As inhabitants of a routinely unfair class system, it’s only natural for us to want to live in luxury. We want the most expensive/overpriced food, drinks, services, and gizmos, attained at the expense of our hard-earned cash. Sometimes it’s nice to live a little above our income. However, sometimes we needlessly pay too much, and the less costly alternatives really wouldn’t be too much of a compromise. Here are the top 10 things we overpay for, assembled in no particular order. [Read more…]
The internet has certainly made our lives easier, but as we navigate our way through the new online way of doing things we need to be cautious, too. Shopping for clothes online means we have to be aware of some things we might normally not be in a store, but we’ve found some easy ways to protect yourself.
Online clothing stores are a great alternative for everyone, whether you’re too time poor to head to the mall, want a greater variety of clothes to choose from, or want to benefit from the discounted prices found online, there are certainly plenty of benefits. All of these advantages come at a price though, as it seems to be increasingly more difficult to keep yourself and your finances protected when you shop online.
These days, it’s fairly easy to see what stores are reputable and know whether or not they’re worthy of your business. But in addition to being aware of what’s out there, there are some simple things you can check off in your mind to ensure that you’re having the safest shopping experience possible at these online clothing stores. With eight out of 10 Americans now doing some form of shopping online, there’s never been a better time to get savvy.
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This one will depend on what you buy obviously, but for items over $100 it might be worthwhile to look at insurance cover. Some stores will offer insurance protection and other times it may come from the freight carrier, and if not you will need to organize it for yourself. There are a number of things that can happen during transit and even the packing stages, so for a few dollars of protection you can keep your goods safe and guarantee that you won’t lose any money in the process. Remember, you don’t get to hold onto your clothes instantly like you do in a store, so you want something to protect them on their journey to you.
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Not only is the online world a tricky place to maneuver when shopping for clothes online, but you then have to worry about once your packages arrive. Most people enter their address without a second thought, but there is little protection from your goods staying safe until you can get to them. Whether you’re not at home or at work for the day, an unsupervised package can be easily snapped up if it’s left there. Trying to track down a lost or stolen package can be near impossible, and you’ll likely just lose your money altogether. Think ahead and have your delivery sent to where you’ll be or ensure that you’ve selected the right option so that it’s not left out.
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Ecommerce stores usually put in a lot of effort to make their websites functional and well designed. If you’re shopping online and come across a site that looks suspicious or as if it hasn’t been designed very well, you should probably trust your gut. There are plenty of scams out there online and it’s easy enough to make a fake ecommerce store and list goods that you have no intention of selling. People can easily take your money or worse still, your bank card details, so you really need to trust your gut when shopping online. Look for obvious errors like spelling mistakes, links that don’t work, and a lack of reviews or feedback from previous customers.
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These days it’s common for people to connect to free Wi-Fi at their favorite restaurants and bars or use the internet connection at the mall. Although this is fine for everyday internet browsing, when you’re entering sensitive information like personal details and financial accounts you should never do shop on a public connection. Online shopping is best reserved for home when you know that you’re on a secure and private connection. It’s very easy for people to hack the phones and computers that connect to public Wi-Fi, so don’t put yourself at risk. When you do have to use your smartphone in public, be sure that you have an anti-virus or security app in place that can offer you some protection.
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One of the sneakiest ways that people target shoppers online is by using their credit card information. Rather than doing one huge purchase and making it obvious that your card has been stolen, though, they may slowly and discreetly take just small amounts of money at a time in the hopes that you wouldn’t notice. This type of behavior will add up to quite a bit for the thief and especially when they have multiple cards they’re taking money from. To protect yourself, you should check your online banking accounts at least once a week and make sure that you can account for every cent that’s been spent. If you do suspect anything, inform your bank and have your cards canceled and replaced.
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People often assume that there’s only one way to shop for clothes online, and that’s to input their very private credit card number. For the purpose of a safe shopping experience, you should use another method when it’s available. If an online store doesn’t offer something like PayPal that will keep your details safe, you may be able to apply for a virtual credit card number. These work like temporary cards that will allow you to make one purchase, and then after a short amount of time they will no longer be valid. This means you buy just the one thing and even if someone gets hold of your card details, they won’t work after you’ve used them and will be virtually useless.
