April 1982

HOW TO FIGURE YOUR OWN Consumer Price Index

For years, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has dominated the headlines as a red flag of inflation. But the official CPI may not reflect your family's finances accurately. Here's how to determine your own CPI so you'll know how you're really faring against inflation and where you might control costs.

A Problem-Solving Family Room Addition

Some add-ons do more for a house than just make it bigger. They also remedy flaws in the original scheme. Here's an example.

DESIGNER BATHS WITH IDEAS YOU CAN ADAPT

Baths just aren't what they used to be. Once bathrooms were little more than bathing cubicles, but now many are luxurious havens where busy people (aren't we all?) can retreat and recoup. To show you how to turn your bath into a private refuge, we teamed up with the Kohler Company to produce these four idea-filled baths. You can adapt your favorite design for a remodeling project now, or save the idea until you're ready to build a new house.

Gardener's log

Annual vines have been labeled the quick-change artists of the garden, and rightly so. In a single season, these vigorous and quick-growing plants can screen out an unpleasant view, shade a too-sunny patio, or simply enliven a dull corner with color.

VEGETABLE GARDEN SEASON STRETCHERS

Growing vegetables outdoors the year round is easy, even in northern climates, when you extend your growing season with a cloche, cold frame, or greenhouse. All of these structures are designed to take full advantage of the sun's rays so that you can start gardening earlier in the spring and continue to produce harvests well after the first frost. In some cases, you may even be able to grow crops in midwinter when the rest of the garden is covered with snow. None of the units shown here costs much to set up, and the long-range savings could be considerable-- with luck, you can wipe fresh vegetables off your grocery list next winter.

MAIL-ORDER CLOSET ORGANIZERS

Creating order out of a chaotic closet is much easier than it used to be. Simply by "shopping" mail-order catalogs, you can acquire all sorts of storage helpers like stacking baskets, rolling bins, and adjustable shelving.

HOW TO PICK A SHAPE-UP DIET

If your pet looks a bit paunchy, he'd probably benefit from a cut in rations. A dog or cat that's overweight not only is short on vim and vigor, but he could be courting some serious health problems as well.

Low-voltage lighting

Bagless vacuum cleaner

Lightweight toilet

Track speakers

Reflective wall covering

Gas cooktop

Fast faucet

Better Homes and Gardens BABY-SITTING GUIDE

You leave your child at home in the care of a baby-sitter so you can see some friends or do some shopping. Everything seems just fine when you leave, but an hour later your youngster is violently ill and the sitter must deal with the problem. Will he or she know what to do, whom to call? Read this guide and complete the checklist so that everyone-- parents, sitter, and child-- can breathe easier.

Antiques & COLLECTIBLES

The beauty and value of a fine wood antique depend largely on how well its finish has been cared for over the years. If the finish is intact and well polished, the piece will shine on the auction block, as well as in your home. Here's how to preserve or restore the antique finishes on your prized pieces.

LIGHT UP YOUR HOUSE WITH THE SUN

Ever notice how a sunny day can give you a whole new lease on life? Welt, besides lifting your spirits, the sun can lower your electric bills, provided your house makes maximum use of those free rays.

AN EFFICIENCY APARTMENT from AN EXPENDABLE GARAGE

Has the time come when the space in your garage seems too valuable to devote to Junior's bike and the family car? With a little imagination, you can convert that underused space into a comfortable apartment for renters, guests, or live-in relatives. Most garages contain plenty of room for a good-sized living area, a closet or two, and a compact kitchen and bath. Also, since the roof spans the whole space, you can add partitions wherever they're needed. To hold down costs-- and get a faster return on your investment-- you could finish the interior with simple, straightforward materials and do some of the work yourself. Here's how one family made this strategy work for their garage.

SMALL SPACE Big Style

The amount of space most of us can afford to buy, build, or rent is shrinking, but limited space doesn't necessarily mean limited function-- or cramped style. You can work good looks and livability into rooms with less-than-grand proportions-- if you plan carefully. Think about your own place. Is there a sliver of wasted space (say, an alcove) that's not earning its keep? How about a dining spot that's working only part time? Or maybe you'd like to make that pocket-size den at least seem roomier. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of the precious space at your place.

DESIGN FOR ENTERTAINMENT GEAR

Today's home entertainment gear comes in so many different shapes and sizes that housing it takes careful planning. Whether your components include the usual TV and stereo or the latest large-screen equipment, you'll want to blend them compatibly into your room scheme. To help you do just that, here are four show-and-stow entertainment ideas that are designed to handle a wide variety of electronics-- and do it beautifully. Adapt one or more of these solutions to fit your own system, then sit back and enjoy!

Appalachian Vacations EN ROUTE TO WORLD'S FAIR '82

Three interstates converge on Knoxville, Tennessee, site of World's Fair '82: 1-40 from North Carolina to the east and Nashville to the west; 1-75 from Cincinnati and Lexington to the north and Atlanta to the south; and 1-81 from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. These routes make the fair accessible from every direction and offer points of interest nearby. But to make the most of your vacation, allow plenty of time for detours to savor the southern Appalachians.

Plan-As-You-Go Kitchen Storage

Planning a kitchen remodeling down to the last detail can be a taxing experience. Sandra and Jim Koepnick found that out with their first do-it-yourself remodeling, so they adopted a different approach the second time around. Instead of meticulously preplanning the kitchen, they improvised and designed as they went along.

Better Homes Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence. If not delighted, each company will happily refund your money.

The Man Next Door

Although the builders call their new development Flowering Apple Valley, Grandpa Hillis complains that the site isn't half as pretty now as when it was called Skunk Hollow and was filled with trees and wildlife.