Life Tips

Car repair and maintenance can drain your pocket. Most of us do not include car repair in our monthly budget. We remember to put down the price of gas, but we forget about most of the ongoing maintenance costs which can leave much to account for. We need our cars on the road, and so we have to pay for their repairs. However, we do not have to pay for every repair our car needs. With parts bought online, some simple tools, and a little knowledge, we can do many repairs ourselves without visiting a mechanic. Here are five tips to repairing your car without visiting a mechanic.

1. Changing Brake Pads. Replacing brake pads is an easy and inexpensive procedure that mechanics charge a lot to do. You need a wheel lug wrench, some wrenches, pliers, and a jack. Buying a set of new brake pads will cost you around $20 to $40 depending on the car and pad material. A mechanic will charge you about $250 per axle. The procedure is easy: take off the wheel, remove the hardware, pull out the worn out pads, push in the caliper piston, install the new pads, and reinstall the hardware. You should take around 1 hour to do all the four wheels. The new pads will last about 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Check the pads after every 10,000 miles, and when they fall under 2mm, it is time for another replacement.

2. Changing the Battery. Many people will call a mechanic to replace the battery, yet this is the easiest of all DIY repairs. A good battery lasts for about 4 years. Do not wait until you start having problems with your battery a new battery will cost about $80 while the dealer will charge you $200 to replace. You will need a set of wrenches to do the swap. The only warning is the order in which you remove and replace the cables. Remove the negative cable first and when you have installed the new battery, replace the negative cable last.

3. Oil Change. Buy a quality oil filter and the best oil you can afford from your local supplier. You will need a jack and jack stands, oil filter wrench, and a drain pan. You only have to purchase these items once, and they will last you for decades. Avoid changing the oil immediately after driving your car since it can be very hot. Check your manual when your vehicle needs an oil change.

4. Spark Plugs. Spark plugs are one of the easiest repairs you can do although these days you will rarely perform this service. Modern cars can maintain a gap of 100,000 miles between spark plug changes. You will only need a spark plug wrench, and you can save up to $250.

5. Replace a Headlight or Taillight. Not only are lights essential for clear vision, but you can also incur a traffic ticket if they are not working. The hourly repair rate of a garage is $100, but you can easily spend $25 to $50 per build. Bring your old bulb to the store to make sure you buy the right one. Never touch the bulb glass with your bare hands. The grease from your fingers can cause the bulb to burn out early.

For more DIY repairs visit cardiagnosing and learn more tips for repairing your car.

Statistics show that there has been a decline in in-home thefts since June 2015. However, home invasions occur when you least expect. There are still criminals who are interested in breaking into your home. You need to make it tough on them. The first step to prevent home crime is to eliminate opportunity. Most people only worry about night security. However, criminals also attack during the day when most people are not home; children are in school or running errands. Make sure that your home is secure during the day, at night, and every time you leave the house. Here are four helpful bits of advice about protecting your home.

1. Scout for weaknesses. Walk around the exterior of your home with the eyes of a burglar. If you can quickly notice that a window could be pried open, a thief will be able to come to the same conclusion. You can step further and ask the local police department to assess your home and help you identify your home’s weak spots. As you scout your home, take note of any expensive electronics and other items that are visible through the windows. Make some adjustments to keep these items out of sight. You do not want to tempt thieves with your expensive belongings.

2. Trim shrubs. You do not want to make it easy for burglars to hide when attempting to break into your house. Eliminate this option by trimming any hiding spots. A thief only needs a few minutes of cover to make his entry. With no place to hide, it is likely he will not even try. Some people plant thorny shrubs by their window to make it not only difficult to break in but painful. Also, as you trim your bushes, you need to erect a fence if you do not have one. A wall keeps unwanted visitors off your property. Most people prefer open chain-link or ornamental metal fencing.

3. Use the Garage. Keep expensive items like cars, bikes, and grills in the garage. Although it is a hassle to roll out the grill after every barbecue, leaving it outside makes it an easy target for criminals. If your area only offers street parking, always lock your car and pack it in a well-lit area. Use curtains on garage and basement windows. These areas do not need sunlight, so put curtains and blinds so that your valuables are not on display.

4. Know your neighbor. Crime rates are lower in tight-knit communities because neighbors are likely to look out for each other and can easily spot a stranger. Your neighbors are your best assets when it comes to security since they offer extra eyes and an outside perspective. If they have a different schedule of work, they might be around during the day when you are away and can alert you in case of anything suspicious.