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Most of us are pretty well versed in how to detect a spam email these days, but occasionally they do slip by us. One of the most cunning ways that these spammers get your attention is to promote a sale or discount that’s happening, in the hopes that you’ll find the offer so attractive you’ll have no choice but to click through. If you do want to check out the store and what they have, do a quick Google search of the store and see if it’s legit. Clicking links that come through in an email can be dangerous as there’s no telling where they’ll lead you and whether or not it could be linked to a virus or malicious site.
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One simple way to see whether or not you’re shopping safely is to inspect the URL of the store you’re at. Most standard websites will have an HTTP in front of the address, but sites that are secured will have HTTPS. The S stands for SSL or Secure Sockets Layer which means the information sent on the site will be encrypted, like credit card details. Another way to look for safety is to see if there’s a padlock icon down the bottom of the screen, with a closed lock meaning it’s okay to shop there. This applies to both mobile and desktop sites, so get into the habit of checking this every time you shop online or intend to input personal information.
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Any smart computer owner will have their gear protected, and this can be done with a number of software applications. Antivirus software is a must-have in this day and age but there are also other programs that can give you more protection. Shocking reports over the years have shown that almost a third of Americans have no antivirus software at work, and most people don’t have anything protecting their smartphones either. Not only is it essential to use these programs but you’ll have to keep them updated regularly, along with your computer’s operating system, so that they can give you up to date protection.
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It’s one thing that nobody wants to do, and we’re all guilty of simply skimming through the text and clicking “I Agree” from time to time. When it comes to shopping online though, you really need to be careful about who you’re buying from and what they can do with your information. They may be able to sell your email address to marketers, or worse still you could be agreeing to give them your personal details and financial institution information. In cases where you’ve agreed to such behavior, you may have a hard time getting your money back if the worse should happen.
Food challenges have been around for a long time. And many of them, while being just as impossibly ridiculous as the TidePod Challenge, aren’t as potentially life-threatening and do involve actual food that a lot of people consume on a daily basis. Check out this impossible food challenges list. There’s the milk challenge, the ghost pepper challenge, the saltines challenge, the marshmallow challenge, the cinnamon challenge, the warheads challenge, and the bananas and Sprite challenge. Try some of them out, if you dare. Or maybe just pick truth instead.
Every impossible food challenges list includes the age-old chugging of milk challenge. Why? For one, it’s accessible and affordable, you only need one product and you can pick it up pretty much anywhere at any time; milk is something that a large percentage of people consume every day; for some, more than once a day. And two, what could be so hard about drinking a gallon of milk in an hour? Seems like an easy challenge to win. But not so. The issue that arises is that our bodies cannot process that much lactose in such a short period of time. An enzyme within our body, lactase, handles the lactose from the milk, but lactase will dissipate extremely quickly with a gallon of milk.
Probable Result: You will most likely vomit up the milk during the challenge or after.
In this challenge, the participants must chew and swallow an entire ghost pepper (or a similar-type pepper like a habanero, but the ghost pepper is commonly referred to as the hottest pepper in the entire world). Based on the size of the pepper, normally not much bigger than a jalapeno, one might think that this would be an effortless task. However, they were not kidding when they deemed the ghost pepper the hottest pepper in the world; it has been cited as being up to 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. And Tabasco sauce is already pretty hot in itself. It ranks in at a whopping 1,000,000 on a Scoville scale, which is a measurement of the strength of chili peppers.
Probable Result: Aside from a burning hot mouth and tears, there are reported cases of more damaging results, such as it putting a hole in a man’s esophagus.
Nothing like a salty, crunchy, flaky saltine cracker to accompany your soups or to lay the foundation for your favorite dips or cheeses. So one would not think that something as innocent as saltines would be part of the impossible food challenges list. But you’d be wrong. And you be doubly wrong to think that eating six crackers in a minute without water would be a pretty mild challenge to take on. The problem? Simply put, our mouths do not produce enough saliva to handle the dryness of these crackers, therefore eating one per ten seconds is beyond our capacity.
Probable Result: At least one or two crackers will be left uneaten after you’ve given up and asked for water, or you’ll choke trying to get them down.
Everybody loves marshmallows, they’re chewy and gooey and sweet. The perfect snack for anytime. As long as you are swallowing them. For this challenge, participants must try to stuff as many marshmallows in their mouth as they can without swallowing, and then clearly pronounce the phrase “Chubby Bunny.” Judges will determine what is or is not an acceptable pronunciation. This is one of the more difficult ones on the impossible food challenges list because not only do you have to be able to speak during it, marshmallows are not easily dissolved by our saliva, so you are literally stuffing your face.
