The Gorge Kids Triathlon keeps growing.

Pop Quiz: What looks like water, is certainly inexpensive, has a pungent odor but is not toxic (in fact, you can drink it if you like), is biodegradable, serves as a useful disinfectant and will repel kitties from your kids’ sandbox? Give up? Read on to learn the answer in today’s first great reader tip.

If the question, “When can I retire?” ties your stomach in knots, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. Millions of your peers are in the same boat with little, if any, savings that will one day supplement their Social Security benefits during retirement.

Dear Mary: I have many complete sets of McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, all of them in their original sealed packaging. How do I value this collection to sell? — Stan, email

I enjoy discovering secret information — stuff most people don’t know about. And I love spreading the word. Here’s an example: My supermarket, like most, offers a “rain check” if it runs out of a product that is on sale. This is really great, in my opinion, because my store’s rain checks have no set expiration date.