How to complain on a first date (and get away with it)
Your date is gorgeous. You are having an amazing time. The atmosphere is perfect.
Then, you notice the meal you ordered isn't exactly what you wanted – it's too cold, it's raw or it just doesn't taste good.
You come to a decision point: speak up and ruin the atmosphere, or keep to yourself and preserve the unfolding relational magic?
Walking this fine line could be the difference between a good night kiss and a “Please lose my number.” Next time your caught in this culinary conundrum, walk yourself through our date complaint checklist:
Let your phone battery last longer with these 6 awesome tricks
We’ve all experience life coming to a screeching halt when our mobile phone battery has gone flat at the worst time possible. To help with this modern day disaster, we've searched the techosphere to find these 6 easy ways of ensuring all your must-have apps are available to you 24 x 7.
Of course, there are situations like Apple's current iPhone 5 disaster where you can't do anything to prolong the life of your battery because the battery itself was defective from the start. If you've got an iPhone 5 with a dodgy battery, you need to sign up to our campaign to get Apple to replace the faulty battery for FREE. Fill out a simple form and we'll do the rest on your behalf. With your help, we will urge Apple to do something about the shoddy battery life we've seen in iPhones and in the new Apple Watch.
The healthiest way to dry your clothes is old school (and we love it)
Your dryer is one of the greediest appliances in your home. Aside from your refrigerator, it guzzles electricity faster than every other appliance in your household.
With about two out of every 10 Australians unable to pay their electric bill at least once a year because they can't afford it, it's about time you said “Adios!” to the electrical dryer and opt for the healthier, cheaper option of line-drying your clothes.
The Green Debate: Front Loaders vs Top Loaders
Your current washing machine has probably lasted at least 10 years, so if you’re looking for a replacement, a lot has changed since your last purchase.
The average Australian household does 4-5 loads of washing per week. We rely on our washing machine almost as much as our refrigerator. So it's no surprise that performance rather than price is what most people care about when making their decision on which type to buy.
To help you make the right decision, the Two Hoots team has compared the modern day front loaders and top loaders on price, performance and longevity. Our results will surprise you.
7 foods you’re better off eating out than at home
Aussies love to eat out. A recent report found that we visit cafes, takeaway shops and restaurants around four times a month and spend around $70 per week dining out.
Our love affair with eating out has grown over the years. 20 years ago, Australian households spent around 20 per cent of their weekly food budget on eating out. Today, it’s around 30 per cent.
So are we heading the way of the United States? A recent report claims that American’s are spending more eating out than at the grocery store.
A major supermarket brand claims that the weekly supermarket shop is dead. We now use the supermarket more like a panty with last minute shops of the necessary ingredients to whip up the latest MasterChef inspired recipe.
When we considered $70 per week is spent dining out compared with $139 per week on groceries, we thought we'd answer the following question.
When are you better off eating out and when are you better off eating in?
Films, hotels now food. Can this system really get you making good choices?
What do films, hotels, appliances and now food all have in common? They have a star rating system designed to help us make better choices. And while sitting through a mediocre film does little more than waste our time, the star rating system on packaged foods has promised better health. But can a simple label on packaged food be the answer to rising obesity?
The recently introduced system has got its detractors. For starters, how does a system rating healthiness give a better score to hot chips than greek yogurt? We'll get to that shortly. And how can we make best use of the labels despite their limitations?
How loyalty programs sucker you into giving up personal information
If you’re not paying for a product, then you might be the product. Wise words to consider next time you're thinking of joining a loyalty program.
We love a freebie, but loyalty programs offering everything from free coffees to discounted flights aren't actually free. Businesses increase their profits with loyalty programs in two ways. A loyalty program encourages you to shop with those participating outlets more than you would otherwise. And the other way is to sell your data, either to market research companies or to other companies that then send you unsolicited emails, instant messages, SMS or MMS also called SPAM.
So are these programs worth the effort or are we being suckered into giving up our personal information for little return?
Will TV streaming have the fastest take-up rate for consumer technology in Australian history?
Aussie viewer behaviour is stunning the experts. Subscriptions to TV and movie streaming services such as Netflix and Presto may prove to have the fastest take-up rate of new technology in Australian history. Even more intriguing is the rapid drop in piracy.
The golden rules of buying from car dealerships
You've decided you want a new or near new car. It's easy to get carried away with all the excitement; you might be tempted to buy on impulse. And the car dealerships know that. But don't get carried away. For most, your car is the second biggest investment you’ll make in your life (after your house). Doing some homework, getting savvy to dealer tricks and learning to negotiate can save you thousands.
Before we give you the vital tips to getting the best deal, let's talk about the biggest waste of money to avoid - a 'junk' insurance policy. This is the add-on the dealership sells you for hundreds or thousands of dollars but offers no real benefit, in your moment of weakness and excitement.