Pete & Jay's Tip O Da "Day"

When you travel alot it is easy to get cocky and not give yourself enough time to back, but you might think you have everything because you "do this all the time". Well that's where I am, but I still forget stuff, or at the very least go crazy trying to make sure I have everything. Just make a default packlist that you can print out before you go on a trip. It may not have everything you need, but it is meant to be a good start to make sure you have the basics/common items. I do it for video shoots at work, why for vacations?

Sick of getting screwed by you cell phone, cable, financial and other "services"? Listen to How hidden fees can getcha, and what you can do about it Update: More

No Groping. You don't have to be touching the entire time you are together. An arm around the shoulder or holding a hand is fine, but aware of how your actions may distract others. In church last week, there was a man who kept rubbing his wife's shoulder. This would have been ok if she wasn't wearing a down jacket. Every movement made an annoying swishy noise. I'm trying to pay attention to the sermon and all I hear is "swish, swish, swish." It's also weird to play with hair and massage backs and necks in public. Keep movement to a minimum.

You should have a trash can in every bathroom. Not everything is flushable. You don't want anyone to " wreak havoc on the plumbing ."

You've found yourself "a better half" - Congratulations! Public Displays of Affection, better known as PDA, can be a sweet way of showing that you care. It can also be a way to make other people's skin crawl. Balance is the key here. Here are some tips so that you will keep your friends from wanting to vomit every time they see you coming. 1. Don't makeout in public. This should be obvious, but some don't know. Yes, the line to get on a King's Island ride can be really long, but don't use that time to multitask on your partner's face. It's uncomfortable and people don't know where to look.

Did you not get any presents today? Ek, sorry about that. There are 2 likely causes. Either 1) You are on the naughty list or 2) You forgot to crate your overly protective dog and he wouldn't let Santa get more then a toe down the chimney.

If you are a regifter, then make sure you don't give the gift to the person who gave it to you. I had this happen one time. It's a bit awkward and rather humorous. So, if you are serious about regifting, then you should keep a log of who gave you what. You also have to be careful of what circle of friends/family, you regift things to. They might recognize your patterns. Better to be safe than sorry.

Expecting a digital camera for Christmas? Now you just need to print some of your best shots. There are lots of companies providing that service these days, and most of them will give you some free prints just for signing up. Dealmac.com has a complete list totaling 380 Free Prints

The attic is a great place to keep things out of the way when you are not going to need them for a while, like Christmas lights. But it is not a good place to keep things that will melt, like Christmas candles. There is one advantage to keeping them in a warm place all year, you'll have a truly unique decoration! Thanks Jen and my co-works

I think if I had fish, the bathroom would be an interesting place to keep them. A lot of people have fish or ducks or other oceany things decorating their bathroom anyway. They would give you something to watch during those down times when you're not Swiffering. Plus, when they die, you don't have to go very far to "bury" them.

You probably can't believe it, but this tip that you are reading at this very minute is the one thousandth Tip O Da Day! We have also had over 2,500 comments. It has been nearly 3 years, of everything from the silly to the stupid. But don't go back and read every single tip because it takes about five hours. We know, because we went through the effort to put together this list of our 100 "Best" tips: Some of our milestone tips: Our tip from Dec 31, 1999 Our first tip Our 101st tip . Celebrating one year of tips . Our 500th Tip Some video from the party celebrating our 500th tip Our 800th tip Our Christmas tip/gift from last year Great Serieses: SuperBowl Tips 1 & 2 The Cheapskates Guide to Parsimony, Parts I , II , III , IV , V Vander's excellent Marriageability Tips of the Day A , B , C , D Words not to call women: Brute , Thick , Beast , Big-Boned , Stocky Guide to Keep the Government from Seizing your Property, Part I , II , III , IV and V . Part VI is a...

Want to do something productive during your "down" time in the bathroom? Keep a Swiffer™ within arms reach. If you have a small enough bathroom, you can easily turn a couple minutes while you sit there into some productive time by tidying up the floor with a quick sweep.

The guy at McDonalds may ask "Are you serious?" But a half strawberry, half chocolate milkshake is actually pretty good. Just ask Steak n Shake . The best part about it is you get a slightly different flavor in every sip.

For those designers out there needing affordable stock photography, nothing is more affordable than free. Even though it is not advertised when you sign up, StockXpert evidently gives you 5 credits just for registering! That is enough to buy a couple of images, in a pinch they may be all you need.

Mattress makers, like others in the specialty store industry, are really good at marketing. Remember the true purpose behind getting a good mattress, so you'll be comfortable sleeping and when you wake up. Ignore coil counts, and all that other stuff the sales person will confuse you with. Just get a comfy matress Debumking the mattress myths.

Sometimes it happens, a bottle of motor oil gets crushed and leaks all over your duffel bag. It happens to everyone. But instead of doing what you have always done, and just throw those clothes away, try this. Goo Gone is basically citrus powered magic. Spray it on, follow the directions and rub the grease out with a clean rag. It may take a couple of applications and the rest of your afternoon, but you won't have to throw your clothes away again.

If something grabs your attention it doesn't peak your interest, it piques your interest.