Probable Result: If you don’t eventually choke on these, you run the risk of suffocating yourself.
The cinnamon challenge is a staple of the impossible food challenges list. Probably because cinnamon flavor is something almost everyone loves. From bagels to French toast to gum, you would think that ingesting cinnamon would be a treat. And just a spoonful in a whole minute? Easy. However, cinnamon powder is so dry that it instantly clears out any saliva in your mouth and then coats it; even just a spoonful is almost impossible to swallow.
Probable Result: Just like any other one of the items in the impossible food challenges list, vomiting is inevitable. However, inhalation is so dangerous to our systems that it can cause breathing problems, irritation, and even lead to a collapsed lung.
Nothing like a sugary, sweet piece of candy to get you going. This challenge involves ingesting 150 Extreme Sour Warheads in only ten minutes. Other than the risk of cavities, this one might sound pretty easy if you like candy and sours, but it’s not easy for your body to take that much malic acid in all at once.
Probable Result: Bloody tongue, whether or not you even finish them. Other reported cases of loss of taste buds.
Bananas are great in helping to maintain good health; they are high in potassium and fiber. And Sprite, well, it’s not the worst of all soft drinks. But mixing the two together is not great for your health. For this challenge, one must eat two bananas while at the same time drinking a liter of Sprite. Sounds pretty straightforward. However, our bodies are not able to digest both of these simultaneously. The bananas form a blockage wherein the gas from the soda cannot get through.
Probable Result: Your body will eject the substances. Sometimes the challenge is played oppositely: the winner is the one who vomits first.
These are only a few from the impossible food challenges list. There are a ton more out there and new ones created every day. If you are going to attempt one, just make sure you stay as safe as possible and have medical attention handy. Oh and don’t eat laundry detergent. It’s not a food.
Image source: depositphotos.com
We can’t seem to let pay day roll on. Pay day seems barely here and we’ve got credit card bills, debts,and monthly mortgage to pay off. This list can be endless and before we know it we’re left with a few pennies for saving. And then there is the all-important much awaited, much needed family vacation. We would need quite an amount for vacation expenses. Small changes in daily living can lead to big savings in the long run, helping create holiday money.
Our homes are by far the most expensive things we would ever buy. Decisions about mortgages have to be taken wisely and with extreme caution. If your monthly pay packet would let you pay a good amount each month towards your mortgage, hunt for better deals. You will be surprised at what mortgage financers have to offer in the market. Don’t use a mortgage that eats up all your money each month, leaving you with hardly anything for grocery, utility bills and the like.
Always clear your debts. Credit cards are brilliant when it comes to having that extra to spend on something you fancy but isn’t matching your pay. Clear your credit card debts each month as much as possible. Delayed payments only add to a pile of interest money.
Save on fuel. Today’s market is a very competitive one and you always get better deals from suppliers waiting to grab customers. Make best use of this competition and cut out on your monthly fuel costs.
Always install a water meter. We tend to use more water than needed. From using your garden hose pipes for watering your plants to washing your cars to filing your large family paddling pool in the summer summer, we surely take water for granted. Installing a water meter can help you keep check on your water usage, reducing your water bills in the process.
Consider a pay as you go mobile deal. Most of us won’t even use the million texts and minutes you get on offer. Pay as you go so that you pay only for what you use and not what you are offered.
Sign up for survey sites online. You can earn money simply by participating in surveys picked specifically for you based on demographics and interests. Some users have managed to make substantial amounts of money, especially by following the advice of blogs online.
If you love Bingo and want best deals and promotions, log on to paypal bingo on “wink” and play safely while you can save any penny you earn.
Never enter a supermarket or a grocery store without a list. With no list you are sure to end up buying goods you fancy rather than what you really need.
Log online to comparison sites and compare prices of various goods in Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, the Co-operative, Aldi etc. to get the best deals.
Try your hand at DIY. You never know what you can do unless you really try. You’ll save loads of cash on hiring a handyman for minor random repairs around the house.
If you’ve got a talent, love singing or playing the guitar; use it to make money. Teach a student privately or get a job at a local pub that would need some good live music for a Saturday evening.
These simple tips can help you save a lot of money for your annual family vacation. Don’t hesitate to employ as many as you can.
