Life Hacks

Beat the claw machine, save your sanity.

How many times have you passed one of these annoying things and thrown 50 cents away? I'm hugely guilty of it. I can't resist them. One time I got six out in a row, then I've gone years with no success. Is there a secret? Well, it seems there is. [more]

How to Get High-End Electronics with One Simple Question

My friend Mandy became the proud owner of a Mac PowerBook G4 in perfect condition, without spending a single cent. [more]

Shoes that grow with your child. Parents everywhere rejoice!

My 2 and a half year old girl has my feet. By that I mean they're growing like she spends all day stood in fertilizer. So I had this GENIUS idea. What if shoes could grow as your child's feet grow? [more]

Carnival Of Scams - Top 4 fairground cons

Go to the fairground, get taken for a ride. Yep, those sneaky Real Hustlers are at it again. This time they've been uncovering the basic tricks and cons performed by your friendly neighborhood fairground staff. [more]

The $100 laptop...for sale to the public?

Fancy a brand new hand-cranked laptop for a few hundred bucks? Well, it may just happen. It seems plans are afoot to offer the $100 laptop for sale to the general public, and not just the poor children of the world. [more]

Can You Afford to Follow Your Dreams? Can You Afford NOT to?

This is where I was going to write a lot of pretty things about having priorities and about how money can't be everything or else you'll die sad. In the last couple of days, though

Canadians Try To Kill Your Pets - Pet Food Recall

Canada is at it again. This time, it's not mad cow (as far as we know), but will these insidious northerners never stop? [more]

Telemarketers Prank Call Me - 800-266-9420

Constant calls from 800-266-9420? Fight back.

Is There Such Thing as a Messy Millionaire?

My favorite lesbian: I recently purchased Suze Orman's latest book (at Costco, for $10 off of the retail price), "Women & Money". [more]

Kmart settles: refunds gift-card fees

CNNMoney.com has announced that Kmart has finally reached a settlement in the gift-card lawsuit. And that could be very good news for you if you had a gift-card issued between May 1st 2004 and the present day. Why the refund? [more]

Best Buy scamming customers with Intranet - UPDATED!

George Gombossy, consumer watchdog for The Courant , broke this story on March 2nd of this month. It's a great story, and I apologise to George for not stating him as the source in my original post, my bad entirely. [more]

Enjoy Lawsuit-free Music

That usually means buying it, of course. And if you think buying music can be pricey, imagine the cost of paying the RIAA off in an effort to stay out of court. Can I legally download non RIAA music? [more]

The Only Tool You'll Ever Need To Buy

Hey, it's Friday. I thought I'd post this one to give you all a chuckle into the weekend. And I seriously want one of these. Not the paperclip, the packaging. How cool is this? [more]

Lock bumping - your home isn't safe

I heard about lock bumping last month from a friend. I figured it was all just a bunch of hokum. But I checked it out. It's not a myth, it's not an urban legend. Crooks can make a generic key to open any lock, including yours. And it's easy. [more]

Free Ways to Keep Big Brother Out of Your Bidness

Cell Phone Madness I just love finding out that the government can find new and unique ways to listen in on our lives. [more]

Fifteen Minutes of ...

One day when i was in fourth grade, my parents sat me down at the dining room table. Their faces were very concerned and it all seemed very serious; I thought I was in trouble. [more]

Pet Peeves Part 2: Good Grooming

DIY pet grooming isn't nearly as difficult as it sounds. If you just set aside a little bit of time each month, you can save a bundle and still have happy, clean pets.

A BBC Production America Hasn't Ripped Off Yet

The BBC has brought us so many cult-classic TV shows. Now they're bringing us free language learning tools!

Pet Peeves Part 1: Couture Critters Are Expensive!

It costs a pretty penny to lavish your fur baby in the life of luxury.

Latest Articles in Life Hacks

How to Protect Yourself From Credit Card Theft

Don't let a scammer get a hold of your credit card number. Here's how to keep your account secure.

How the Sandwich Generation Can Protect Their Retirement

Being part of the sandwich generation isn't easy, and it can take a real toll on your retirement fund. Here's how to protect it.

Should You Pay Your Kids For Good Grades?

Have you ever considered rewarding your kids' good grades with money? Or is that a terrible idea? Let's discuss.

How to Get Your Kid Started With Investing

You don't have to wait until your kid grows up to show them how to invest. The earlier they start, the more they'll have later on!

Ask the Readers: What Do You Do for Fun While You're Stuck at Home?

Tell us what you're doing for fun while you're stuck at home and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Ask the Readers: Do You Volunteer?

Tell us about your volunteer experience and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Ask the Readers: What Are Your Home Organization Hacks?

Tell us about your home organization hacks and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

How to Decide If Pet Insurance Is Worth the Cost

Pet insurance can cost a pretty penny, but it can also save you an arm and a leg.

Ask the Readers: What New Skill Would You Like to Learn?

Tell us about a new skill you would like to learn and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Ask the Readers: What Helps You Relax?

Tell us what helps you relax and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Ask the Readers: What Are Your Goals for 2020?

Tell us about about your goals for 2020 and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

What to Do Now to Prepare for Tax Season

Tax Day may seem far away, but after we celebrate the new year, it'll be here before you know it. Here's what you can do now to get ready.

Ask the Readers: What Are Your Holiday Shortcuts?

Tell us about your holiday shortcuts and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Ask the Readers: How Do You Fight the Winter Blues?

Tell us how you fight the winter blues and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Ask the Readers: What Are You Most Thankful For?

Tell us what you're most thankful for and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

3 Money Arguments That Can Hurt Your Relationships

You should really nip these common money arguments in the bud before they hurt your relationships.

How Pre-Commitment Mechanisms Can Help You Resist Impulse Buys

You might think impulse buys are impossible to resist, but if you train your brain with pre-commitment mechanisms, you can fight those urges and save money in the process.

Ask the Readers: What Do You Do For Self-Care?

Tell us what you do for self-care and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

How to Keep Office Solicitations From Busting Your Budget

Office solicitations are a sneaky budget buster. It's time to stop letting them drain your savings.

Ask the Readers: What's Your Best Experience With Customer Service?

Tell us about your best experience with customer service and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!