The big one for me is always getting a raise and figuring out how to allocate it. Sometimes I think a raise means I get to upgrade every aspect of my life—I want to get a new place, eat out more, splurge more on electronics, etc. Then I look at the actual numbers and—yeah, not so much.

I opted to build a desktop PC and get a chromebook—probably spent as much as I would have on a quality laptop.

15% + 8% match. Then 10% of post-tax income going into a mix of high-yield savings and a mutual fund.

Chicago IL (Edgewater neighborhood)

1. How maker spaces work

Very nice. I've been thinking of figuring out a way to do this too. I don't need sight lines to any of my electronics since everything on my entertainment center is either bluetooth or wireless, not IR. It also allows him to leave off the back inserts for more airflow.

I actually haven't found something I really like. Ideally, I'd like something that was closed in the front to hide the clutter of all my electronics (everything hooked up to my TV is bluetooth-based now so I don't have to worry about sightlines to IR receivers for my connected boxes) but open in the back to allow…

I actually haven't found something I really like. Ideally, I'd like something that was closed in the front to hide…

I don't include it just because I don't expect them to try to contact me via mail until later in the process. They'll call or email me if they want to set up an interview. It leaves more space for content if you're trying to keep it on one page.

Best Buy does price matching and has a no-hassle return policy. Chicago sales tax kind of sucks, but I'd rather just have it than than try to deal with shipping.

I just started running. For those of you that have used fitness tracking apps, what do you use, and has it made it easier to stick with it and/or see results? Any tips?

I actually think everyone of those items you've listed hurts you more if you underspend than if you overspend. If a savings mentality is standing between you and getting in better shape, then spend what it costs. Sure, you could just go out running for free, but if you know yourself and you're more likely to exercise…

I went from Verizon to T-Mobile prepaid with an unlocked Galaxy Nexus and have no regrets. You should be able to port your number from Verizon—you just might need to get an unlock code from them. If Net10 doesn't allow porting numbers, you can always port to Google Voice and forward calls to your new number (that's…

For me, I stopped pirating for a simple reason: I started making enough money that I couldn't justify it anymore. These things only get produced if there's revenue.

Once when I was working in AmeriCorps in rural appalachia. A couple organizations were interested in hiring me on, but I just couldn't take it there any longer. I hadn't acclimated well to the culture or made any friends.

I'm building my own these days, but I can't imagine going back to HDD. It's solid-state from here on out for me.

I think you'll be disappointed with anything cheaper than a Nexus 7. Go with that.

I use my Nexus 10 for damn near everything, but then I don't have a laptop at home. I happen to think that a desktop PC (in my case custom built) plus a tablet is a better device combination at the same price of a high-end laptop.

Anyone have any experience with services designed to "gamify" your life, helping you track and improve your habits? I've dabbled in a couple things, but nothing really stuck to the point where tracking and leveling up made it feel like a game.

My girlfriend and I have been wanting to take a long vacation to tour the west coast, starting in california and ending up in seatle or vancouver. It seems like the price of a rental car is fairly prohibitive if you want to pick it up in one city and leave it in another. Any ideas?

I use the "phase beam" that comes with Nexus devices. It's slow-moving and has soft edges, and I haven't noticed it affecting the battery too much.