Product Review: Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal
As I’ve posted before, Crest previously offered free samples of their Advanced Seal Whitestrips, and I’ve been lucky enough to get two of those samples. I’ve never tried any type of whitening before, and I’m interested to see how this works, and if these strips are actually effective.
Putting on the strips was easy enough. I just pealed them off the foil, stuck them on the front of my teeth and folded them over.
No ill side effects after application. I just felt like I had plastic over my teeth. After a couple minutes I checked it out in the mirror and there were thousands of tiny bubbles under the strips. No tingling or anything though–it just wasn’t very attractive.
The info that came with the sample listed some things you can do while you whiten with their strips:
-Talk on the phone
-Drink water
-Whistle along with the radio
-Take a shower
-Go about your daily routine.
I didn’t have anyone to call on the phone, so I talked to myself. The strips didn’t seem to impair me in any way. I drank some water and the strips stayed firmly in place. I cannot whistle, and the strip didn’t help me with that, though I don’t think it hindered me either. I’d already showered for the day, but I was able to wander around and do whatever I wanted to while I whitened.
After about 15 minutes some of the edges were starting to peel up just from normal activities, sometimes I thought I could taste the chemicals in my mouth.
After the recommended half hour, I went back to the bathroom to peel them off. It was a little tricky at first, but I pulled off the the strip starting at the back of my teeth, and then it was pretty easy. The strip left behind no sticky residue
Unfortunately the free sample offer is gone for now, but Crest is offering $7 off one box of Crest Whitestrips.
Also, Amazon currently has them on sale for 48% off
Money Saving Tip: Keep Cool & Cut AC Costs
For the first time in my life I am living in an apartment without air conditioning and it’s not the easiest adjustment in the world, but it’s only temporary and definitely not the end of the world.
To beat the heat, I’ve done a lot of reading about alternative ways to keep cool and cool your home. The tips aren’t only great for those of us without the privilege of a/c, but also great ideas to help reduce the amount of air conditioning you use, saving you money! Also, it’s better for the environment to reduce your use.
So if you’re game, try a few of these tips:
-If you don’t already have them, invest in some fans. Ceiling fans are great and can reduce the temperature in a room by a couple degrees. Oscillating fans help with air circulation. If you have central air, sometimes just running it on fan mode is enough to keep things cool.
-At night, when the air outside is cooler, open some windows. Use two fans–box fans
-During the day, close all windows to shut the hot day air out. Close all blinds and curtains you can to block out direct sunlight, which can heat up the room.
-If you’re willing to invest a little money, buy some UV blocking window film
-Wait to run electronics at night. Everything electronic, from light bulbs to dishwashers, create heat when they’re on. It’s best to run them in the evening when it’s cooler out
-Another source of heat is cooking, so avoid using the stove or the oven as much as you can. Toasting something in a toaster oven creates a lot less heat than setting your oven to 375. Use a microwave or eat cold foods like salads. Another great idea is to use a grill and cook outside. Of course you can always go out to eat, but that’s not necessarily the cheapest option.
If you do have central air with a programmable thermostat, make sure you program it for a higher temperature while you’re away from home. Even just raising the temperature a few degrees can save money.
For more tips check out these sites:
15 Tips for Keeping Cool Without Air Conditioning
Keep Cool Without an Air Conditioner
Service Review: Public Storage
As I’ve mentioned before, this summer is a little hectic for me in terms of shuffling myself and my stuff around as I move twice. Part of this chaos has included me putting the majority of my possessions in storage for three months. This is not an ideal situation, but it’s temporary so I cope with it, and of course sought the cheapest option possible.
I decided to go with Public Storage, after seeing many television ads and banners touting first month’s rent for just a dollar. I figured that pay $1 for the first month and then only paying full rent for two more months was the cheapest option in my area.
Their website is immensely convenient. I was able to search for all of the locations in my area (in Chicago, there’s a lot to choose from) and see the prices for each location. By browsing a couple locations, I quickly saw I could save about $10-20 a month at a location a little further away from my apartment, and then save $10 more at the location just a block north of that (I have no clue why they have two locations a block apart).
Using the website size guide and storage tips I selected the size unit I needed and reserved it online. The next day I got a call from the manager inviting me to come down and inspect the unit and fill out the paperwork. Easy as pie.
Unfortunately though, $1 is not all you will pay in your first month, and I did not find this out until I went in. The rent is $1, but there is also an administration fee and by law you have to have some sort of insurance. If you move in on any day besides the first of the month, they will pro-rate the rest of that month, and then your $1 rent will begin on the first of the next month. So since I moved in on April 30th, I was prorated for that day, and got May for $1. The administration fee was $22. I picked the cheapest insurance, $2000 coverage for $8mo. In total I paid $36.66. Not bad considering my normal monthly rent is $85.
Overall my experience has been great so far. I’ve had no problems with the facilities and the managers are very helpful. There are three options to pay rent each month: take it to the office, sign up for auto-bill pay, or pay online. I pay online each month, which takes about 1 minute of my time.
