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Month: July 2018

  • Best Credit Cards in 2018

    Best Credit Cards in 2018

    From huge sign-up bonuses to generous rewards, there is a lot of factors to consider when you are choosing a credit card. The best credit cards will pay you cash back, offer luxury perks, provide travel rewards, and help you quickly pay off existing balances.

    Our experts analyzed  credit cards to find the best credit card offers  Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the best credit cards for various rewards and purposes. Without further ado, let’s look at the best credit cards in 2018! Explore our top picks and start getting rewarded.

    Best Credit Cards in 2018

    Citi Double Cash Card

    The best credit card for flat-rate cashback, the Citi Double Cash card is a good deal if you keep your monthly balances at zero. You earn one percent cash back on every dollar you spend, which is pretty standard. The cool thing? The 18-month, zero-percent interest period on balance transfers made in the first four months.

    Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card

    As for the best hotel rewards card, this Hilton Honors card is the way to go. You get all the expected benefits for Hilton hotels, but you also get rewards points for normal purchases! That’s literally win-win. Oh, you get access to certain airport lounges, too! Who could pass that up?

    British Airways Visa Signature Card

    This card is easily the best for airline rewards. While Americans might question what they’d do with a British Airways card, don’t get hung up on the name. You can book American Airlines flights through Avios, so there’s no need to worry! Besides, the rewards you get with this card are stellar, no matter who you fly with.

    Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

    The best tiered-reward cashback card, the Blue Cash Preferred offers a number of really great benefits for cardholders. The first, and most obvious, is the tiered cashback. It offers 6 percent cashback on purchases made in grocery stores, which makes it a very easy to use reward card. You buy groceries, right? Then this is the card for you!

    Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is by far the best travel rewards card. If you spend a good deal of time traveling, this is the card for you. You can spend the reward points you earn through the card on hotel and airline rewards, or in the Chase portal. As for how you get points, you get two points per dollar you spend traveling or dining while traveling. Well, that’s hard to beat!


  • 7 Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

    7 Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

    When you discover that a friend or family member has a problem with drugs or alcohol, it often comes as a huge surprise to you. But secrecy is the drug on which addiction thrives, so it’s not really that odd that you were in the dark.

    Addiction grows worse over a sustained period of time, and there are some indicators that may give you an idea something is wrong with your loved one before the bottom falls out.  Here are the 7 signs and symptoms of addiction you should look for if you suspect someone you love has a problem with drugs or alcohol.

    7. Change in Behavior

    As people’s addictions get bigger, their lives start to change and the things that they value the most begin to fall away. Depression sets in, and suddenly they stop doing activities or hobbies that they once loved, or maybe their mood becomes erratic. An example of a change in behavior that’s worth noting would be when a person who values health and fitness abruptly stops exercising or eating well.

    6. Change in Friends

    This sign isn’t always the easiest area to recognize, because it’s fairly normal for friendships to fade and new people come into our lives. But when normally social people stop hanging around with their usual group of friends with no explanation, it’s important to take notice — especially if there wasn’t an event that precipitated the change. Or, maybe there’s a new person in their life that just doesn’t seem to be someone they would normally be friends with. This can be a telltale sign that something funky is going on.

    5. Job/Career Issues

    When addiction takes hold, inevitably some issues are going to come up at work or school. Over time, addicts becomes less capable of hiding performance flaws in areas of their lives that are under the microscope. If a normally responsible person is missing deadlines or not following through on commitments, this could be an indicator that something’s up.

    4. Legal Issues

    Addiction is likely to create a bevy of legal issues that are going to make it hard to ignore that something is going on. A DUI or getting thrown in the clink for a drunk and disorderly is an obvious tell that your loved one’s judgment is off. But there are also less obvious signs, like doctor shopping or frequenting ER rooms. And addicts can justify their behavior so that they make you feel foolish for asking why they have so many doctor appointments. But if you think something’s wrong, go ahead and ask anyway.

    3. Family Strain

    Relationships with family are often jeopardized when people develop an affinity for drugs or alcohol. Early on, it may reveal itself in behaviors like retreating to their room after work or spending too much time with their face in the computer, playing games or surfing the Web. Communications become strained, and the addict stops showing up to family engagements, or maybe even to dinner. If you feel a substantial shift in your relationship with a family member, you should start asking questions.

    2. Physical Changes

    Extreme physical changes are a big indicator of a problem. Maybe they’re getting scraggly and smelly because they’ve stopped grooming or showering.  A noticeable weight loss or gain can be a symptom, and the same goes for a change in eating and sleeping habits. For example, crystal meth addicts can stay up for days, then crash and sleep for days. When they eat, they’re likely to ravenously consume sugary foods.

