Category Archives: DIY

How to Save Money with a Plumber Darwin

While most people are always looking for some simple ways to save some money, there are going to be several methods which are always overlooked.  Yes, you can cut back on your Starbucks and eat out less often, but if you are serious about saving money you are going to need to start thinking out of the box.

When it comes to professional services, such as plumbing, it can really set you back, a lot.  To help you out, here are some of the top ways to save money with your plumber.

Always Start Small

When it comes to plumbing problems, there are always going to be some that can wait and others that are going to require immediate attention.  However, it is very uncommon to have these major issues simply pop up overnight.

Fact of the matter is, you more than likely noticed that there was something wrong weeks or even months ago.  But there was no real trouble at the time, so you simply ignored it and it has only gotten worse. This is going to be one of the many habits that you are going to need to break immediately.  If you notice that something is starting to go wrong with any aspect of your plumbing, you should be a little bit more proactive and fix it as quickly as you can.

Just keep in mind that even if a problem starts off as small, when left unattended it is going to eventually turn into a problem that is very big and very expensive says www.greatnorthernplumbingdarwin.com.  So, if you do notice that there is a leak or an odor coming from somewhere, do your future self a favor and call a plumber that day to have it fixed.

Learn How to Shut Things Off

If you have an emergency plumbing situation, there is a good chance that you are going to panic.  When these two are combined, it is a recipe for disaster. Well, a disaster and a giant bill from your plumber anyways.

So, if you are trying to keep that plumbing bill around $100 as opposed to $1000, knowing how to shut off your home’s water will be that difference.  And if you are unsure where you should go to do such a thing, reach out to a local plumber and they will be more than happy to show you.

Always be Mindful

When something happens, you more than likely know what you need to do.  This means that you are going to have to stop being oblivious to whatever it is that’s getting flushed down the toilets and even what’s washed down the drains.

This means if you cook at home, stop pouring grease and other food particles down your drains.  Do you have long hair? Be sure that you cover it up while you are in the shower. This will help to prevent it from sliding down the drains and clogging up the pipes.

The key to saving money with your plumbing is to simply make sure that you know the basics.  If you do this, you will have no problems when it comes to your plumbing system.

Knowing what to study as an adult

After several years of being in the work world, you are likely to find yourself in a position where you are wanting to move jobs, get a promotion or start your own business. It is definitely a period of change and a deepening of understanding which direction you want to go into. It is often the pivotal point in your long-term career, where you have built some experience and have had some exposure but not if you’re ready to forge a clear way forward. It can be hard knowing what to go on to study that will equip you with what you need to make the next move. Here are a few ideas to picking your next learning pathway.

Project management course

You can do a diploma in project management because project management is underlying that supports just about anything you do in business and in your job. Having good project management will help you know how to manage people, manage budget and prioritise and execute tasks. You can choose whether to do your course online or through a university or college, but make sure that it is a recognised certificate or qualification that you can use to improve your resume.

Business acumen ability

Being in business you will want to have a better understanding of how business works overall, whether it be how money is made, money flows through the business or how the practice of management strategies, such as lean management can help improve cash flows and profits. There are several courses that can help develop your business acumen. Popular ones would be a diploma or master’s in business administration and while the name is a bit misleading, you will learn the basics of all aspects of business. This includes marketing, economics, accounting, and even human resources and logistics.

Go industry-specific

Depending on what industry you are in and what direction you are wanting to go and grow into, your further learning may be best suited around doing something that is industry-specific and helps. It could stand you in a good position if you’re looking to improve or motivate for a bigger paycheque because if you’re better skilled and qualified in your position, you will be highly valuable to your company.

General short courses

There are tonnes of short courses available online which don’t necessarily have the credibility of a university or college but do offer comprehensive learning tools to learn a particular skill. This could be a great way of identifying and boosting your skills and knowledge in something like software skills or in public speaking. The range of what is available is vast and you can almost do just about anything. Try to find a way to map your skills and identify the areas that you are lacking. Speak to your colleagues and bosses about what they’d like to see you do better at and find a course that can address that. The cost of these courses can be incredibly low because they work on a model of scale.

Deck the Dorm Halls – Cheap Decorating Tips for Christmas at College

These cheap decorating tips for Christmas at college will help you become a source inspiration among your peers...

For students away from home during the lead-up to Christmas, it can be hard to get into the holiday spirit. One way to change this is to decorate, but most college kids are living on a budget already. So, how can you make your dorm room as festive as possible without emptying your bank account? We’ve come up with a few ideas for you.

DIY

The first tip is to get your hands dirty! Glitter, glue, paint – these things are all minimal costs, but can be reused again and again to create spectacular holiday effect in your home away from home. There are a number of amazing decorations available to those who are willing to look in the right places. Often, the components are things found around the house. For instance, you can make unarguably adorable penguins in scarves and hats using old soda bottles or make your very own Frosty from old cans. Even a toilet paper roll can be transformed into a cute little reindeer with the right tools and a can-do attitude.

Christmas isn’t complete without a tree and there are a ton of alternatives to the fresh (pine-needle dropping) kind. You can make a tree from books, toilet paper rolls, or painted pine cones. There is also washi tape which is a great, cheap decorating tool limited only by your imagination; it doesn’t leave any marks on walls and it comes in a ton of different colors and designs.

