instruments that "anybody" can play. But when I get to the fine print, I find that "anybody" only applies to people who can carry a tune.