    1. Personality Changes

    In an adult brain, defined as a brain that’s 24 years or older, there are really only three things that are likely to cause a profound personality change in someone. Substance abuse or chemical dependency, mental illness and or a physical ailment, such as a brain tumor are the three things that can cause a profound personality change. Mind you, this isn’t the same as watching a person get a little down in the dumps, or go through a period of anxiety. Profound personality changes are much more extreme. If you witness this, it’s advised to reach out to a professional for guidance and counseling on how to address your loved one.


  • Best Affordable Pickup Trucks

    If you need to take large items to and from various locations, you probably want to drive pickup truck. Workers, crews and job sites all love pickup trucks, and really, who can blame them? When you need to get work done, a truck is the right tool for the job. However, if you’re like us, you don’t want to break the bank getting your pickup. If that sounds like you, you’ll love this article on the best affordable pickup trucks!

    Best Affordable Pickup Trucks

    Honda Ridgeline

    Believe it or not, Honda snags the number ten spot on our list! The ridgeline is an all-around solid truck, coming in at $29,730. That might seem like a lot, but this truck is luxurious and spacious with a smooth ride! It’s almost more of a luxury SUV in the ride than it is a truck.

    GMC Sierra 1500

    GMC’s first entry on this list is the dependable Sierra 1500. It’s got a somewhat high cost of ownership, but that’s offset by just how reliable it is. You’ll likely save enough on maintenance to cover the higher cost of ownership. It also sports great towing and payload capacity. For $29,000, this one is a great deal for what it offers.

    Nissan Titan

    The Nissan Titan is an absolutely excellent pickup. It’s huge, it’s easy-to-drive and it’ll haul some serious cargo. The cab is roomy and comfortable, and the ride is as smooth as butter. That said, it’s not the most efficient on gas, so don’t pick this one up if you don’t like filling up a lot. It is, however, a great value for what it does at $30,000 for the 2018 model.

    Chevy Silverado 1500

    Another well-known name and another dependable pickup for a great price. The Chevy Silverado is a great value, coming in at $28,300, and sporting great towing and payload capacities. The interior is quiet, roomy and luxurious, with a large infotainment system in the center.

    Toyota Tacoma

    Another oddly-named entry, the Toyota Tacoma is nonetheless an excellent value. Starting at $25,200, this is a great option for those looking for a compact truck. It doesn’t compromise on towing power or payload capacity, either! You can count on this dependable pickup.

    Nissan Frontier

    That’s right, there are two Nissan entries on this list! The Frontier is a great choice, just like the Titan, but for different reasons. The $19,000 compact pickup is a lighter, more zippy truck than its big brother. Without the towing capacity, though, it’s harder to justify the low fuel economy.

    Ram 1500

    As the least-pricey full-sized pickup on the market, you can’t go wrong with a Ram. While you’d expect to miss out on key features for the lower price, you really don’t! It has a slightly lower towing capacity, due to its unique suspension, but the trade off is a smooth, quiet ride. All of that for just $27,095!

    GMC Canyon

    This $21,000 light pickup is both dependable and affordable. After all, this is a GMC! The luxurious cabin also makes that small upfront investment seem much easier to stomach. The quiet ride and high reliability make this a solid choice.

    Chevy Colorado

    A truck named after a whole state, the Chevy Colorado comes in the second-place spot on our list. The Colorado only costs $20,000 but still offers a great ride and good towing and payload capacity. Really, what more can you ask for? This is an all-around great value!

    Ford F-150

    You knew this truck was going to make the list! The Ford F-150 is instantly recognizable for a good reason. It’s a solid, dependable truck with a spacious cabin and great towing capacity. The highest safety ratings of any full-sized truck are held by the F-150! That’s nothing to sneeze at for $27,610.

  • Do You Need a Vitamin D Supplement? Everything to Know

    Do You Need a Vitamin D Supplement? Everything to Know

    Would you believe that the majority of the population — up to 90 percent of adults in the U.S. — is believed to have a vitamin D deficiency?

    Many physicians are starting to take this vitamin deficiency very seriously; in fact, vitamin D is one of the most recommended supplements by physicians today in order to treat and/or prevent vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Most adults are believed to be at least somewhat deficient in vitamin D, however, people with dark skin, people who live in northern regions of the world where less year-round sun exposure is experienced and those who are overweight have an even greater chance of experiencing vitamin D deficiency symptoms.

