Life Hackery

With oil prices reaching over a hundred dollars a barrel, saving gas is now extremely important. Petroleum is a non-renewable resource, and many oil fields are now getting depleted because of massive demand by consumers and industries that use fossil fuel products. There are just too many cars on the road for oil fields to sustain. Pollution and global warming caused by vehicle emissions and exhaust are now also serious issues that many people are concerned with.

Many car manufacturers now make cars that run on alternative energy sources, although gasoline and diesel are still the most convenient ways to power a car. You don’t have to throw away your car in favor of a bicycle or a brand-new electric car. Even your gas-guzzling vehicle can be a green machine if you follow these simple fuel-saving driving tips.

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There are plenty of web lists out there that will tell you how to do very specific things. You can learn all about shampooing your cat, organizing your pantry, and making intricate stained-glass VW Beetle ornaments…but how many resources are there to remind you how to be a decent person? These are the things we really need to know.

1. Learn how to use a public restroom correctly. News flash: it is NOT ok to neglect flushing in a public restroom, even if you fear the germs on the flusher handle.

2. Do not be a creepy date. This applies to men and women equally. We’ve all gone out with the weirdo who wants to move way too fast or who simply won’t accept it when you say you don’t want to see them again. Don’t be that weirdo.

3. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Some people think that other people will be offended if they hold the door open. These people were obviously raised by wolves. It is never rude to continue holding open a door that you have just passed through for the person directly behind you who is approaching the same door. In fact, you might say it is a little rude to let the door smack them in the face instead.

4. Don’t say the same phrase or punchline over and over, no matter how funny you think it is. (This is slightly more forgivable when you’re drunk.)

5. Don’t use your cellular phone while ordering a coffee, eating a meal, going through the checkout at a store, driving, or doing anything else that requires human interaction with people who are right in front of you.
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With fuel prices climbing ever higher and the typical American budget being stretched to capacity already, it comes as no surprise that many of us are forgoing our annual summer vacations this year. For a family with limited resources, a vacation can seem frivolous.

Getting away from home and having fun can do a world of good for you and your entire family. Why cancel the summer vacation entirely when you could save money by simply cutting back on expenses? Here we’ve gathered some of the best tips to save money on your travels this sunny season.

1. Amusement parks don’t have to be a budget-sucking abyss. When the economy was flush and only truckers spent $100 on one tank of gas, driving across the country to visit an amusement park was a pretty common vacation. These days, who can afford a luxury like that? Well, it turns out that it may not be so out-of-reach after all.
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You may remember the often-discussed tennis ball headphones or these 99 extraordinary uses for ordinary objects. Those were pretty great, but it makes you wonder what else these little bundles of latex and wool can do. Since they wear out and lose their bounce quickly, most tennis balls simply end up in the garbage when they stop being useful on the court. If you can’t stand to throw them away, they tend to pile up quickly - so what can you do with them?

1) Cut an X in the top of each ball and put them on the bottoms of chair legs to cut down on noise and floor scuffs. If you don’t have scuffable floors (or all of your chair legs are already covered) check with your local school. Many schools take donations for just this purpose.

2) Donate them to a local nursing home for use on residents’ walkers. They make the walkers easier to push around for people who aren’t strong enough to lift them.

3) Hang one on string from the garage roof to help you park without running into things. When it touches the windshield or rear window (depending on which way the car is pointing), you know it’s time to stop. If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, make it into a funny character.

4) Keep certain types of gnats or flies away from you when you are outdoors. Just cover a tennis ball in Vaseline and hang it from a tree or bush.
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Everyone knows that you should keep a roadside emergency kit and a first aid kit in your car - those are common sense. But what about when the unexpected occurs and you find yourself in a sticky situation that can’t be cured with kitty litter and antiseptic ointment? Here are the most important things you never thought to keep in your car.

Drinking straws. Have you ever gotten a soda from a drive-through, only to realize half a mile down the road that the straw they gave you had a hole in it? You don’t want to try taking the lid off to drink while driving.

Plastic containers. Washed-out margarine tubs and similar containers are perfect for storing impromptu collections or giving water to the dog. They are also great for portioning out cereal, raisins, or other snacks when you have one bag of food but several hungry people.

Solar charger. These are readily available now and can be used to charge your cell phone, MP3 player, camera, and any number of other gadgets. This is very important if you find yourself with a dead phone battery and you can’t use your car charger.

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