The Frugal Noodle | Do It Yourself. Save Money. Live Simply. Be Productive.

Do It Yourself. Save Money. Live Simply. Be Productive. Be a Frugal Noodle!

fru·gal

sparing or economical with regard to money or food.

noo·dle

slang for head or brain.
“to use (one’s) noodle”: To use one’s own intelligence and intellectual ability; to think logically and rationally

Household Do-It-Yourself Tips

How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Home: Terro vs. Amdro Liquid Ant Bait

Jul 25, 2018

These products worked better than a professional exterminator for us. We had a bad ant problem. It got to the point where if a crumb fell on the floor, in thirty minutes there would be an ant trail going to it. We tried some of those ultrasonic insect repellents. They...

How to Hide Embarrassing Bathroom Noises in Your Home

It's a common problem: you have a bathroom with thin walls and/or a flimsy door adjacent to a living room or other common area. Whenever someone uses the toilet, everyone can hear the person doing their thing. My condo has that problem. It's...

Six Reasons Your House Plants are Dying

If your house plants are in various states of near-death, this article is for you. I got the information for this article from my Mom, who used to own a plant store and loves gardening. Drawing from her years of experience dealing with plant customers and plant-owning...

How to Re-Stain Your Front Door

After years of sun and water damage (see above), my front door was in need of a re-stain and re-varnish. I decided to save some money and do it myself. Here’s my story and some lessons that I learned. Tools and Materials Here is a list of things...

How to Choose and Install a Programmable Wall Switch Timer

I have a porch light controlled by a wall switch in my entryway. Rather than having to manually turn this light on at night and off in the morning (or worse, forgetting and wasting energy having it on all day), I wanted to install a timer where the existing light...

My Top 10 Long-Distance Moving Tips

Moving across town can be stressful enough, but moving across the country can compound your worries. I’ve found that moving companies can be pretty slimy and unreliable. Plus, you might have to coordinate having your car shipped as well as a flight for yourself. ...

New Year’s Resolutions that Can Save You Thousands of Dollars

Dec 19, 2018

Are you making any New Year's resolutions this year? How about making some that would save you thousands of dollars over the course of a year? Consider some of these resolution ideas to do just that! As a bonus, most of these ideas have side effects that will benefit...

Top Ten Tips to Save on Your Cell Phone Plan in 2019

If you're on an an individual phone plan with one of the big four carriers, these tips can cut your phone bill in half! 1. Use Low-Cost Carriers Like Metro (by T-Mobile) If you want to get some big savings, get out of the mindset that you have to stay...

How I Lost $40,000 Due to Sheer Laziness

I took a look back at the last ten years of my life and documented my biggest money mistakes. Many of these were due to simple laziness or ignorance on my part. I share them with you today. Do any apply to you? 1. Paying too much for my home mortgage...

Get Your Document Notarized for Free

I recently had to get a document notarized. I went online and the first thing that came up was the UPS store. So, I went to the downtown store, but they said the guy who notarized was out. He was the owner and came and went as he pleased. The clerk told me that banks...

How to Save Money on Internet Access

Internet access is a practical necessity these days, but in many areas there are only a few choices of providers, all of which are expensive. Here are some ways you might be able to cut your Internet bill. 1. Threaten to Leave Call your Internet...

How to Get TV Without Paying for Cable

How much do you spend on cable TV every month? The average is $75, or $900 per year! Over the course of your life, that’s as much as a BMW 3-Series sedan! Many people spend over a hundred dollars a month on cable! You do the math. Wouldn’t you like to save this money...

The Best Way to Carry a U-Lock on Your Bike

Feb 18, 2017

This is the best solution I've found for carrying a U-lock on a bike. I discovered the hard way that a steel cord bike lock is NOT secure and can be cut in seconds, so I switched to a U-lock for my bike. I'll never rely on a cable to lock my bike up again! But, a...

