MacGyver: verb; meaning to solve a problem in a creative, resourceful way with every day items.
Example: Whoa! Did you see John? He totally MacGyvered that lock with a paperclip, a tube sock, and a rubberband!

Why spend your hard-earned cash on something when you can solve the problem yourself? That just doesn’t make sense! We all know MacGyver was the king of the quick fix, but with these tips, you might be able dethrone him (read: you can’t, he’s MacGyver, but you should still do these things, they’ll make your life much easier).

Problem: You’re in the car on the way to meet your potential in-laws for the first time when the drawstring on your pants decides to get all janky. All you have is a stick of gum, a ballpoint pen with a pocket clip, and a toothpick. What do you do?

MacGyver it! Pop the gum in your mouth, put the toothpick back in your bag for later, and grab the pen. Loop your drawstring around the pocket clip and thread the pen through the seam of your pants, pen tip first. BOOM. Drawstring re-threaded!

Problem: You got into the medical school of your dreams and you’re about to walk to your first class when you realize…your laptop case is covered in Hello Kitty and World of Warcraft stickers. You frantically rip the stickers off, but now that nasty leftover residue is basically gluing all your papers to the computer. You have more stickers, one of those green tree air fresheners for your car, and a big pink eraser. What do you do?

MacGyver it! While more stickers seem like a good idea, you must resist the urge! Rub the air fresheners on your shirt to cover the smell of nervous sweat, and grab that big pink eraser that may or may not be from fourth grade. Rub the eraser back and forth over the area and BOOM. You can go to class knowing that the other students won’t know about your unfortunate obsession with Hello Kitty for at least one more day!

Problem: You’re at your neighbors house for their annual Mother’s Day Roundup Bash when your little angel decides to draw you a picture…on the wall…with crayon. You have a loaf of bread, a bottle of bubbles, and a stapler. What do you do?

MacGyver it! Distract your kid with the bubbles, put the stapler back in your purse (seriously, why’d you bring that to a block party?), and grab a couple of pieces of bread. Roll them into a tight ball and rub them vigorously over the “pretty pretty pony!”. BOOM. You’ll be able to remove all traces of the aforementioned pony without the use of harmful (and incriminating) chemicals!

Have you ever MacGyvered your way out of a tight spot? Have any quick fixes you’d love to share? Sound off in the comments!

 

 

Photo by Jonathan Garcia

Kids are a blessing…that is until you try and put them in the car and before you know it, your little angel has turned into a crying, screaming, mini-monster that you can barely recognize. While I’ve heard the rumor of children who are soothed by a car ride around the block, I’ve never actually seen one in real life. So here are some solutions for those of us who have a baby who hates the car:

If your baby is upset when you put him/her into the car, check for the simple solution first—make sure they’re comfy. Are the straps of the car seat too tight? Straps should be secure enough to prevent moving around, but not tight enough that your baby is in pain. Are bunched or pinching clothes the cause of the screaming? Try changing your little one into an onesie or loose clothing so they’re more comfy. Is your baby getting enough support in the car seat itself? Surrounding your child with rolled up blankets can help make the car seat a tad more cushy and give the closeness many newborns need. Maybe the backseat is too hot or too cold? Any number of these quick fixes could be the culprit behind your baby’s discomfort.

Timing is everything for some babies. A wet diaper or upset tummy can be intensified by sitting in the car, so try and time your trips just right to eliminate these problems.

Experiment with different sounds while you drive can help calm your little ones down in the car. While some babies like the loud, white noise of a vacuum, others prefer the gentle and consistent noise of a favorite CD, so you might have to try a couple of things before you find the perfect, calming noise for your baby.

Does your child get particularly fussy on curvy roads? He or she might have motion sickness. While most babies grow out of it, you might think about scheduling an appointment with your pediatrician, just to make sure nothing else is going on or to get a prescription for medicine before a long trip.

So moms and dads, do you have any tips for helping soothe a baby during a car ride? Leave your helpful hints in the comments!

