how-to

Consumerist

How To Tell The FCC Just What You Think Of Its Plan To Break Net Neutrality

Do you like being able to access what you want on the internet without Comcast, Charter, AT&T, or some other ISP slowing it down, blocking it, or charging you extra? Well, bad news: The FCC has begun a process that will — unless things change dramatically in the coming months — repeal rules intended to protect internet users from this sort of interference. Here’s the better news: You can tell them what you think about that. [More]

Flyinace2000

How To Make Pizza At Home That Won’t Be Horrible

You’ve got all your favorite toppings assembled, the cheese is waiting to be melted and the dough is ready to go. But no matter what you do, making pizza at home can be disappointing when compared to the pies served up at restaurants. It seems so simple — so why do homemade efforts often fall so short of expectations? [More]

A Holiday Classic For Our Time: How To Gift-Wrap A Cat

A Holiday Classic For Our Time: How To Gift-Wrap A Cat

In case you’re engaging in some last-minute gift-wrapping of oddly-shaped items today, here’s a rerun of a classic instructional video that you might find helpful. It shows you how to gift-wrap a cat. A very gracious, very sedentary cat. Giving pets as gifts is usually not a good idea, but everyone must wrap a gift that isn’t a perfect cube eventually. [More]

Make Your Own Soy Milk At Home

Make Your Own Soy Milk At Home

Habitual drinkers of soy milk can save money and have fun getting to know what they’re ingesting on a more granular level by learning to make their soy milk themselves. It’s pretty easy, and besides soaking the beans, only takes a few minutes. [More]

5 Bad Deals In Extended Warranties For Holiday Shoppers

5 Bad Deals In Extended Warranties For Holiday Shoppers

Extended warranty plans are generally known as being bad deals for consumers. But how specifically are they bad? An insider who works, begrudgingly, for an extended service plan company lays out some of the worst extended warranty deals to watch out for when shopping this holiday season. [More]

Make A Fog Machine For $5

Make A Fog Machine For $5

Forget tossing down the sawbucks at Guitar Center, you can make your own fog machine at home for just $5 with stuff you get from the store. Nope, there’s no dry ice, smarty pants. This video shows you how to do it. [More]

How I Got Hertz To Give Me A Free Double-Tow, 1 Day Off My Rental, And A $25 Voucher

How I Got Hertz To Give Me A Free Double-Tow, 1 Day Off My Rental, And A $25 Voucher

I was cruising down I-95 to Maryland to see my uncle’s bluegrass band with my step-father in the passenger seat and my wife in the back, when I noticed my Hertz rental wasn’t steering as responsively as before. The tire pressure indicator light went on, then the passenger-side airbag light was on steady, and so was the car temperature gauge. [More]

How To Beat HDTV "Customer Service"

How To Beat HDTV "Customer Service"

If your HDTV set is malfunctioning you follow the advice most HDTV manufacturers put on their website, you can actually end up screwing yourself. Surprise, surprise. Here’s what you should do instead. [More]

Make Your Own Captain America Shield At Home

Make Your Own Captain America Shield At Home

Who needs to plunk down hard-earned cash for a cheap plastic Captain America shield for a Halloween costume? It’s probably going to break before the end of the night anyway. Instead, make your own at home! [More]

3 Tips For Fighting Bullies

3 Tips For Fighting Bullies

People are talking more about bullying these days. It can happen at school, in the workplace, or online. How do you combat it? Educator and author Natasha Deen offers these three tips. [More]

A Cheaper Starbucks Latte: Order 2 Espresso Shots, Pour Own Milk

A Cheaper Starbucks Latte: Order 2 Espresso Shots, Pour Own Milk

If you order lattes at Starbucks, here’s a way to get them to for less while still getting the same drink. [More]

Negotiate Before You Sign To Get A Better Deal On Your Credit Card

Negotiate Before You Sign To Get A Better Deal On Your Credit Card

Just like some people don’t kiss on the first date, it can be wise to hold out on a potential credit card company. Don’t give it all up, by which I mean your signature, without playing a little hard to get. Instead of replying to the credit card offer immediately or sending in that online application, call them up and negotiate and get a better deal before you hop into bed with them. [More]

The Right Way To Get A Bartender's Attention

The Right Way To Get A Bartender's Attention

If you’ve ever felt like you need to send off flares and sparklers in order to get a drink from the bar, bartender and bar culture author Rosie Schaap has some advice on things that will work to get served faster. [More]

Close Up Loved One's Accounts After They Pass Away

Close Up Loved One's Accounts After They Pass Away

If the responsibility has fallen on your shoulders to close up the accounts and cancel the contracts of a loved one who passed away, it can be a painful, slow, and confusing process. Here are 9 tips to make it go smoother. [More]

Create An Array Of Sliding Storage Bins On Your Garage Ceiling

Create An Array Of Sliding Storage Bins On Your Garage Ceiling

They say that the key to organizing, especially in a small space, is to go vertical. Well you can’t go much more vertical than on top of the ceiling! That’s the idea for this DIY storage system that takes advantage of all that unused space above your head in the garage. [More]

Freeze Your Credit Report

Freeze Your Credit Report

One way to protect yourself from identity theft is to “freeze” your credit report. This means that no new lines of credit can be opened in your name because lenders are prevented from taking a look at your credit report. This stops identity thieves from opening credit cards under your name and going on spending sprees. It also means extra hassle for you when you want to legitimately open credit. There’s always a tradeoff between security and convenience. Here’s how to do it. [More]

How To Lock A Bike Properly

How To Lock A Bike Properly

Bicycle mechanic for three decades Hal Ruzal shows you how to lock up your bike properly, so while the cops are using bait bikes to catch bike thieves, you can keep on riding high. [More]

Write A Complaint Letter Like A Pro

Write A Complaint Letter Like A Pro

There’s a difference between complaint letters that make you feel better and ones that get results. Here’s how to write the latter. [More]