Removing Temporary Tattoos

My girls were playing with temporary tattoos this past weekend.  My younger one decided she did not want to keep the Hello Kitty tattoo after she had already applied it on.  She started to rub at it with a wet cloth, which looked painful.  I discovered that scotch tape works wonders for removing these temporary tattoos once they are applied.  Just get a piece of Scotch tape, press firmly on it over the tattoo and pull.  For those of you that have ever gotten waxed, it's that kind of pulling motion.  However, unlike waxing, it is quick and painless.  You may have to repeat the process, but the trick is to press firmly before pulling.

What to do about Seized Caps?

So let me start by saying that we never stop learning unless we choose not to I guess.  Anyways, the last couple of days have been car maintenance days which involved getting the oil changed, tires rotated, fluids checked, tire air pressure checked, engine air filter checked, and cabin air filter checked for one of my vehicles.  So anyways, I just took it into Goodyear and then about 20 minutes late, I received a call from the mechanic letting me know that the caps were seized on the driver side tires.  First off, I said, "What are you talking about?"  Then he explained to me that the aluminum/metal caps on the tires were corroded and rusted inside so he was not able to unscrew them to put air into the tires.   Ok, now I understood.  He said that he was willing to continue to try, but that he wanted to call me first because the stem and the Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) might break in the process of him continuing to try harder.  I asked him how much the TPMS sensor would be, and he said it would cost around $120 just for the part.  As we stayed on the phone listening to each other breath, I told him to just continue with the rotation of the tires, but to skip the 2 affected tires with the seized caps when it came to putting air into the tires since he couldn't do it anyways.  I told him I did not want him trying to unscrew the caps because I felt like he would most likely break something, but I understood he was doing his due diligence of the Cover Your Ass (CYA) call.   He then responded, "Ok.  It's up to you."  So I concurred that yes, indeed, it's up to me.  Anyways, I did some google searching and interestingly enough, this is a VERY common and FRUSTRATING issue in regards to these aluminum/metal tire caps.  The recommendation was to switch them out with the old school plastic ones in order to avoid the issue.  Anywho, I could not find any discussion group or blog that provided the silver lining for me.  Most of the discussion groups involved the replacement of the stem or TPMS sensor.  I was not feeling optimistic.  I even found a site that recommended soaking the stem in vinegar.  Needless to say, I was feeling very dismal about this thinking that I was going to have to fork over the $240 for both affected tires and also labor.  Not a happy camper at this point.  So then I walked over to one of my co-workers who told me she had the SAME issue with the aluminum/metal caps getting seized.  She told me to go to the dealership since this was a factory issue regardless of whether or not the car is under warranty.  So I called the dealership and talked to someone in Service.  I explained the situation with the seized caps.  He seemed to be aware of this issue.  I basically said, "I want to see if you all can help with the seized tire caps so that I can get air into those tires."  He set me up with an appointment to bring the car in the next afternoon.  At this point, the weather is getting colder so the tire pressure indicator sign was enabled on the dashboard.  It had turned on even before the oil change  Since Good Year was only able to put air in the passenger side tires, the indicator light was still on. 

So this afternoon, I took the car into the dealership to have the seized caps looked at.  I waited in the waiting room for a little while, but my curiosity got the best of me so I walked towards the garage.  I saw the mechanic pull down the air pressure hose from the ceiling.  He then walked over to my driver side and started putting air into the tires.  What a nice sight to see.  So I said, "Were you able to get the caps off?"  He said very calmly, "Yes."  I asked him how he did it.  He showed me this heating tool that fits right over the cap and heats the cap so that it basically expands and pops right off of the threads of the stem.  I am definitely sure that the Good Year where I went did not have this.  Anyways, he proceeded to replace all the caps with plastic caps.  I was so relieved.  They did not charge me for this visit.

So if you end up in a similar situation, go to the dealership.  They are definitely more willing to help you and will most likely have a more comprehensive suite of tools.  Do NOT let just anyone try to troubleshoot ESP with the whole CYA call.  I don't go to the dealership often, but in cases like this, you are better off.  If I had let the GoodYear guy continue to try, he most likely would have caused more damage, causing me to spend more money.  Just be patient and always remember...there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Repairing Jammed Garbage Disposal

Hello All.  This is something cool and easy that I learned this past summer when my garbage disposal jammed up and eventually went from a hummng buzzing kind of sound to no noise at all after I kept trying to flip the switch up and down in hopes that it would fix itself =).  Not likely, but I was hopeful.  I got really alarmed, when I had the switch flipped up as it was still in humming mode and then I heard a click and then smelled smoke.  Being an electrical engineer, we learned real quick that smoke is not good :).  Naturally, I thought that I had really screwed something up.