Some people buy riffles to beef up their security. If you are thinking of going down this road, visit https://www.epicwilderness.com/custom-built-vs-fully-assembled-ar-15/ and learn about building and buying an AR-15 rifle.

Entertainment is critical to a long a fulfilling life. Unfortunately, you cannot do much when you are driving because your hands and feet are in a fixed position. Moreover, you cannot distract yourself with watching videos on your smartphone among other things. Instead, you have to keep your eyes on the road. Therefore, listening to music is the only way you can entertain yourself while you are driving. Doing so entertains your passengers as well if you play the right music. The quality of your audio system is also important. For example, music sounds plain and unexciting when it lacks a sufficient level of bass. Here is a guideline on how to add bass to your car audio system.

1.    Examine Your Treble and Bass Controls
Many people think that adding bass to their cars audio system entails buying new equipment or upgrading the ones that they have. Doing so is unnecessary in some cases. For example, perhaps the problem lies with the treble and bass controls on your system. Check them to see if everything is all right. Remember, someone might have changed the settings without your knowledge. Perhaps one of the controls is malfunctioning and it could be the bass control. The treble tone control could be at its maximum as well. Add bass to your car audio system by fixing these tone control systems if they are the problem. You can upgrade them as well. Turn to other measures of adding bass to your car audio system if the controls are working correctly.

2.    Install a Free Air Subwoofer
A subwoofer refers to a loudspeaker component that reproduces low audio frequencies. The technical name for these frequencies is sub-bass and bass. Therefore, purchasing and installing a subwoofer in your car is the best move towards adding bass in it. However, what kind of subwoofer will you choose? Will you go for a free air subwoofer or an enclosed one? Many people erroneously believe that free air subwoofers have a sound cancellation problem. That is not the case. Trying it proves that it does not have this problem. All it needs is an air space behind it. For example, that space is the car trunk in most cases. This trunk acts like an enclosure isolating the sound from the speakers back. That is how it solves the sound cancellation problem.

3.    Tune Your Audio System
Adding a subwoofer and even an amplifier may be significant steps in adding bass to your audio system, but they are insufficient. The final step is tuning your car so that you can maximize its potential for bass. Remember, failing to tune your system leads to a distorted and muddy sound. That means you cannot entertain yourself and your passengers as you would want. You or your passengers might even cringe as the music plays. Tune your subwoofer amp today and see how pleasant the bass response will be. Tune the amplifiers separately if your audio system has other amps. Enable the bass boost function in your amp before you start the tuning process. Most of the amps manufactured today have this function.

Apart from finding the right place to go out on a date which is comfortable for both of you, there are several things that as a guy you need to take note of. How you look is very important and will determine how your date sees you as well as the chances of having future dates.

What to wear on a date might be challenging, especially since most of the time you might not be sure how your date might see you. You do not have to spend too much grooming yourself and can apply a few techniques to entice your date. But, there are simple general tips for dating and dressing accordingly. Here are five tips and techniques to ensure that you look good.

Stay neat and clean

Cleanliness is essential when you are going out on a date. You need to have the right items to stay clean such as skin cleansers, shavers among others. Cleansers help to get rid of any excess dirt and oil from the skin leaving it feeling smooth. Choose one that matches your skin type, for example, a cleanser with exfoliating capabilities is good for oily skin types. They help in the removal of dead skin as well as combat odor-causing bacteria.

Brush your teeth

By brushing your teeth you will prevent teeth discoloration and bad breath as well as infections, tooth decay, painful gum disease. Ensure that you always brush and floss your teeth to get rid of any bad breath and tooth cavity. Brushing your teeth ensures that your teeth are always clean and gives you a beautiful smile. It also helps prevent mouth odor, which can be very discouraging, especially for a date night.

Pick the right fragrance

A lot of women love a good scent and a man who smells good will always entices them. Wearing a fragrance with a beautiful scent is one way to attract any woman. Wear a fragrance with a good smell that is mild and not overpowering. Alternatively, you can use a moisturizer at least twice a day to soften your skin. Some moisturizers have scents that leave you smelling sweet and even without a perfume, you will still smell good.

Dress to impress

When you dress to impress you only select the right, comfortable clothes that will enhance your confidence. Do not overdress or you’ll end up looking like a snob. Underdressing, on the other hand, is also not good so wear only what’s appropriate. If you are wearing ironed jeans, there are special treatments on bustle on how to smartly press them. If you are not sure how to dress, ask your date and if there’s a dress code where you’ll be going to find out more about it.

