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It kind of makes sense for frozen pizzas to look so fake. As delicious as frozen pizza can be—and trust me, I think they’re fantastic—they’re barely food. They’re more like sodium-laced stripped wheat frisbees topped with spiced rubber parts. Here’s how frozen pizza is made in a big factory. If you pretend it’s CGI, it’ll make you feel better.
via Gizmodo
Seeing frozen pizza get made looks a lot like CGI
What are people doing in America for work and just how much are they making at those jobs? This chart, which looks at the distribution of Americans through different industries and their median salaries, answers that question.
The chart is the work of Nathan Yau over at Flowing Data, who used the new stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create it. Things really get interesting, though, when you start looking at the data not just nationally, but by state.
Switching the chart over to Michigan’s manufacturing-heavy economy yields a result that is, unsurprisingly, tilted towards transportation and material moving and production. It’s also fairly similar to the chart that you see for the entire nation. Leaving the salary point set at a median of just over $50,000 (represented by the portions of the chart shown in green), which is also the national median, the jobs that hit that criteria are mostly centered in financial operations, engineering, and management.
Compare that with data from Washington, DC, where the most popular industries shift radically into financial operations and management and the chart looks noticeably different than the national one. The median salary of $50,000 also appears much more frequently scattered around the chart, reflecting the very different kinds of economies (and costs) you can find across the states.
What’s going on in your industry? Do the charted number of jobs and median salaries match up with what you’ve seen? Tell us in the comments!
via Lifehacker
Every Job In America And What It Pays, Charted
The best way to think of Lékué’s flexible silicone bowl is as a bread machine that won’t waste valuable kitchen counter space when not in use. Because it’s soft and flexible it can be easily stored in a cupboard or even a drawer, and because it’s all silicone it can go straight from the counter to the oven without messing any additional mixing bowls or pans.
via Gizmodo
You Can Measure, Mix, Knead, and Bake Bread In this One Silicone Bowl
It’s perhaps a more fundamental law of technology than Moore’s Law, if we’re honest with ourselves. [Truth Facts]
via Gizmodo
The More Features Your Phone Has, the Longer You Spend in the Toilet
While TrackingPoint released their self-aiming PGF rifle just last year, a slightly similar, if less deadly, consumer-level technology has been available for quite some time. For years, paintball enthusiasts have been hacking together self-targeting paintball sentry guns, which not only track targets, but light them up without you needing to bother to pull the trigger. In this video from several years ago, a nice, frosty bottle of beer is placed on a table. Joe is across the yard and he’s thirsty. The only thing standing between Joe and the beer is a paintball gun in Auto Sentry mode:
Of course, the real question on everyone’s mind is if this system can stop an intruder using multiple trampolines in your backyard:
(more…)
via Core77
Thirsty Man Prevented from Enjoying Bottle of Beer by Self-Targeting Auto-Firing Paintball Sentry Gun
Warren Buffett is a hugely successful investor, and his tips for investing are surprisingly accessible. Most of his methods are simple, straightforward and timeless. Here’s some of Buffett’s best money advice.
Buffett warns against excessive borrowing. Credit card debt or unnecessary loans can quickly get you into lots of financial trouble:
I’ve seen more people fail because of liquor and leverage—leverage being borrowed money. You really don’t need leverage in this world much. If you’re smart, you’re going to make a lot of money without borrowing.
At the same time, you don’t have to rule out borrowing completely. Some experts classify borrowing money as "good debt" and "bad debt." According to The Money Advice Service, good debt is a sensible way to invest in your future. It leaves you in a better place, long-term, and should, ideally, not have a negative impact on your finances. This includes things like a mortgage or student loan. Keep in mind—I said ideally.
Bad debt, on the other hand, is pretty obviously and inherently not meant to be an investment. Bad debt drains your finances and has no prospect for future growth. A loan to buy a big screen TV is probably bad debt. If you’re going to borrow money, make sure it’s for an investment.
If you want to make saving a priority, take a look at how you budget.
Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.
This might be Money 101, but it’s a lesson a lot of people don’t consider. Let’s say you have enough monthly income to cover your basic needs, and you want to start saving. Budget for your needs and bills, then figure out how much you want to save. Whatever is left is spending money.
