Saving money while traveling

    There are a lot of matters to think on before going out on a trip.  If you fail to plan the trip properly, then money will simply let itself loose from your pocket. Moreover, if you haven't planned a road map of your tour,  then confusion is quite inevitable (必然的). {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Package tours. Tours and travel agencies have attractive offers for tourists wanting to spend a couple of days on trips. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Once you have accepted the package tour, all your expenses during the travel will be greatly reduced. You can save a lot in lodging(住宿 ) and traveling.

    Inexpensive lodging. Never choose expensive lodging if your tour is a low-budget one. People tend to spend a lot booking luxury hotels (豪华旅馆),  and save little to enjoy other activities during the trip. This idea is absolutely not wise when spending limited money on the trip is your main aim. Moreover, the expenses increase quickly when your kids are with you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You can use the money saved on good food and amusement.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The peak season is the time when rates are sky high due to the increase of millions of tourists who can afford to spend a lot of money. You, not being amongst this crowd that can spend generously, must book your holidays during the off season.

    A guide map. Make a guide map about the places to visit, expenses of travel and the activities to try. While planning you should also estimate (估计) your total expenses. Calculate the maximum amount and try to spend less than that. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Refer to the guide map while traveling and follow the money-saving travel tips as much as possible.

A. Reduce shopping.

B. Off season travel.

C. You must keep yourself updated with such offers.

D. This will help you to keep actual expenses below the estimated.

E. You can save lots of dollars when you don't have a credit card.

F. Therefore, book a fairly low-price lodge to save a few dollars.

G. So knowing some money-saving travel tips becomes necessary for you. 

Ways to protect eyes from screens

    Too much screen time may cause serious eye strain(眼疲劳) and even a sharp decline of eyesight. That's a big problem a lot of people are faced with nowadays, especially those who work on a computer. The following tips may be helpful.

Get regular eye tests.

    Experts recommend having a comprehensive eye exam every year to detect (探测) problems before they develop. During this test, you should tell the doctor how often you use your phone and your computer. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Tell your doctor about it, and your eyes can be tested more accurately at that distance.

Give your eyes space

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Studies on computer-related eye strain suggest that screens should be no closer than 40cm from your face. If this makes it hard for you to read, consider increasing the size of the text rather than moving the screen closer.

Take breaks

    This may not always be practical if you're quite busy, but it's important not to stare directly at a screen for too long.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While surveys have shown that many office workers take no more than half an hour a day away from their computer, it's recommended that you take a 15-minute break after every two hours spent at your screen.

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Staring at a screen continuously for hours on end may make it difficult for you to focus. To avoid this, many eye experts recommend the “20-20-20 rule” --looking away from your phone/computer screen every 20 minutes and focusing on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. The science behind his trick is that looking at objects at a distance relaxes the focusing muscle in the eye.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

How To Cultivate Your Confidence

    Self-confidence, the combination of self-efficacy and self-esteem, is an essential part of humanity. A person with self confidence generally is willing to take risks to achieve his personal goals, Someone who lacks self confidence, however, is less likely to feel that he can achieve his goals, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Identify your negative thoughts,

    Your negative thoughts might sound like this: "I can't do that," "I will surely fail". This inner voice is pessimistic and unhelpful and will hold you back from achieving high self-esteem and greater self confidence.

    Turn your negative thoughts to positive thoughts.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This may take the form of positive affirmations, such as "I am going to try it," "I can be successful if I work at it, "or "people will listen to me." Start with just a few positive thoughts a day.

    Refuse to allow negative thoughts to occur more often than positive thoughts.

Eventually, your positive thoughts should be given more "brain space" than your negative thoughts, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Avoid spending time around things that can make you feel bad about yourself again. These might be reminders from the past, clothing that no longer fits, or places that don't fit with your new goals of gaining confidence. Though you may not be able to get rid of every negative source in your life, you can certainly think about how to cut your losses. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Get away from your past.

B. Rid reminders of your negativity.

C. This will go a long way in building up your self-confidence.

D. This means that you can have an abundance of self-confidence.

E. The more your positive thoughts get ，the less your negative thoughts get.

F. As you pay attention to your negative thoughts, turn them around to positive thoughts

G. The good news is that self-confidence is something that you can build on your own.

    If one thing on your wish-list is a stress-free holiday, then here are some shopping tips prepared for you, which will save both your time and money.