Get a nice haircut

Your hair has to be neat and well combed. Ensure that you wash it with shampoo; let it dry a bit before applying any styling gel or cream, and styling it. Pick the right shampoo depending on whether you have normal, dry or oily. Getting a first-rate haircut from an experienced stylist, who can give you a haircut that compliments your face.

Keep time when going out on a date although in case you are late always call rather than text and explain the situation. This makes a lady think of you as a gentleman.

Owning a self-defense weapon will enhance your security while at home or away. Defense weapons should not be easy to spot for security purposes. To identify some of the best self-defense weapons, you should review best stun gun weapons reviews. Leading suppliers of defense weapons have the latest and most effective defensive weapons. They also stock a variety of weapons so that their customers have a wide range to choose from. Some of the main features you should look for in any defense weapon are the size, mode of operation, the costs and the user. These basic features can help you choose the most appropriate defense weapon. Additional tips discussed below will also make it easier for you to get the best defense weapon.

Here are 4 tips to owning a self-defense weapon:

1. Know the laws governing self-defense weapons

Using knives or other sharp objects to attack an enemy is effective. But the person attacked in this case may suffer deep wounds or even die. Though you may prove that you killed the person in self-defense, you may not get away without punishment. It may even be a life imprisonment or a death sentence. That is why you should own effective self-defense weapons such as pepper spray or the baton steel.

2. Know reliable dealers in self-defense weapons

Getting a defense weapon from licensed dealers enables you to legally own a self-defense weapon. It is a crime to own some defense weapons without a license. You should also buy it from licensed dealers. The Best Stun Gun self-defense stores have a variety of defense weapons to choose from. You may opt for the ZapCane which has additional features that include the flashlights and a built-in powerful stun gun for maximum defense.

3. Consider cancelable and non-lethal weapons

You should consider owning a self—defense weapons that will not make you uncomfortable when carrying them. They should be portable and easy to conceal. Some of the best defense items that meet this criterion are the Tasers, tactical pen and self-defense keys or keychain. Having a personal defense plan on how to deal with potential threats while at home, in the office or on the go helps you to enjoy more peace of mind.

4. Digital self-defense weapons.

Your cell phone can play a major part in self-defense. Most people usually call for help through the cell phone. But you may also install self-defense apps that can help you in case you are attacked. Some apps will sound an alarm so that so much attention is drawn to your location in case you are being attacked. You may then get help from the passersby, or the attacker may panic and free away. Advanced apps may also integrate your social media accounts and this way, a distress call can be made through your social media account alerting friends and family that you need help. This way, you can get help fast.

With a proper plan on self-defense, and with the proper weapons, you can achieve your goal. Always pay attention to your surroundings and ensure that your self-defense weapon is easily accessible. You should ensure that you know how to operate your weapon, and practice using it on a regular basis to check if it’s in order.

We walk, associate and even share some of our life’s sweetest memories with alcoholics without our knowledge. We can no longer afford to deny the fact that these people are part of our community and are part of our daily lives. We have brothers, sisters, fathers or even mothers who are knee deep into alcohol but yet we never notice and thus we are not able to help them early enough. We need to understand that alcoholism is very easy to hide at the start but with time it will be quite hard. We have seen certain signs but ignored and later came to realize that they were all true. Here are a couple of signs that we should watch out for.

1. Untidiness

Now, this is one of the major signs that someone is actually on alcohol they will tend to be very untidy and also very unkempt. This is because they are not themselves while on these drugs and they are compelled to do anything they please. This

2. Memory lapse

Alcohol is quickly absorbed into the blood and into the system and most of the times it will reach the brain and it messes with the functionality of the brain. One of the things that it does is that it gives impaired judgment and also it causes memory lapse it is not hard to see an alcoholic forgetting things. Their memory is affected

3. Disorientation

This is one of the most evident ones and if you are one of those judgy people you will end up saying that these guys are pretending. This is a major effect of alcohol as it messes with the brain. However, ambrosia rehab center has dealt with this thousands of times and they are well experienced in handling such cases. They give specialized treatment to their patients and I tend to think that even the nature of their location is one of the things that contribute to their success rate. You can visit their website to learn more about this location.

4. Deteriorated health

Alcohol contains zero nutrients, zero fibers, zero calories, and even zero vitamins. It simply adds nothing to your body. It is a number one cause for poor health to most people. It actually takes from the user. It is not digested and it just lies in the stomach uselessly. It causes many people to lose appetite and it also burns the liver and affects the kidney adversely.