So "The Nest", a magazine given to people who registered for TheKnot.com while they were planning their wedding, looks interesting on the cover, but always proves to be less then so once you really read the articles. For example, they have an article about how to "fake a fabulous party". Take a gander at these lame "tips" and our commentary: "Buy French fries from your favorite take-out place just before the party" - Yum, everyone likes cold limp French fries. Serious, the slow eaters of the world know that they should eat their fries before their burger aka. while they are still good. "Buy freshly made cookies from a bakery…and, yes, say you baked them yourself" - All your fiends love a little dishonesty for dessert. Want to make them really excited about cookie, rip open a bag of Oreos, and have plenty of milk on hand! "Use store-bought Caesar salad dressing instead of making it yourself" - That's not a tip, that'...

There are a couple tips that are so good, that they almost appeared twice in the nearly 3 year history of Tip O Da Day. Three of such are Apple to Apples Tip of the Day Coinstar Tip of the Day Cookie Tip of the Day Thanks Andy, Amanda and Pete

Rumor has it that grocery stores use dye to make their meat look fresh. The truth? According to Oklahoma State University they don't . The FDA and USDA don't allow food processors to dye meat, but there is a small controversy about using carbon monoxide to color meat . Thanks Blair and Anna for alerting us of this potential

If you have a baby, make sure the nurses don't tie the id bracelets too tight. Or your newborn may get scrapes on one of her arms and feet.

Ok we all know some of it was a publicity stunt but if you're auditioning for American Idol make sure Simon doesnt get bored with you or you may get to meet Mike.

Just in case the need ever arises, here are three ways to kill a chocolate bunny .

If you're unsure whether or not today is Christmas, bookmark this handy tool , and the answer is never more than a click away!

Much like I do dog tricks . Simon Sez Santa , lets you order around a lazy mall Santa Claus. This year's enhancements include multi-language support (including Pig Latin), a kid-friendly version and a hint generator. There are some limitations though, he can't even touch his toes. Have fun, and remember wasting time is a holiday tradition! -wally

You may have to "say cheese" twice if you're ordering food at Wendy's drivethroughs. Turns out many of the dual lane Wendy's are actually taking your order remotely to be more efficient, more customer-service based, and more likely to upgrade your meal. We heard this was the case, but wanted to verify at a local Wendy's in Nicholasville. Turns out it's true! The employee informed us that our order was taken in Lexington by a call center. So then we got to wondering how the whole 2-lane thing works. How do they know which person gets what? Well, it's because the order taker actually snaps your photo as you order! So, the clerk at the store matches the order up to the photo taken of you! So, if you're adding cheese to your hamburger, you better "say cheese" twice!

If someone pre-cuts the turkey and separates the light meat from the dark meat and tells you that they also took out the tryptophan , one of the 3 isn't true. Happy Thanksgiving!

Looking for something fun to do today? Check out this great video below of Cheddar and Barclay, set to the ridiculous hiphop tune "Soulja Boy" which we're not sure why is popular. If you're offended by a little crass rap language, turn your volume down! BTW, according to UrbanDictionary.com , the two phrases "cockin' on ya" and "jockin' on ya" mean "pulling a gun" and "copying you" respectively. A lot less crass than you'd expect.

We at Tip of the Day Labs thought this parody of Fergie's hit tune "Glamorous" was pretty hilarious. Crafted by Don't Be That Guy's own Tripp Crosby, it appears this video was used for a church service. Check out the video , as long as you're not offended by white pastors who think they can dance and rap like Luda-Kris-Sundheimer-VanderMolen.

If you're relegated to using a crappy 3 megapixel point-and-shoot digital camera, but need some photos with more pizazz, there fortunately are a few things you can do to make your snapshots look like photographs. These tips are a few basics, but only scratch the surface of what is possible. Begin by following principles of good composition. Make the photo as visually interesting as possible while maintaining sharp focus, and good use of lighting The predominant things you'll need to fix are your camera's lack of saturation and vibrancy. Typically, the midtones appear washed out, so begin by using Photoshop's "Curves" adjustment. Typically lowering the midtones on the curve will make the blacks blacker and keep the whites whiter. This adjustment can also be made with the "Levels" adjustment if you find that easier to use. Adding depth of field is easily achieved as well. Begin by duplicating your background layer, and putting the new layer directly ab...

This is first episode of Pee-Wee's Playhouse courtesy of YouTube. You have now learned the following. - Foil can be used as a form of currency - The P is only silent in Pterri not Pee-Wee - If there's too much chocolate add more ice cream (wonder if "would you like some more fries with your ketchup" ripped off of this.) - When driving out of your house always use a helmet Also of notice you can get all the episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse here for two easy payments of $17.99.

If you're considering how many dogs to keep in your pack, consider this. One dog is fine. Two dogs is a bit more work. Five dogs is too many.

OK, memo to Kentucky drivers. Last time I checked, in our fracking commonwealth, pedestrians have the right of way. So try your best not to hit me when you attempt to beat me to the punch making a left turn onto a cross street. I, and runners/walkers of Kentucky really enjoy stopping dead in our tracks to avoid being mauled over while you pretend like you're entitled to do that. Just because you haven't exercised in several years doesn't mean the rest of us should be denied the privilege. Not to quote Kentucky law or anything, but: Drivers must yield to pedestrians under the following conditions: When pedestrians are at a marked or unmarked crosswalk and there is no traffic light When turning a corner and pedestrians are crossing with the light In any situation that could threaten the pedestrian’s safety I think that pretty much covers my bases. That is all.