 

 

Photo by Ted Johnson

Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, and Deodorant—Out of all the items on this list, these are the ones you’re most likely able to get for free. By checking out the local ads and the Internet, you will ALWAYS find a coupon for brand name dental products and deodorants. Combine your coups with special sales going on at the grocery store, and you can walk out with a new toothbrush, mouthwash, one of those cool flossy things, and whitener without reaching for your checkbook once.

Paper Products—toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, you should never be paying full price for these items. Don’t have access to a newspaper? Check out Coupon Clippers for some great steals on all of the paper products you can imagine.

Diapers—any parent out there will tell you how crazy expensive diapers are, but they don’t have to be. Coupons for diapers are always out there, so why are you handing over your hard-earned money when you don’t have to?

Cosmetics—Are you a Covergirl or a Maybe it’s Maybelline type of gal? Doesn’t matter, name brand cosmetics always have coupons in your local ad section of the newspaper. So stock up on mascara and blush for half the price when you can!

Cleaning Supplies—looking to finally clean out the fridge but kinda scared you don’t have a product strong enough to fight whatever used to be in the Tupperware in the very back? No worries, you can find a coupon for Clorox to Windex and everything in between in any newspaper or online.

Cereal and Pasta—your kid’s screaming for a box of Lucky Charms and you’re about to hand it over until you see the price. It can’t really be that much for one box can it? It is…unless you remembered to find a coup! Coupons can be lifesavers as well as money-savers if you take the time to look. A great site to check out is It’s Free At Last! Check out all the deals in one place.

Yogurt—great for breakfast, packed in your kid’s lunch, or just for a snack, yogurt is an easy food to keep in the fridge. What’s also easy about yogurt? There are always coupons for it! Check out Red Plum for some great deals organized by store.

So have you started digging through the trash yet to find the ads you threw out? What are your favorite things to save money on? Sound off in the comments!

Photo by dmdonahoo

It’s almost summer, the weather’s warming up and more people are outside working on their fitness, tans, and gardens. Which means it’s the perfect time to throw a yard sale to earn a little spending money and clear out all that junk you don’t really need any more. Here are a few tips to make your garage sale the best on the block!

What’s that old saying? Planning makes perfect? Yup, that’s the one. Before you start gathering the neighbors and putting up flyers, you need to make sure that a garage sale would even be worth the effort. Are you only looking to sell a couple of old Pogs and a hockey puck your brother swears Wayne Gretzky touched one time, then maybe you should take your wares to a pawn shop or eBay. But if you’re looking to sell a significant amount of stuff, then full steam ahead towards Garage Sale Island! Make sure you have everything you want to sell clearly marked, signs advertising your sale, and tables to display your lovely goods.

While your still in the planning phase, start pricing your items. Browse local thrift stores or other garage sales to see where the price points for certain goods are. Depending on the item and your area, your price might be anywhere from $0.25 to $100. A good tip to remember is that people who peruse garage sales like to haggle, so purposely set your price a bit higher so it won’t hurt to knock off a few bucks.

The more the merrier is the rule of thumb at a garage sale. Collaborating with your friends, family, and neighbors is a great way to ensure more products, larger crowds, and more money for everyone! Just make sure that you have a space large enough to throw the sale. Do you and your neighbors have a couple of kids? Put them to work selling lemonade or brownies! Especially if you’re new to the area, garage sales can be a great way to get to know the neighbors!

The week leading up to the big day, start collecting all the additional equipment you may need at your sale. Stuff like tables, boxes, grocery bags, clothing racks, price tags, etc. may be necessary to make sure your garage sale goes off without a hitch. Going to the bank and exchanging a couple of 20s for small bills and change is crucial, so make sure to put that at the top of your priority list.

Finally, start advertising! While you’re gathering your extra supplies, hang up fliers or post signs around the neighborhood and along major roads. Make sure they’re easy to read and that the information’s right. Nothing would be worse than going through all this effort to realize that you misspelled the name of your street. If you really want to spread the word, list your garage sale on Craigslist or garage sale websites like Yard Sale Treasure Map.

Now you’re ready to throw the biggest and best garage sale in the history of the universe! Or at least in your neighborhood. Have fun!

