Crafty gal Suz went a little nuts and decided to turn two chest of drawers into a bed. Measure carefully, saw them in half, throw a mattress on top, and boom, you’ve got yourself a DIY captain’s bed. She walks you through how she did it, so you can play the home version of the furniture remix game. [More]
how-to
Overcome Personal Finance Procrastination
By 11.30.10
The number one cause of personal finance ruin is procrastination, and the number one cause of procrastination is fear of failure. So if you find yourself watching Brideplasty instead of balancing your checkbook, deciding which expenses to cut, or updating your retirement savings plan, here are some tips for making those tasks less daunting. [More]
Get Discounts Just By Asking
By 11.30.10
Everything has two prices. One price is for people who just pay whatever the sticker says. The other is for the ones who have the gumption to ask for a discount. You want the second one. NYT Bucks Blog shows you how to get it: [More]
When Hope Is Lost, Call Executive Customer Service
By 11.29.10
Consumerist has been a big proponent of getting people to get their intractable issues with companies solved by going to executive customer service. The Baltimore Sun profiled this phenomenon in a recent column and offers advice on how to do it. [More]
Get The Most Out Of Your Frequent Flyer Miles
By 11.24.10
Lifehacker has some good reminder tips about how to get the most mileage out of your frequent flyer miles. Just like how you book a regular ticket, being flexible about your airports, adding connections, and flying on slow travel days can help you stretch their miles to their max. What frequent flyer mile strategies do you use? Sound off in the comments. [More]
Buy Your First Car
By 11.24.10
Never bought a car before? Here’s a good guide that covers the basics, from going into the dealership with your price beforehand, the importance of doing all your researcher and resources for doing so, and the best tactic of all: always be prepared to walk away from a bad deal. [More]
List Of Sick Banks Rise To 17-Year High. Is Yours On It?
By 11.24.10
The number of banks on the FDIC’s “in danger of failing” list grew to 860 in July-September, a 17-year high. That number is up from 829 the previous quarter. The list is secret but even if your bank was on it, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to fail, only that it might. So what’s a good way to give your bank a checkup? [More]
Figure Out How Much Your Scrap Gold Is Worth
By 11.19.10
If you have a bunch of broken gold chains and necklaces and want to try selling them to a jewelry store, it’s important to know how much they’re worth first. Here’s how to calculate their value like the pros do. [More]
Test If Your ISP Is Shaping Your Download Speed
By 11.17.10
Ever have one of those days where you’re browsing along, everything is cool, but then it seems like whenever you try to watch YouTube or download, your speed suddenly plummets? Your ISP could be “shaping” your traffic, intentionally throttling your rates for certain kind of media. To test it out, you can try running this Glasnost test. [More]
Make A Tissue Pop-Up Out Of A To-Go Cup
By 11.11.10
Here’s a crafty way to make your own tissue pop-up out of a to-go coffee cup. It fits in your car’s cup holder! [More]
Easily Find Your Polling Location With Google
By 11.1.10
For the quickest and easiest way to figure out your polling location for tomorrow, just Google for the word “vote.” A little search box with a vote button next to it will appear. Type in your home address and you’ll get a handy Google Map showing you your nearest place to go vote. [More]
SNL Teaches The Secret To Staying Debt Free
By 10.27.10
With the economy in the pooper, it’s time to repost this classic Saturday Night Live sketch which contains the most important secret to staying out of debt and living happily. Starring Steve Martin, Amy Poehler and Chris Parnell, this gem distills the one essential trick to just one single phrase… [More]
Get Debt Free With One Manila Folder
By 10.21.10
When you’re facing a pile of debt and unpaid bills, the task before you can seem overwhelming. You’d much rather be pounding Olde English and watching old Daily Show episodes. The key is to get it all organized and in one place, and it all starts with one manila folder. [More]
Tell When A CEO Is Lying
By 10.19.10
To tweak an old joke, how can you tell when a CEO is lying? A: When their mouth is moving. Or, you can look for certain key phrases, as researchers did in scrutinizing what was said in corporate earnings calls by executives who later had to restate earnings. They found a few patterns: [More]
Pick A Bank That Won't Screw You
By 10.18.10
Shopping for a bank but don’t want to get dinged with fees or unfair practices, but not totally sure you know what they all are? Those banks can be darn creative, after all. Here’s a great online guide that takes you step by step through all the practices you should watch out for. Complete the worksheet and you’ll have a good idea of whether you should stash your cash there or not. [More]
ID An Unknown Pill
By 10.18.10
Ever find a pill in your medicine cabinet and forget what it is and how it got there? To the rescue comes Pillbox, a site that helps you identify unknown pills. Just select a few criteria, like shape, size, scoring and marking, and it tells you what kind of pill it is. Neat! [More]
Apply Now For A Seasonal Job
By 10.15.10
If you’re looking to pick up some extra cash this holiday season, around $10.60 an hour, the time to apply for a seasonal job is now. Stores are already putting out the Christmas Creep so managers are already thinking about staffing. Here’s a few things you can do to make yourself stand out from the competition, which is expected to be fiercer than ever: [More]
Suss Out Fakers At Farmers Markets
By 10.12.10
As an undercover hidden camera investigation recently revealed, not every bearded and overall-wearing guy behind the stand at farmers markets is selling food he grew himself. Some of them just load up a local produce warehouses and sell it to you at a feel-good-about-saving-the-earth premium. So how do you tell who’s real and who’s shoveling you fertilizer? [More]