I thought for sure we had already published a tip about this, but it turns out I was wrong. There are tons of internet radio services that clam to be able to serve you songs that you'll like. Pandora is the only one that actually lives up to the promise. You type in a band that you like and Pandora plans a song of theirs. Then it plays a song by a similar artist. This keeps going, as you listen you can give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down. Where most other services fail, is that they just examine the genre of the song you are listening too, Pandora has musicians who examine the "DNA" of every track. For example the song I'm listening to right now Pandora chose because "it features electric rock instrumentation, punk influences, a subtle use of vocal harmony, mild rhythmic syncopation and a vocal-centric aesthetic." It is so refreshing to like every sing song I hear. My iTunes can't even do that. As JCo says "Pandora is like a pile of presents an...

A few tips if you're listing your house for sale. First off, NEWS FLASH: People will actually look at the photos you put online! I know this may be a surprise to you, but you may want to be careful what's in the shot. For instance, let's look at these two actual listings here in the Lexington area. I realize these may not be Lexington's finest homes. But couldn't we get the hoopty out of that shot above? "Hm, tempting. I really want to live there where an 80s model drug car is parked in front of my house...cool...it's got character." And for the love of all things, PLEASE somehow crop the broken mailbox out of the shot. Take the photo from an angle, or heck, just show interior pictures! You know, maybe, just maybe, someone will ACTUALLY come look at your house (at least that's the goal, right?) so maybe you can sorta "fix" the mailbox? After all, it is the first impression, right? "Honey, I'm sure it's just a coincidence tha...

Solving world hunger is one thing to strive for, but enhancing America's vocabulary is another! A website, FreeRice.com is singlehandedly attempting to change the world! On the site, you''ll be asked vocabulary questions, and for each correct answer, they'll donate 10 grains of rice to a developing country! The result? Full bellies and full minds. It's pretty addictive, and you'll learn some great new words like "patois" and "hawser." It also keeps track of your vocab level. Mine's 37--I don't know if that's good or bad!

All good things can be taken too far. Like this great thing, an "LOLCat" is awesome. But some in the greater LOLCat community have found the need to take LOLCats a bit too far. (Julie and XT, you should be proud that I have some limits when it comes to LOLCats.) They've taken it too far by creating the LOLCat Bible. Yes, they really are translating the entire Holy Bible in LOLCat-ese. Now, I clearly think LOLCats are hilarious. LOL, even. But do we really need the New International LOLCat Version of the Bible? And who has time to do these things? At the end of some pathetic nerd's life, at least he'll be able to say he translated the book of Job into LOLCat.

If, when using Blogger, you are publishing a post and continually get the message, "Your blog is taking longer than expected to publish. Click here to continue to wait," it actually means that it has published your blog, contrary to whatever it may lead you to believe.

If you have even a remote fear of snakes, do not watch the "film" Snakes on a Plane. You will most assuredly be scared senseless. Until Samuel L. Jackson comes in with his signature line, "I am so sick of these mother f*****' snakes on this mother f*******' plane!"

RSVP are the initials for répondez, s'il vous plaît , which means "please reply." This includes both "Yes, I'd be glad to be there" and "No way would I ever be caught dead at your party." This makes it easier for the host to know how much food will be needed, how many places to set, etc. It's just polite...do it!

If you're unfortunate enough to be relegated to use a PC, check to make sure you've upgraded to WinXP Service Pack 2 before you attempt to connect to any wireless routers made in the last decade. If you have not, you'll have to figure out what the heck a "network key" is instead of a wireless password. Silly Windows.

If you happen to purchase a steering wheel cover, you might want to wait to apply it until you're NOT driving. Otherwise, you could accidentally cause your car to swerve out of control, risking your life and the lives of others.

Looking to brew that perfect glass of sweet tea? Look no further than the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker! This sub-$20 little bundle of joy will deliciously brew your tea that you swear has come from Sonny's! A few things of note. The instructions take you through how to make unsweetened tea (and who wants that?!) So, to make it sweetened, we've found that adding 1/3 cup of sugar per quart of tea is about perfect. It's essential that the sugar is added to the tea when warm for quick absorption, so we recommend adding the sugar to the pitcher and allowing some hot brew to emerge before adding the ice cubes as instructed. You're well on your way to great sweetea!

It takes balls to wash your comforter! If it's time for your semi-annual down comforter washing, be sure to stock up on the cheapest tennis balls money can buy. Why, you ask? When washing anything down (comforters, coats, underwear, etc.) if you dry them, they'll go flat . But putting a few tennis balls in the dryer will help to re-fluff your comforter and make it as puffy as ever.

No booze: Kentucky law prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages while polls are open. So if you can wait until 6pm tonight you'll be all set.

