I tracked down annoying canker sores to SLS in the Crest toothpaste I had been using for years. After talking with a dentist, and trying their $20 Rx toothpaste, I found that Sensodyne has a great alternative for the typical $5 price tag. It tastes like an after-dinner mint (yuck) but otherwise does the job.

We’re celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary today. We’re a childless couple with no near future plans for little ones. We got a dog a couple years ago and that has been fulfilling so far - no, she’s not my furbaby, either.

I found one such older building near a rural university in the outskirts of Toyko. The restrooms in the train station had the option of a single squatty potty or what we would see as “old-fashioned” commercial flusher toilets with the long handle.

A number of auto parts stores oftentimes run specials where you can earn store credit for turned-in battery cores: $5-15.

Born and raised in the south. No one in my family drinks tea. I just started drinking hot green & iced black tea a year or so ago. Always unsweet.

Same here. We usually break even around tax time, but have to claim 0 deductions and withhold additional funds. Since I didn’t readjust our withholding last year, we ended up owing. :/

My SO and I received slightly more from the “tax cut”. However, I forgot to follow up & increase the amount withheld from our checks. As a result, we ended up owing rather than breaking even at tax time. Pretty lame no matter how you look at it.

I never really minded going to the dentist. I’m lucky to have pretty good dental health with relatively minimal effort: I brush twice daily, water-floss, etc. But I’ve found as an adult that I increasingly dislike the dental pick-ing session with each visit. I’m an easy patient, but my nerves start to get on edge.

I’m grateful to have been out of the dating game for several years. But if any of my previous dates had brought up money on the first date, I probably wouldn’t have gone out with them on a second date. IMO, it’s best to see if they’re worth getting to know first before addressing finances. /shrug

Don’t forget that you can also recycle other types of “plastic film” products with those plastic shopping bags: shipping air packets & envelopes, bubble wrap, produce bags, clean Ziploc type storage packets, bread bags and other clean food wraps/bags, paper towel/toilet paper/etc case packaging, dry cleaning bags, and…

Perhaps consider securing them in the bed via harness/lead. Worst comes to worst (and hopefully it never will) they at least won’t be thrown at or into another person’s vehicle.

I got my Real ID last year. After hearing horror stories about being rejected after the typical 3+ hour wait at the DMV, it was a bit intimidating to try to get all the acceptable required documents together. So I called and asked what they recommended.

I love our dog hammock. It really helps to protect the vinyl/leather on the rear seats from claw marks and stains. It’s also beneficial for catching all the dirt/dog hair/etc that tends to accumulate after a couple car rides.

I’ve got an Apple smartwatch case someone could probably use for odd-shaped storage. Anyone want it? Watch is long gone and I don’t have an iPhone. 

This. Don’t be that person or group of people that gets off the train and stops immediately to regroup. Japan’s flow of people is based on efficiency and that backs it up, especially during rush hour. Exit the train, follow the flow of traffic until you can step aside, then regroup and plan. Same goes for getting on…

Road trips call for something sweet, chewy, but not messy: Twizzlers or Twin Snakes gummies are popular choices. I’m also a fan of wasabi-coated peas for a savory snack although they can leave your fingers dusty.

I loved commuting around Tokyo by foot, bus, and train during a 2-week trip of the country. Nearly everything transportation there is so efficient compared to the cluster of transportation in the US’s bigger cities and my own region’s lack of adequate public transportation.

One thing I get frustrated about is the plastic monthly blister packs prescription birth control comes in. They have the holes for pushing daily pills out and once done are usually tossed. I tried to see if anyone recycles those containers or collects them to melt down as material, but no luck so far.

Don’t forget to quote the insurance on that new car! Do it before committing to a new vehicle. I’ve had people call to replace their 8 year old car with a shiny new SUV and are shocked by the increase in their insurance rate. It’s newer, bigger, and more expensive to replace than your 2011 Toyota Corolla, Karen.

Working for such scholarly individuals has taught me one thing: the more intellectual the individual, the more likely they are to lack common sense or not understand some of the basics, especially when it comes to their finances. It’s impressively sad.