DIY Life

Wholeheartedly adore your car? Or is it just a people mover? Either way, maintenance is critical for the health of your vehicle and is therefore a great investment. But ... could you possibly be paying too much? Here are five easy suggestions for cutting those maintenance expenses down to size.

1. Use the manufacturer's maintenance schedule, not the dealer's. When your dealership tells you your car is "due" for x, y and z maintenance tasks, verify exactly what that means. The manufacturer's recommendations? Surprise! They probably are referring to their own schedule, which likely recommends more frequent work ... and more money out of your pocket.

2. Buy regular gas, not premium. It's a fact: most vehicles run just fine on regular gas. That even includes cars designed to run on premium fuel. Unless you're a car buff whose mechanical "baby" must have only the best, opt for good old regular gas ... and save your money for important stuff like repairs.

With a toddler and several dogs to transport, I feel like I can never get that lived-in smell out of my car. And summer heat makes it so much worse.

Does your car stink? Obviously, the first step is a thorough cleaning of the interior using a vacuum and fabric shampoo. Beyond that, however, I've discovered lots of clever budget-friendly little tricks for removing persistent odors. Try them out yourself ... and keep your vehicle smelling fresh.

1. White vinegar. Half-fill an open travel mug with vinegar and leave it in your cup holder for a day or two. Just don't forget and take a swig! Or soak a rag or piece of bread with vinegar and keep it in an open container under a front seat.

Once there was a young woman who considered herself fairly handy in all things DIY. One stormy day, she heard a loud crash. Stepping outside, she discovered a fallen pine branch had clipped the trunk of her vehicle. The damage? Two quarter-sized dents in the paintwork. "My car!" she exclaimed and shook her fist angrily at the tree.

"I bet I can fix this myself," she mused. Next came a twinge of doubt, but she brushed it away. "A well-aimed tap with a hammer should pop that sucker right back out again," she told herself. The outcome to this particular DIY project was ... er ... not so great. Those taps were a tad too vigorous, leaving the car with unsightly bumps where the dents had been. Whoops.

Yes, that woman was me, and I learned my lesson. Turns out you can fix dents without special panel repair skills. You may not even need specialized or expensive tools. But you must do your homework first. Don't just grab a hammer and chisel like I did. (Gulp.)

Duct tape has to be among the handiest fix-it tools around. That big, fat roll of tape sure is bulky, though. Consider stowing just a small amount in your pocket, bag, or glove compartment. That way you'll always have some tape on hand, and there'll be no more riffling through the garage searching for the main roll of tape.

Here's how Lifehacker's Brad Isaac made his own pocket-sized duct tape dispenser from a drinking straw. You will need a roll of duct tape, a drinking straw, and a pair of scissors. Carefully wind a length of duct tape around and around the straw, then cut the excess straw on either side. Voila! You have a decent amount of duct tape that slips into your pocket for those unexpected little repair jobs around the house, car, at work, or camping out.

[via Lifehacker]

If you have a family, you're probably in a state of constant chaos, and romancing your man might not rank high on your list of things to do. You've spent hours coordinating your children, and helping them make monogrammed cuff links and hand print crafts. They'll present these to Daddy first thing Sunday morning, and you'll all enjoy a family day, celebrating Dad.

When the day comes to a close, and the kids are tucked in, don't retire to your separate laptops... instead, turn up the heat, and spend a little time letting him know how appreciated he is. This isn't about modeling sexy lingerie (though I'm sure that would be a welcomed surprise!) or buying him expensive concert tickets. It's Father's Day, so spend some time reflecting on the wonderful ways that he contributes to the family, and thanking him for being such a great parenting partner.

So, what does a dad find romantic? I surveyed some of the men in my life, and it turns out they are pretty easy to please. So many dads are busy balancing work and family that all they really want is a little break.

After the jump, I'll share some husband-certified ways to spoil him this Father's Day.