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Bargain Buys

If you have a few extra dollars to spend, try going to dollar stores or hunt for sales online. Dollar stores often have big packs of decorations that you can mix and match in various places around your room or in your hall. You may have to hunt a bit to find what you want, but there are some good options and having ornaments, tinsel  and pretty fairy lights around can add a traditional element to some of your more eccentric DIY projects.

The web is also a great place to look for cheap decorations. Take advantage of sale days like Black Friday or Cyber Monday for finding great deals and use your student discount on sites to avoid shipping and handling charges.

Make it Personal

Whether you share a dorm or have a room to yourself, Christmas will be more fun if it feels like you. This means personalizing decorations where possible. On the DIY stuff, you can easily paint your name or that of your roommate onto the decorations. Printing out pictures and arranging them in the shape of a tree, surrounding them with tinsel can be a great way to make it feel like you are surrounded by family and friends. 

As Christmas draws closer, why not put together a great Christmas playlist and get your roommates involved in the decorating – soon you’ll be in the holiday spirit and your room will be the envy of everyone in the dorm!

Images by amy gizienski and Karen Lee used under the Creative Commons license. 

What are the easiest strains of pot to grow in a closet?

photo by CC user Public Domain on wikimedia

While most pot stashes are grown outdoors in secret plantations, many college students don’t have easy access to a plot of land where they can easily plant and maintain a crop of their own. However, many do have access to a closet in their bedroom that is out of sight of the authorities and unwanted interlopers, making it a natural place for these folks to grow their own supply.

However, some plants don’t thrive in a cramped, indoor environment, making it important to choose your seeds wisely when starting your own clandestine grow-op. To get any one of the following strains, purchasing some cannabis seeds online or via a licensed supplier in the offline world is the best way to go.

Without further adieu, here are the easiest strains of pot to grow in a closet if you are a college student with exclusive access to this classic hiding place…

1) Pineapple Express

Love getting high, but aren’t too crazy about the aftertaste that many brands of bud leave in your mouth? If a flavorful smoking experience is as important to you as the end goal of getting stoned, then Pineapple Express is a strain you’ll want to consider for your closet grow-op.

In addition to pineapple, other smokers report that the flavor blend also contain elements of apple, mango and pine as well, and with a THC content of 17%, this sativa plant will give a burst of creativity for that essay that’s due in two days without rendering you unable to get past the second paragraph via a massive dose of THC.

2) Northern Lights

Need a plant that flowers fast, is resilient to tough growing conditions, and delivers a calming, relaxing state shortly after lighting up? Northern Lights is a great indica that thrives in closet growing environments, and will sooth your muscles and induce a sleepy state when smoked or consumed, making it great for those that suffer from insomnia to get their rest schedule back on track.

Those experiencing blue emotions have also found relief from their depression by trying this strain, without suffering the tragic side effects that dog commonly prescribed anti-depressants.

3) White Widow

Miss backpacking in the Netherlands due to a wild weekend of pot-fueled festivities in Amsterdam? Bring back those warm memories by planting some White Widow, a hybrid strain that commonly graces the menus of that cities’ coffee shops.

Intense energy and euphoria result from smoking this bud, making a perfect fit for college students seeking to create a highly social environment at house parties. With a 60 day grow time, you will have an ample supply of this crystal encrusted plant within a relatively short period to share with all your best friends.

Save Space in your Dorm By Using Actuators!

Raising Furniture above the Room

Creating of space in the dormitory has been a challenge for most students often used to their big rooms back at home. The available space to be utilized by each student is always limited. Actuators are developed to solve these problems. They eliminate the manual movement of desks and chairs in the room, bedding, lockers, shelves and the kitchenette within the room. Space is also very essential to the dormitory as the activity of a full house take place within a single room comprising of more than one individual. Therefore, there is a need to move the furniture or raise them above the room to create more space for different activities. Automated actuators make the movement effortless and unproblematic.

Convertible Furniture    

Actuators have ensured a space saving furniture that is invented to satisfy the needs of students in the dormitories. The design of convertible hidden wall beds made possible by linear actuators that ensure a space saving hideaway that tuck into the wall. The tucking leaves behind simple shelves or desks that allow the students to enjoy their study comfortably.  Actuators can be attached to the desks allowing their movement from one place in the dorm to the other, the beds than can be folded back into position when it’s time to rest. Other beds can easily be converted to a desk and used for studies.

Raised dormitory bed to create space for learning Raised dormitory bed to create space for learning

 

The kitchenette

According to progressive automations linear actuators service, the kitchenette can be automated by actuators to be raised and lowered according to the will. The automated kitchen cabinet can be raised above the room to create room for other functions such as washing dishes.  The cabinets where foods and utensils are stored and the tables used for cooking within the dormitories can be stored safely in the command of a remote control. The kitchen cabinet, therefore, provides the advantage for people with different heights or the disabled to be able to cook and still retract the kitchen for other functions easily.
actuator that can be used to raise kitchen cabinets

Kitchen cabinet that can be raised above the ground using attached actuator