If you have more than 2GB of data to backup and don't want to continue paying a monthly fee, we at TodD labs discovered something that might be of interest to you. Brought to you by Dreamhost , a leading web hosting company, they offer "Files Forever." This service is great if you already have a hosting account because you pay a one-time fee of $0.01 per 4MB. So, if you're having to store tons of large files in perpetuity, you simply upload them, tell Dreamhost where they are, and pay your one-time fee. You never pay monthly for it, just once and done!

You should backup your computer files. "I know I know." It is very important that you back up for your files. "I'll get around to it." There are only two kind of computer users out there, those who have had a major hard drive failure and those who will. "Isn't there a third kind?" For a simple and free way to keep your files backed up try Mozy, they have a Mac and Windows version. The files get backed up to their server so you don't have to worry about buying an extra hard drive or anything. Plus you get up to 2GB free! Use this link to get another 12% on top of that! Now you don't have anymore excuses!

5 Million Frozen Pizzas are being voluntarily recalled . First, I'm kind of surprised there are even 5 million frozen pizzas in the country. It seems like maybe I should have become a frozen food chef because there is obviously some money it. The problem involves something wrong with the pepperonis on the pizzas. As it turns out, instead of the high quality red paint General Mills asked their Chinese manufacturer to paint the pepperonis with, the manufacturer subsisted it for a cheaper red paint containing lead. Ok, so maybe we can't blame this on communists, but it would be more interesting then the truth, another E. coli scare. What does the "E" stand for anyway?

Hopefully this hasn't happened to you, but that you have seen it happy to someone else because it is pretty funny. A little over zealous about scribbling some notes on the white board, you grab the nearest marker and go to town. Only after you fill up the entire board with notes do you realize that Sharpies™ and white boards don't mix. Luckily the solution to this otherwise expensive problem is fairly simple. You have to trick the white board into thinking it was written on by a dry erase marker. Just mark with a dry erase marker (double check this time) over all of the "permanent" markings, and then erase as normal. White boards aren't very bright, so this is all it takes to get them to release the Sharpie marks.

Turkey Pepperoni = Better for you and they taste good Turkey Hot Dogs = Better for you but they taste bland. Just thought you should know.

Today from 2:00-5:00pm Taco Bell is having a promotion where they are giving away a free taco to anyone who stops by. Yummy! I think I might be able to pass two Taco Bells on my way home from work if I leave a little early ;-) Thanks to Jacoby Ellsbury for Stealing a Base!

Looking for the best price on a book. Amazon is a good start, but the website Best Book Combo lets you easily search 4 sites and returns the cheapest price, including shipping. You just need the ISBNs for each book. Found via Guy Kawasaki's Blog

If your Mac is anywhere near mid-life, it probably has multiple copies of the same program under the "Open With…" menu that you get when you right-(or command)-click a file. Just download this AppleScript and run it! MacFixIt - Multiple, errant entries in the "Open With" contextual menu

So the day has come when it is not just Used Car Salesmen you have to watch out for. Now you have to check your back at every turn…eyecare companies are trying to jip you. See these two different but very similar in size bottles from Alcon? One is for Opti-One and the other for Opti-Free RepleniSH. The solution in the two bottles do the same thing, they clean soft contact lenses. Notice in the picture below that they bottles look like they hold the same amount of solution The two bottles come in the same size boxboard packaging. But on the side of the Opti-Free RepleniSH bottle, I noticed this very interesting "Fill Line" on the side, kind of buried in all this other text you'll never read: Ahha, they are up to something here. Closer inspection, identifies the problem! Turns out that is why the prices on the shelf aren't that much different! They are selling you what looks like the same size product for what looks like about the same price. After using Alcon products ...

If you're at King's Island and stick your arms up in the air during a ride make sure you have ample space to do so or you may smack a wall.

I learned something very valuable when "dickering" around with the salespeople when buying my car. While we all know salespeople prey on customer's inherent "niceness," there are ways to combat this without having to be mean. I call it "being direct," something I'm getting a bit better at. What slimy salespeople will try to do is squeeze the absolute most out of you, hiding numbers in your trade-in value, etc. They'll say things like, "OK, the manager said you're gonna have to work with me. Can't we do another $200?" In your head you're thinking, "Sure I could do $200, but I don't want to, nor do I feel like I should pay that much for the car, and sure it's only a 'little more money,' but you already talked me into 'a little more money'." But, I've learned, you don't give them anything to go with. When they say, "Can't you do just $200 more?," just look at them, dead ...

If you are going to get your oil changed at Valvoline Instant Oil Change, don't unless you have a coupon. They charge 50% more then other oil change providers.

One of my biggest pet peeves is "incorrect" usage of quotation marks. It's really "annoying," and makes people seem like total "toolfaces." Fortunately, I found this "blog" that helps bring "shame" to people who use them incorrectly.

For reasons unbeknownst to Tip of the Day staff, gas prices are the cheapest on Sundays, according to an unnamed Speedway/SuperAmerica employee, who also didn't know the reason. Still, they would know, and reliable sources say, get your gas on Sunday!

