If you have children and talk to them about danger (which you should), tell them that if someone is ever attempting to take them they should yell “you’re not my mom/dad!” That way, passers-by know it’s not just a kid having a tantrum
My mom taught me this along with having a password if one of her co-workers ever had to pick me up for an emergency or whatever. Once my grandpa came to get me and it wasn’t planned, I asked him the password and he didn’t know what I was talking about. I wouldn’t go with him for 20 minutes until he called my dad and got the password.
New college freshmen, get to know your professors early on. In your later years, good relationships with professors can lead to recommendations, research, and job opportunities.
I got to know one of my profs, then became research assistant for him during undergrad, and was offered a master’s with great scholarship. Thing is you don’t need to kiss your profs ass. Just sit in front of class, ask intelligent questions and nod when you see him. Point is to just let him know you exist.
If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, get it done in Henna first: It will force you to live with the design and location past the honeymoon stage and show you how comfortable you are with it in your day to day life
Always keep one extra day off from your vacation schedule to adjust back to daily life
Or, be like me and get back to work at noon on the day you return. Then, continue hating yourself as you’ve always done.
If you have an option in high school/college, join the debating team. Public speaking and thinking on the spot are two of the most crucial skills to learn in life. You’ll notice the difference in your day to day interactions
If you are near a university’s campus in spring, check near the dorms for items that the students leave when they break up for summer. Many don’t want to take home larger items if they live far away from campus, so you could pick up some nice stuff that was left on the curb for trash.
In Madison WI the big move out day is August 15 and it is affectionately called “hippie Christmas”
When flying, put a tag with your info inside your bag, not just outside. Any tag on the outside can come off. Also, when a bag gets lost, the airline will open it to try to determine who it belongs to.
Learn to do — and enjoy — things by yourself. You’re going to miss out on a lot of fun if you keep waiting for someone else to accompany you
Took up archery for a while. Guess what? I met a bunch of people who were in to archery.
Don’t let people guilt you for not visiting them. They’re not visiting you either
I always feel guilty when people say, “I miss you, you should really come visit me in [city that’s a several hour drive away].” It always eases my mind when I remind myself that this person is equally capable of visiting me and isn’t doing it either.
For those of you going to college for the first time this month: GO TO CLASS! No matter how hungover, tired, or busy you may be, being present is the most important factor in succeeding in your first year as you adjust to living independently. Missing class is a slippery slope to failing out
The first time you need a certified birth certificate for a child, order 5 copies instead of one. You’ll be glad you did over the next 18 years
Do the same thing for marriage certs, death certs, etc.
As a manager, don’t let your pride cloud your judgement when someone has a better idea than you on a decision. It’s an improvement on a course of action, not your character
“Being a leader doesn’t mean having all the answers, just the ability to recognize the right ones when they come up.”
If you make a mistake, admit to the mistake, apologize, and explain what steps you’ll take to prevent it from happening again in the future. It’s very hard for people to yell at you if you’ve done that.
Both professionally and in my personal life, I know a bunch of people that refuse to admit to having made a mistake. When I mess up (and we all do at some point,) I just own up to it right away. By accepting responsibility, apologizing, and saying what I’ll do to keep it from happening again, I not only avoid getting a lecture about whatever I did wrong, I also get thanked by my boss/friend/whoever.
Buy your own modem. Internet companies will charge roughly $15-$20 a month forever to use something you can buy once for $50-$100. This will save you a ton of money in the long run.
If you have to pay a company to work for them, it’s a scam. Period.
If you have a hard time getting up in the morning, take some deep breaths to get oxygen to your brain, organs and muscles
The burst of oxygen will keep you from hitting the snooze button, and will make it easier to get out of bed and get moving.
When you’re settling a debt with a friend, don’t do it by buying them a gift or treating them to dinner. Square the debt with cash. They may actually need the money. Gifts or dinner should be a way to say thank you
Never stick with at a job or with a company out of loyalty if it means missing out on a good opportunity. No matter how good to you they may be the second you are no longer valuable to them they will lay you off without a second thought.
If you move to a new place, or simply want to make friends, try volunteering. Volunteer at as many places as you have the time for, long term or one-time events: parks, beach clean up, library, museum, local animal shelter, fundraisers, etc.
If dealer asks why you want to sell your car, say you’re looking to upgrade. If you say other reasons like need the money, moving town, etc., they will lowball you with the price offer knowing you’re desperate to sell it, and will most likely take whatever they offer
Keep life at work professional. If people start gossip don’t involve yourself. If managers ask you questions come up with positive ways to talk about people. Use neutral words instead of disagreeing. Work hard, then enjoy your separate life outside of work
Diphenhydramine HCL is an antihistamine that you probably know as “Benadryll”. Store brand “Allergy Relief” medications with the same active ingredient are 1/10th the price.
On top of that, the same drug is also sold as a “non-addictive sleep aid” since it gets you drowsy. If you buy it as a sleep aid, it is more expensive, even if it is a store brand. So if you want it as an allergy med OR a sleep aid, buy the store brand allergy relief bottle.
Zzzquil is just the liquid form of the medicine and is almost 25x more expensive per dose
Also, Tylenol PM, Advil PM, etc, is just Tylenol/Advil/whatever with Benadryl (diphenhydramine). If you use Tylenol PM to sleep but not for for pain relief, give your liver a break and switch to plain ol’ diphenhydramine.
Universities like MIT offer free online courses for subjects like Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology and more that include full lectures and exams
Never assume that someone won’t be able to go to an event, it’s always better to invite them anyway, that way they know they haven’t purposefully been left out. It’ll avoid a lot of negativity.
If somebody comes to your door selling a home security system and asks if you have one, always say yes.
If they ask which company, tell them it’s none of their business. Many people looking for homes to rob will come to your door asking about security systems. It gives them a chance to case the home and look for weaknesses like if you don’t have a dog or if the house is homed by women or the elderly.
Instead of paying a lot of money for Mr. Cleans Magic Erasers just buy Melamine foam
It’s the exact same stuff but the foam you can buy in packs of twenty for a few dollars.
• Don't insult other visitors. Offensive comments will be deleted without warning.
• Comments are accepted in English only.
• No swearing words in comments, otherwise such comments will be censored.
• Your nickname and avatar are randomly selected. If you don't post comments for 7 days, they both are reset.
• To choose another avatar, click the ‘Random avatar’ link.
