I'm also not talking about very late hours, it's about 8:30 and she'll pass out. If she needs less volume she'll move to the bed, but most often she likes to go to bed together, so I wake her up at around 10:30 to go to bed. A lot of nights the TV isn't even on and I'm just doing stuff like work e-mail, so there isn't…

I just sleep less. She needs 8-9 hours, while I need 5-6. This means what almost every night that she goes to bed before me and wakes up after me. What I don't do is compromise. The TV volume for the extra two hours each night stays the same if that's what I am doing. In fact, she often falls asleep initially on the…

It depends on the school you go to for the connections. Some schools are degree factories. If you go to a notable institution it's a lot more likely that you'll be included in more circles. For me as a liberal arts major it was out of necessity to be employable. It's also undeniable that there's been degree inflation…

Excellent article! We had just spent our saving on our downpayment, and after moving into our first home realized one thing, lots of small things could make this easier. We focused on comfort and value, so we took a house built in 1962 and added central air and replaced the original furnace. We used the existing…

I have this, and I try to use it daily, but often it's only once or twice a week. I tell my wife that it's staring at the wall time. I'm not watching TV, I'm not planning anything in particular, I'm not on the computer. I think the most I do during "stare at the wall" time is fold laundry. I find myself coming up with…

Disclaimer, I work in higher-ed, so I'm a little biased.... However, I do think that too many 18 year old's are shipped off to schools that don't do enough to shape them into adults, leaving them aimless and just another face in the crowd. I'll also stipulate that the last thing someone who is truly gifted needs is to…

Our Costco is out of the way, so we typically only go when doing a large run, however it is also on the way to my in-laws..... so no matter how much gas I have I always stop and get some after I visit the inlaws. Costco itself is typically closed by then, there are no lines, and I didn't make any extra trip except…

For other TWC customers out there, one time I got a rep to call me and give me a better DVR (newer black one with bigger HDD) just by complaining on twitter about how many times my current one had to get serviced or swapped out. Working with someone from headquarters was nice for a change! Then every once in awhile I…

This is great advice, but I feel like life costs too much money to have 85% extra. I leave a cushion of only $200 in my every day account. So if I need cash, there's that limit. All other cash goes into a checking account that's harder to get to (don't carry the debit card) When that second account builds up beyond…

Agreed, I have a postage sized yard, so the mower doesn't get beat up, and I did opt for a stronger one. I'm hoping mine will last more like 10. I feel like the manual labor of shoveling keeps me healthy and money in my pocket. I'll pay the neighbor kids when I stop feeling like doing it. My neighbors use blowers here…

I think lawn care alone is what surprised me, a lot of one time purchases..... lawn mower, blower, trimmer, spreader, mulch, flowers themselves, hose, hose coil, shovel, snow shovel, 2 rakes, saws, gloves, weed and feed, sprinkler, salt, potting soil, etc. Other things, like shower curtains, washer & dryer, and those…

When we got our membership, we told the guy we had to go to member services. He let us in. Then we went shopping but had to get a cart. It was literally 2 minutes after he just saw us, and he watched us get our membership and when we walked in with the cart he hounded us for the band new cards we had just gotten.

If you are checking in late, always ask for a free upgrade if you are only staying one night. As the article points out, many people try to get rid of bad rooms first...... so the hotel is holding onto a suite in case a guy walks in off the street in order to force him to pay the higher price. If that room isn't taken…

Hopefully they finally got it right. They've had embedded audio for awhile, but audacity was easier....... thanks for the reference.

Yes, but it's finicky and harder to use than audacity.....

I'm a big fan of Audacity........... Another good use is to voice over power point to create a stand alone presentation.

I find life is much more fun when you turn it off for the entire duration of your trip, unless you are going for business or will be living somewhere for an extended period. Traveling internationally for most people is a rare occurrence. I carried mine to make sure I had it in case of emergency, but in the last three…

It's the same with friends...... you always assume that you're paying your way. If you like them, are celebrating something, or know that they'll hit you back later, you offer to pay. If they insist on putting some in, always let them, if it's paying their own way or buying the next round, doesn't matter. Good people,…

This is exactly how my wife's mom paid for three kids to go to a top university for free. I work for my school and so far it's paid for two graduate degrees, one for me, one for my wife. I cannot stress enough what a wonderful place higher education is to work, especially if you work at one that promotes the same…

Great perspective! It's all being mindful.