Bottom Line:  If you flip the switch & the garbage disposal just hums & does not turn , it is jammed.

If the disposal will not turn on and it is NOT making a humming sound, then there is an electrical problem.

• This may seem obvious, but make sure the disposal is plugged in.
• If it is plugged in then reach under the bottom of the Gargage Disposal, and press the Reset button found on the bottom of the unit. If it has reset, the button will be popped out. Pressing the reset button will not fix the blockage or clog, but it will at least turn the Garbage Disposal back to its humming sound, which is not our end goal so let's move on.

Here is a picture of the bottom view of the Garbage Disposal.

 

 

• If that does not work, check to see if the circuit breaker has tripped and turned off in the electrical service panel.

Before we go any further, FIRST: TURN OFF THE POWER
Turn off the power for the garbage disposal at the main circuit breaker. Test to make sure the power is off by turning the switch to the ON position. If it doesn't hum now the power is off.  Turn the switch back to the OFF position.

If it still hums you have not flipped the proper breaker switch , go back & try to figure out witch with breaker is the right one for the disposal.

Some garbage disposals have a plug under the sink , in that case just un-plug it.

Now, take the handle off a plunger & with it at a angle , try to spin the impeller blades inside the disposal. Most of the time you can clear a jammed disposal this way.  I was not successful in getting anywhere at this point.

If this fails to un-stick the disposal , then you need to try an allen wrench (garbage disposal allen wrench - 1/4"). Most disposals come with a allen wrench tool & if you are lucky, whoever installed it has that allen wrench tool stored under the sink some where. If you do not have an allen wrench this size, then Home Depot/Lowes sell them for about $7-$8.  Way forward, keep it safe and handy in case you need it again.  It's a must have within a household.

In the center of the bottom of the disposal there is a hole , stick the allen wrench into this hole. Now turn it back & forth till it turns freely.

Turn the power back on at the circuit breaker or plug the disposal back in. Turn on the cold water & turn on the switch. Your disposal should be turning freely now.

Ta Daaaa....All Done.  Don't forget to keep the Garbage Disposal Allen Wrench somewere safe with the rest of your essential house tools.

If it is not turning freely , you will need to repeat the steps. If this fails the get it working right you may need to replace the disposal. your problem could be more that something jammed in the blades.

Changing Cabin Filter

In addition to the engine air filter, you will also need to eventually change the cabin filter(at least every 6 months), which is typically located behind your glove compartment.  This controls the air flow inside the car like the air filters in your house.  When you use the air condition/heater in your car, you want to make sure you are breathing in clean/filtered air =). 

At  the dealership or car shop, they will typically charge you between $65-$75 or so for this service.  The cost of a cabin filter can range between $12-$17.  I found an online website that sell the filters for even cheaper ($3.90).  Yes, I'm being serious.  Also, if you go to Advanced Auto Parts, don't forget that they are an affiliate of ebates.com so you can get cashback when purchasing online.  If you want to pick it up that moment or day, then just choose the pick-up in store option. 

Now for how to change the cabin filter yourself.  As I mentioned earlier, the cabin air filter is located behind your glove compartment so you will need to get on the passenger seat side of the vehicle.  Depending on the year, make, and model of your vehicle, you can do a google search for your vehicle such as "2007 toyota prius cabin filter change".  More than likely, you will find a youtube video showing you how to do this.  On my prius, it took me 7 minutes if even that from the point of opening the box to take out the new filter, taking out the old one, and putting in the new one.  I actually did it right before I went into work one morning in the Advanced Auto Parts parking lot to pick up the new filter after doing the pre-purchase online through ebates. 

Anywho, here we go.  I am going to speak specifically to my 2007 prius so if you have a different car, then just google search your specific vehicle.  This will give you an idea of just how easy it is.  Save the $40 to $50 you'd pay on labor and use it for something else.:

First get in front of your glove compartment and open it.  You will most likely want to push the passenger seat back so that you are comfortable.

