GeekSugar

The Original GPS!

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:35:54 PDT

The best of us geeks can be a little wary about GPS. Though common sense dictates that you shouldn't drive your car directly into a solid object, no matter how nice the voice telling you to do it is, some people are so trusting of tech that stuff happens.

You know what never directed anyone into a bridge? The original Global Positioning System: the handwritten note. The GPS notepad is a gag for anyone who remembers simpler times of drawing a map for your friends and hoping they can follow your instructions. It's also a lot cheaper!

How to Cash in on Spring Cleaning

Kiplinger — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:10:28 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

After about a year and a half of marriage, my husband and I have finally unpacked the boxes of his stuff and our wedding gifts that had piled up in every corner of our apartment. In doing so, we organized the whole place - finding a home within our home for all our "new" things while purging the old.

Through the whole process, we've unearthed a veritable trove of potential income sources littering our former wasteland. If you invest some time in spring cleaning, be sure to take stock of these six possible treasures disguised as trash:

1) Receipts

My level-one hoarding issues have finally paid off… big time. (Kiplinger’s does not encourage or condone hoarding in any way.) Shuffled amid our apartment’s piles and piles of papers, we located receipts we were able to use for Flexible Spending Account claims amounting to nearly $2,000.

You just missed most employers’ March 15 deadline by which you needed to spend 2010 FSA funds. But you may still have time to file your claims: My company, for example, gives participating employees until June 15, as long as the receipts show services were rendered or purchases were made before March 15. If you don’t drain the account in time, you’ll have to kiss that cash goodbye. (See ASK KIM: Make the Most of the New Flex-Account Rules for more about how FSAs work.)

Also keep an eye out for receipts you can use to claim tax deductions, such as for charitable donations or job-hunting expenses, if you itemize. For more write-offs you may have forgotten, check out our slide show: The Most-Overlooked Tax Deductions.

2) Gift Cards

Be sure to sift through your clutter for unused gift cards. Even if you don’t care to use them yourself, you can still gain value from them before they expire. Exchange sites such as Gift Card Granny or Plastic Jungle will buy gift cards for a portion of their value (see KIP TIP: Get Cash Fast for more information).

Read on to find out how to deal with your electronics.

Prewedding Workout With Fiancé: Take a Hike!

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:41:35 PDT

Hiking is a fun but challenging activity that's great to do with your fiancé. A day hitting the trail includes breathtaking views and up to 355 calories burned in just an hour!

To set a hiking date, pack a picnic of your favorite healthy foods and set out to a scenic spot to celebrate the long hike you just endured. Not only will you be spending the day together in the beautiful outdoors, but you'll also be getting a great workout to help you stay in shape for the wedding! New to hiking? Make sure to practice our hiking dos and don'ts before heading out on the trail.

DON'T

Do your best to hike with friends. It's much safer than hiking alone, and more fun too!
Research the trail and area before heading out so you know what to expect.
Make sure to pack snacks, water, a cell phone, and a map or GPS device. Also bring along rain gear, extra layers, and your ID.
Tell people where you'll be. If anything happens to you, you want people to know where to look.
Always stick to the trail. It keeps you and the natural habitat safe.
If you need to go "number one," do so far away from the trail and any natural water sources. If you need to go "number two," dig a hole first and cover it when you are done. Carry toilet paper with you, or use a leaf to wipe - just make sure it's not poisonous!

Don't wear new hiking boots on an epic hike. You will end up with painful blisters.
Don't disturb animals or their homes. Be a quiet observer and take a few pics if you want.
Don't pick flowers or other plants.
Don't blare loud music or talk too loudly. Fellow hikers come to enjoy the quietness of nature so be respectful. (Unless of course you encounter a bear - then make as much noise as you can!)
Don't litter. Pack a small garbage bag so you can keep track of your trash and pick up after other messy hikers.
Don't stay on a trail that is too difficult for you. It's more than OK to turn around.

11 Ways to Simplify Your Life Using Tech

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:26:51 PDT

Between work, play, and home, your life can get a little cluttered. Though some are in the camp that gadgets cause us more stress than we need, tech can actually help simplify and streamline our lives, even - dare we say it - make it a little more fun. Check out these 11 tips on how tech can help you breathe a little easier every day.

Set up autopay for your bills - Writing checks seems so outdated these days, especially when a majority of creditors and even landlords have an autopay option. By setting up your bills to automatically withdraw from your checking account, you save cash on stamps and envelopes and could even save a few trees in the process. Plus, you'll never be late on a credit card payment again!
Stop getting paper bills - In addition to setting up autopay, you should cancel your paper bills in favor of an electronic version if possible. This will cut down on mail clutter, and you'll have a digital copy of your monthly statement whenever you need it.
Use a social media aggregator - I like to use Hootsuite for my Twitter and Facebook needs, but you can also sync Hootsuite to see your LinkedIn, Wordpress, Foursquare, Ping, and Mixi accounts all in one place. No more jumping around to different social media accounts!
Try Spotify premium - Seriously, who has time to sync, drag, and drop files anymore in this day of fast moving tech? By paying just $10 a month, music fanatics can listen to all the music they want (whether they own it or not) on their computers, mobile devices (via an app), or even offline when they're out of reach. It's one of our favorite things.
Use an RSS reader - There are plenty of good reasons to use an RSS reader (like Google Reader), but the main one is that it saves you time. By subscribing to the RSS feeds of your favorite websites, you no longer have to jump around from site to site to get the latest news. The news comes to you! Plus, you can get access from the web at home or on your smartphone to catch up while you're waiting for the bus or sweating it on the bike at the gym.

See the rest of our tips after the break.