Personal Services
Ratings & Advice
The latest ratings and advice for Puget Sound area personal services.
Advice
- 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Manipulate You
- 60 Travel Booking Tips
- 65 Things You (Probably) Shouldn't Pay For
- About Checkbook: Why We're Unique
- Aging In Place
- Airlines that Allow Free Stopovers Let You Design a Vacation with Variety
- Amazon Floods Search Results with Ads
- Buy Nothing, Get What You Need Anyway
- Buying Used Stuff
- Cell Phone Services
- Cell Phone Services: How to Avoid a Big Bill When Traveling Abroad
- Cell Phones: Protecting Yours
- Checkbook’s Top Shopping Tips
- Child Care: Tips for Saving
- Closet Organizers
- Clothing Rental
- Clothing Resale Options
- Complaining: How to Get Results
- Computer Backup Options
- Computer Problems: Can You Get Your Data Back After a Device Failure?
- Computers & Devices: How to Keep Yours Safe from Hacks
- Consumers’ Notebook
- Credit Cards Provide Strong Protections for Consumers
- Credit Cards: How to Choose the Best One
- Dealing with Your Digital Clutter
- Decluttering Strategies
- Defective Products: Strategies to Get a Refund or Replacement
- DNA Ancestry Services
- E-Read for Free
- Elder Villages
- Email Addresses for Temporary Use
- Extended Product Warranties: Should You Buy Them?
- Fitness Industry Changed by COVID
- Free Perks You Didn't Know You Have
- Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Stuff
- Grilling Safety
- Grocery Delivery
- Help at Home for Seniors
- Home Title Monitoring Services Mislead About a Rare Crime
- Hotel Intel: How to Find the Best Rates for Rooms
- Hotels Gouge Guests With Absurd Resort Fees
- Hotels’ ‘Refundable’ and ‘Flexible’ Rates Often Not What They Seem
- How to Make a New Fitness Plan
- Identity Theft and Fraud: How to Protect Yourself
- Is it Safe to Eat It? Understanding Dates on Food Labels
- Junk Removal Services
- Kids' Activity-Kit Services
- Medical Alert Devices
- Nannies: Hiring Tips
- Online Privacy: How to Guard Yours
- Organizers
- Our Editors’ Favorite Websites and Apps
- Parking: Finding the Best Rates
- Passwords: How to Choose Safe Ones
- Recycling Electronics
- Rental Car Insurance: Should You Buy It?
- Restaurants Pay Steep Commissions and Fees to Order-and-Delivery Services
- Right-to-Repair Fight
- Sale Prices Are Rarely Real Deals
- Self-Storage Facilities
- Shopping for the Best Deal? These Retailers Price Match or Make Price Adjustments
- Social Media Headshots: Dos and Don'ts
- Social Media Privacy Tips
- Stop Unwanted Calls, Mail, and More
- Taxes: Free Preparation and Filing Options
- Tickets: Saving on Seats for Shows and Sports
- Timeshare Exit Companies Deserve a Time Out
- Tipping Tips
- Travel Insurance
- Travel Websites Mislead by Falsely Declaring Few Hotel Rooms Remain
- Travel: Health and Safety Info for International Trips
- Travel: Help Finding Cheap Flights
- Vacation Home Rentals
- Vehicle Service Contracts
- Water-Saving Tips
Current Issue
- 65 Things You (Probably) Shouldn’t Pay For
-
Veterinarians
Find the best care for your pets.
-
Power Brokers
Hiring the best electricians.
-
Should You Try Acupuncture?
What’s the point?
-
Dealing with Debt
Real-life success stories and advice on finding the right help.
-
Lawn Care
What you can do to get blades of glory.
-
Painless Paint Jobs
Get great work whether you hire a pro or DIY.
-
Avoid a Hotel Horror Show
Finding a sweeter stay.
-
Find a Great Housecleaner
Get help managing your mess.
-
Window Washing Services
Finding a squeegee wiz.
-
Buying Computers
Where to score screens and software.
-
Screen Savers
Computer repair pros.
- Protect Your Computers and Other Devices from Hackers
We aren't loyal to businesses, we're loyal to you.
Easily find ratings, reviews, and advice on local service providers.
Checkbook is nonprofit, independent, and provides unbiased information.
We don't run ads or take referral fees from business that we rate.