Small adjustments to your food consumption can lead to huge savings, according to weblog The Urban Vegan. Instead of buying lunch at work, pack your own. Freeze anything that you don't want (instead of tossing it out), and then save the food for another day. Stock up on goods that are on sale at the store. If you're able to, grow your own fruits and vegetables. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Focus on investing for the long term and not only for the near future and you may reap some huge monetary benefits when you consider the value of the dollar in all of your decisions. What are your favorite food financial tips? Share them in the comments.
Latest by da5id_nz: Sorry, but I don't know whether I believe in global warming, Gore, et al.
According to Daily Tech, it looks like 2007 may have been the coldest in the last 100 years.
Below is a snippet -
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Over the past year, anecdotal evidence more »
Linux only: Dig into your genealogy with GRAMPS, a free software package that offers an array of tools to build and store your family history. GRAMPS gives you a lot of choices as to how you'll build your tree, from standard database entries to multimedia diagrams, and offers a pretty convenient "calendar" view that lets you see birth (and death) dates for your extended clan. The real benefit of GRAMPS is that you can put as much or as little detail as you want into each entry, making it an amateur genealogist's dream. GRAMPS is a free download for Linux only, although "experimental" installers are available for Windows and Mac OS X. For a Windows-friendly approach, try a Microsoft Word family tree template
Latest by cjnance: For the web 2.0 crowd, Geni.com was featured last year [lifehacker.com] It's added a lot of features since then. The best part of Geni, is that once you put a family members email address in, that person can start filling more »
If you've been hard at work in school and haven't had the time to study for an exam, then perhaps you should set aside time the night before to cram for the exam. Depending on what type of learner you are, you may feel comfortable cramming by rereading your course notes, reviewing summaries in college textbooks, recording critical information into a tape recorder (or computer), or applying memorization techniques. Quiz yourself to review the information you've retained. Sure, it might be better to space out your studying over a few days, but if that option fails, cramming might be your only option—and these suggestions should get you on your way. What are your best cramming techniques? Let's hear them in the comments.
Latest by djanes1: Yeah, if the test is fact-memorization based, and you are going to
cram overnight, be like Bonds and take some aderall. It will give you
about a 10 point bump. But aderall will not help you learn how to solve
problems or understand more »
FROM CONSUMERIST.COM:
A qualified tax preparer can be the difference between a meaty refund and a soul-crushing audit. The Washington Attorney General has several excellent pointers to help you find the right professional to prepare your return. Choose a preparer who will assist you if the IRS audits your return.
more »
Having an easily-accessible wish list means not having to be unpleasantly surprised at your friends and relatives' ... creativity when a birthday, holiday, or plain old surprise rolls around. Rather than creating separate, often hard-to-find wish lists on sites like Amazon or Newegg, del.isili.st can pull any sites you've tagged on social bookmarking site de.icio.us with the phrase "wishlist" and display them on a clean, white page of links. The main drawback is that you have to keep the del.icio.us links public, so anyone could potentially see your material goods fixations, but most wish lists are public on other sites anyway. Del.isihli.st is a free site and requires no sign-up.
Latest by remi: I really don't mind if people can see my wishlist delicious tag.
If my potential employer goes snooping online about me and finds my wishlist delicious tag, I'd hope that they'd be MORE likely to hire me, seeing that I am, more »
If your headphones are just too long for you, create your own cord caddy by using foam materials from a thick children's puzzle mat or the base of flip flops. Draw a pattern onto the foam and then cut it out using a sharp blade. WikiHow suggests two patterns that work well for headphones that allow you to tuck in both ends of the earbud cord so that they don't unravel easily. This tactic can be applied to shorten any type of long cable, though an old credit card can also keep your headphones tangle-free.