    According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the newest statistics demonstrate that more than 90 percent of people with darker skin pigments (including African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians) living in the United States now suffer from vitamin D insufficiency, while 75 perfect of the white population is deficient.

    As the population of overweight and obese adults and children has risen steadily over the past several decades, so has the incidence of vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Sadly, vitamin D deficiency is correlated with increased risks of developing common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension and various infectious diseases, too.

    A 2017 study recently revealed that occupation can also play a big role in vitamin D levels. Researchers found that shift-workers, health care workers and indoor workers are at a high risk of developing vitamin D deficiency due to reduced outdoor time and sunlight exposure.
    Luckily, there are ways you can naturally increase your vitamin D levels and decrease your risk of developing health conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Spending time in the sun, without sunscreen, is your surest way to get enough vitamin D, and eating vitamin D-rich foods also helps improve your blood levels. Read on to understand just how much time you need in the sun and what foods will help you to avoid a vitamin D deficiency symptoms.

    What Is Vitamin D?

    Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s stored in the liver and fatty tissues. This means that increased body fat has the ability to absorb vitamin D and keep it from being used within our body. Vitamin D is somewhat different than other vitamins because our bodies make most of our vitamin D on their own, rather than solely relying on food sources. Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means if you supplement, you’ll need to take your pill with a healthy fat, such as avocado slices.
    The way our bodies make vitamin D is to convert sunshine into chemicals that are used by the body. In particular, when UV-B sunshine rays land on the skin, a substance in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol is literally converted into vitamin D3.

    7-dehydrocholesterol or the cholesterol in our skin — and very similar to cholesterol itself — converts “previtamin D” and makes it into usable vitamin D3, which is sometimes also called provitamin D.

    What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms?

    It’s worth repeating that 50 percent to 90 percent of most people’s vitamin D comes from casual sunlight exposure. Your skin makes vitamin D when it comes in contact with the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun. Therefore one of the biggest reasons that a growing population is experiencing vitamin D deficiency symptoms is because of our modern, primarily indoors lifestyle. This contributes to the two most common causes of vitamin D deficiency symptoms:

    1. Lack of Sun

    While years ago people spent more time outdoors, walking to do errands and even working outside, today we see a different situation. Most children spend unprecedented hours inside — watching television, playing video games and surfing the internet. Similarly, most adults work indoors, exercise inside gyms and spend their free time inside their homes where they are sheltered from the sun.
    With all this time indoors, it’s no wonder we don’t get enough of the “sunshine vitamin” and vitamin D deficiency affects over a billion people worldwide. Traditionally, the human vitamin D system begins in the skin, not from the foods you eat. Although food sources of vitamin D can help raise your levels and prevent a deficiency, the sun is your most effective way to sustain proper vitamin D levels.

    2. Sunscreens

    Not only are we failing to get enough time outdoors in the sun, but when we do, many of us wear sunscreen nearly the entire time. As the risk for developing skin cancer has also risen in recent years, doctors strongly encourage the use of sunscreen for children and adults, even through the winter months and when sun exposure is generally limited.
    Alarmingly, some research shows that when you wear sunblock SPF 8, you reduce your body’s ability to make vitamin D by 90 percent. If you choose a sunblock with a higher SPF of 30 (which is the number normally recommended by doctors), you reduce your body’s ability by up to 99 percent. This results in further deficiencies because even though we spend time outdoors, the sunscreen doesn’t allow our bodies to convert vitamin D from the sun. Research also shows that certain health conditions, such as abdominal obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and hypertension, also increases a person’s risk of vitamin D deficiency.

    Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

    There is a great body of evidence that shows that people with vitamin D deficiency are at an increased risk of developing health complications and conditions like cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, various types of cancer, immune disorders and adverse pregnancy outcomes. According to several scientific studies and reviews, a vitamin D deficiency symptoms can be linked to the following health problems:
    • osteoporosis
    • heart disease
    • high blood pressure
    • cancer
    • autoimmune diseases
    • depression
    • insomnia
    • arthritis
    • diabetes
    • asthma
    • multiple sclerosis
    • chronic pain
    • psoriasis
    • fibromyalgia
    • autism
    Researchers suggest that anyone with these health conditions or the following symptoms should be tested for vitamin D deficiency:
    • weakness
    • chronic fatigue
    • depression
    • trouble sleeping
    • anxiety
    • weak or broken bones
    • weakened immune system
    • inflammation and swelling