Some people are fanatical about maintaining their ride, and others let problems go on forever because they're intimidated by anything mechanical. But there are some easy, quick fixes you can do yourself without a wallet-emptying trip to the mechanic. Check these out...

• Restoring cloudy headlight lenses - These usually don't have to be replaced at the crazy dealer price. Auto parts stores sell restoration kits to get them looking like new.
• Door hinges that squeak - If your door hinges are squeaking, they're already being damaged. Quench their thirst with some white lithium grease. Why not do this on a monthly basis?
• Corroded battery terminals - This is probably the most overlooked auto maintenance chore. When they corrode they put a strain on the charging system. Make them spic 'n span today.
• Rear window defroster grid DOA - A frosty or dewy rear window is dangerous in the morning. Pick up a Permatex Quick Grid Repair Kit at the auto parts store. You can get it working again in a flash!
• Changing your coolant - This should be done at least annually. Folks know about oil but forget coolant. The most important thing is to not mix colors. Coolant comes in blue, yellow, red, and orange flavors. Mixing colors makes mud and will hose your heater core. The cheapest replacement cost is about $400!
  

These are just a few things to keep your ride rolling. Keep up with them and save money in the long run!

Along with Spring comes the flurry of kids' birthday parties, concerts in the park, and festivals of every sort. Face painting is part of so many of these festivities. If you think you might get dragged into face painting this spring or summer, you'd better get prepared. Knowing what you're doing will make the difference between a kid who runs to the bathroom in embarrassment, scrubbing his poorly-painted face, and one who doesn't wash their face for a week.

The two most important elements (along with a steady hand and a comfy seat) are the paints and the designs. After the break, I'll tell you what you need to know about each.

OK, as we all know the economy is in a downward spiral. The housing market is so far down the drain you can't even get at it with a plunger. The dollar has fallen farther and faster than Elliot Spitzer's trousers at a gentleman's club.

The only thing rising is gas prices. (Think mushroom cloud here) As a result we are all scrambling to find new and exciting ways to pinch pennies hard enough to make Abe Lincoln cry.

I used to do a lot of work on my previous car myself to save some money back in the day. When my wife and I purchased our '05 Touareg from VW I decided that with the new car, vast jumps forward in technology, and our economic stability, I would let the dealership deal with all the issues that arose. As economic fortunes have turned I have decided to start doing some easier things myself. Ooops...

An old bicycle or automotive inner tube has a lot of life left in it after it no longer holds air.

A punctured wheelbarrow inner tube was one of the best dog toys for my black lab. She would drop it at my feet. All I had to do was kick it and it would fly through the air, roll along the ground, or skim along the wet grass. She would race to it, shake it, and drop it at my feet again. Her teeth were never damaged, I never had to bend over and pick up a slobbery toy, and it was easily hosed off.

Here's a list of 24 more reasons to keep a flat tube around.

• Make rubber bands.
• Wrap around a hose tightly, jam into the opening of a clogged pipe and turn on the water. The pressure should clear the blockage.
• Make a belt with a bike sprocket.
• Make adjustable and flexible clamps for holding glued projects together while drying.
• Make a ball that won't become soaked with dog slobber and will be easy on your pet's teeth.
• Use as a funnel or hose.
• Temporary gaskets.

17 more ideas after the jump.

While I silently smirk when people refer to their car with endearing names, there is something to be said for giving your car the love it needs to love you back. A well maintained car will serve you faithfully for years. We all know the basics: Keep up on your oil changes and make the necessary repairs as they come up. If you really want to extend the life of your ride you'll want to take extra care, considering all the details and tending to some seemingly obscure tips.

These 75 ways to keep your car in top-notch condition will minimize your headaches and significantly extend your vehicle's life. The Reader's Digest article covers everything from the break in period, to sun protection and tire tread safety. I found this to be the most clear and comprehensive collection of tips. One of the easiest ones to implement and probably the most effective tool for easily detecting a problem is #8: Keep an auto log. More details about this tip after the break.