Unhook the Glove Compartment(GC) Rubber Loophole fasteners on each side of the GC.

Squeeze the sides of the GC to lower the GC all the way down so that you can get behind the GC.  This is where the cabin filter resides =),

 

Squeeze the sides of the cabin filter tray in order to slide the cabin filter tray out.  We are just replacing the old cabin filter so do not throw out the plastic carrier.

 

 

Yuck!!  This is after 6 months of use so at the minimum, be sure to change your cabin filter every 6 months.

 

Remove the old filter and Insert the new one into the cabin filter carrier.

 

 

Now you are ready to slide the carrier back into position with the new CLEAN filter.  You will hear a click to let you know it's secure.

 



Raise the GC back up to put it back in place.  On both sides of the GC, wrap the rubber loophole fasteners around the plastic piece sticking out to secure the GC.  Squeeze both sides of the GC to insert it back to the car. 

 

 

And You're Done.  Good Job!!

 

 



 



Changing Engine Air Filter

If you go to the dealer or to an autoshop, they will most likely want to charge you about $50 to $60 to change your engine air filter.  The air filter itself costs anywhere from $10 to $17.  The engine air filter is located in arms reach once you pop the hood.  On my prius, here is a top view of where the air filter cover is, which is held together by two clips that you just pop out to get the cover off.  The air filter will be easily accessible to you once you pop the hood.  If you are not sure where your air filter is located and want to look it up, then do a google search.  For instance, "air filter 2010 toyota prius".  If you are at the dealership or car shop, just ask them where it is located.  They won't mind popping the hood and pointing to the cover where the air filter is located.  If you want even more assistance, youtube has a ton of video taking you through the process step by step. 

Bottom Line:  This is definitely something that you can do yourself instead of paying an extra $40 or so in labor.  I can think of other things I'd like to spend that $40 on =).

Now all you need to do is go buy an air filter for your vehicle.  You can go to Advanced Auto Parts (http://www.advancedautoparts.com)  (Note:  affiliate of ebates.com so you can get cashback from your purchase by going through ebates.com) and purchase the new air filter.  The site will ask you for the year, make, and model of your vehicle.  It is very self explanatory.  This information is on your insurance and/or registration card if you don't know.  If you don't have an advanced auto parts near you, then just go to your nearest auto parts store. 

As show in the picture, just release the clips and remove the cover. 

Take the old filter out and put the new one in. Then, put the cover back on, and fasten the clips back.

That's it!! I'm serious!!

Fixing a Doorbell due to a Faulty Button

Ninety percent of the time, when a doorbell doesn't work it's the fault of the button on the outside because weather and constant use wear it out. But it's also possible the chime or transformer, the other parts of a traditional wired doorbell, have stopped working.

• Remove the screws holding the button to the door casing. Unscrew the wires from the button and touch the ends of the 2 wires to each other. If the doorbell rings, then you've found the problem, THE BUTTON.
• Get a Ziploc bag and put the old button and screws inside of it.  If you have a chime type of doorbell, then there will also be a doorbell capacitor that runs between the two connectors on the doorbell.  Keep that handy.  It is most likely still good. 

Note:  If you do not know the role of a capacitor, a capacitor (originally known as condenser) is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in an electric field. Therefore, a capacitor is needed to hold that energy after you have pressed the doorbell in order to continue through the sequence of the doorbell chime.  Without a capacitor, the energy will not be stored and the doorbell will not continue as soon as you let go of the button.  Hopefully that makes sense.)

• Anywho, go to Home Depot/Lowes with the Ziploc bag to buy a new button/doorbell.  Having the old button/doorbell will help give you an idea of which one to pick for the replacement since you will most likely want to get one that is similar.
• Attach the 2 wires to the terminal screws on a new replacement button (either wire can be attached to either terminal).  If you have a chime type of doorbell, then take the capacitor that was on the old doorbell and connect that as well across both terminals just like it was on the old one.  Make sure you put the + to + and - to -.  It may not be clear if the capacitor is worn down so just try it out.  Fasten the screws on both terminals.  Press the button.  If the doorbell chime continues through its sequence, then all is good.  If not, then the capacitor may be backwards so just remove/loosen the screws and switch the orientation of the capacitor. 