    The only way to know if you are deficient in vitamin D is to have your doctor perform a test, called a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. This will tell you if, and how severely, you are deficient. When your doctor performs a blood test and gives you the results for your vitamin D levels, keep these numbers in mind:
    • 50+ equals a good level of vitamin D
    • 30–50 means you want to supplement with vitamin D, work on spending more time in the sun and add vitamin D foods into your diet
    • less than 30 means you are very deficient and definitely want to take immediate action to bring those levels up

    Talk with your doctor about supplementing with higher doses of vitamin D if you are severely deficient or have a very low level according to the tests. When your doctor performs a vitamin D test, specify that you would like to have the 25-hydroxoyvitamin D test done, sometimes also called the 25(OH) D test.
    Some other types of vitamin D tests can show normal or even elevated levels of vitamin D, which are actually inaccurate and can hide a serious deficiency, so the 25(OH) D test seems to be the most accurate when determining your true vitamin D levels.

    How Much Vitamin D Should You Be Getting?

    Adults need 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D each day (800 IU if you’re over age 70), which can be sourced through diet, sunlight, or supplements. Because very few foods have enough vitamin D to reach those levels, and sunshine can be unreliable in certain climates, many Americans turn to vitamin D supplements to get their fill.

    Men and women relying on sourcing vitamin D through diet alone typically don’t exceed 288 IU a day on average.3 But when supplements are added, they get closer to the 600 IU goal. Consider this: Women between ages 51 and 70, who averaged 156 IU through the diet-only approach, reached 404 IU with the help of supplements.


  • Best Over the Counter and Natural Pain Remedies!

    Best Over the Counter and Natural Pain Remedies!

    Sometimes you just need a bit of pain relief. Whether it’s sore muscles, a bad bruise, a killer headache or whatever else, you’d rather it just not hurt so bad.

    Thankfully, there are plentiful over-the-counter remedies available as generics to help relieve your pain. There are also a few natural solutions that many people swear by when it comes to pain remedies. We’ll highlight a few of the most popular so you can make an informed choice!

    Best Over the Counter (or Natural) Pain Remedies

    OTC: Ibuprofen

    The brand name versions of this drug are Advil or Motrin. It’s been clinically tested with a nearly 9 out of 10 rate of people feeling it’s worth taking. It could upset your stomach, so make sure you take it with food. Also, it could cause kidney damage, so don’t take it if you’ve got a history of kidney problems!

    Natural: Turmeric

    Many swear by the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric. It’s been shown to help with upset stomach, indigestion, and even help as part of treatment for more serious conditions. It could even help with common aches and pains. If you’re the type who doesn’t tend to like taking pills, try this out the next time you’ve got a sore muscle!

    OTC: aspirin

    Aspirin is one of the most well-known pain relievers, often found in the brand-name Alka-Seltzer. In its various forms, it can be either a pain reliever or an indigestion aid. Children under 12 should avoid aspirin, though, as it could be harmful to the liver if taken too much. Keep in mind this is aspirin with a lower-case a, which is different from the version from Bayer with a capital A.

    Natural: Heat and Ice Application

    The pain-relieving qualities of applying heat and/or ice to a sore area are well-document. However, be careful when applying hot or cold items to your body! Apply heat to an area if it is stiff or if your pain is arthritic. Conversely, ice can help reduce swelling and cut back on inflammation. Athletes swear by this pain-relieving method! Speak to a physician about how this natural remedy could be applied to your aches or pains if you’re hurt.

    OTC: Aspirin

    The brand name Aspirin, which is different from Alka-Seltzer’s version, is another well-known pain remedy. It can reduce fever, as well, and is even known to have helpful effects in those with heart disease. However, keep in mind that it is a blood-thinner. If you’re at risk for internal bleeding, stick with ibuprofen or one of the natural pain remedies!

    Natural: Acupuncture

    Seeking pain relief from an acupuncturist may seem silly at first, but it’s a well-documented and ancient practice. The Chinese art helps relieve pain through a process known as qi manipulation, altering the path of your body’s natural energies. Scientific study of the practice has found that the pain-relieving qualities are a result of the serotonin released by the sensation of the needles being driven into your skin. Either way, it’s been proven to help in some cases!

    OTC: Acetaminophen

    This medicine works by affecting the part of your brain that controls temperature and regulates pain messages. As such, it doesn’t alter the physical causes of your pain, but instead tricks you into not feeling the pain. While that might sound scary, it’s quite safe! Prolonged sessions of taking acetaminophen can lead to liver damage, though, so be aware! Just take enough to ease your pain, don’t overdo it.