Depending on where you live, winter driving can be anything from an adventure to just plain stupid. If you are going to be out on the roads there are some car preparation and driving tips that are crucial. How to Winterize your Car.....and your Brain for Winter Driving outlines important tips, from preparing your car for the season to safe driving behavior and habits in specific conditions. Along with their tips, they have a supplies checklist for a vehicle emergency pack.

Vehicle emergency pack

1. Flashlight
2. Flares
3. First-aid kit
4. Blanket
5. Warm winter clothes
6. Bag of sand or salt (to use for traction if your tires get stuck)
7. Snow-brush, ice scraper and snow shovel
8. Wiper fluid
9. Paper towels
10. Food and water

You might already have some of these things in the trunk, but have a look through and make sure everything still works. Add the items you're missing and throw them together in a backpack. Hopefully you only ever need to go in there for some sand or an ice scraper, but if you do ever find yourself needing flares or warm blankets, it could save your life.

In August, Ryan Carter told us how to paint our car for under $300. Yes, it can be done, and quite well, too. If you followed the step by step instructions, your car is now sporting a pretty new paint job.

If you don't happen to have $300 this Christmas season, Instructables user Styluss gives detailed step by step instructions on how to paint a car for $75. He used high density foam brushes to apply Rustoleum high gloss white paint to his 1989 Chevy Beretta. He didn't want to do much sanding, and discovered that using the foam brushes meant that he didn't have, thus making less work for himself.

I advise doing this at your own risk, and so does Styluss. If you don't have enough money to take your car to a professional, painting your car yourself is a great idea, but as with all do it yourself projects, proceed with caution. You don't want to end up with a crappy paint job because you failed to completely read Styluss's instructions.

Circuit boards don't belong in the landfill. They can be dropped off at your local recycling depot but before you do that, try your hand at recycling them into something useful. These 10 creative ways to reuse circuit boards are sure to inspire your creativity. While they've also been turned into consumer products, go ahead and make your own. A circuit board business card case will help keep you organized. The photo frames or coasters would be fun projects, and would make a great Christmas gift for the computer geek in your life.

If you still have more than you know what to do with, and you'd take huge pride in being known as the guy with the geekiest ride then this circuit board car is your ticket. You are sure to turn heads in this uber-geeky automobile decorated entirely from recycled circuit boards. While nothing quite compares to Jason's homemade wooden spoilers, this circuit board car comes awfully close.

Winter is here for some of us, and along with the cold comes having to scrape the car windows every morning. That is a serious pain for me, considering I am height challenged. I have a difficult time reaching the center of the windshield.

Surfing the net looking for de-icing solutions, I came across some reader tips on The Dollar Stretcher. Sue was looking for some remedies for a homemade window ice removal formula, and just happened to pose the question on stretcher.com. She received some helpful answers.

Marianne says to place 3 parts vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle, spray the windshield and all the windows and mirrors before you go to bed at night, and in the morning you should have ice free windows. You can also use rubbing alcohol if you don't have any vinegar.

We all know how important vehicle maintenance is. Keeping up on regular service appointments or doing the maintenance yourself is key to your car's continued performance. Most of you will diagnose and fix your car problems independently and quite successfully. The real problem is that if you wait for an issue, you've already lost time and money. Maintenance is key and it is so easy to lose track of our maintenance schedule. Dumb Little Man points us to the perfect solution: Service Beacon.

For car owners it's completely free. You can store all your car maintenance records on their site. While the idea is that you can book your service appointments through your dealer online, most of you will opt for the DIY method. I know it would be useful to us having a reminder each time we're due for a service. The site will also keep you up to date on all of the recalls and notifications relevant to your vehicle. Let Service Beacon track your car maintenance schedule so that your car keeps serving you. Take the tour, it's quite impressive.

[via: Lifehacker]