If you're ever in the process of making an offer on, and buying a car, there is one thing that is for certain. If your salesperson gets up to "talk to the manager" and comes back, smirking, and begins his/her sentence with, "Ok, now hear me out--I have an idea..." you KNOW you are in for it. Just stop him/her right there. What you are about to hear will be a far worse idea than you could ever imagine, and will probably involve them trying to thwart an additional several thousand bucks on you. Additionally, after said comment, if the sun suddenly breaks trough the clouds and your salesperson says, "Look, it's a sign!," you should immediately disregard it as well.

Really, just go buy jumper cables already. I know you've been putting it off, but you will be glad you have some one day. They're relatively easy to use, and you can get them for as little as $10. Or maybe that was just me who was putting them off.

Paste Magazine & Our Stage are donating $3 to "NOT FOR SALE" (Not For Sale is a campaign to end slavery throughout the world) for every person that signs up for a free ourstage.com account. Help end slavery by signing up using the link below http://pastemagazine.com/notforsale - Thanks Thor

Tipping at restaurants is incorrectly called "gratuity." Gratuity implies you are GRATEFUL for your service, not obligated to leave an obligatorily obligatory 15%. Sometimes you want to leave more if your server does a good job, but often you'd prefer to leave less, but want to avoid being, "that guy" . So, I'd like to introduce a new concept known as "Tip Itemization." On the little tip line on your bill, break down your tip to show how good or bad the service was, and what, specifically you're leaving money for. Example, on a good server: Amount: $15.75 Tip:$2.25 For bringing refills quickly: $1.00 For being pleasant: $0.75 For a bad server: Amount: $15.75 Obligatory Tip: $2.25 Refills: $0.00 Pleasantness: $0.00 Order accuracy: $0.00 That'll show 'em! If they're good, they'll get a kick out of you recognizing them. If they're bad, well, maybe they'll do better next time.

Turn up the volume on your speakers for this and enjoy.

Ticketmaster will give you credit for five free songs of your choice on iTunes, just for joining their Facebook group ! The code for the free credits appear after you join, the offer ends in mid November. While most of Tip O Da Day staff hates Ticketmaster, most of the staff also love free iTunes credits. Thanks Ars Technica

We strive to be helpful here at Tip O Da Day. So we are thinking, what have we done for the aspiring country song writer lately? The truth is not much…until today! So to offer some inspiration we invite our readers to suggest possible country music song titles. Use the comments and enjoy!

Looking to finish off that flower bed last minute and need some mulch? Head on over to Speedway to get you some mulch! It's only $1! It doesn't get any cheaper than that folks!

Don't eat three dozen shrimp before the invention of 21st century food safety and drink a quart of milk. Thanks Jean

Speaking of starting your Christmas shopping early . Here is a quick tip for something that is sure to be on your family's list. Harbor Freight Tools , "America's Favorite Tool Store®" has a great price right now on motion activated pigs. But hurry their sale ends October 15th. Speaking of 38% off, that is also how much you can save if you buy an iPod shuffle refurbished over its original price.

Do your pig/ponytails get tired easily? Simply rest them on the top of most headrests, to give them a break. They will be ready and raring to go for the rest of your busy day!

You know those white Apple stickers that come with any new Mac or iPod. Well the iPod shuffle comes with cute little Apple stickers. Why? Because the big ones won't fit in the tiny package the iPod shuffle is sold in

If you left your milk too far in the top back of a fridge that was far too cold, you may want to use this method for gently thawing milk.

That most satisfying step of putting together assemble-at-home furniture has got to be putting the wheels on (should you're particular furniture have/need wheels). To keep the wheels on, they're designed to be hard to put on. You try to push them on, but the wheels spin. There is no real place to get a grip except the little area between the wheels, but unless you're 5'2" your fingers are too big to fit in there. So instead of writing 1,000 words doing a bad job of explaining how to put wheels on with the shaft of a screw driver, we'll just show you a picture.

If you happen to sudden smell unwavering cleaning-supply odors in your townhouse that began strangely near the time new neighbors moved in next door, don't jump to hasty conclusions by calling the Nicholasville Police on a potential meth-lab bust. Have someone sniff around the room with you first, in an attempt to uncover the source of the smell, which may happen to be some Windex-laden cleaning rags thrown out in your office trash can. But, should you suspect there still is a meth-lab nextdoor, cross check that information with this site.

Give off the aura that you have lots of friends, or lots and lots of friends. Schedule fake phone calls to yourself with the popularity dialer . It could also be helpful if you are just dying to use up your unlimited night and weekend minutes.

Good old Bob Vila (ok, one of his minions) tells you how to get your sink drain unclogged in this little video .

If you work at a rental car agency that is nice enough to have a $198,000 Porsche, think before taking it on a joyride and getting caught .

Has it been weeks, or even months, and your rebate still hasn't shown up? It could be that the company in question is just inefficient, and needs a little encouragement to follow through on their promises. But sometimes it's because your rebate is in a dumpster in San Jose ! Fie!