Saving Money when Shopping Online or in the Store

Coupons: So this does take some time on your part, but coupons are money. My kids learned this at a very young age since I am an avid user and fan of coupons. You can find coupons through the old school newspaper way as well as online. An example of one for:

Grocery Stores is:
http://www.grocerycouponnetwork.com/

Another great way to find coupons through the search engine is typing in keywords. For instance, if you are looking for a printable coupon to take to the store, type in:

Michaels
printable coupon michaels

Childrens Place
printable coupon childrens place
[month] birthday coupon childrens place (i.e. october birthday coupon childrens place)
printable coupon dicks sporting goods

If you are looking for an online code for a particular site, first go to that site to determine what lingo they use for their discount codes like "promotion code", "coupon code", "discount code", and so forth. Once you determine what lingo they use, type in the store name and then the lingo for the search engine. Here are some examples.

Lands End
lands end promotion code

Advanced Auto Parts
advanced auto parts promo code

Stride Rite
stride rite coupon code
stride rite promotion code

Shoes.com
shoes.com promo code

As for cashback, my sister told me about Ebates.com. I was kind of doubtful at first, but now I am a believer =). I joined last year and have earned a little over a $100 cashback so far. Pretty awesome, right? That's $100 that I didn't really have to work for, which is fine by me. So the way ebates works is that there are a ton of online companies (i.e. target, macys, nordstrom, lands end, walmart, amazon, land of nod, childrens place, gymboree, photo websites, Advanced Auto Parts, and MORE) that are affiliated with ebates. So you sign up with Ebates.com and when you are ready to shop at one of the online stores that is affiliated with them, click on the store link FROM the ebates.com website. This will activate your cash back savings. So for instance, Lands End is typically 3% cash back (sometimes 6%) so when you have gone to Lands End.com through ebates.com, you will earn 3% cashback from your total purchase. Ebates has promotions for double cashback for a variety of its affiliates so sometimes you can earn as much as 6% cashback. It all adds up. You can either have the cashback money mailed to you or deposited into a paypal account. It's your choice. If you are going to shop online anyways, why not get some cashback while you're at it. Here's the link.

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=gYr8SL0QkdLaFhqQw44jDw%3D%3D


That's it for now. If I think of anymore ways to save money, I will keep you posted.

Saving Money on Utilities

Home Phone Service: If you want to have a home phone, using VoIP services will cost you a lot less per month than going through your LAN line.  I have been using viatalk for the past 4 years.  It runs about $7 to $8 dollars per month depending on what promotion they are offering.    http://www.viatalk.com/   When you sign up, you will receive the VOIP device, which will use your existing internet connection to provide you home phone service.  I have one of those panasonic cordless phones with the additional handsets.  The phone service includes unlimited local/long distance calls, call waiting, caller ID, voicemail, call blocking, etc.  Check out the website for details.  Paying $7 to $8 beats paying $50 to $70 for phone service per month.  The savings adds up hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.

Cell Phone Service:  Check with your company and/or memberships (AAA, Bar Association, USAA, Government, etc.) to see if an associated discount applies to your provider.  If so, call your provider to let them know that you are eligible to receive a discount.  If you are not sure if you have a discount, then just call your provider and inquire.  Most discounts are anywhere from 10% to 25% off of your monthly bill.  Discounts also typically apply to accessories and phones as well.  You have to call your provider.  They will NOT notify you of any discounts that you are eligible for through your employer or memberships.  The savings on your monthly bills can definitely add up =).

Cable:  Back in December 2011, I discovered the Roku streaming device.  It is awesome!!!  Other devices that can be used to stream are Wii, PS3, and XBOX360.  I started streaming in movies from Amazon (since I am a Prime member) and also Netflix ($7.99 a month).  I actually ended up downgrading my cable service at first and now, I only have Internet service from my cable provider since I found that I wasn't using the cable TV anymore.  This may be extreme for some to think of not having TV TV anymore.  I was the same way, which is why I initially downgraded the cable and eventually, just removed it completely from my bill.  Now I have 3 Roku devices.  You can connect up to 50 devices (Roku, Wii, IPAD, etc) using one netflix account.  How awesome is that!!!

Roku:

Ways to Save Money on Baby Formula, Clothes, Toys, Gear, etc.

