itcommando.com

By Linsey Knerl

This article shares tips from the newest episode of Dealista, our new podcast that'll help you get more for less. Click play to listen, or subscribe via iTunes to take the episode with you!

It’s happened to all of us — a car repair we didn’t budget for, and that nearly left us cash-strapped or without transportation. It really doesn’t have to be this way! These 6 tools are reliable and affordable, designed to help get car maintenance and repair costs under control and well under budget.

1. CarMD Diagnostic Tool

CarMD is not the exact replica of the code readers used in fancier repair shops, but it can diagnose most any common car problem. Simply connect the $100 device to your car’s connectors (instructions are included) and get data to help you know what’s really going on with your car. You don’t have to wait for an issue to arise before getting your money’s worth out of this tool, however. It’s also great for pre-trip inspections and making sure that your car is smog compliant! (You might also find it useful to get a read out on a car you haven’t bought yet — before you drive it off the lot.)

2. Local Auto Supply Store

Thought they were only good for purchasing extra wiper blades and quarts of oil? Think again! There are many complimentary services available at most major car part suppliers (O’Reilly’s, Autozone, Advanced Auto, Pep Boys, etc.) that can help you out for little to nothing. Common offerings include starter checks, alternator checks, code reading, battery testing/charging, and tire checks. While it won’t prevent you from having to go to the shop for a major repair, I’ve used my local shop to help me decide whether I can go a few more miles on an already distressed battery, and they even loan out tools — the really expensive ones — for a refundable fee charged to your credit card. You can save big money at these places!

3. RepairPal

I absolutely love RepairPal! When I’m not using the web-based interface from home to get an accurate quote on what it will cost me to have a timing chain replaced, for example, I can use the accompanying smart phone app to get detailed info about what a repair should cost — before I head into the shop. It includes info on how much your repair will be parts vs. labor, and even gives you details of the common cost to perform maintenance by zip. If you’re stuck on the road with a broken down vehicle, you can use the RepairPal app to contact a local repair shop directly, and armed with all the information about your car and specific repair, you can be sure you won’t be taken at the mechanic’s shop.

4. DriverSide

DriverSide is another fantastic web resource, a community of drivers who care about their cars (but not in a weird way). You simply register your make and model to get automatic updates on recalls, service bulletins, and other news about your vehicle. You can ask questions of mechanics and even see how much parts will cost for your precious ride. It’s the perfect all-in-one solution to car maintenance, and it’s entirely free.

5. AllDataDIY

Do you feel ambitious? Like working on your own vehicle? If you’re up to the challenge of performing your own car repairs, then AllDataDIY may be the perfect solution for you. With just a minimal annual subscription fee, you can have access to all the data that a mechanic would need to perform all kinds of repairs and maintenance tasks for your particular vehicle. Loaded with diagrams, charts, parts detail, and recall info, you could do just about any job on your own — provided you have the patience, skills, and right tools. We’ve used our subscription numerous times to do everything from simple rotor replacement to a major engine overhaul. (Homes with more than one vehicle may get a discount for buying additional subscriptions after the first.)

6. Craigslist

Perhaps the most useful of all the tools, Craigslist has helped us to connect to all the things we just couldn’t fit into our budget, otherwise. Whether we’ve found quality used tires, a part-time moonlighting mechanic, or a tailgate for our pickup, we’ve been able to hunt down and purchase for far less from Craigslist. With so many qualified professionals and parts dealers struggling in this economy, we’ve found our odds of getting a competitive price for parts and labor to be much higher via the site, and it’s always nice to meet new people with similar interests in DIY car care. If you haven’t considered Craigslist for your parts or labor needs, add it to your resource list!

Dealista

If you enjoyed these tips you can find more in our show's archive or subscribe via iTunes. 

Dealista is a collaboration between Wise Bread and Quick and Dirty Tips, the producer of popular podcasts such as Grammar Girl, Money Girl, Winning Investor, and Mighty Mommy.

Check out more great tips from our sister shows:

• Don't Do the Wrong Things Online
• Repair a Relationship Quickly
• Become Funnier
• Never Be Late Again
• How to Get Rid of Clutter Fast

Google just launched a new Google Apps Marketplace where users can discover and deploy third-party cloud applications that integrate with their existing Google Apps accounts. More »

By Julie Rains

If you’re considering online studies, don’t underestimate the workload, discipline, and communication skills needed to succeed. Here are tips on excelling as an online student.

Choose courses carefully.

Make sure that you have the time to commit to classes, especially if you are pursuing a degree. Don’t let the lure of flexibility fool you into thinking that you can easily fit studies into an already full schedule. Some classes may take a few hours each week; others may require several hours weekly plus extra time to complete projects. And, beware that new degree programs and courses may be particularly difficult as content and technologies are in the process of being perfected.

If you are interested simply in learning a specific skill rather than earning a degree, consider online classes through the community college or specialized training offered by professional associations.

Become familiar with online learning technologies.

Try to do this before class starts or as quickly as possible after the session begins. Some tasks, such as uploading assignments to a designated location on BlackBoard, can be intimidating on a first try but simple after you've done them a couple of times. The less exertion expended in mastering online tools, the more effort you can place on learning course content.

Read recommended materials.

I know this advice may seem incredibly obvious. But many lecture-format classes require students simply to show up and listen; even if you complete the reading according to the syllabus, having an instructor provide you with context and give explanations makes it easier to glean pertinent information from written materials. Many online classes require students to react to materials in forum discussions, which is difficult if you haven't done the reading.

Participate in discussion forums.