Stay warm when you're biking (or for any other outdoor sport) by choosing the right clothes. The Whole Lotta Nothing weblog targets this article (and some of the clothing suggestions) to bikers, but it really can be extended to anyone who is outdoors for prolonged periods in the coldest winter days. Wear a skullcap to keep your ears warm. A waterproof one will make rainy days more bearable. Don't forget gloves and wear those most suitable for the temperatures outside. You might prefer a lightweight glove for warmer days but a heavier one when it gets a lot colder outside. If you're an avid athlete, the expenses for such clothing recommendations might be high, but in the end they're worthwhile if they keep you warm and fitter in the coldest weather. Update: Sorry about the duplicate post, everyone, and thanks for noticing!
Latest by JackieB: @subtle: Correct. I also don't understand the offside rule, why God lets puppies die, and the best way to open a milk carton. Perhaps if you have a window in your schedule, you could see your way clear to offering more »
Create greeting cards in a flash using Flickr photos with webapp Phreetings (which quite appropriately stands for photo + greetings). Simply enter in a search phrase and watch as hundreds of images come up. Drag the image of your choosing into a separate pane. Enter a greeting phrase and choose a color scheme. Phreetings will generate a random URL that you can then send off to your friends. The process takes all of 30 seconds and it addictive to use with the number of thumbnails that come up for your choosing.
Latest by m.laan: i didnt know what to think of geeksugar at first because i thought it would be too girlie but they actually have some dope things on there more »
With all this recent hype about the stock market and rising unemployment rates, the best way to protect yourself from being laid off is to consistently look out for other opportunities. Always stay in the game. Even if you're feeling smug at work, look around for the perfect dream job and keep your resume up-to-date. This will give you a head start if your company is negatively impacted by the economy. If you're feeling worried, build upon your emergency fund and limit leisure spending. Ideally, you should have three to six months of expenses in your bank account. See these other ways to recession-proof your career.
Latest by Duane: Funny timing, I wrote up my "survival guide" when I was laid off back in 2002 and never did anything with it. I've just put it up on Scribd tonight:
[www.scribd.com]
It's a free download and pretty much on the exact more »
If keeping a clean household is a top priority for you but you can't make the time, simplify the task as much as possible. Keep your home clear of clutter on a regular basis. It is a lot easier to clean an uncluttered room than it is to clean a room that is filled to the brim with stuff. Tackle the task of cleaning different rooms consistently. The bathroom, for example, should be cleaned every other week and as you notice a mess to decrease the amount of labor required at any given cleaning period. If you see a spill, it only take a minute to clean it up, so don't let it sit there. If you accumulate dirt and grime, it will only add to the clutter of your mind and your humble abode. By keeping everything simple, you avoid making cleaning seem like such a chore. What are your secret cleaning weapons? Let's hear them in the comments.
Latest by ChiefFamilyOfficer: My biggest secret is cleaning in little spurts. If I have 10 minutes, I can scrub the kitchen sink and wipe down the counters. I can clean the stove, the fridge and the floor some other time. Letting go of more »
Empower yourself with the most accurate medical advice online by utilizing the tools available to you online. CNN proposes that you filter out websites that are not backed by medical professionals and to only focus your energy on those that do have medical credence. Additionally, seek out bloggers who have the same disease so that you can learn more about their personal experiences. Chances are, they have done some substantial research themselves and have linked to the most powerful resources on the subject matter as well which gives you access to additional useful guides and articles. Study the organizations and people who post to determine whether their goal is informational (versus marketing). In the former case, you're usually given more objective information. Combine all tools available to you because nothing works alone. Be curious and view the medical advice from all angles before accepting anything as truth.
Latest by CndnsdAlan: I feel searching for medical information can be a great thing to do, but it's important for the patient to not go too far with the information. Online information, although sometimes helpful, provides an avenue for patients to easily more »
Windows Only: Record free screencasts with the robust, freeware screen recording utility uTIPu. uTIPu includes the ability to both record audio and draw on your screencasts, and even has left and right click indicators to really help your viewer follow along. In addition, free accounts with 250 MB of storage are available for uploading and storing your screencasts. Perfect for sending a tutorial to a relative or recording your mad desktop rearranging skills for posterity. Above is a screencast created with uTIPu demonstrating, you guessed it, how to use uTIPu!
