Life Hacks

Chill Out with These 6 Simple DIY Freezer Treats

Posted July 10, 2008 - 08:22 by Linsey Knerl

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Food and Drink, DIY

It’s getting to be unbearably hot in many areas of the country, and frozen treats are a healthy way to cool off. With ice cream bars running $5 a small box locally, I went on a search to find inexpensive, alternative recipes to feed our family. What I found were six surprisingly easy ways to stock my freezer on the cheap!

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Emergency food supplies for the lazy skinflint

Posted July 1, 2008 - 15:38 by Paul Michael

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Food and Drink, Consumer Affairs

Emergency Food Supply

Anyone who's read Linsey’s great article on freezer emergencies will already have a great head start on saving your food, should the worst happen. But what about another solution altogether, for emergencies, that doesn't involve your freezer? A solution for those of us who just aren’t all that, well, organized and together? The answer lies in a big bucket at Costco.

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Cut Computer Waste in Half

Posted June 29, 2008 - 19:47 by Linsey Knerl

Life Hacks, Productivity, Technology, Freebies

I’ve owned my desktop PC for a little over 3 years, and most days I’m scared to look into my folders to see what I’ve been hoarding. Wading through thousands of pictures, Word documents and PDF’s to “trim the fat” is not something I look forward to. A recently discovered free program, however, has taken that task and made it completely possible.

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Emergency Preparedness For Your Freezer

Posted June 23, 2008 - 20:26 by Linsey Knerl

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Food and Drink

We’ve been weathering tornado season with your typical emergency planning and assortment of supplies. Candles, radios, and a clean basement shelter are ready to go at a moment's notice. It had never occurred to me, however, to keep a rescue plan in place for my frozen foods – until the worst happened.

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Making Change Count

Posted June 18, 2008 - 11:49 by Julie Rains

Life Hacks, Budgeting

quarter on counter

I brought a bag filled with quarters to pay for my meal at an Italian restaurant recently. I’ve been taking an informal survey of merchants to see who welcomes my coins. Having received a cool reception from the cashier at a gas/convenience store, I modified my coin-paying technique; now I carry quarters in a plastic bag separate from dimes, nickels, and pennies to accelerate sales transactions. When I showed my bag to the restaurant cashier (also the hostess, waitress, and owner’s wife), I was amused and surprised at her gesture. I'll tell you what I learned from this encounter and share the best places I've found to spend my coins.

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3 Ways to Travel Free (Or At Least Really Darned Cheap!)

Posted June 18, 2008 - 09:52 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Lifestyle, Cars and Transportation

How would you like to get out and "see the world"? Visit the Carthage Ruins or spend a week just hiking across Europe. Paris, Italy or maybe the Bahamas... there's really just no end to the places you can go.

Now, I know what you're saying - those places cost money and technically you'd be right. While traveling is certainly one of the more exciting ways to spend your time, airfare and hotel rooms can add up quickly and with the economy the way it is... well, it looks like Aunt Tessie's farm is about all the traveling you'll be doing anytime soon.

But there are ways to get around those big travel expenses without sacrificing your fun. In fact, with these tips you might just find that your trips become all the more adventurous!

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Book review: The Drunkard's Walk

Posted June 17, 2008 - 02:31 by Philip Brewer

Life Hacks

Cover of The Drunkard's Walk

The human brain has a powerful capability to spot patterns. It's so good at spotting patterns, it can spot patterns that aren't even there. It's this fact that makes randomness--the topic of Mlodinow's new book--so interesting and so confusing.

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“Make your own Twinkies” and other secret recipes by the Food Cloner Dude.

Posted June 10, 2008 - 07:49 by Paul Michael

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Food and Drink, DIY, General Tips

Todd Wilbur

Todd Wilbur is a name you may well have heard before. For lack of a better word, he’s a copycat…and a cool one at that. From homemade Twinkies to homecooked Big Macs, Todd can recreate just about anything from your favorite American restaurant chain. Now you can learn how to make those famous meals and snacks and save a bundle.

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Miss the Big Sale? Claim Your Savings Anyway

Posted June 8, 2008 - 09:08 by Linsey Knerl

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Shopping, Consumer Affairs

After weeks of comparison shopping, internet research, and a rising temperature and near-drowning humidity, we were prepared to take the plunge. Our anti-air-conditioning ways were soon to change. I sent my husband to pick up the portable model we had dreamed of, only to find that we had missed the big sale by one day. Were we just out of luck?

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250 Miles With Sarge: Lessons On Loyalty, Perseverance, And More

Posted June 7, 2008 - 16:20 by Julie Rains

Life Hacks

Vietnam Veterans statue

A guy who calls himself “Sarge” and I, accompanied by 9 fellow cyclists and a support crew, spent about 17 hours riding 250 miles to the beach in 3 days, just last week. Sharing the common traits of strong endurance and moderate speed, Sarge and I opted to stick together on this charity ride: he, a 70-year-old retired Master Sergeant-U.S. Army (Vietnam War-2 tours, 200 paratrooper jumps) and inner-city teaching veteran (ROTC Instructor, high school cross-country coach) and me, a suburban mom of 2. Here’s what I learned.

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