Helpful Advice You Can Use and Saves A Lot of Money:
Cold Virus - Don't forget to apply some hand sanitizer to your vehicle keys and the dashboard knobs and steering wheel and shifter knob. Many people disinfect their homes and forget these vital places. Imagine how filthy your keys are reeking with viruses and bacteria and you bring them into your home. This advice will cut way back on the transmission of cold and other viruses. Try it and see the improvement for yourself.
Contacts List - create a file so you can access it electronically when needed no matter where you are. It's just a page listing every important contact. Include your vehicle VIN numbers, license plates, driver license number. If you vehicle or wallet is stolen you will be glad you have the information and you know who to call. That means you need to list all the credit card info and phone numbers to call too. The list will grow as you add to it. When you need the information it will be easily obtainable by you. Password protect the file.
Computer - Back up your files or you will certainly lose them from computer failures. Important: never compress the files, encrypt or password protect them as these schemes fail and will prevent you from accessing your back up files. Put your back up files on an external hard disk drive and store it off site. A good place is inside your vehicle so if you house burns down your car is outside away from the home. ID theft is a risk due to no password protection. If this bothers you, then put the hard disk drive in a safe deposit box in a bank. Why no passwords or encryption of data? Because if you get ill or die nobody will be able to access your data because nobody has your passwords! Don't use tape, CD-ROM's, DVD's for backups as they scratch, warp from heat and fail. Hard disk drive is best. Solid state drive is better. When backing up files don't use back up software. Do a manual file-by-file backup. How? Copy and paste directories one at a time to your external backup drive. Why? Because back up software programs fail and often won't work to replace files on a new computer. It's okay to have more than one backup. So, do a file-by-file and use an image backup program if you want, but remember, the file-by-file is going to remain the most reliable and will bail you out every time and you need no special software to access your computer files. I rely on the file-by-file having learned the hard way painfully losing valuable data using other methods. Don't use backup companies to store your data as they too can be broken into and your data stolen.
Clothes Dryer - This device is an energy hog and expensive to operate because it requires a lot of heat to dry wet clothing. But there is a device you can insert along with your clothes that will save 30% of the energy used to dry clothing and gets the job done faster than what you now do your clothing. They are called Dryer Balls. They are rubber balls with spikes on them and they really do work to save energy and they often soften your clothes better than liquid and cloth sheet softener products. Try the product. You will save time and money.
Computer Software - you do need anti-virus software. It is just too risky to be without it.
Financial Independence - People dream of it, work and save their money in hopes of obtaining it in retirement, but most all fail. Why? Because they have not learned one very important lesson. If you want financial independence you not only have to start your own business, you need to develop a product to sell that only "you" have so the rest of the world has to come to you to get that product. Develop a new product, even an old similar product will do. What about patents? You can, but you don't have to file for a patent and pay the tens of thousands of dollars it will cost you only to find out the product idea fails. Solution? Just develop a new product and sell it and see how it goes from their. If it is successful then file a patent, if not move on to a new ideal and a new product. Women can create a new cosmetic product. Men can create a new cleaning product for a car, motorcycle or some other machinery to get started. How to get started? Search on the Internet for "contract manufacturers" or "custom blenders" and manufacturers already have product that can put you own label on the product. Imagine that! Start you new product as a side-line for fun then let it grow and expand until you can kiss your present job goodbye. See Taking Tax Deduction below.
Fly Killer - Try this all purpose cleaner, Cinch. Just srpay it at a flying fly and down it goes. No mess, no stains, no poison fumes in the home. Kills instantly. No swatting or chasing down the fly. If you can get just a few particles of Cinch on the fly, it stops flying and dies. Nothing works better. Cinch can be bought at supermarkets. Made by Spicnspan.com It also, of course, is a very nice cleaner especially on glass and computer screens. Absolutely no smears whatsoever, no rubbing the glass. Just spray it on and wipe it off. You will like to have Cinch in your home.
Gas Mileage - Correct tire air pressure, low rolling resistant tires, clean air filter. These are the three big things you always hear about and for good reason, they work. But don't forget to get some iridium spark plugs. They have a brighter spark to increase miles per gallon and power too! Use regular gas 87 octane fuel if you live above 3,000 feet in elevation as octane requirements are decreased with the lean air conditions. You'll save a lot of money, hundreds of dollars each year or more! But, if you hear pinging noises when you accelerate hard try using 89 octane fuel. This works with motorcycles too! Use fuel injector cleaner every three months. Try adding Marvel Mystery Oil in the gasoline tank. It's a good product to clean and lubricate intake valves and upper cylinders. You can certainly use it in most diesel engines, but check with Marvel first as some new diesels may not take a liking to it (air pollution systems). Try using an alternative product that will be compatible. Add a can of Restore to your car or truck gas or diesel engine oil at each oil change. It will increase the compression, increase power and gas mileage. Try it! (But don't use it in motorcycles with a wet clutch).
Internet Addresses - If keeping track of all your important contacts is critical consider obtaining an Internet Address Book that is separated from your computer. If your computer hard drive fails or it is stolen, lost in fire or flood all of your contacts will be lost too, including all the passwords and usernames you need.
Lost and Found - if you ever find an external memory device (like a thumb drive) never plug it into your computer. It can be a device intentionally left so it will infect the computer of the person who finds it. That virus or other executable program can steal the information from your computer and relay it over the Web back to the thief who wants your private information.
Mechanical - get all your ducks lined up before you need maintenance repairs on vehicles or around the home. The best time to find a good mechanic or handyman is when you don't need one. This way you will not make the wrong call out of desperation and end up with a bum who will perform shoddy workmanship and overcharge you too. Word of mouth referrals can be very helpful but you need a lot of people saying that person is good, not just one. Make sure the person is properly trained, licensed and insured / bonded. If you subscribe to consumer reports magazine you will read articles about these things.