People who start shopping now for Christmas are not just Christmas-obsessed shopaholics who buy too much, like your Aunt Hilda. The smart start early too. Here’s a few benefits to this. First of all, it spreads the cost of the holidays out over several months, instead of all at once. Secondly, it gives you the chance to scope out more sales and bargains in two distinct ways. Way 1: You may know exactly what you want to buy someone, but if you wait until December, that item may never be on sale. As of now, you have three whole months to keep your eye on that item for any sales. Way 2: You have no idea what to get someone. When you see a sale or clearance rack/table, stop by for 5 minutes with your friends and family in mind. See where inspiration takes you. Finally, if you start thinking about Christmas now, and you have the great idea to MAKE your gifts, you actually still have time to do it! No need to stay up until the wee hours in December trying to finish knitting Aunt Hilda’...

Anyone who's spent any significant amount of time buying running shoes knows this basic tip: Shoes wear out and need replaced every 300-500 miles. Your shoes might still look okay, but they're not giving your feet, joints and knees the cushioning they need. For someone who wears her 2-week contacts for at least a month, sometimes three, I'm usually a fan of stretching things out to the bitter end. But even I have accepted this running shoe rule as gospel truth. Trust me, I've felt the difference and most certainly saved myself injury by switching things up when I'm supposed to. So what's a frugal girl to do? Training for a marathon has sent my weekly mileage into the unprecedented 30s and the shoes I JUST got a few months ago are already worn out. Sigh. Time to hit the internet. At MyRunningShoe.com they combine the inventories of running specialty stores from around the country into a searchable database. When a customer finds a shoe to purchase, the...

Friends, today is your lucky day, because NBC is bringing back American Gladiators , and they want you to try out ! The only requirements are: - Must be a "warrior type," i.e. no Canadians - Must be "BIG" (I hope they don't bring spandex back) - Must be "bad," ex-cons feel free to apply - Must be "athletic," so lay off the biscuits & gravy - Must have "heart," sorry Tin-man - Must have "skills," presumably with a bowstaff - Must have "a desire to COMPETE," i.e. would you kill a man for a Klondike bar? You will be tested in areas such as strength, speed, balance and agility. Also, you have to bring a non-returnable photo of yourself. (Ugly people need not apply!) Go get 'em, tiger!

Concerned about your Mac Laptop getting stolen. Even more concerned that you wanna see the guy fry who stole if from you? Check out Undercover , it will track the IP address and take pictures of the person who is using your computer. Hah hah aha! Found on TUAW

A Scotsman will always correct you when you tell them "I speak the same language as you", or "You speak English here"! Why? Because Scotland very much wants to be independent, so what language will they say they speak? Scottish! They do have some different words to be sure... A besom is a difficult woman, a birl is a spin, bonnie is beautiful, a dunt is a bump, and rather than saying highway robbery, they'd say daylight robbery. And of course, a Loch is a lake, such as Loch Ness, Loch Lochy (or Lake Lakey), and Loch Lamond, and a glen is a valley. While some of these terms come from the Gaelic, most of them are just the English word with a Scottish accent. They are overall, pretty easy to understand. One interesting thing is that once you officially cross over to the Highlands, not just the geographic highlands, all the signs have both Gaelic and English writing on it because Gaelic is an official language of the Highlands. The picture is Loch Lamond in...

I picked this tip up from an actual Highlander, and yes, I know there are easier and less smelly ways to do this now a days, but if you feel like going old school...a way to clean and waterproof your kilt is to wash it in human urine! Yes, it's true. Back in the old days of the clans of Scotland, kilts were only washed once a year. The winter kilt was washed in the spring and the summer kilt was washed in the fall, and the were indeed washed in urine. I'm sure glad I wasn't visiting Scotland back then!

When going to a Scottish pub, it's a good idea to ask them how they got their name. Many of these pubs have very interesting stories behind their name. For example, Maggie Dickon's pub was named for a lady who was hanged in the square across from the pub. She was charged with concealing a pregnancy and hanged for the charge. As her friends were taking her body to the grave, they heard a scratching inside the box. As it turns out, she was only knocked unconscious from the hanging. It was determined that she'd been saved by God and when she was tried again, she was set free. From that point on, she was known as half-hanged Maggie. There is also "The World's End" which was named because it use to be on the edge of Edinburgh when it was walled in, so those from Edinburgh wouldn't have wanted to go beyond that wall. As far as they were concerned it was the World's End. Then there is the one pictured here...Deacon Broadies. He was a craftsman by ...

Scotland has its own native dishes. One such dish is haggis. With any breakfast it may look to an American as a common sausage, but rest assured, it's not. It's made mostly of lamb intestines/stomach and such organs along with some barley and spices. If it's coming with a buffet breakfast, because it's a native dish to the Scot's, it's probably worth a try, but if you really want to spend money on something truly Scottish, I'd recommend Irn Bru before I'd recommend haggis. Irn Bru is the native Scottish soft drink. It actually outsells Coke in Scotland. It's like an orange cream soda, is quite good if you ask me, and is available at any pub you'll find.

When arriving or leaving Scotland's Preswick Airport, train tickets to anywhere in Scotland are half price for passengers. So, as long as you don't mind a little extra time on a train, it's best when arriving to go ahead and buy your ticket for your final destination (provided you'll arrive there the same day), no matter how far. It will save lots of money! I'm not sure whether or not it's also true for the Edinburgh airport, but it's sure worth looking into before choosing your flights!

