Hello everyone:

When driving in Florida this past weekend, I got a flat tire. Sadly, I do not have AAA (it’s a mere $66 per year for the basic membership). When calling the rental car company, they told me that it would cost $78  to get them to come take care of it. Happily, my brother came by and changed the tire for me, but here are some tips he gave me on how to do it:

Read the car’s Owner’s Manual and follow the directions on exactly where to place the jack (you could rip off your car’s bumper if you put it in the wrong place!).

Let the car’s weight help you loosen the bolts that hold the tire on. Loosen (but not completely) the bolts holding the tire on and then jack the car up. Finish loosening the bolts and remove the tire.

When you put the spare tire on, make sure you put it on correctly (not wrong-side out!). The Owner’s Manual should have a picture that shows how it should be placed. Tighten the bolts, using your body weight to make them tighter. When you have used all of your strength to tighten them, jack the tire back down to the ground and tighten them again. You are once again using your car’s weight to tighten the bolts.

Since you will then be driving on your spare tire, get the original tire repaired or replaced as soon as possible, since you no longer have a spare tire. Get AAA sooner rather than later, so that they can change the tire next time!

Best,

Sheri

If you plan on getting new furniture for your new home, as that it be delivered and set up in your new location. A friend of mine ordered new bedroom furniture that was very heavy. She thought she would have some help on moving day. She was wrong.

The furniture was delivered to her old house in boxes. She had to move it, sight unseen, to the new location, drag it up the stairs, and set it up herself. Have your purchases sent to the new house, so that you won’t have to store it until moving day or have to lug it around yourself.

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my blog on practical advice for living. Today’s tip is about moving to a new location (which I have personally done 22 times).

Keep in mind that you need to mark your boxes on all the sides, so that you can tell what is in it, no matter which way you look at it. Marking a box on the top will not help, since your boxes will be piled high. Instead, list the contents (and the room the box belongs in) on all four sides.

A very dear friend of mine once moved across country and she wrote index cards for each box. Her sons needed to be entertained as they drove, so guess what they did? Right! They played “how many cards can we dump outside the car without Mom noticing?” They were very successful.

She, on the other hand, had a boatload of numbered boxes and no idea what was in them.

Best,

Sheri