I highly recommended checking out Public Storage and of course comparing it to other options in your area to make sure they’re the cheapest option. From my experience their service is great, the facility is clean and well maintained, and customer service is very helpful.
Once I move out at the end of July I’ll post an update on how moving out goes, though I expect the transition out to be as smooth as moving in was. Update: part two of my review, covering my experience moving out and closing the account, is available here.
See Also:
Savings on Packing Supplies
Finding Free Moving Boxes
How to Make a Cheap & Eco-Friendly Fruit Fly Trap
It never fails, summer comes around and along with the warmer weather comes the bugs! And of course, one little fruit fly becomes an entire swarm. Then it seems impossible to get rid of them. Swatting, sprays, and sticky fly tape are not the solution–they’re basically a waste of money.
There is one solution I’ve found that never fails to get rid of the little buggers: the bottle trap. It’s quick, easy, and effective, and is easily constructed with supplies you can find around the house.
What you’ll need:
1 Bottle (beer, wine, soda, etc)
1 Piece of paper (about 3″x4″)
Some wine
A drop of dish soap
Some tape
1 small piece of fruit (optional)
Take a bottle, any type will do. Glass or plastic, it all works the same. If you have a tremendous fly problem you could use something big like a 2 liter soda bottle, but usually sometime smaller like a beer bottle will do.
Fill the bottom of the bottle with about 3/4 of an inch of wine. Any type of wine will work.
As a bonus you can add a small piece of fruit. Usually banana and watermelon work best, but any will do. This isn’t necessary, the wine alone will usually attract the flies.
Add a drop of dish washing liquid to the wine. This will break the surface tension on the surface so the flies will drown.
Take the piece of paper and roll it into a cone, leaving a tiny hole at the bottom that a fruit fly would be able to fit through. Tape the cone in place.
Put the cone in the bottle, with the tiny end inside. Tape in place, making sure to seal it up so the only entrance is through the cone. Packing tape works best for this, but you can use whatever tape you have around.
And you’re all set. Just put it anywhere the flies are convening and the smell of the wine and fruit will attract them. They’ll fly through the hole, but they’re not smart enough to get out again. Clean out and reset as needed until all your flies are gone. Make sure to recycle the bottle when you’re done.
Free Yoga Classes, Audio Downloads & Videos
I love yoga. It’s a great form of exercise to improve flexibility and also a great stress reliever. I don’t know anyone who couldn’t benefit of 60 minutes of stress relief each day.
As great as yoga is, attending classes frequently is something most people don’t have time or the extra cash for. You could just buy some yoga DVDs or create your own routine for a home practice, or you could try out some free downloadable classes.
Audio Downloads
Yogadownload.com offers a free download of a 20 minutes audio class. The classes come with slides or a pose guide. They’re in mp3 format, so you can play them at home or even put them on an iPod or mp3 player to do yoga at the park (if you can maneuver the poses while wearing headphones).
Downloads include yoga classes specialized in weight-loss, core, power yoga, prenatal, working your buns, and more.
Unfortunately the downloads aren’t instant. Add all of the ones you’re interested in to your cart, then check out. You will have to sign up for an account to complete the check out process and they will ask for a billing address and an email address, but you will not need to provide credit card info. After your order is complete, just go to your account, select download links, and download the files.
If you decided you enjoy the 20 minute classes, then you can easily purchase longer classes or buy a membership with the site.
Streaming Yoga Videos
If you want more than just a 20 minute class or feel more comfortable will a video guide of poses, then you’re in luck. Yoga Today provides free videos of yoga classes everyday. You won’t be stuck doing the same routine over and over. The videos change each day with different instructors and different focuses for each class, like a basic sun salutation, high energy postures, or even beginner classes.
There’s nothing to download, just select your class and watch the streaming video. Each class is about an hour. Unfortunately, since there is no download, you’re stuck doing yoga wherever your computer is.
For another site featuring free streaming classes, check out My Free Yoga.
Cheap & Sometimes Free Yoga Classes
If you really crave the atmosphere of a real yoga class, there are often affordable and sometimes free ways to take classes.
Many yoga studios will offer a free introductory class, so check around with the ones in your area. Some studios will offer community classes that are open to the public at discounted or “pay what you can” rates, and sometimes the community classes are even free!
If you’re lucky to have a Lululemon Athletica Store in your area, check their community events calendar. They usually offer free yoga classes (also pilates & more) weekly in their stores.
For cheap classes in your community, check with the YMCA. They offer an assortment of health & fitness activities at very reasonable classes. Also check with your park district to see if they may have any programs available.
ETA 9/2/09: September 2009 is National Yoga Month. Find out how to get a week of free classes.
See Also:
Free Streaming Videos of Online Yoga Classes
3 Yoga DVDs Available as Free Streaming Online Video
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About Tiffany
I'm a 20-something living in the big expensive city of Chicago. I'm post-college and bouncing between underemployment and unemployment, while trying my best to be thrifty, save money, pay off my 6 digit student loan debt, and still have fun and enjoy life. I live with my boyfriend, a rabbit, and a chinchilla. Read more.
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