The type geeks out there, know there is a difference between different quote marks, such as ", “ and ”. The latter two are proper typographically, the first is just what they invented for the type writer. Word and other programs will automatically use their “smart quote” feature to convert a boring quote into open or closed quotes. But what if the program your using isn't smart enough. On a Mac just his Option-[ for open double quotes, and Option-Shift-[ for close double quotes. Use Option-] and Option-Sift-] for single quotes. To do it in HTML use ‘ ’ “ and ” for ‘ ’ “ ” respectfully. On Windows, it is Alt+0145, Alt+0146, Alt+0147 and Alt+0148. Thanks to P22's Tip of the Month , Mountain Dragon's HTML Entities Examples , Tip sheet on special characters Dave M. and Citizen Grim.

If you read our dog flatulence tip from yesterday, you probably were thinking, "what about me? What if I suffer from flatulence?" Well, turns out our friends at Flat-D have a few products for you. Introducing the Reusable Flatulence Deodorizer. Tape this thing on your panties just over your buttocks and let it work its magic! This is a case where truth is stranger than fiction: "When intestinal gas is expelled through the flatulence filter pad, it absorbs the gas odor normally associated with the malodorous gassy discharge or flatus. Those with digestive disorders...will regain confidence, end embarrassment, live life again, and enjoy freedom with this inconspicuous pad. No more smelly episodes, horrible flatulance odors, with these pads that are placed in your undergarment."

Does your dog suffer from flatulence? Or, more probable, do YOU suffer from your dog's flatulence? Look no further than the " Dog Gone Thong Flatulance Neutralizing Pad. " Yes, it actually filters your dog's farts. Special. What will they come up with next? I'm just glad for the following quotes from this site: "Uses our famous activated charcoal cloth (washable and reusable)!" "Suspender clips are used to make the garment totally adjustable." (Yeah, your dog won't mind THOSE being on at all.) "They also provide quick release for allowing the dog out to do his business." (Well, that's great.) "Patent Pending." (Pretty sure you're not competing with anyone else on that idea.)

Instead of just filling your dog's bowl with regular water, just throw some ice cubes in it. Giving them cold tasty water for a little while and then turning in to regular old water after that. As an added bonus, you're not going to spill as you move their bowl from the sink to the doggy breakfast nook.

Whatever you do, don't use water to put out an oil-fire on the stove. See why in this shocking, but informative video.

Flying out of London... Sure, it's easy to get in. That 2 hour time you have to show up at the airport at most airports, not entirely necessary. But in London...they mean business! There, when RyanAir says one bag for carry on, they mean it! I had a purse and a lap top, and they made me put my purse in the laptop bag to pass through security! Luci's bag weighed 10.3 kilos, and they made her adjust it to be less than 10! She'd gotten to London with a backpack and a suitcase both as carry-ons, but as we went back, not only did she have to take stuff out of the suitcase, but she had to pay an extra fee to check her bag. Here's a tip though, they had her mark it as fragile so it would get put up at the front of the plane! Apparently, you can request that. Because she'd gotten stopped at the security gate and sent back to check her bag, they shuffled her to the front. But I was still in line! We'd gotten there two hours early and finally made it to the gate ...

The "Nigerian Phone Scam" is one of the oldest SPAM scams in the book. It actually predates the advent of email. The scam basically goes, "I've have several million dollars, and I'd love to give you all or part of it but I need some help getting it out of the bank account it's in." Once you contact them they'll need your bank account numbers etc. Well now it looks like they're going Christian. Maybe something about Christian woman in a Muslim country blah blah blah. I think there is a special spot in you know where with their name on it.

Any tour you take in London is going to be a good one. Their tour guides are rigorously trained...seriously, they spend 2 years in school and have to take 9 examinations at the end to prove their knowledge of English history before qualifying to apply for a job! Plus, after paying for all that, you'd better believe they love their job, and it shows. I took three tours in London...one to Leeds, Canterbury, and Dover. The next was a Jack the Ripper walk. The third was a walk with a "Beefeater" in the Tower of London . All of the tours were fantastic...the guides were both knowledgeable and entertaining. So no matter what tour you choose, your very likely to have someone who knows what they're doing. And, we discovered that it takes an average of 5 years to become a cab driver in the city because they have to know the streets so well and pass their own exam. London is really big on tourists! The picture above is the castle on the white cliffs of Dover.

Booking things in advance... Generally, booking things in advance is a good idea. You typically get better prices, better seating, etc...But, when you book a tour in advance, you pay the same price and you run the risk of losing that money if you have to cancel. Usually, in the states, if someone gets sick, you can get a refund if you are reasonable about it and cancel before hand. Unfortunately, customer service is a little lacking here. We called to cancel a tour, first of all they asked why they didn't get more notice. Their line was busy all morning. They also didn't get more notice because I'd just gotten sick. They told us the best they could do was 50% back, but as soon as we let them know that wasn't good enough, they sent us to expedia, who we booked through. Of course the best they could do was a $25 gift certificate! No go on that. So, lesson learned, if it's not a hotel room, a play, or a movie, I'm not booking in advance! Besides, since I...