5. Financial strain

We can all agree that one of the most expensive things is a bottle of alcohol. However, they will range from the cheap stuff to the top shelf. Now the thing that makes many people undergo financial strain is because they are unable to work and it affects their income. One bottle of alcohol is never enough for an alcoholic. Another thing is that since it impairs one’s judgment. it will be very easy for someone to spend all his salary buying drinks for his buddies.

Be on the lookout for these signs and many more such as poor public relations, coordination problems and others that can help you tell whether you are dealing with an alcoholic.

Some people feel excited about Thanksgiving since they have a chance to meet with their loved ones whom they usually don’t see during the year. However, if you are going to host the celebration, and all your family members are coming over to your place, it might not be as exciting as you would have wanted.

You will prepare everything for your guests. You will prepare the rooms, clean up the entire house, do the necessary repairs, and cook the dishes. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, you might be beyond stressed out. The good thing is that there are ways to make the celebration less stressful and more fun.

Hire a cook

If you decide to cook the recipes at home, you don’t need to do it alone. You are not only cooking for Thanksgiving dinner. You also have to prepare meals after Thanksgiving since some family members will likely be staying overnight. Before one meal is over, you need to think about what to prepare next. If you hire a cook, you will have someone going through the dishes, and ensure that you don’t sacrifice quality.

Bring a bartender

You can do better this year by hiring a bartender who will prepare drinks for everyone. When you are making the dishes, you don’t want to keep heading out to serve wine and beer to the guests. The worst part is they might also keep popping inside the kitchen to get more bottles of beer. It messes up your place and delays your cooking. With a bartender standing next to the guests while they drink, they can have whatever they want.

Let people help

Thanksgiving is a family celebration where you can bond not only over the dinner table. You can spend quality time while preparing the meals and cleaning up the house. Even kids can help in setting the table for dinner or sweeping the floor to keep it clean.

Go on a vacation

Most people stay home during Thanksgiving because it has been the tradition. People visit family members and stay at someone’s house. Instead of doing the same thing this year, you can go on a vacation. Take the entire family on a trip. Travelling during this period of the year is convenient since everyone usually decides to stay home. You also don’t need to spend a lot, just choose nearby vacation destinations.

Eat in a restaurant

You don’t need to travel to distant destinations if you want a nice meal for dinner. You can head to Upper West Side restaurants if you reside in the area. You can still let your family stay at your place, but at least you won’t need to prepare dinner. You won’t have to be anxious that they will judge your food. You also don’t need to stress out about the turkey if you are cooking for the first time.

You can order turkey dishes in a restaurant during Thanksgiving along with other recipes that are perfect for the celebration.

Thanksgiving is your chance to relax and enjoy, and not stress yourself out.

A ceremony has never been complete without a glass of wine to go with it. A bottle of wine is not only soothing to the eyes but also pleasing to the spirit. Quality is of high importance in wine. I wouldn’t want to raise a glass on some cheap stuff the whole night to some good toast. It is often where there is a reserved bottle for special occasions. Some of us have developed not only a tongue for the sweetest but also a nose for the best. I will take you down this road and by the end of it, you will have fully understood how to buy wine that is worth a swirl.

1. Go with a brand

Now, this may be a rookie tactic but trust me even experts will revert to it costs of the times. Some brands have already created a reputable name for themselves for they press out only the best wine. Wine is usually measured by its quality. Some brands will take advantage and just sell some cheap booze sorry to say in the name of the wine.

2. Link up with the experts

It is very important that you align yourself with the best to get the best. learn more about the Direct Cellars wine club is the best way to go when dealing with wine. They have stocked up with wineries with only the best which has been sourced worldwide. If you have never noticed wine will taste different in every country depending on the grapes in the place. Get the best out of your every penny. They have distributors all over and have the best prices in the market. Have you eve gotten better offer online than referring three people and getting free wine from the best global wine cellar.

3. Roll the time dice

The time dice will do the trick when it comes to swirling wine. Butlers will do use physics ton unleash a blend of finesse and taste. Swirling is a trigger for taste and it works every time. The best wine is one which has passed the time test and it does well when swirled. This is, however, a trick that most people might have known but have not yet tried. Get to try it and trust me the results are impeccable.

4. Try some top shelf stash

Top shelf wine is wine worth a good swirl. By itself without a swirl has achieved a high standard of taste. Now with a swirl you can be sure that it will only make it better. The thing with the swirling hat it just oxidizes the wine and releases its beauty all together in one sip.

Swirling of wine has been an old concept in the industry and it has been done by those that really understand the specs of wine. Swirling definitely adds some taste to the wine and it improves its quality. However, you cannot swirl it for long as it will now lose its taste.