Your Travel Checklist – Don’t Leave Home Without It

Here's the travel checklist that I use before traveling, whether for business or pleasure. These are things that I've been prone to forget when traveling in the past. Way Before You Leave If you're going on an International trip, make sure...

Top Twenty-One Date Ideas in Providence, RI

Providence, RI is a small but very charming New England city with a lot to offer, including culture, great restaurants, lots of outdoor activities, and a riverfront modeled after Venice, Italy! After living here for some years now, I’ve compiled a list of my top date...

8 Tips to Meet Single People When You Are New in Town

A few years ago, I packed up everything and moved cross country from Los Angeles to Providence, RI for work. Having lived in Los Angeles all of my life, all of my friends and family were there, and I was starting from scratch. I wondered how an introvert like me would...

Ten of the Coolest Bars in Los Angeles

Here are ten spectacular L.A. bars that anyone can get into. These have great ambiance and/or great views. Some have mild dress codes or require reservations, but if you do that little bit of homework, you'll be rewarded with these really unique bar experiences. Are...

Top Ten Things I Love About My 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE

After my BMW 325i got totaled in an accident, I did a bunch of research to find a new car. I knew I wanted something with good gas mileage which was moderately sporty-looking. Oh, and it had to have folding rear seats to carry big things. After reading...

The Ten Worst Things About the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid

From the title of this article, you might think that I hate my 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. But actually the opposite is true. I love my Fusion and I highly recommend it! Read my article, Top Ten Things I Love About My 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. But, no car...

Does the Apple Watch Series 3 Work with Strava?

Like many runners, I used the Strava iPhone app to track my runs. But, I was tired of having to carry my iPhone with me; I had it in an arm band and it was difficult to remove, making checking my pace almost impossible without stopping. So, when the iPhone Series 3...

The Best White Elephant “Yankee Swap” Gift Exchange Ideas

After going to my fair share of White Elephant gift exchange parties (also known as Yankee Swaps), I've compiled a list of the most fun gifts I've seen. In case you're not familiar with the concept of a White Elephant gift exchange, each of the guests brings a wrapped...

Learn to Count Cards in Blackjack in Fifteen Minutes

Counting cards in Blackjack is one of the few ways that professional gamblers can actually gain a slight advantage over the house in casino gaming. It’s commonly believed that you have to be a math whiz to be able to count cards, but I hope to show you that anyone...

What Happens After You Die

When crime investigators want to determine what happened at a particular event witnessed by many people, they use two techniques: Interview everyone who witnessed the event and see if their stories match up with each other. Ask the witnesses the same questions in...

The Biggest Way to Save Energy that No One Ever Talks About

You might have heard some of these suggestions on how to conserve energy: Unplug unused appliances Switch to CFC light bulbs Adjust your thermostats & insulate Carpool or buy a car with good mileage But how much of an impact do these things really have on our...

My Top Tips for Freelancers Just Starting Out

Many people dream of quitting their jobs and going freelance or starting their own business. Are you one of them? Maybe you want to control your own schedule, escape a bad boss, or get out of the cubicle and work from home. In 2012, I did just that,...

Ten Ways to Increase Your Productivity on a Computer

Do you work on a computer all day? How would you like to get more done in the same amount of time? Here are my top ten tips on how to be more productive on a computer, without getting a new computer. Some involve hardware changes; some involve behavioral changes. Some...

Convert Your Ikea “Jerker” Desk Into a Standing Desk

Concerned about the long hours I spend sitting in front of a computer working at home, I had been wanting to jump onto the standing desk bandwagon for a while. Finally, when Apple CEO Tim Cook said that “sitting is the new cancer” (which actually doesn’t really make...

The Pros and Cons of Being a Freelancer

After working for all of my career as a full-time employee, I took the plunge, quit my job, and became a freelance web developer some years ago. Sure, I had to tighten my belt and there were some uncertain times. But in the end, it is one of the best things I've done...