Photo by David Goehring

It’s Date Night, the first one for you and your significant other in what seems like fiftyleven years. Your hair is did (well, clean), you found the one shirt that doesn’t have some sort of mushed vegetable on it, and you’re more than ready to sit in the magnificent, cool darkness of the local movie theater. Then the phone rings. The babysitter cancelled. And like that, your beautiful dream ends. But no worries! You can plan your revenge and still have date night, just a slightly modified version.

So put the kids to bed early and try one of these date night ideas:

• Pack the baby monitor and a picnic and have dinner on the patio/backyard/porch/treehouse/etc.
• Re-watch the first movie you ever saw together.
• Have a theme night. Pick a movie then dress and eat a dinner with the same theme. Feel French and pick up a couple of baguettes, put on a black and white top, and watch Amelie! Or if you’re in an action flick kind of mood, dress up in a wifebeater and no shoes, grill a steak, and watch Die Hard! The possibilities are endless! All that matters is that both of you have a little bit of fun!
• Break out the cards, board games, and video games but with new rules. Loser does dishes or has to take out the garbage for a month. Again, so many possibilities with this one.
• Try cooking a meal together, complete with cocktails, appetizers, main course, and a sinfully delicious dessert.
• Dress up for a night on the town…but stay in. Looking fancy makes the night feel special, even if you just end up playing Wii Tennis and eating pizza.
• Make breakfast in bed for dinner and watch some trashy TV together.

Just because you can’t go out doesn’t mean you can’t have fun together! Do you have any last minute date night ideas? Leave me a comment below!

Photo by Doug

Summer is just around the corner, which for many of us means family vacay time! So whether you’re planning on going to Disneyland for the first time or down to Galveston for the annual family reunion, you need to know how to get the most out of your hotel stay.

1)    But you said they had a pool! Before you make a pricey reservation, always make sure that the hotel you choose has all the amenities you want. If you really want to stay at a hotel that has a 4-star spa, pool, a restaurant, juggling dog act, and complimentary transportation, you better do your research.

2)    Uggg what are the people next door watching? If noise is a concern, book a room on the top floor to eliminate the sound of street traffic and other guests. If you want a spacious room, make sure to tell the concierge to book one on the corner. In general, corner rooms are the largest on each floor, giving your family a wee bit more space.  Still not sure which room would be best for you and the fam? Ask the front desk!

3)    Hmmmm I smell upgrade! You’re already paying an arm and a leg for a couple nights in a hotel, so why settle for a “meh” room? Through a little magic and a good attitude, you can land yourself in the high rollers suite for the price of a regular room. So what tips can help you score a free upgrade? First, remember the rule of three: ask for an upgrade three times, once when you make the reservation, again when you call to confirm your room, and a third time when you check in. Persistence usually pays off. Second, always ALWAYS always be nice to the staff. Even if your flight was delayed and you had to sit next to 16 crying babies, don’t take it out on the hotel staff. By being nice, you’re setting up the groundwork for some freebies! If none of the above is working for you, try my personal favorite: let the hotel know that it’s a special occasion for you. The free upgrade might not pan out but coming back to the room after a day with the in-laws to find a complimentary fruit basket and wine will help ease the pain.

4)    Can I take the lamp? The trip is finally over and as you’re packing up the kids and souvenirs, you eye the bathrobe. You sigh as you remember how it felt against your skin, like puppies and angels and cotton candy dreams all wrapped into one plush gift from above. You suddenly find yourself shoving it into your overloaded suitcase. Well be prepared to find a huge charge on your bill later that month ‘cuz those robes were not meant for taking. When looking for things you can take from your hotel, stick mostly to the bathroom: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap are all free game. Anything nailed down or electrical? Not so much. Stationary, pens, and notepads? Free, free, and free. Comforters, pillows, alarm clock? Yeah, better take those out of your luggage.

Have some tips on how to make the most of your hotel stay? Share them below!

