Tip of the Day

DuraSack contractor cleanup bags

Regular garbage bags tear and get poked through. Get DuraSack woven contractor cleanup bags instead — they're woven so things don't poke through, hold up to 110 pounds, and can be reused. A 16-pack box runs about $19.

Become an elevator mechanic

The highest-paid, always-in-demand skilled trade almost nobody talks about is elevator mechanic. Highest pay by far, always in demand no matter how the economy is doing. Elevator unions are run like mafia families and can be hard to get into, but outsiders do get in.

No Salt Badia Seasoning

Use the Badia 'no added salt' seasoning version (not the regular Badia, which is full of salt) — a clarification on a prior tip.

Freeze-Dried Blueberries Snack

Freeze-dried blueberries are the best snack John has found in a decade — crunchy like corn pops, low in sugar/sodium/potassium, high antioxidants. Get them at Trader Joe's or from ~30 vendors on Amazon (lots of freeze-dried fruit varieties available).

Badia Complete Seasoning

For people on a low/no salt diet, use Badia Sazón Completa (No Added Salt) as an all-purpose seasoning. Buy the biggest container you can find at a Mexican mercado. It has garlic, onion, cinnamon and other spices, and is kosher.

Screw Lube for Wood Screws

Use Screw Lube wood screw lubricant from Half Blind Rabbits (veteran-owned) — a 2-ounce container, better than beeswax or soap for driving long screws into wood. About $9 on Amazon.

Stirrup Hoe (Action Hoe)

Get a stirrup hoe, also called an action hoe — the greatest weeding tool you can imagine. Available at Home Depot and other big hardware stores. Husky makes a good 54-inch wood handle action hoe with grip. About $25 max.

Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is a free bundle of Windows utilities including advanced cut and paste, color pickers, crop and lock, mouse without borders, host file editor, image resizer, keyboard manager (easy way to remap a keyboard), light switch (auto switch between light/dark themes), and PowerToys Run. Search Google for 'PowerToys from Microsoft' to find it.

Costco Pinot Grigio

Costco's Kirkland Signature Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio 2024 (product of Italy) is sold for $4.99 a bottle at some Costcos ($5.99 up north). Decant it into a carafe to hide the Kirkland label. Also recommended: Italo Cescon Pinot Grigio 2024 at Costco for $12, which comes with a piece of grape vine tied to the bottle.

Kirkland Signature Chablis

2023 Kirkland Signature Chablis from Costco — winemaker Pierre Brissy. A Chardonnay from the northernmost part of Burgundy. Not the typical flinty, steely, acidic Chablis — it's a soft, gorgeous wine. Recommended especially for people who hate California Chardonnays.

Ventoy bootable USB

Use Ventoy to create bootable USB drives — drop an ISO file on it and boot your whole system from USB on any computer. Handy for traveling or having a backup system.

Kirkland Bordeaux Blanc 2024

Kirkland 2024 Bordeaux Blanc from Costco — a refreshing, juicy white wine (Chateau Petite Freelon) perfect for the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) crowd. About $6.99 at Costco, scored 91 points by one reviewer and 89 by the Costco wine blog.

Char-Griller Pro Deluxe Charcoal Grill

Buy the Char-Griller Pro Deluxe Charcoal Grill — 850 sq inch cooking surface with cast iron grates (not the cheesy wire ones). Can be used as a smoker by pushing coals to one side. Around $200 at Lowe's (supposedly exclusive). Home Depot has the equivalent called the Blazer (model ~2130) currently on sale for $149. If you order direct from Char-Griller's website, sign up for the newsletter to get free shipping.

McMaster.com for tools and supplies

McMaster.com is an enormous online catalog with everything from hand tools, vice grips, hard hats, plumbing supplies, toilets, urinals, filters, wires, and more — like Home Depot on steroids but on a website and easy to use.

Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming Bleach for Countertops

Mimi uses Scrubbing Bubbles foaming bleach bathroom and shower cleaner to clean countertops. Spray it on, let it sit for thirty minutes, then wipe off with a paper towel and rinse. It takes away all stains. Wear old clothing and kitchen gloves. Not recommended for marble (it would etch it), but good for tile and Corian. May take the color out of colored grout, but good for tough cleaning.

Propaganda by Jacques Ellul

Read Jacques Ellul's classic book 'Propaganda' — it explains how propaganda requires isolating people into cocoons where they only hear their own group's news, which is exactly what's happening today with algorithmic news feeds.

Pi-hole ad blocker

Install Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi to block ads and tracking at the network level — blocks about 30% of traffic and speeds up your web experience, especially with Google Chrome's upcoming extension API changes that will cripple third-party ad blockers.