From Lifehack.org:

It’s one of the most common reasons for arguments and divorce in marriages. It can keep us from achieving our dreams, or it can enable us. It can cultivate the worst in people, and it can cultivate the best. Money is one the most fundamental, crude, material parts of our existence, yet we look at it like some kind of metaphysical, unknowable force.

If this describes your relationship with money, it might be time to dedicate some time to improving your knowledge of your finances and set about improving them. You could even make a 30-day trial out of getting a grip on your money. From reducing your debt to automating your tax accounting records, there’s something for every reader.

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From Life Hackery:

On a recent dumpster diving trip, we came across several discarded pairs of jeans. They seemed perfectly good and sported no rips, stains or funky smells. Since these 43 X 30s were out of our size range, they went right to the thrift store’s drop box.

Spotting these seemingly still-good jeans being discarded brought up a question: what can you do with old jeans that you just can’t wear any longer? Actually, a lot of things. Denim is a sturdy and long-lasting material. Most of the suggestions below require some level of craftiness, but with a little time and effort you can give those old jeans new life. Bonus: recycling jeans to make stuff is a fantastic way to save money and increase your green factor. Next time we see some old jeans going to waste, we’re snagging ‘em.

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From the Site:

Occasionally I toy with the idea of creating a Get Rich Slowly podcast. (A podcast is like a short internet-based radio program. Think of it as an “audio blog”.) I think it would be a great way to explore topics in greater depth, and in ways that print just cannot handle. I’m also fascinated with the idea of interviewing regular people about their everyday money concerns.

I’m not ready to make the leap to podcasting just yet, but I have begun listening to other personal finance podcasts from time-to-time. Here are some of the best that I’ve found:

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From the Site:

Converting your vehicle to run on veggie oil is a good move economically and environmentally. And here’s what BP and Exxon don’t want you to know: it’s not hard to do.

Wouldn’t it be great to pack-up the car or the SUV for a weekend excursion without fretting over the cost of fuel? Or take that road trip you and your friends keep talking about? All with no concern about pumping all of your hard-earned cash into the gas tank. Heck, it would be great just to drive around town without that concern. Here’s how you can do it.

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Zero tolerance: It’s the only way to break a bad habit. So don’t indulge - scratch that itch mentally. Here’s how.

#1 - Wear a Rubber Band

When you feel a craving coming on, snap your wrist three times quickly. Scientists and torturers call this negative reinforcement: Craving equals pain. It’s akin to smacking yourself on the nose with a newspaper.

#2 - Pour Yourself a Glass of Cure

When it comes to nervous habits, water is your secret weapon. When you feel a craving coming on, chug at least 10 ounces. It’s amazing how well this works.

#3 - Switch Sides of the Bed

If you’re a consistent habit former, you should overhaul your routines - what time you wake up, what you eat for breakfast, what route you take to work, and so on - every 3 months.

Source: Men’s Health magazine, May 2008

From LifeHacker:

Whether you want to watch a movie on your iPod or back up your too-easily-scratched DVDs, DVD ripping is a mysterious realm for many. Even those in-the-know find it difficult to keep up with the best tools for the job, especially in the face of increased copy protection. On Tuesday we asked you to share your favorite DVD ripping tools; today we’ve sifted through hundreds of comments to bring you the five most popular answers. Hit the jump for a closer look at five of the best and most popular DVD ripping tools, then cast your vote to determine the best ripper of the bunch.

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From ZenHabits:

I’ve learned a lot about changing habits in the last 2 1/2 years, from quitting smoking to taking up running and GTD and vegetarianism and waking early and all that. I could go on, of course, but you get the picture.

I’ve not only learned a lot about what you should do when changing habits, but through my failures, I’ve learned about what not to do.

And trust me, I’ve had lots of failures.

I’ve found failures to be just as important as successes when trying to learn how to improve, especially when it comes to changing habits. It’s not an easy task, and I’m sure every one of us has tried to quit something and failed, or tried to do something positive and failed. The key, of course, is to not just give up after failure, but to reset your resolve, to analyze what went wrong and why, and to plan to overcome those obstacles the next time.

I’ve done that, with one failure after another, and would like to share a few things I’ve learned to avoid when trying to change a habit.

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From the Site:

The key to overcoming procrastination is inner strength, inner strength to motivate ourself on completing a task no matter how big or small it is. However most of us lack a particular strength in character and get sucked away from our goals and plans. Do not despair though there are ways to help pass procrastination and eventually get things done.

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From the Site:

Anyone who has kids knows that any life with kids is going to be complicated, at least to some degree. From extra laundry to bathing and cooking and shopping and driving and school and chores and crises and sports and dance and toys and tantrums, there is no shortage of complications.

You won’t get to ultra-simple if your life includes children … but you can find ways to simplify, no matter how many kids you have.

Take my life, for example: I have a house full of kids, and yet I’ve found ways to streamline my life, to find peace and happiness among the chaos. How is this magic trick accomplished? Nothing magical, actually, but just little things that have simplified my life over the years.

The main magic trick, however: making my family my top priority, and choosing only a small number of priorities in my life. If you have too many things you want to do, or need to do, your life will become complicated. But if you choose just a few things that are important to you, you can eliminate the rest, and simplify your life greatly.

What follows is a list that might seem complicated to some — 25 items! Trust me, I could easily double this list, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Instead of trying to tackle everything on this list at once, choose a few things that appeal to you, and give them a try. Bookmark this page and come back to it from time to time to try out other ideas. Best yet, they might inspire new ideas of your own!

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From the Site:

You have absolutely no chance of getting a job if you can’t make a good impression during the job interview. Find out what you need to know about interviewing and get real techniques to ace your interview here.

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