Paying yourself first is basically an automatic way to prioritize your savings. To do this, you can set up automatic monthly deposits into your savings account. And think of your savings and investments as a monthly bill, if that helps.
Many people underestimate the bad money habits that can eventually take over their finances. We often don’t wise up to our habits until they’ve become hard to manage.
Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.
Much of personal finance is about mindset. Accepting this will help you nip those bad habits in the bud, before they get out of hand.
If you want to change your habit, first break it down. Understand your cue, reward and routine. With those in mind, you can work toward breaking the cycle of your habit.
It’s easier said than done, but Buffett illustrates just how important it is to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle:
Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.
When you’re living in this cycle, it can be hard to find the time and resources to take a step back and address your financial issues at their core. But trying to "patch up" the aftermath of your issues rather than the cause of them can keep the cycle going.
Some examples of "patches" in the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle:
In fact, Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar calls the latter example a "huge financial mistake." While a financial "patch" might get you out of a pinch, in the long run, it almost sets you up for failure.
On the other hand, what would be considered "changing vessels"? Here’s what we’ve talked about:
Some of you may already be doing all of this and still feel you’re stuck in the cycle. "Changing vessels" is a hell of a lot easier said than done. And there’s probably need for a larger solution that goes beyond the realm of this post. But if you can find a way to change boats rather than patch a sinking one—it might take a little more time and effort, but it’s worth it.
Buffett is notoriously frugal. And frugality is all about value. In this quote, Buffett explains that value and price are not the same thing:
Long ago, Ben Graham taught me that ‘Price is what you pay; value is what you get.’ Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.
Frugality isn’t about buying anything at a low price. It’s not about paying a lot for something just because it’s valuable, either. it’s about buying value at a low price. Another way of putting it:
It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.
If you consider yourself frugal, consider this: the key to making a smart spending decision isn’t just price; it’s value, too. So when you’re getting a "deal," don’t forget to calculate value into the equation.
We’ve talked about Buffett’s rules for investing before, but here’s the gist of how to get started:
If you invested in a very low cost index fund—where you don’t put the money in at one time, but average in over 10 years—you’ll do better than 90% of people who start investing at the same time.
Index funds—yep, it’s that simple, according to Buffett. And in his most recent annual shareholder letter, he even offers one for getting started:
My money, I should add, is where my mouth is: What I advise here is essentially identical to certain instructions I’ve laid out in my will… Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s. (VFINX)).
If you have some money that you want to invest outside of your retirement accounts, it basically comes down to a few simple steps:
Buffett always promotes big picture. He warns to not get caught up in daily valuations. Instead, think long-term.
… If you aren’t willing to own a stock for ten years, don’t even think about owning it for ten minutes. Put together a portfolio of companies whose aggregate earnings march upward over the years, and so also will the portfolio’s market value.
If you’ve picked your index fund, it might even be best to not check on it every day. A lot of people refer to Buffett’s index fund investing strategy as "set it and forget it." If you look at your daily valuations, you might get discouraged and be tempted to sell your stock at the worst time.
Sure, you should look in on your investments every now and then to make sure you’re still investing properly. Time suggests a semi-annual check-up. But for the most part, Buffett suggests looking at the big picture when it comes to picking your investments. This way, your investing won’t require much maintenance.
Yep—even the world’s most successful investor knows money doesn’t buy everything.
Some material things make my life more enjoyable; many, however, would not. I like having an expensive private plane, but owning a half-dozen homes would be a burden. Too often, a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner. The asset I most value, aside from health, is interesting, diverse, and long-standing friends.
Money offers a lot of options. But, of course, it’s important to remember the things in life that truly matter most.
Two Cents is a new blog from Lifehacker all about personal finance. Follow us on Twitter here.
Let’s face it: some days just take a turn for the worse. The Positivity Blog recommends asking yourself these questions to put it all in perspective.
They’ve got list of questions to ponder when you are having one those kind of days:
- Will this matter 5 years from now?
- Who cares?
- What is one small action, one small and practical step I can take to start turning this day or situation around?
These questions help you realize that the day isn’t necessarily a disaster and you can get back on track. Check out the rest of the tips by following the link.
How to Turn a Bad Day Around | The Positivity Blog
Photo by Raymand Bryson.
via Lifehacker
Ask Yourself These Questions to Turn a Bad Day Around