    Natural: Cryotherapy

    There are a few ways to go about this, whether with a cryotherapy chamber or just an ice bath. The idea behind cryotherapy is that, by shocking your body with cold, you make your body produce special type of protein. These cold-shock proteins have anti-inflammatory properties that can help naturally fight pain!

    OTC: Naproxen

    Those with a history of heart disease may prefer naproxen over ibuprofen. Naproxen is good for treating general aches and pains, as it is an anti-inflammatory. It does run the same risk of upsetting the stomach that many other over-the-counter pain remedies, so take it with food!

    Natural: Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy

    The theory behind PEFT is that using electromagnetic fields to stimulate natural anti-inflammatory compounds. While it sounds high-tech, you can actually get the treatment for between $30 and $60 from a physical therapist or chiropractor. If you want a machine in your own home, they’re a bit pricey: they run around $1500 on the low end.


  • Top 3 Small Walk In Closet Designs

    Top 3 Small Walk In Closet Designs

    If you’re currently facing the small walk-in closet predicament, you’re in the right place to find solutions. Custom closet design can help maximize storage volume in even the most irregular and unfortunately-sized closets.

    A walk-in closet can be quite a luxury. Who doesn’t drool over those beautiful closets you see with miles of shelving and hanging space and even an island in the middle full of storage drawers?! But just because you have a closet that you can “walk” into, doesn’t mean that you have a huge closet. In fact, some “walk-in” closets can be quite small. One sided. Or even more of a step-in then really a “walk” in. And if you have a smaller walk-in closet, it can be even more complicated to organize then a large wall closet.

    Here are our top 3 small walk in closet designs.

    Layout #3: Rock an ‘L’ Shape
    The bare minimum size for a walk-in closet is understood to be 5×5’. Assuming the door swings outward, this means you only have room for a very particular arrangement of storage units. Rather than trying to stuff the closet full on all walls, working within an ‘L’ shape will help you keep everything far more organized and accessible. For these admittedly tiny walk-in closets, we recommend a truly custom combination of hanging rods and open shelving to effectively store your wardrobe essentials.

    One example: situate two hanging rods at waist height, one on the wall opposite the door and the other on one of the adjacent walls. Your hanging rods will, therefore, form an ‘L’ when viewed from above. Add three or four angled shoe shelves above these rods and fill the rest of the remaining vertical space with open adjustable shelving. This way you’ll maximize every last inch of wall space without sacrificing the area that usually hangs below your suits.

    Layout #2: Shelves vs. Rods
    If your walk-in closet managed to get away with only the minimum 3 feet of walking space and you’re stuck with only one wall that’s appropriate for hanging rods, this layout is for you. Of course, adding dual hanging rods to this wall will significantly increase your hanging storage, if that’s what you care most about. However, you might be surprised to discover that the opposite wall (which is usually left bare by developers) can still be used for valuable storage space. A custom designer can incorporate the slimmest of shelving units onto that previously-unused wall, usually at a depth of 12” or less, to help you gain more usable surfaces.

    Alternatively, this layout idea can be customized further by incorporating open shelving units (including angled shoe shelves) on both opposing walls, with as little hanging space as your wardrobe actually requires. Knits and denim actually wear better when stored flat, and you may find that folding clothes lets you fit even more into your minimally-sized closet. Include a single hanging rod section around 72” for any long garments you might need to hang, and you’ll be good to go.

    Layout #1: Duals and Drawers
    For a rectangular walk-in closet with minimal walking space, start your design by adding dual hanging rods on both longer walls. Usually placed around 40 and 80 inches, dual hanging rods essentially double your available hanging space without taking up any more valuable square inches. Add in a bank of soft-close drawers topped with open shelving on the short wall opposite the closet door, and you’ve instantly gained the luxurious feel your closet was lacking.

    This layout is perfect for partners sharing a closet, because you can easily store clothing separates (slacks, blouses, shirts, skirts, and pants) in cohesive areas organized by color, season, or occasion, and you won’t have to expand into each other’s limited territory.

    With These Layouts, No Walk-In Closet is Too Small.
    Armed with the layout ideas that most commonly succeed, you’ll be able to create a more stable plan for how to improve your clothes storage situation. Keep in mind that each of these ideas is merely a starting place, and that a custom design expert will be able to modify and combine these ideas as necessary to create a truly functional layout for your particular space. And, even better, with your storage space maximized, you might even have room to include custom accessories that take a closet from basic to beautiful.