Medical Record List- create a page listing all medications, doctors, insurance company, etc. Put this page in your wallet. When you need the information it is right there. Makes life easier. Do not password protect the file so emergency personnel can read it, but this does open the possibility of medical identity theft. Consider entering all the data electronically in an online medical data vault as this is the trend of the future and all you need is list where your medical information is being stored so "authorized" people can access it. See Microsoft Health Vault for an example.
Medicine - you can sometimes save money if you ask your doctor to subscribe a larger dose pill that can be split in half to meet your required dose. The larger dose pill may actually cost less than the smaller dose pill. Use generic name whenever possible than name-brand medications.
Motorcycles - go to this page for lots of free advice and save you money too!
Motorcycle or Car Flat Tires - Many people do not carry a flat tire repair kit with them, but they should, especially motorcycle riders with alloy wheels as the flat can be easily repaired. All you need is the rope type flat tire fix kit and a small portable air compressor that runs off the vehicle battery. Make sure the power cord is long enough or the air hose is long to reach from the vehicle battery to all four tires. Simply read the instructions and flat tires will be no problem for you. Carry a set of needle nose pliers so you can remove the imbedded nail or object from the tire. Keep a flashlight in the repair kit. Remember, your cell phone may not work in many areas in the country or it may break or the batteries fail. Why not be prepared to fix the flat yourself? I keep my kit in a fork bag on my motorcycle and a kit in my pickup truck under the back seat. I have tow insurance, but I can fix a flat if need be.
Printers - best printer to save money on ink? Get a Kodak printer. You'll save lots of money. If you don't need color printing buy a laser jet printer. The toner does not evaporate like ink does and cost per printed page is very, very low. A good brand of printer (monochrome or color) to consider is Brother. They have all the modern features and their toner prints thousands of pages more. They also have wonderful color printers too. HP printers were the best at one time, but they have lost reliability and the cost of their print cartridges are outrageously expensive. Canon and Epson makes nice high-end ink jet printers for photos. Check out Kodak and Brother brands before you buy a printer, you will save a lot of money. Remember, if you print high resolution vector graphics (like the very sharp and fine lines on a dollar bill) get a laser printer. Ink jet printers can't can't do the job, they smear the lines together. Stay away from Zerox brand printers. They are not true laser printers with toner, they often use solid ink and they won't print vector graphics and are unreliable, jam often, locks up and freezes, hard drive failures, random error messages, software failues, tech support nonexistent, unhelpful, etc. I paid approximately $5,000 for one of their better Phaser printers and it was so terrible I had to give it away for free. I lost a lot of money on Zerox! Don't make the same mistake I made. I own Kodak, Canon and Brother printers. I see a lot of people at print shops that could be saving a ton of money if they just bought their own printer. Printing is not cheap, but personal inkjet and laser printers are!
Sickness Prevention - carry alcohol hand wipes with you and use them often. Especially in supermarkets and when you leave supermarkets. The hand cart handles are filthy dirty with germs. This includes any retail store. That is where you are getting most all of your head colds, flu and even diarrhea episodes and worse diseases. When you leave a retail business wipe your hands clean. Also clean the steering wheel in your car and other knobs and levers you touch. You will see a much better improvement with less colds.
Shopping List - create a file that lists everything you buy and own. Include the model and serial number and date purchased, where it was purchased and a phone number. (also, list the vehicles, vin number as in your "Contacts List" above) now when you want to buy a part for your car or other household item you can refer to your shopping list and know precisely which model and part number you need. Use the shopping list to record where you buy your favorite foods and the supermarket where it is sold. Now you will know everything you need to know just by accessing that handy shopping list page. Makes errands easy, less stressful.
Success - Consider selling a product. Better yet, develop your own product and sell it. No matter which career you choose you can always create and sell a product on the side. Who knows? It could launch you into a much better life. At worse, you will earn extra income. Learn marketing, that is the secret to selling products. Be creative and give away free samples or free novelty items to attract people to your product/business. You will see the "free" concept in all the major corporations advertising because it works.
Tires - You never know the air pressure in your tires unless you have some fancy and expensive device to monitor tire air pressure. Go buy some valve caps called "TireWise". They screw onto the valve stem and if green the air pressure is good, if red, the air pressure is low. Very handy, easy to see and inexpensive. Works for cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATV's etc. Hint: Get the air pressure size that matches one pound air pressure above the maximum or recommended air pressure noted on the tire or on the vehicle's frame or owners manual. Come with a three year warranty.
Trapped Inside Your House - it happens and it can mean a slow and frightening death for you or a loved one . Go into your bathroom or other rooms and closets and imagine if the door lock failed. Could you escape? Some rooms have no windows. Would anyone be able to hear your screams? I was trapped inside an RV once and I learned my lesson. The door latch failed and I had no way out, but I did escape from a small roof vent and I was lucky I had a screwdriver to remove the vent. In your home let's assume you have two bathrooms and a closet that if the door latch slammed closed on any of them by the wind and failed, you would be seriously trapped inside. In this case, buy a small flashlight and a screwdriver with a Philips and flat blade (or whatever style is required to disassemble that door lock) and keep the tools inside each of those death trap locations so you can escape! This is wise preparation. You may not have your cell phone with you when it happens so be prepared. Put this on your "to do" list before you regret it.
Three Lists - There are three documents you should create electronically that will make life easy for you. They are listed here in this article as Contacts List, Medical Records List and the Shopping List. Do it.
Vehicle Maintenance - Learn to change your own oil in your vehicles. You'll save money and enjoy knowing the job is done right with high quality parts and oil that will save you expensive repair bills. It's enjoyable to do it yourself. If you have a motorcycle, click here.
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