    Don't be tough on your brains. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't be afraid to look for clues and ask for ideas. First, see whether the folks on your to-buy-for list have already dropped some valuable hints of their dreamed items. If you strike out, encourage your lucky recipients to post items they wish someone would buy for them. You can also find inspiration in the many online gift guides. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} — Gifts for Dads, Gifts for Golfers and such. Then you'll get the idea.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You really can enlist your own personal helpers. Don't feel guilty about that—after all, Santa employs helpers too. Many stores have free professional shoppers who can pick out presents for you. We're not talking just high-end stores such as Blooming-dale's and Nordstrom. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They're all hungry to win your business away from online retailers. But you'll likely need an appointment, so call ahead or search stores' websites for “personal shopping”. You'll typically find a link on the home page under Contact Us or Services.

    Have gifts delivered. Time is money, and for not a lot of money you can save a lot of time by having your gifts delivered right to your door. Some mom-and-pop shops offer delivery service while chain stores tend to charge for that, but it still might be worth paying for the convenience. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} First go to postmates.com or download the free app and see whether it's available in your area. Then type the name of a store into the search bar, click on the store, and enter the item you want.

A. Make an appointment ahead.

B. Can't figure out what to buy?

C. Do you wish for a stress-free holiday?

D. Get someone else to do shopping for you.

E. They are typically organized by recipient, interest, and/or price range.

F. Others like Macy's and J. Crew will also let you leave the shopping to them.

G. For local stores that don't offer this convenience, try the Post-mates delivery service.

How to Rent Your House

    Before handing the keys to your house over to a complete stranger for care, there are decisions you need to make. In fact, the decisions you make now, before searching for a tenant (房客), will make the biggest impact on the success of your rental. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

What Condition Do You Want Your House in?

    There is no end to the amount of improving you can do to your house before renting it out. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When is good enough, good enough?

    A house should be clean, empty (unless you are offering it “furnished”, which is uncommon) and free from any major repairs at the time the tenant moves in.

    Remember, the home does not need to be as fancy as you would want it to be. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Tenants will generally never take as good care of your house as you do―so don't spend too much time or money making unnecessary upgrades that will only be ignored or broken.

    Should You Use a Property Manager?

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have the time, abilities, and energy to manage yourself―you can save a good deal of money by doing so. However, if you try to manage without the ability―it could end up costing you much more than what a property manager might charge.

    How Much Can You Rent Your House for?

    Luckily, discovering what the monthly rent will bear for your house is not difficult. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In business, market research means to get out there and find out what others in your industry are charging; learning how much to charge for rent is no different. Your house will generally rent for about the same amount as other properties that are of similar location, size and condition.

A. The problem becomes learning when to stop.

B. No one wants to be a landlord with those problems.

C. The following are some questions to answer before you rent out you house.

D. Have a professional carpet cleaner clean the carpets before showing the property.

E. Look around at other rentals in your area and try to see what the typical quality is.

F. The best way to determine how much your house will rent for is to simply do market research.

G. The decision about whether to manage yourself or hire a property manager cannot be made by anyone other than you.

Avoid Internet Addiction

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many people suffer from addition to the Internet and have a hard time paying attention to the important things around them. How can we prevent ourselves from going online too much?

    Admit you have an addition. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Realize more and more people in the world are becoming addicted. You are not the only one with this problem. Do not be embarrassed; find others with the same problem and help each other beat it.

    Limit your computer time. Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week. Before using your computer, decide on a time limit such as 30 minutes. Set the clock and make sure that you get off the computer when the time is up. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Try using the computer at the library. You won't be as attracted to look at certain websites and they do have a limit on how long you can stay online. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. So you won't be as attracted to be on the Internet as at home.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Go for a run with a friend or get exercise some other way. Keep up with the local events in your neighborhood. There may be talks, films, concerts and sports events etc. Find some, as long as it is not on the Internet, and get involved.

A. You will be happier if you use the Internet less.

B. There is no use avoiding the truth.

C. Also, it is a good place to get some good books and magazines to read.

D. Get a hobby or an interest.

E. Internet addition affects a lot of people.

F. Get your family to remind you if you've been on a long time.

G. Try to reduce the amount of time by 5minutes each time.