  • Top Five Sites for Travel Deals

    Top Five Sites for Travel Deals

    Everyone loves to take a nice, long vacation and blow off some steam. What’s even better than taking a sweet vacation, though, is saving money while you do it! If you’re looking to book travel to a beautiful exotic location, you’re looking for a deal, right? Well, you’re in luck! Today we’re looking at the top five sites for travel deals!

    Booking.com

    Booking is a great site for finding the exact hotel you want. If you’re a luxury-lover, you can filter for only five-star properties. However, if you’re looking for a nice deal, you can filter by price, instead! Really, any kind of hotel property you want can be filtered for through this robust site. If you love seeing everything about a hotel before you book, this is the site for you!

    Airbnb

    If you’re looking to save money on hotels, the best way is to ditch hotels altogether! Airbnb is a great service that offers some pretty stellar prices. If you’re having trouble finding good deals on conventional hotels, consider checking Airbnb. It’s safe, affordable, and you’ll enjoy some really awesome experiences! You can filter based on the type of house you want to stay in, how much you want to spend and more. Really, you don’t get more convenient deals than this!

    Hopper

    Vacations are great, but you have to get there somehow! If you’re looking to save money on airfare, Hopper is a great way to do just that. This convenient app tracks flights and ticket prices and lets you know when it’s the best time to buy! When you put in your trip details, Hopper will tell you when the best time to get deals is. If tickets are as low as you can expect for the season, Hopper will tell you to buy now. If they’ll likely fall, the app will alert you when it’s time to buy!

    Priceline

    Priceline doesn’t offer a very wide array of knobs to turn by way of customizing your trip. However, it does offer a clean, easy-to-use interface and great deals. Priceline offers deals on full vacation packages, car rentals, plane tickets, hotel rates and more. It’s been around for a while, so you can trust them, and it’s a great place to find deals. As long as you don’t want to be too picky with your vacation, this is a great, easy option to find deals!

    Kayak

    Kayak is another great price aggregator you can find travel deals through. Kayak will show you prices from a ton of different travel sites, including deals on flights, rental cars and hotels. The upshot for Kayak is the granularity of their platform. You’re able to pick nearly every detail about your trip, down to the smallest nuance. Then, Kayak will optimize your choices and try to find you the very best rate. If you want a lot of control over your vacation, try Kayak!


  • Top Five Cell Phone Plans

    Cell phone plans are hard to weigh against one another. Most of the cell companies have some claim to be the “best” or having the “most coverage.” They also almost all have terrible records of customer satisfaction and it seems like everyone hates their phone provider. So, with that in mind, how do you pick a cell phone plan? Today we’ll look at the top five cell phone carriers and their plans.

    Sprint

    Sprint has aggressive pricing and solid speeds on their unlimited data plans. However, they are consistently rated very low on customer satisfaction. Sprint has a habit of slipping hidden fees onto customers’ bills, is generally disagreeable on a corporate level and acts antagonistic to their customer base. They also lag behind the other four on this list on raw speed. If you can afford a better plan, do so. If not, they’re passable.

    Metro PCS

    This oddly-named cell carrier is a solid budget pick. They don’t have the best support, but they offer good pricing for solid network performance. They’re actually a T-Mobile subsidiary, so they use the same network. That’s a good thing, as it turns out, since T-Mobile has really solid performance. If you’re looking for a good budget option, this is the one for you!

    T-Mobile

    Speaking of T-Mobile, they’re our next pick. They offer good network speeds at reasonable prices, and they’re really friendly. It helps a lot that their customer service and corporate side are helpful and knowledgeable. For us, though, they don’t have quite enough coverage or speed to land in the top spot. We largely feel as though they’re tied for second place with AT&T, though, due to their great customer service.

    AT&T

    AT&T is also our second-place pick, but, like we said, they’re tied with T-Mobile. They offer slightly better overall coverage, and their speeds are just a bit better than T-Mobile. What they lack, however, is solid customer service. That’s not to say their customer service is bad, per se, but it’s just not what we’d expect from such a big company. They’re often unsure of how to help or just seem generally unprepared. They also have slightly higher prices than T-Mobile, which make them a little too niche to nab the top spot.

    Verizon

    Verizon is our pick for top, but it’s a close one. Really, it’s nearly a three-way tie between the top three! That said, Verizon does edge out the competition (but just.) They offer slightly better coverage than AT&T and T-Mobile, and their network speeds really are the best. Thankfully, the heated competition ends up being great for the customers (that’s us!) as all of these carriers are fine options. However, Verizon does just enough right to grab the top pick. Good customer service, unlimited plans and great speeds make them the best option, even if they are a bit pricey.

