9 secret tips of the well-travelled
From booking flights to international ATM fee, follow our expert advice and improve your travel savvy. Here you go...
Great ways to save 20% on your next phone bill – household tips
This article is part 2 in a series on household tips
Competition is heating up in the telco space and with Virgin Mobile recently announcing data roll over for mobile plans a move that is sure to force the hand of other providers.
With mobile phone plans costing Australian's more than ever, we've pulled together a list of household tips to save on mobile phone bills, which we found could save us up to 20% on our current plans.
5 famous brands that turned a mistake into an amazing success story
Sexist? Funny? Or bad timing? On the heels of International Women's Day, an Indonesia sportswear company, Salvo Sports, has issued an public apology for its sexist washing label causing a scandal on social media.
The 'offending' washing instructions “Give this jersey to your woman. It’s her job.” appear on Indonesia Super League team, Pusamania Borneo, shirts.
The official response from Salvo was also less than ideal, with Salvo tweeting:
“The message is simple. Instead of doing it the wrong way, you might as well give it to a lady because they are more capable.”
Not all companies ride their mistakes down hill, here are some amazing mistakes and apologies that turned to strengths for these well-known businesses:
The science of buying groceries
Supermarkets employ a range of ‘buy more’ strategies including bulk purchase deals, reward programs and mood music. Shoppers can save money and avoid temptation simply by being aware of the strategies supermarkets use to encourage spending.
Supermarkets have done their research, they know that store layout and product placement are key to encouraging shoppers to buy more of certain products. There is a reason staple items such as bread and milk are at opposite ends of the supermarket. But it goes beyond that, flowers and baked goods are often found at the supermarket’s entry as things that smell good put us in a good mood and we’re likely to buy more.
Everything you needed to know about the DO NOT CALL register in less than 3 minutes
Telemarketers are more annoying than ever! These pesky salespeople all day and night, hawking their wares (no, we do not want to sign up for your long distance plan). We thought we'd put together a series of 5 30-60 second videos explaining your rights and how to get on to the Australian Government DO NOT CALL register.
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?