Paul Michael's blog
Posted 1 day 8 hours ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, DIY, Consumer Affairs
I do a lot of research on the Internet for information about home-made solutions to everyday problems. In fact, I'll be posting one soon that covers recipes for home-made car wax, air freshener and even glue. But on my travels, I discovered a horrifying fact - in these tough economic times, people out there are taking medical matters into their own hands. DIY plastic surgery is on the rise.
full story
Posted 2 days 6 hours ago by Paul Michael
Career and Income, Life Hacks, General Tips, Career Building
Self-promotion is not easy. Whether you're a high six-figure consultant, or earning $10 an hour in retail, you still have to talk about yourself in the right way. And one of the key ingredients of self-promotion is the resume. Nail it, and you nail the job. Blow it, and you blow your chances at a better job, better career or even a better life.
full story
Posted 3 days 10 hours ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, General Tips, Real Estate and Housing, Consumer Affairs, Cars and Transportation
Home alarm systems can be expensive. A basic alarm system can be hundreds of dollars. Move up to the home-monitoring systems of ADT and Brink's, and you're talking big money. Installation can cost over $1000, and the monthly monitoring fee can be upwards of $40 a month. But, chances are, you already own a pretty good alternative.
full story
Posted 1 week 2 days ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, General Tips, Shopping, Lifestyle, Budgeting
How are you doing with your money? Do you have everything under control, or are you spending a little more than you should? Well, if you'd like to blow even more of your money, this list will help you empty your bank account in half the time you usually do. Enjoy.
full story
Posted 1 week 6 days ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, General Tips, Green Living, DIY, Consumer Affairs
It's never pleasant to think about death and funerals, but if there is one certainty in life, it's that we're all going to bite the dust at some point. And just like most things in life, death is an expensive business. But did you know that there are options to the usual funeral...you really can Do It Yourself, if you have the stomach for it.
full story
Posted 3 weeks 4 days ago by Paul Michael
Shopping, Consumer Affairs
I don’t own a lot of stuff that’s considered top of the line. Hardly anything in fact. But I do have the “Rolls Royce” of vacuum cleaners – The Dyson DC14 Complete (well, it was top of the line when we bought it, costing over $500). And it sucks. Boy, does it suck.
full story
Posted 5 weeks 3 days ago by Paul Michael
Entrepreneurship, Green Living, Food and Drink, Consumer Affairs
It sounds like something out a movie, but it’s actually right out of Denver, my home city. And this wonderful idea is not only incredibly innovative and generous, it’s also working well and making thousands of needy people happy in the process.
full story
Posted 6 weeks 3 days ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, General Tips, Health and Beauty, Green Living
I discovered witch hazel in college. I was not exactly the owner of the clearest skin in Britain, and dabbing a little witch hazel extract on my blemished skin stopped me enduring a mountain of abuse. But there are way more uses for this shrub than clearing up spotty skin.
full story
Posted 8 weeks 1 day ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, General Tips, Consumer Affairs
A US version of the UK show The Real Hustle has been trying out some very simple but effective cons on the American public, and they’re getting away with some serious money. Watch, learn and stay alert. One of these could catch you out the next time you leave the office or home, even if it’s just to grab some quick cash from an ATM or a small bite to eat.
full story
Posted 10 weeks 1 day ago by Paul Michael
Real Estate and Housing, Investment, Consumer Affairs
I’ve seen several houses in my area go into foreclosure over the last 12 months. The economy and over-inflated housing prices, coupled with predatory lenders and some very bad decision-making, have turned something that was once quite rare into a full-blown epidemic. But some places are having it worse than others; much worse. Do you live in one of those unfortunate towns? You're about to find out.
full story
Posted 10 weeks 3 days ago by Paul Michael
General Tips, Shopping, Budgeting, Credit Cards, Consumer Affairs
It’s a question I’m asked at least a few times a day when I use my check card, usually by one of those little card-reading machines (although sometimes, an actual living person asks, too). Being someone who hates the word “credit” I have always opted for “debit” and proceeded to enter my PIN number. But have I been doing it all wrong?
full story
Posted 11 weeks 3 days ago by Paul Michael
Life Hacks, Technology, General Tips, Consumer Affairs
So, you've ordered a product or service and something goes wrong. You need to speak to a customer service rep as soon as possible, so you pop onto the website and start searching. And continue searching. And search some more. You'll notice that a lot of companies have buried that information, or don't even have it on the website at all. What now? Well, you can do an online search for the phone number, or you can keep two handy sites bookmarked.
full story
Posted 11 weeks 4 days ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, Technology, Shopping, Budgeting, Consumer Affairs
If you love Craigslist, and use the free section to either post products or get great deals, you really need to read this. Because there’s a dirty secret to Craigslist that most people don’t know about it, and the free section gets hit with it most.
full story
Posted 12 weeks 1 day ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, General Tips, Budgeting, Credit Cards
You’re not seeing things. This is not an April Fool’s gag (although if I’d written this last year it would have been). No, this is Suze Orman’s latest advice and it is a complete 180 degrees from her usual advice. Why? Two words – the economy.
full story
Posted 12 weeks 4 days ago by Paul Michael
Green Living, DIY
It's not often I'm taken aback by the simplicity and power of an invention, but this one does it for me. It's cheap, anyone can make one and it literally changes lives. Welcome to the water-bottle lightbulb.
full story
Posted 13 weeks 2 days ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, Making Extra Cash, Green Living, Consumer Affairs
Everyone is feeling the economic crunch these days, and that includes the Treasury department. It’s no news to anyone here that there has been increasing unhappiness with President Obama’s latest rounds of bailouts, but today could be a turning point for his recent negative PR. And it’s going to save the government a fortune.
full story
Posted 13 weeks 4 days ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, General Tips, Credit Cards, Consumer Affairs
I know banks are hurting for money right now, but no more than the rest of us. And one aspect of modern banking that I find most disturbing is how banks allow you to go overdrawn so that they can charge you a hefty fee.
full story
Posted 14 weeks 3 days ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Shopping, Consumer Affairs
Stateless systems are at it again. I’m a huge fan of their two biggest sites, BugMeNot (a way to bypass compulsory website registrations) and RetailMeNot (a vast coupon codes site). Now with BeatMyPrice, they’re turning competitive shopping and price comparison searches into a game. And we’re all winners.
full story
Posted 14 weeks 4 days ago by Paul Michael
Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Productivity, General Tips, Shopping, Food and Drink, DIY, Consumer Affairs
I’m a big fan of Howcast. Their website is a treasure trove of information, and you can also find their videos on popular sites like Metacafe and YouTube. Sometimes their advice is really useful, sometimes it’s just plain weird, but it’s always very entertaining. Howcast videos also end with a handy dandy fact; the icing on the cake so to speak.
full story
Posted 14 weeks 5 days ago by Paul Michael
Life Hacks
Sit down and grab a cup of your favorite beverage. I’m about to tell you the remarkable story of a young man who has built a successful online business; one that makes in excess of $400,000 per year. And most amazing of all is not that this young entrepreneur’s site is all about parrots. It’s that he doesn’t even own a parrot.
full story
All comments