Photo by Chris Breeze

On Monday, I shared three things that everyone needs to know how to do right now. And here are a few more…

How to Deliver Bad News: Unless you’re a sadist (or my old boss), you don’t like to tell someone bad news. I mean they shoot the messenger, don’t they? But at one point in your life, either professionally or personally, you’re going to have to tell someone some not so pleasant news. So you might as well do the best you can, right? When faced with telling someone (your friend) bad news (that you broke her prized Batman vase), you should start the conversation by listening. Yes, listening. Ask open-ended questions like, “How’s it hangin’?” or “What’s happenin’?” or if you’re in a professional setting, “How are you?” or “How’s your wife/husband/significant other?” Be attentive when the other person is talking. Building up a level of trust before you break the bad news won’t necessarily soften the blow, but it will make the other person feel more comfortable. Now comes the hard part: your turn to talk. Make eye contact, look calm even if you don’t feel it, and try to use a word or phrase from the other person’s last sentence. This signals that you were actually paying attention to what they were saying, again, instilling trust. With bad news comes strong emotions; your job is to legitimize these emotions, no matter what they may be. For example:

Friend: You broke my vase. You BROKE my vase. YOU broke MY vase. *turns bright red and grabs nearest object and chucks it at my head*

Me: *ducks* I’ve mad you angry. This must be absolutely awful.

Friend: Thank you for empathizing with my emotions. By doing so, I feel like I am in a safe place and that my emotions are legitimate.

Ok. So maybe that’s not how that situation played out, but you understand the gist of it. Finally, don’t get overly emotional yourself. You can’t let your emotions or the person’s emotions interfere with the message. If you have to fire someone, you can’t stop firing him or her just because they’ve started with the waterworks. But, you MUST acknowledge their distress, hopefully creating a safe space wherein they feel that their emotions are acceptable, and you feel comfortable relaying your message. Being the bearer of bad news sucks, but for the person who’s receiving the news, it’s a million times worse, so take care and be respectful.

Know Basic Geography: when I was in high school, a girl in one of my classes once asked me if Louisiana was a state or city. Let that sink in for a minute. Yeah…Knowing the basic geography of your country and the world will completely eliminate you looking like this girl. I’m not saying that you need to know the capital of Djibouti (it’s Djibouti by the way) or even where Djibouti is, but knowing that Africa is a continent and not a country, or that Argentina is in South America will prevent you from asking your boss “Where’s that?” in response to her asking if you want to take a business trip to Buenos Aires. When I have time to kill but don’t feel like wasting my brain cells on the Jersey Shore, I go to a quiz website called Sporcle. The great thing about Sporcle is that it’s not just about geography; in between taking a US capitals quiz, I can take the “How Many Harry Potter Characters Can You Name in 5 Minutes” or “Which Transformer is This?” quiz.

How to Safely Use a Hammer: you don’t want to be the person who has to call their parents or their significant other just to hang up a picture, do you? You also don’t want to be the person who ends up with a broken thumb or a hole in the wall because you missed the nail when trying to hammer something for the first time. Here’s a handy dandy video to help you with all your hammering woes.

What do you think? What are some things that you think everyone should know how to do? Leave a comment below!

 

Photo by Kodomut

Life is difficult enough without worrying about looking like a fool or relying on someone else to help you out of a fix. Here’s a list of a few skills you need to know right now:

Remember People’s Names: while “Hey…you” has it’s certain charms, actually remembering your coworkers’ names will save you embarrassment and make you look awesome. If you’ve every watched The Office, you’ll remember Michael Scott’s trick of mnemonic devices (Baldy, Shirt Guy, etc.), which while affective for some of you, old fashion repetition does just fine for the rest of us. When you first meet a person, try and use their name right away and as often as possible without sounding like a weird-o, such as, “And how ‘bout you Lars, do you like fro-yo? Really, me too! What’s your favorite flavor of fro-yo, Lars?”

Basic First Aid: chances are you’ll never need more than a large collection of My Little Pony Band-Aids but just in case, you should know the principles of first aid. How to treat mild burns, fevers, and if you have kids, how to get marbles out of nostrils are all great things to know how to do. Taking a CPR class at the Y or through the Red Cross looks great on your resume and also can help you save a life. The Mayo Clinic  has a great guide to all sorts of basic first aid info, from black eyes to human bites (kids again, probably).