If you are the first to post in the forum, you can share basic observations to start the conversation; but if you arrive later in the discussion thread, then you’ll need to offer deeper, unique insights.

Don’t presume that classmates share what you might perceive as cultural norms. Framing comments with mentions of professional and personal life experiences, or sharing these experiences when introducing yourself at the start of each course, can help classmates to understand your perspective and avoid antagonizing them.

Finally, don’t be a hit-and-run poster who visits the forums just once a week, makes comments, interacts with no one, and then exits. This approach may mean that you comply with course requirements but doesn’t really advance your knowledge. Even if you are an expert in a topic, you can learn from the uninformed perspectives of newbies. Just getting insight into what other people understand about a topic is useful — you can then tailor your communications in class forums and outside of these forums more effectively.

Turn in assignments on time.

Online classes may place more emphasis on projects rather than tests so you’ll need to plan your workload carefully. While you might be able to cram for a final exam, most people can’t wait until the last minute to get topics approved, find credible sources, compile research, and collaborate with project partners.

Try to turn in projects ahead of time so that if something unusual happens — a snowstorm-induced power outage or even a brief loss of broadband — you’ll still meet deadlines. You might be able to fudge a turn-in time in the offline environment but, online, time-stamped submissions of uploaded research papers and PowerPoint projects make it difficult to hedge on when you actually turned in an assignment.

Serve as project manager.

You can influence the direction of projects and add to your leadership skills. If you don't think you can handle planning and leading projects, be an active participant by contributing your talents, completing project tasks on time, and helping the project manager with compiling components into a finished report.

Create a portfolio of your projects.

Showcase your knowledge and skills. Some potential employers and clients may not fully grasp that an online degree is just as valuable as one earned in a traditional setting. The portfolio is evidence of your work, and can help you land deals for similar projects and serve as a point of conversation in interviews.

I experienced the demands of online learning when I earned a graduate-level Certificate in Technology and Communication at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a longstanding brick-and-mortar institution of higher learning. And, recently, I spoke with a 20-something female about her degree studies at the University of Phoenix, well-known for its online programs. Despite the differences in our backgrounds and universities, we had similar encounters as online students.

Permalink | Comments | Julie Rains's blog | Channel: Career and Income

Similar entries:

This article is from Wise Bread.

Chrome: If you want to restore browsing sessions anytime—and not just after a browser crash—Session Buddy for Chrome easily creates custom sessions and restores them whenever you wish.

After installing Session Buddy, clicking on the Session Buddy link in the Chrome toolbar brings up all your current Chrome windows and open tabs. From there you can save entire sessions or selectively edit out tabs from the list before saving. Saved sessions appear to the left of the current session list and remain until manually deleted.

You can use Session Buddy for something as simple as automatically saving your current session on browser close—available in the options menu—or for making custom session lists for various tasks like reading your favorite sites every morning or opening all the sites you use for bill paying.

Session Buddy is free and works wherever Chrome does. Have a favorite Chrome extension to share? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Everybody faces challenges in managing certain aspects of their lives. Someone who loves to go trail riding on a bicycle will have no problems motivating themselves to exercise. However, putting aside time to sit and read might be problematic. On the other hand, the reader might have problems putting down the book and getting active.

This self-management checklist can be applied to any area of your life where you need to gain some control.

1. Set specific goals. You can’t measure achievement if you don’t know where you’re going. Set specific goals such as: I’ll walk for 30 minutes per day; or I’ll write a 1,000 words each day; or I’ll lose 20 pounds.
2. Set specific times. You need to determine when you are going to accomplish your goals. Work with specific times; whether it’s a deadline for a one-off project or regular times for on-going behaviour.
3. Track your progress. Write it down. You can use a journal, a calendar, a graph or any other form that works for you. Make sure you track both your successes and failures so you can refine your systems.
4. Set rewards or penalties. You’ll need some motivation to help you move forward. Set small rewards to mark the completion of small steps. Set larger rewards to mark major accomplishments. You might even set penalties for not reaching goals. You could, for example, make a donation to a food bank every time your weight went up instead of down.
5. Take small steps. If you’ve been sitting in front of the TV for ten years, don’t try and run a marathon tomorrow. Changing a habit takes time and you need to start slowly.
6. Break it down into pieces. Regardless of your readiness, if the task seems overwhelming, you may never get started. Break down large tasks in to small, logical and manageable pieces.
7. Monitor time increments. Use a timer to help you stay on track. Set it to the best interval to help you measure your progress.
8. Share your goals. Telling someone what you hope to accomplish can add another level of motivation. It’s easier to fool ourselves than to fool others. Tell someone what your goals and your deadlines are; get them to check on you to see if you met the goal.
9. Have a work buddy. It’s not just enough to share your goals with someone, you need to have a buddy that can meet with regularly. Keep your goals on someone else’s agenda. This should give you an added sense of responsibility and motivation to reach your goals.
10. Review with your buddy. Have your buddy do more than review accomplishment. Review the written track of your regular progress. They might spot patterns you don’t see and give you some help for getting back or keeping on track.
11. Eliminate distractions. Reading through e-mail may seem productive, but it’s not going to help you read three chapters of a book. If need be, turn off the phone, shut down the computer and throw the television in the garbage.
12. Review and rework your system. Your self-management plan may not work the first time you try it. There will be times when your self-management process falls apart. These steps are not static, but need to change and grow with you. Make time to review your process and see what changes can be made.

Some people look at self-management techniques as cumbersome, getting in the way of productivity. The truth is, if you look at successful and productive people, you’ll find some type of system guiding them. Give it a try.

Recommended: The Zen Habits Handbook for Life!