9/22/10

If you're not in a rush to get somewhere, consider going 55 mph instead of revving up to 65 mph. Just reducing your speed a tiny bit can improve your car's fuel efficiency by as much as 10 percent. If you drive at 75 mph, not only may you risk a speeding ticket, but your fuel economy drops by a whopping 25 percent, too. That's a sure way to use up a lot of gas fast.

9/21/10

One way to see if your bed or hotel bed has a bed bug infestation before crawling in is to use the hair dryer. Choose a section of the bed and blow the hair dryer on it for 30 seconds. If there are bed bugs, they'll surface and you'll know the bed has an infestation.

9/20/10

Bed bugs seem to be on everyone's mind these days, and one of the tips extolled has been to avoid buying items from antique or thrift stores. If that makes your flea market-loving heart sink, no need to worry. One way to be absolutely sure that an item you buy is free of bed bugs is to simply expose them to extreme temperature. Wash the item in hot water and tumble dry it on high heat, or place it in a plastic bag and freeze it for 3 days to absolutely, positively kill the tiny critters.