When you are having your first baby, there is typically so much excitement and anticipation.  You can't wait to put your little one in all those little itty bitty outfits.  For those of you having your first beebo, let me tell you that they grow so fast in those first couple of years.  After the first month, you are already in a different size, and then two months later, your little one is in a different size, and so forth. I know there are some super adorable outfits out there for sizes such as newborn, 3 months, 6 months, and so forth.  However, I am of the opinion that it's better to be practical.  Trust me, the time will come soon enough when your little one will be able to enjoy the ultra cute outfits and for a longer period of time so save your money, and be patient.  Also, if you don't have friends with little ones or have friends with older kids who have forgotten, babies are typically eating, sleeping, peeing, and pooping.  Those are their primary responsibilities for the first 5 or 6 months.  There may be the occasional outings, but for the most part, you want to keep your little one in comfy outfits.  Also, you don't want to be totally bummed when your little one pees and/or poops all over one of the really nice new fancy outfits.  Sometimes, those stains are not so forgiving :(. 

My girls are 4 1/2 and 6 years-old now. Since we are done with most of the baby gear and clothes, I did a combination of having a garage sale, ebay, and craigslist. I sold the items that were still in good condition for very low prices since I had bought them for very low prices. The girls were so excited about selling everything because we used the money we made to go shopping for clothes and shoes. Now that they are a little older, the days of buying in bulk for size 18months and 2T used clothes are gone. My girls are very particular about their clothes and definitely have their own taste in clothes =).  There are times when they do pick somethiing on ebay that is used that they like.  They are expert online shoppers now on Amazon, Macy's, Ebay, Childrens Place, and so forth. Yes, I am being serious. I did teach them about coupons and coupon codes so they understand the value of saving money. That is why I advise you to be thrify and save in the early years because the time to buy new will be here soon enough =).

With all that being said, here are some tips for how to save money on those common baby items that you will most likely only use for a short phase of time. 

SAVING MONEY. HOW TO?

• Look on craigslist in your local area for baby gear, baby toys, baby clothes, etc. (high chairs, clothes, exersaucers, bumbo seats, clothes, babyproofing materials, bassinets, pack and plays, baby bjorns, barely used strollers, changing tables, rocking chairs, bouncy seats, swings, maternity clothes, shoes, baby einstein dvds, cooshie, booster seats, riding toys, and so on.
• Sign up to receive goodstart, Enfamil, similac checks via their website.  Ask your friends to do this as well and have them mail you the checks when they com in.
• Look on ebay.
• Look on craigslist for other moms looking to give away, sell or trade formula checks.  Even if you get checks for a brand that you don’t use, you can trade with a mom that is using it or sell them to her.
• Even if you are set on buying new baby items, look on ebay and craigslist for store coupons or store gift cards that people are selling at a lower price.
• Other websites where moms trade or sell formula checks.
• Sometimes stores will take expired checks so don’t be so quick to throw away expired formula checks.
• For those of you who make frequent air trips out of town to visit family, you may be thinking about getting some extra car seats to leave at their house.  If so, look on craigslist for some used carseats that are still in good condition.  And trust me, there are some good carseats for sale at a much better price than buying new, especially when buying  a spare.

My First Post and Intro

Hello All.  The purpose of this HandyChickadee blog is to share some pretty simple tricks of the trade for saving money along with doing/fixing things yourself instead of paying someone else to do it.  My sister inspired me to start a blog this past summer when she saw me fixing things here and there.  She has her own blog of her experiences overseas and thought it would be a good idea for me to blog about the different ways I have learned to save money as well as the easy to follow instructions on how to fix and do certain things yourself.

So far the topics I have come up with to blog about are:

• Saving Money on Baby Clothes, Equipment, and Baby Formula
• Saving Money on Utilities
• Saving Money for Online Shoppers
• Fixing a doorbell
• Checking/Changing Air Filter
• Changing Cabin Filter
• Fixing Garbage Disposal
• Jump Starting car
• Jewelry Fixing
• Gas Burner not lighting up
• Changing lightbulb on headlight
• Changing battery on car keyfob
• Changing Flapper on Toilet
• Hook up Wireless Router
• Setting up Security on Wireless Router
• Hook up VOIP Phone
• Hook up Roku Device
• Troubleshooting Lost Wireless Connection
• Troubleshooting Lost Electricity