Your aunt is visiting from out of town.  She took an earlier flight and arrived 12 hours early.   She needs to get into the house and wants you to bring a key.  But today is the big meeting that you can't miss.  If you have a keypad door lock you can simply text her a code and she is in.

A keypad door lock like this Schlage (http://amzn.com/B003F6O2B4) can give you the freedom of access. This type of lock avoids a myriad of problems that we have all faced.

• You have a contractor who needs temporary access.  Good luck getting a key back from him when he is done.  Give him a code and delete it when he is done.
• You lost your keys.  A cab brings you home but how do you get in?  Don't break down that door, simply punch in your code.
• Going for a run.  Don't bother putting that key in your sock where it will rub against your ankle or worse simply fall out.
• You left town for the weekend but forgot to set you the trash.  Call your neighbor and give them a code. You don't come home to the smell of last weeks garbage.
• Selling your home?  No need to give the realtor a key, just a code.

But you are thinking, I can just give people keys.  And they can copy those keys.  Who really has access to your house?  Rekey your locks and install a high quality keypad deadbolt to give you peace of mind.  It has the option of up to 19 programmable codes that can independently be added or deleted.  Your daughter gives the code to her friends during a sleep over, no worries.  Simply delete the code and give your daughter a new code (along with a briefing on security procedures).  The keypad illuminates when you hit the first key.  No more fumbling for keys in the dark.

I know, you are worried that the battery will go dead and you will be locked out.  The lock also accepts a standard key and can be keyed to match the other locks in your house. (Store your key in a safe place not under that concrete armadillo on your front step).

Of course, no discussion of keypads is not complete without a discussion of access code numbers.  Do NOT use any of the following for codes:

• Your house number
• Your phone number
• Your birth date
• Your anniversary

Secure your home and Rogify your life.

Gold in the glovebox

There you are on the road home on a dark and stormy night.  You are almost out of fuel 30 miles from home.  You pull into a gas station only to find that you have somehow left your wallet at home.  You start to scrounge in the car for any cash you might have. 

You can Rogify your life by having a little cash stashed in the car to buy a gallon of gas or cover the cost of your drive through lunch you have already ordered. I prefer to keep $5 in golden dollar coins stashed in the glove box.  I also like to keep them neat and out of the way.  

Take a strip of duct tape and lay the coins in a neat single layer.  Then lay another layer on of tape on top to sandwich the coins between.  Leave about an inch of the first layer exposed on each end of the strip. 

Find a convenient location in your car to store the strip of coins.  I prefer the inside of the glove compartment door.  The flat nature of the strip will keep it out of way.   The tape will secure it in place.   

Tubes for Goo

 If you are like me you might buy your health and beauty products in bulk.  Recently I got tired of wrestling with a one liter bottle of shampoo in the shower and went in search of smaller bottles into which I could transfer that shampoo.  I found a lot of choices in the travel section.  They were fine but they felt clunky and overly stiff.  After a little more searching I found the Go Toobs.   These are made of flexible silicon and have several nice features.  Each has a suction cup which allows you to stick them to the wall of the shower or the bathroom mirror.  They also have an "orifice" opening which helps prevent drips.  The cap also has an indicator that allows you to say what is in the container (shampoo, conditioner, etc), although I find these hard to read.  

One word of warning.  There are some fluids that are not compatible with the GoToobs.  There is a full list on their website.  I drop them into a zip lock bag before I travel with them just to be safe (it is also TSA required).  They are a little pricey (about $20 for 3) but they are great bottles! Rogify your life with a set.

I am not sure how electricians do it?  They always seem to put that receptacle right where the furniture should sit.  Want to plug in your alarm clock or bedside lamp?  It will probably be behind the bed.  Pushing furniture up against an electrical cord can bend and break the cord.  This is not only a fire risk but also can ruin your electronics.   A flat plug means the cords of your electronics will not be bent.  Running an extension cord from behind furniture also avoids the need to move furniture when you have something new to plug in. You can Rogify your life by picking up these simple extension cords.

http://amzn.com/B000B75RDW

Rogify your life: When trouble is coming be sure to have a good weather radio. This model by Midland will alert you to all manner of problems in the area. It also can serve as an alarm clock and lets you listen to Car Talk on the weekend.  Battery backup keeps it set to the right time. 

Find this radio on Amazon. 

Rogify your life: At least one of your financial institutions should be a credit union or local bank that is not part of a national chain. Save your money to buy cool gadgets, don't pay fees to a bank and minimize the amount of  interest you pay.

There you are, waiting at the bar for your friends at the end of the long day.  Are they here yet?  They will text when they get here.  One problem.  Your phone has just dropped into the barberpole battery.  You have maybe 5 minutes left and then your friends won't be able to find you.  What do you do?

From your pocket you pull out this handy little battery.  Plug your USB cable into the USB out port and into your phone.  It will give you about another hour or two.  Power will transfer from the battery to your phone and then you can unplug it and put it away.

http://amzn.com/B002FU6KF2