October 1973

New ways you can get more out of Medicare

Health care costs have soared in the past few years, making it more important than ever to limit out-of-pocket medical expenses whenever you can. A significant aid for the elderly is Medicare. It now provides the basic health program for nearly 21 million older Americans. Some new provisions went into effect this July, and Medicare coverage is bound to expand dramatically in the years ahead.

Now--A life insurance policy that's designed to beat inflation

The next time you hear from your life insurance agent, he may offer you something brand new-- a "variable" life insurance policy with death benefit payoff that goes up and down, depending upon the performance of a special fund invested by the insurance company in the stock market. Whatever the fortunes of the fund, the death benefit can never fall below the full amount set when you buy the policy.

What can you really expect from your Better Business Bureau?

It can be one of the best sources available for helping you judge in advance whether or not to use a particular business or service. Your Better Business Bureau (BBB) also may provide useful information on how to be a wiser consumer generally.

Can you steer clear of an accident?

There is growing evidence that many accidents could be avoided if the driver knew more about his car's capabilities.

The facts and the fun of auctions

Almost anything man has ever set value on can be found at an auction. A growing number of people are finding auction-going a fun-filled pastime, and sometimes a profitable hobby. If you're interested in joining them, you'll find plenty of auctions to choose from all over the country.

HOW TO COPE WITH CROUP

About three o'clock one morning last winter, a young mother was awakened by a strange noise. Going into the room of her two-year-old son, she found him sitting upright in his crib, breathing noisily as he fought for air.

BARGAIN PAINT JOBS A $29.95 COVER-UP?

You can have your car repainted for as little as $29.95 at a "bargain" chain, or as much as $450 at an independent body and paint shop. If you want your car to look almost new again, a top-of-the-line job is the answer. And if you're painting for resale purposes, keep in mind that an obviously cheap job can cost you hundreds of dollars in depreciation and can lead a potential buyer to suspect you're covering up major collision damage or rusted panels.

Don't neglect your car's filters

Among the most frequently overlooked causes of automobile engine inefficiency are dirty filters. Clogged air or gasoline filters can cause rough idling, sluggish operation, increased discharge of pollutants, and reduced gasoline mileage. Yet these inexpensive components are among the most reliable parts of your car if they're replaced periodically according to the manufacturer's advice.

Dollar-saving dry cleaning

You can save from 50 to 75 percent of dry cleaning costs by going to budget or self-service centers instead of professional cleaning establishments.

SHOULD YOU HOLD YOUR CHILD BACK IN SCHOOL?

Susan won't be five until November; should we send her to kindergarten this fall?

Dieting dos and don'ts

For most of us, putting pounds on is infinitely easier than taking them off. There's just no getting around it-- dieting takes concentrated effort and iron resolve. But there are some things you can do that will help you stick to your diet reform program.

Quadraphonic sound

Whether you're an ardent audiophile or just a person who likes to relax listening to recorded music, you're probably aware that most of the major audio equipment manufacturers are vigorously promoting what they call a major revolution in recording-- four-channel or quadraphonic sound. If you're just about to set up a home entertainment system, or feel the need to replace your present system, here's a simplified breakdown of what four-channel sound is and what it can mean to you.

Women's Rights and the Family

The Women's Rights movement is gaining momentum... and not just with women who want to reject the traditional roles of marriage, homemaking, and motherhood. Now that radical screams are giving way to reasonable voices, it's much easier to hear what the movement is saying to us all.

Art--all through the house

OLD SHAPES, NEW LIVING

Good contemporary houses look back as well as forward. In fact, many of the best derive from designs hundreds of years older than traditional styles-- ideas that have endured because they work so well. Here are six old/new houses and the unassuming classics that inspired them.

Landscaping with Spring Bulbs

The popularity of spring-blooming bulbs isn't surprising. They're a welcome relief to winter-weary eyes. And, spring bulbs are easy to grow. A minimum of planning and digging this fall will reward you with a wealth of blooms next spring.

GARDENING IN OCTOBER

Now that you're inspired by the bulb photographs on pages 64-67, you're ready to plan your own spring show. First decide what kinds of bulbs you want in your garden. It helps to thumb through bulb catalogs and study the blooming times, plant heights and colors.

HOUSEPLANT HOW-TO

If you think of sedums as reliable but unexciting plants for the rock garden or wall, you'll have a new experience when you grow Sedum morganianum, known as donkey's tail or burro's tail.

GOOD NEWS

You don't have to be a mason to install a beautiful and durable brick floor. With this new system you merely lay the bricks in place over the mastic, then squeeze the special grout from the plastic bottle into the spaces between bricks. Since the grout is self-leveling, you don't need special tools to smooth the joints.

IDEA ROOMS: pick the features that fit your family

What's an Idea Room? It's a concept for increasing the pleasures of family life through the functional and flexible use of space. To demonstrate we've designed two example rooms. One is composed of elements you can build, the other with things you can buy.

Satellite Buffets

Most everyone likes the ease and flexibility of buffet entertaining. Now here's how to make a good thing even better. Instead of centralizing everything in one area --say your sideboard or the dining table-- divide the dinner in "satellite" sites and conquer a number of space and traffic problems, Once you've tried this system, you'll wonder why you ever settled for one groaning board.

A little early for Christmas?

Not really! Readers bombard us with letters every year asking for an opportunity to make decorations early. So we scouted around for something special and came up with this Better Homes and Gardens Christmas ornament kit which offers a slew of handsome baubles to make in the St. Nick of time. What you see is just a small sampling.

Fall cleanup for summer gear

Fall is an ideal time to spruce summer equipment, from barbecue grills to power mowers. ... if you live in a climate when outdoor gear gets year-round ... a fall cleanup is a good idea ... cause it will remove rust, stain and other signs of deterioraties.

Boys' and girls' clothes: how can you tell what fits?

Two new voluntary standards should help. Like the ones already established for infants' and children's apparel, these new standards are designed to eliminate confusion about clothes sizes for young men (students) and for girls.

Open dating of food

Open-date labeling is a growing concern of consumer activists today. Here's what the movement is all about and how open dating can help you when you shop.

A double-deck solution to the space squeeze

The homeowners who live here were faced with a growing family and cramped living space. They solved their problems with a contemporary 12x15-foot addition to their 1940-style house.

TWO ON THE TOWN

In the average American city, on a typical night, roughly four out of five of the occupied hotel rooms are registered to people who have come to town on business-- many to attend sales conferences or professional gatherings or conventions or some sort of corporate get-together. Often the formal meetings turn out to be a drag, but thousands of business travelers now make these trips enjoyable, essentially transforming them from a chore into a pleasure, by bringing their spouses along.

Does your pet have an ALLERGY?

Allergies are as much a plague to pets as they are to people. The unfortunate difference is that an animal can't tell you what's bothering him. That makes allergies in the animal world even harder to identify.

Solving common plumbing problems

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

Elsa Lovell, our local grade school teacher, recently asked one of her first grade students what our national anthem stands for. "It means a football game is going to start," was the answer.