Want to find platform 9 3/4? Look no further than King's Cross train station in London, just like it says in the book. Yes, you can literally follow the signs for platforms 9-11, and right there between platforms 9 and 10, you'll find platform 9 3/4. Because everyone wants to go to the platform and get to Hogwarts (I wish it actually took you there), they don't even look at you funny when you ask where it is!

We interupt our regularly scheduled London tip for this important announcement. You can't even believe it, unless you first saw it on Facebook, but TODAY, at the University of Kentucky campus Chipotle, you get a FREE burrito! It's all day long! (Well, from 11:00 to 10:00). The best part is, there's no gimmicks, nothing to pay for, no dressing up as a burrito or any other crazy nonsense . Just show up, and eat in glory. NOTE: This is only going on at the UK campus Chipotle, don't go to the Mt. Tabor or Hamburg locations thinking it's going on there too. Thanks Jay & Facebook

One of the most famous things to go see in London is the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. It's a lot bigger than I thought. It involves an entire army band and a parade down the street. If you look real close, you can see that in their tall black hats, each soldier has a colored plume. There are 5 different colors that they could have. These colors signify where these soldiers are from. (Whales, Scottland, etc...) What may be even less known than that is that the changing of the guards actually starts at St. James palace where the guards come off duty. They start there, play a piece of music, then on with the marching to Buckingham Palace from there. Once you follow the band down the street, stick around after they've gone into the palace gates. There will also be a band coming from the other direction...from the barracks, the ones coming on duty. The picture is of the soldiers outside St. James.

So everyday when you sit down at your computer, there may be a few web sites that you always visit. They have just become part of your daily ritual. May be you have them organized under your bookmarks, but sometimes what you really are looking for is buried under lots of links. Depending and your usage there may be a better solution. Check out Only2Clicks , that service gives you some big ol icons of the sites you visit often. Set it as your homepage and as soon as you launch your browser you're just a click or two away from your most used sites. Maybe even more accurately, you don't need to go to those websites you just need the information off of them. Such as sports scores, stocks, headlines and the weather. Try iGoogle , I use this service and has enough customization for most uses. If you really want to go all out, and need data from a wider range of sites try Netvibes . Happy Browsing~

So your reception is already 4k over budget, you gotta cut costs somehow. Why not make you're dress out of Quilted Northern . It's probably cheaper than buying a dress plus you might even win a couple hundred dollars .

Be wary buying imitation products from people because you truly get what you pay for.

Tip #1: Amazon often has some great deals and rebates on cellphones. Tip #2: If you find that your $150 rebate is taking longer than the 8 to 12 weeks that they promised, try calling to complain. When they tell you that an error in their database caused your rebate to be erased, ask them to reissue it. Tip #3: If you find that your rebate still has not come after 20 weeks, try calling to complain. When they tell you that another error in their database caused your rebate to be erased, ask them to reissue it. Tip #4: If you find that your rebate still has not come after 28 weeks (7 months), try calling to complain. When they tell you that your order is processing and there is nothing they can do to speed it up, ask them how long it will take. When they tell you another 5-6 weeks, kindly hang up the phone and go to ftc.gov . An online complaint form awaits you there. Simply fill out said form and forward a copy of it to someone at Amazon. You should receive a response from Amazon letting...

The Arbor Day Foundation is excited to exploit the renewable part of renewable resources and will send you 10 trees for becoming a member for $10 . Pretty cool deal. Maybe you could go together with some friends because I for one certainly can't fit another 10 trees on my lot.

For those who care, I learned a valuable bit of CSS glory from a competing media firm under my own roof. Thanks, Fowler ! When working with background images and colors within a DIV, you may want to have a DIV contain a background image that does not repeat, and then a background color to the remaining area where content overflows the image area. I had always had some issues doing this, so Fowler clarified it all for me. There are two ways you can do it properly, and then an incorrect way (which I had been using.) Proper Way #1 background: #fff url(img/myimage.jpg); Proper Way #2 background-color: #fff; background-image: url(image.jpg); Improper Way background-color: #fff; background: url(image.jpg);

Still trying to save money on the big trip to London, but you really want to see some shows. They do have half price and discount ticket sales here. The only thing with these is that you should have looked up the prices on-line to see what you're willing to pay, and you'll need to ask them where the seats are. Seat pricing is odd here...you even pay more for certain seats in the movies! You in fact pay more to sit in the balcony at the movies! There is one theater here, I believe called the National Theater, where you pay 10 pounds and they have multiple stages with multiple productions going on. So with one price, you have a selection of plays from which to choose. So, if you're in town and want to see a play just to say you saw a play in London...there is one way to go! But if there is something specific, try the discount ticket places, you may just find a good deal.

I know sometimes we are concerned with insurance when traveling overseas. What if I get sick? What if something happens and I need to see a doctor? Well, in London they have better health care than we do in the states. You can pay cash for a doctor. An emergency room visit will cost you about £50. Your other option is to have a doctor make a house call! That's right, the hotel will order a doctor right to your room for you for £160! Now that's what I call room service!

No, in Germany, they don't drive on the left side of the road, but yes in England they do. Foot traffic is even opposite. Have no fear though, there are signs everywhere not only to remind you which side of the hall (in the subway stations) to walk on, but also where to look for traffic!