We’ve all had something to do with a prank call at some point in our lives. Whether we partook ourselves in this act of mischief or heard of someone else doing it, it was the hottest deal of our childhoods. But when was the last time you heard of any good prank calls? It’s easy to fall into ridicule and people are getting more and more skeptical as time goes by, so it’s gotten increasingly difficult to trick them.
But what really makes good prank calls stand out is not their likelihood to trick the receptor. Rather, it’s just how funny they can be without hurting anyone’s feelings in the process. See underneath for some examples to understand what we mean.
#1 Idea: Pretend The Other Person Called You First
You and I both know that the person at the other end of the line didn’t lift a single finger to ring you up first. But that doesn’t mean you can’t claim otherwise! Call your victim up and then act as if you merely picked up the phone. Iconic quotes include “Who is this?” or “Why did you call me?” Most of the cases, the person will hang up at the first chance. Once in a while, though, you might end up with someone who will argue to great lengths that YOU were the one who called first. A true test of wills and strength.
#2 Idea: Call Pizza Hut And Ask For Domino’s Number
It’s safe to say that no Pizza Hut order-taking employee lives and breathes for the restaurant chain, so you won’t be hurting any feelings with good prank calls like these. Ring up your local Pizza Hut. Start describing your favorite pizza on the Domino’s menu. When the employee eventually points out this pizza is nowhere to be found on their menu, ask for Domino’s number. For extra points, repeat the process and call Domino’s.
#3 Idea: Call Subway And Ask When The Next Train Is Leaving
We’re one hundred percent certain this must have happened at least once in Subway’s history – unironically. Can you blame your Average Joe who is just trying to book an urgent train trip for misunderstanding the real purpose of the company? Become this Average Joe and vehemently insist on getting an answer for that trip that you REALLY need to take tomorrow.
#4 Idea: Call Petsmart And Convince Them Your Fish Drowned
Alright, this might be jumping into “torture poor store employees” territory, but if you make sure to mention at the end that it was all a joke, you may have given said employees some great memories. Ring up a local Petsmart and ask for their counseling. When you get down to the problem, start talking about how you’re certain that your fish drowned. Counter any attempts they may make at trying to put the blame on something else.
#5 Idea: Conduct A Survey With Really Weird Questions
This is one of the good prank calls that will also let your imagination flow wildly. People are generally reluctant to answer surveys, so you might have trouble finding someone willing to listen to you. But when the miracle DOES happen, just reel them into the weirdest survey you can think of. Here are some fun examples you can use:
#6 Idea: Call Walmart And Try To Reserve A Shopping Cart
Let’s go back to terrorizing employees for a moment. How many of you had the misfortune of being unable to shop only when the store is the most crowded? Sometimes it can be a hassle to find the products you want, let alone to find a free shopping cart. Use these as your main arguments when you dial up the number of a local Walmart, insisting to book a shopping cart for your next spree.
#7 Idea: Call A Restaurant And Tell Them You’re Trapped In Their Bathroom
There are actually two ways you can go about this idea since it’s two good prank calls mushed into one. The first variant is the one expressed above. For example, ring up McDonald’s and convince them that you’re trapped in their bathroom and then hang up. If you want an extra dose of hilarity and surrealism, call them to instead ask them to bring you two toilet paper rolls since you ran out.
#8 Idea: Call Various Businesses And Ask For A Sick Day Off Jobs You Don’t Have
Credit for this particular prank goes to YouTube creator Jenna Marbles, who made a couple of hilarious videos on this idea. It’s as simple as it sounds. Choose any business and then call in pretending to be an employee requesting a day off. It’s even easier if the company has over one hundred employees since it would make it likely for the other person to not think anything is suspicious. Go wild with the story behind your request!
#9 Idea: Ring A Pizza Place And Ask To Rent One
You can tweak this idea and turn into other good prank calls with the same theme. Decide that you don’t have enough money to BUY a pizza, so you’re reaching out to the renting system instead to save some money. Try to rent pizzas, hamburgers, sodas, spaghetti, garlic bread – anything you can think of!
#10 Idea: Ask If Their Refrigerator Is Running
In this era of Bee Movie memes (but every time someone mentions this trend you take a shot), it’s never been a better time for the good ole fridge joke to shine. If you’re lucky enough to reach someone who has no clue what this prank is all about, just carry it out to the end! Congratulations, you actually managed to prank someone by asking them if their refrigerator is running! But if the other person is away, you can totally get away by turning it into an irony.
“Is your refrigerator running?”
“Yes, I should catch it. Ha, ha, very funny.”