FROM CONSUMERIST.COM:
A shredder is an indispensable tool for keeping your identity safe and secure. If you receive credit card offers or have old bank statements littering your files, then you can't do without a cross-cutting shredder to slice and dice your personal information into an indecipherable medley of confetti.
more »
View the relationships between words using webapp Visual Thesaurus which displays synonyms, antonyms, adverbs, and adjectives for any particular search word. Enter a phrase in the search box. Your search term will appear in the center of the screen and additional nodes will crop up to indicate related terms. Click on any of these nodes to dig deeper and get more word associations. Mouseover any node to get a quick definition. Visual Thesaurus is a powerful tool that quickly builds vocabulary. The only downside is that the application runs for a limited amount of queries and then you're prompted to pay the $2.95/month fee. (Tip: Reopen the Java application and you can run additional searches.) Previously mentioned VisuWords does nearly the same thing (albeit slower) and is completely free.
DIY web site Instructables demonstrates how to create eye-catching photos by taking a color photograph and turning it into a black and white photograph with only one element still in color using GIMP photo editing software. The results are impressive and would make for a great new desktop background or living room centerpiece. If you give it a try, share your results in the comment section! If you prefer Photoshop, we've covered the same effect for Photoshop users, too.
Latest by somecommenterguy: Not to be a hater, but the video is quite lame, also.
No sound, you can't even tell what the guy is clicking on, looks like about 2 frames per second.
How about a LifeHacker story on creating effective how-to videos. This more »
Avoid the harassment and hassle from debt collectors by taking away their power. Weblog Five Million Dots advises to divide your funds among entities you owe money to. This reinforces the notion that you are aiming to follow up on your end of the deal. Solidify that commitment by picking up the phone and calling the debt collectors to inform them that you've made a payment. As you continuously do this, the collectors will be less compelled to remind you about these expenditures as you are already on top of it. Additionally, if you're being hounded by collectors, check out your rights when dealing with debt collectors. What are your best tips for dealing with debt collectors? Share them in the comments.
Latest by Counterglow: @Missupsetter
Forgive my skepticism, but who are you...really? I used to work for a legal aid clinic, and was forced to reach the conclusion that the majority of debt collectors are lying, unprincipled douchebags...far more dishonest and predatory than the more »
The Unusual Food Handler weblog has whipped together a home-made method for making Coca-Cola that by their admission is slightly sweeter, slightly less acidic, but remarkably delicious. If you're a Lifehacker with a tinkerer's streak in the kitchen, then brewing your own frosty mug of home-made Coca-Cola is the perfect weekend project for you. Indulge your inner chemist and share the results with us. Photo by Arroz con Nori.
Latest by Kent84: I love "honey cola" or "organic cola" from a company called Pheonix in NZ (I think they have started selling in Australia as well now). They have a really nice range of drinks that targets the niche high-quality drinks market. more »
If you've ever had sore muscles or pains that require the application of heat, a reusable and cheap heating pad can be had by combining an old flannel shirt and dried beans or rice. Cut the shirt into two equal sizes and sew them together like a pillow. Fill with dried beans or rice and then sew together the remaining flaps of the fabric. Now it's ready for use. Throw your new "heating pad" into the microwave for approximately one minute. (It might be recommended to watch the heating process closely so that nothing burns!) If the warmed-up pad is hot enough for you after the timer goes off, apply to your aches and pains and let them melt away. If not, shake the bag and stick it into the microwave for another few seconds.
Latest by cynvision: I have seen a crafter that made pads with flax seed. Don't know what 'smell' the rice has but flax is sort of flat and earthy. Had one for close to ten years and it works great for monthly cramping more »
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