Creating a Basic Budget: whether you’re well on your way to being featured on Extreme Couponing or if you’re one step away from Shopaholic’s Anonymous, you should know how to create a budget for yourself and how to stick with it. Start off by writing down your expenses for a month, writing down everything you buy. Be as specific as possible; so if you spent $37 on Amazon, write down that it was on collector Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and yarn instead of just putting Amazon. After the month is up, make a list of your monthly income and then necessary expenses, like the utility bill and mortgage. Finally, subtract all of your expenses from your income. Is the number positive or negative? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably negative. Which is scary, but with a few adjustments, you too can start spending less than you earn. If you’re looking for some great budgeting tools try Mint or this handy dandy Build-a-Budget Worksheet. 

Have any guesses for the next three? Leave me a comment below! For the rest of you, come back later in the week to find out!

Photo by Eugene Hood

To begin, you need to record your expenses for a month, which means you need to record every thing you buy. You need to know exact where each and every nickel goes so start hoarding receipts and carry a notebook to write down what you spend. Be as specific as possible. So if you spent $37 on Amazon, write down exactly what you bought. Towels? Books? A Beanie Baby collector case? Whatever it is, write it down. If you love creating Excel spreadsheets, go to town. When the month ends, you’ll be surprised at by all the weird and useless things your money is going to and also have a good idea of what your spending habits are.

After you collected your moolah data, you can move on to the next step: write down income and necessary expenses for the next year. If you need help with this step, check out this form to help you out. Now, subtract your expenses from your income.

How’s it look? Is your income greater than your expenses? If so, welcome to an elite minority of  budgeting gods. Take your leftovers and put it towards a rainy day, repay a student loan, place it in a retirement plan, or hide it under your mattress.

However, if you’re like the rest of us, your expenses outweigh your income by a fair margin. Don’t freak out, now that you know where your income is going, you can plug up the holes your money’s flowing through. Where you can realistically cut your budget (i.e. that Beanie Baby collectors case and the Batman vase you swore was a gift), do so. A great place to start is the grocery expenses. Once again be realistic, you can’t feed a family of 6 on a $77 a month budget.

If your budget cuts still can’t cover your basic expenses, you need to start thinking about ways to increase your income. Selling things on eBay, becoming a house-sitter/babysitter/pet-sitter, or getting another job are all good options.

While a budget is fluid and shouldn’t rule your life, you should follow it as closely as possible. Some months you may not be able to stick to your plan; cars need repairs, houses flood, or someone knocks over the Batman vase so you have to replace it. But by keeping a budget in mind when you spend, you will continually move closer to your economic goals. Remember, you’re in control of your budget, so if it’s not working for you, you have the power to adjust it.

Looking for a great on-line tool that connects to your bank account and does all the math for you? Try Mint and start budgeting like a boss.
Have any budgeting suggestions that have helped you in the past? Share below!

Photo by Paul Schadler

You really, really want to go someplace this weekend, but you almost need to rob a bank just to pay for a tank of gas. So here are a couple of my favorite day trip locations that cost less than an average spending spree at the mall:

1) Parks: Want to enjoy some fresh air and some scenery? Take the family on a picnic to the city park! Like a tiny oasis, the park has a ton of options for you and your family and it will only cost you the price of a picnic basket. If you’re looking for something a little bit farther, check out this great list of state parks to find one near you!

2) Museums: Some of my favorite memories as a kid were piling into our old Suburban and driving to the Museum of Natural Science and History in Denver. From your more traditional science and art museums, to museums dedicated to Spam and Trash, you’ll no doubt find one to satisfy your every whimsy. And the great thing is that most museums today are either free or offer a season pass that allows you to visit as much as you want for a flat price.

3) Lakes/Rivers: Grab your dad’s old fishing gear or just pack your bathing suit and a book, one of the cheapest day trips out there is a quick jaunt to a local pond or lake for an afternoon in the sun.

4) Festivals: Festivals are fantastic way to travel to a close city or town and experience something completely new. From festivals dedicated to food, music, dancing, crafts, sports, or culture, it’s impossible to leave one without learning something new.

I know many of you have three-day weekends this week. You could sleep in, maybe catch up on those episodes of Community you’ve missed or clean the fridge. Or you could grab the family, a camera, and some food supplies, and head out on an adventure.

Do you have any fun day trip idea? Share below!

 

Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt