Paul Michael's blog

How To Turn a 2-liter Bottle Of Water Into a 50-Watt Lightbulb

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

Obama Eases Treasury Costs with At-Home Money Printing Stimulus

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

The Overdraft Protection Racket: Why Banks Want You To Overdraw, And How You Can Get Your Money Back.

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 s

I Challenge You To Beat My Price.

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)

How To Make Your Own Soda, Tidy A Room In Three Minutes, Cure A Hangover And Become A Movie Extra. Phew!

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

How a Teenager Started A Multi-Million Dollar Online Business with a Parrot. UPDATED

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

Two More Crafty Ways to Steal From You - GPS Units and Cell Phones.

I got another one of those emails recently, from my mother-in-law this time. As usual, I began reading with skepticism and was ready to take it all with another monstrous grain of

How to find the cheapest college textbooks

I’m not in college any more, thank goodness, but I remember every penny-pinching moment. Some days I hardly had enough money for food, mainly because the materials and textbooks I

Oprah Asks A Great Question; What Can You Live Without?

My wife brought this to my attention. I’m not an avid Oprah viewer, but usually when I tune in I hear good advice. And with the help of financial guru Suze Orman, she’s asking fami

101 Tax deductions for bloggers and freelancers

Anyone here like doing taxes? Didn’t think so. We all have to do them; we all have to pay money to Uncle Sam (although some get away with paying much less than others). But as

So, will Cash4Gold offer me cash to kill this story?

You’ve seen the tacky ads; you’ve been entertained by Ed McMahon and MC Hammer; but hopefully, you haven’t fallen for any of it. Cash4Gold has a simple promise; send them your unwa

Get a quick $2000...just by using your ears.

How's your hearing? Think you have the kind of listening skills that would put the CIA to shame? Well, there's a website out there that's ready to put its money where its mouth is.

37 Ways You’d be Better Off as a Bum

First, apologies for the blatantly provocative title (although I do make good on it). But did you know that some people prefer to be homeless? I know, sounds crazy right? But I was

Making a good and memorable first impression.

As a professional ad man, I'm ashamed to say that I'm really not good at advertising, well, me. That goes double in social situations. I never know where to stand, how to eat, how

Old calendars never really go out of date.

This little fact was big news to me. I was casually flicking through a magazine at work when something caught my eye; it was buried in the bottom corner of one page and stated that

How to get half-price dining from your local TV station.

Did you know that your local TV and radio stations regularly receive gift certificates as “payment” for air time? Believe it or not, retailers and restaurants are actually exchangi

The vicious Home Rental Scam – don’t get conned.

It seems like new variations of the Nigerian 419 scam pop up every week. The one that caught my attention recently involved renting a home, and it’s a nasty trick that could take a

Last minute tips for quick and easy homemade Holiday cards. .

It happens every year to my family. We think we have all of the Holiday cards done and in the post, and then we get one out of nowhere from someone completely unexpected. If you've

Is the courtesy flush dead?

Nora’s recent article “Saving the planet - one drop at a time” rang a bell with me as I was sat in the men’s bathroom at work yesterday. All the stalls were occupied and every minu

Treat yourself to SELF with a free subscription

Quick deal to start the weekend off just right. SELF magazine is giving away FREE subscriptions to their popular women's publication. Covering everything from fitness and food to h