UK Trains are expensive. Don't bother with 1st class - standard class is just fine. Be sure to book a ticket/seat for busy routes (such as London-Edinburgh) otherwise you'll be sitting on the luggage rack.

This is not a good argument if you happen to be unlucky and find yourself living in a part of the country experiencing a long term property bubble (i.e. all of CA, FL, and a few big cities in the Northeast).

Rule 14

Here are some good thoughts on credit scores...

One set of receipts I always keep, are those for work done on the house - contractors, plumbers, roof work etc. A lot of "the trades" are still heavily reliant on paper, and I can't see the AC repair guy responding very well to my insistence that he honor the warranty on his repair, while I'm weilding an iPad with a…

$220 for a freakin' toothbrush!

Pine nuts are mega expensive this year for some reason? We used pistachios instead which are just as tasty but cheaper.

OED comes free inside the kindle app on most mobile interfaces, no need to spend any $$. I'm pretty sure it's free in the nook reader app too.

Ideas are useless when hung onto, and if you think just by keeping it a secret, nobody else will work on it, you're delusional. If it's a good idea, I can pretty much guarantee that someone else already thought of it. It's easy to get upset when a boss or coworker "stole" your idea, but the people you should really…

Who the hell uses bed skirts? Nasty dust gathering under the bed. No thanks.

A few other things worth doing...

As detailed in this excellent book...

Not at all. The sepia theme in Kindle app makes it look like paper, and with a matte screen protector it is very readable and soft on the eyes. I stare at a screen for at least 6 hours a day at work anyway, so I figure another hour at night reading an iPad isn't going to make my eyes any more tired than they alreayd…

Vote: iPad

Sorry, but I just dont' buy the scientific explanation behind this. Supposedly it works by "equalizing the blood pressure". Err..... equalizing it to what? There's a pressure difference across a wound - the blood in your vessels is at a nominal pressure, and the air outside is at a lower pressure. That's what…

I think most of the chain paint-shops (maaco etc.) will do you a bargain basement paint job for $100 or less. Key thing if you attempt it yourself is to control the dust. Invest $10 in some good plastic sheeting and a roll of tape, to make yourself a contained spray "room", and the results will be a lot better. …

First, it all depends on whether you can afford to be stranded. If I were driving 70 miles a day, there is no way I would settle for anything less than a new-ish car, with a good warranty, roadside assistance, free loaner vehicle etc. Having just got rid of a car that was 7 years old and was in the shop more than…

Soap. Strong smelly soap. Critters hate it. Just zip-tie a bar in the engine bay, and one under the driver's seat. Bonus - your car will smell good too. Dryer sheets accomplish the same ends.