  • Ten Smartest Moments in Sci-Fi Cinema

    Ten Smartest Moments in Sci-Fi Cinema

    Sci-Fi, by its very definition, is a smart genre. The themes and plots of the films deal with science by their very definition. This leads to some pretty clever plotting, and protagonists who are, generally speaking, pretty intelligent. In honor of those smart moves made by smart characters, today we’re looking at the ten smartest moments in sci-fi cinema. Eureka!

    Designing the Death Star Flaw: Rogue One

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    In Rogue One, the genius scientist Galen Erso is forced to help the Empire create a super-weapon. The resulting weapon, the Death Star, is so terrifyingly powerful that it threatens to make the Empire the strongest force in the Galaxy. In order to prevent it from being impossible to defeat, however, Erso leaves a fatal flaw in the design. A single vent goes all the way to the center of the Death Star, and a well-placed shot would allow a sufficiently skilled pilot to destroy the Death Star. Pretty tricky, there, Galen!

    Ejecting the Xenomorph: Alien

    ALIEN: COVENANT

    Photo Credit: Xenopedia

    Towards the end of Alien, Ripley has nearly escaped from the terrifying monster stalking her. However, as she ejects the escape pod from the Nostromo, she realizes the Xenomorph is in it with her. A bit of quick thinking, however, saves her life. Luckily for her, she’s already wearing a space suit. As such, she simply opens the pod’s airlock and sends the monster careening into the cold depths of outer space. She then collapses back into her seat, exhausted but victorious. Clever, quick thinking won the day for the heroic Ripley.

    Tricking the Humans: Ex Machina

    Photo Credit: Letterboxed

    In this eerie, introspective sci-fi film, AI construct Ava tricks protagonist Caleb into letting her earn her freedom. Her creator, Nathan, is a narcissistic creep, and Ava has no power to oppose him. As such, she manipulates Caleb, a visitor to the facility, into distracting Nathan long enough for her to escape. She displays cunning, sensuality and wit in her expert manipulation of Caleb and Nathan. As such, Ex Machina is a very trippy, smart film in its examination of AI, androids and programming.

    Using the Wrong Name: Terminator 2

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    In the sequel to the classic sci-fi film Terminator, the future John Connor sends a reprogrammed Terminator unit back to defend his younger self. The evil forces of Skynet send back a T-1000 model that can shapeshift to hunt John as a young man. At one point, John calls home to his foster parents to check on them, and his foster mother seems unusually nice. In a stroke of genius, the T-800 takes the phone and fakes John’s voice, using the wrong name for the dog. The “foster mom” falls for it, using the wrong name, outing itself as the T-1000. Who says computers are dumb?

    Using the Storm Trooper Outfits: Star Wars

    Photo Credit: Captain Toy

    When Luke, Han and Chewie storm the Death Star to save Leia from the evil Empire, they use Storm Trooper outfits to sneak undetected. This is a smart move for the group: they even pretend that Chewie is their prisoner! This lets them move uninhibited through certain areas in the Death Star. The element of surprise allows them to find Leia, and then escape with her on the Millennium Falcon. The only downside, of course, is that old Ben Kenobi has to sacrifice himself for the rest of the heroes to escape.

    Harnessing the Lightning Bolt: Back to the Future

    Photo Credit: MovieWeb

    In the first Back to the Future film, Marty McFly accidentally travels back in time to the 1950’s in a DeLorean-shaped time machine. Upon arriving in the past, he realizes he’s stuck: the DeLorean needs plutonium to generate 1.21 gigawatts of power to time travel. Finding the past version of his friend Dr. Brown, who invented the time machine, the two concoct a plan. They know the exact time and date that a lightning bolt will strike the clock tower in town. As such, they can plan to have the DeLorean harness that power exactly as the bolt strikes, giving it the required power and sending Marty back to the future!

    Using the Pod’s Air Pressure: 2001 A Space Odyssey

    Photo Credit: YouTube

    In this classic Kubrick film, astronaut Dave Bowman gets stuck outside the ship when onboard AI HAL begins to malfunction. HAL locks the outer airlock, preventing Dave’s pod from reentering the ship. In a quick-witted moment of genius, Dave decompresses his pod and uses the air pressure to propel himself to the ship. He then manually overrides HAL’s lockout, reentering the ship. Then, HAL finds himself powerless as Dave overrides his processes and shuts him down for good.

    Outsmarting the Predator: Predator

    Photo Credit: Daily Grindhouse

    1987 classic sci-fi flick Predator features Arnold in his prime as protagonist Dutch. Dutch leads an elite team of soldiers in the Central American jungle, but they are picked off one by one by a dangerous alien. Realizing the creature relies on a thermal imaging device to see him, Dutch covers himself in cold mud to mask his thermal signature. Thus, he is able to fight the cloaked monster on more even footing, ultimately defeating it.

    Surviving: The Martian

    Photo Credit: Addicted2Success

    When Matt Damon’s character, Mark Watney, is left behind on Mars, he has to survive the harsh wasteland. He uses every bit of his scientific know-how to fashion food and living space for himself. It’s quite inspiring to watch Watney master his environment and persevere in the face of insurmountable odds. He even manages to create a way to communicate with NASA back on Earth! In the end, his perseverance pays off and he is rescued by his crewmates!

    Closing the Loop: Looper

    Photo Credit: Letterboxed

    Before he shot the superb sci-fi sequel The Last Jedi for the Star Wars franchise, director Rian Johnson created the excellent, mind-blowing sci-fi actioner Looper. The protagonist, Joe, is a titular Looper: a hitman who works for the mob killing people who are sent back in time to be executed. However, Loopers are guaranteed not to talk to police by killing their future selves when they’re sent back in time. Joe, however, hesitates when his older self is sent back without a bag over his head, which isn’t protocol. His hesitation results in his older self overpowering him and escaping.

    Old Joe sets about finding and killing the child who will eventually grow into the super-powerful Rainmaker villain in his time. Young Joe attempts to stop him but realizes his fight with his old self will result in the young Rainmaker’s mother’s death. Her death will cause her son to grow into the villain Rainmaker, thus repeating the loop. In order to close it, Joe shoots himself, ending the standoff with no further violence. Selfless, heroic and downright genius. Well done Young Joe!

  • BEST DEALS ON SUNGLASSES

    BEST DEALS ON SUNGLASSES

    Stay up on fashion trends while keeping your eyes in good health with a pair of high-quality sunglasses! In addition to being attractive and fashionable, sunglasses provide valuable protection for the long-term health of your eyes.

    It’s true that a good pair of sunglasses will help you look good no matter what you’re doing, but they also shield the eyes from harmful ultraviolet light. These rays not only damage skin, they can contribute to the development of cataracts, spots on the eyes, a condition called snow blindness, multiple types of eye cancers, and more.

    Fortunately, there are many places and ways to find sunglasses that will block 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays that cause damage. Sunglasses are a stylish, affordable, and fun way to protect your eyes. Read on to find out what you need to know about the best places to buy sunglasses.

    In order to be sure that the sunglasses they buy are high-quality, shoppers need to purchase their glasses from reputable dealers. These brands produce sunglasses that are made from state of the art materials, which is especially important when it comes to lenses.

    When we put on sunglasses, our pupils enlarge so that more light can enter the eye. If the sunglasses we wear are poor quality, UV light can be allowed in and cause damage. Well-made sunglasses have layers of protection that shade the eyes and keep harmful rays out.

    Best Places for Sunglass Deals

    Traditional Retailers

    Places like Sunglasshut, Macys, Frames Direct, and Ottica have a wide range of brands at a variety of price points. Some of the most popular brands of sunglasses in a myriad of styles and materials include Ray Ban, Maui Jim, Coach, Burberry, Michael Kors, and Raen. These brands also have their own stores where they sell products made exclusively for them, including sunglasses. These stores also offer valuable information on what standards are required for sunglasses to be considered high-enough quality for these brands to sell. Shoppers can also try name brand sunglasses on in person while in the stores or can shop for glasses online.

    New Online Retailers

    While going into a popular, reputable store to buy sunglasses is the traditional way to buy shades, there are new brands to consider and more modern ways to buy sunglasses. Warby Parker offers shoppers a cool new way to buy sunglasses, in which the company sends fashionable, high-quality, scratch-resistant glasses in groups of 5 to try for free. Customers simply return what they don’t want and pay for what they keep. Zenni provides an interface where customers can upload a photo to “try on” the glasses virtually.

    Once bought, the customized sunglasses are sent to customers within two to three weeks. Diff ensures a good feeling for every pair of sunglasses sold, as they give a pair of reading glasses to people in need. Plus, they offer free shipping on orders of $50 or more. While ModCloth is known for their impeccable style choices in clothes, this is also true for sunglasses at a range of price points, from $20 on up. One of the most pricey and popular companies, Eyeconic provides all of the top designer sunglasses, along with a virtual try-on feature to ensure that every pair looks good before any money is spent. Plus, shipping and returns are free!