Buy prepaid calling cards from department stores like Target or club stores like Costco. Large chain stores usually have the cards hanging on wall racks so that customers can examine them before buying them. Cards sell for as little as $2.00, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a bargain. Check the per-minute rate for France. Compare rates if different kinds of cards are available.  Always read the fine print before buying a prepaid calling card. Check if rates to cell phones cost more than calls to landlines or if you can use the card for multiple calls.  Check the expiration date. If you spend $30 on a card, you shouldn’t be forced to use it in just a month. If you want a reloadable option, set up an account with online providers like ZapTel, which offers low rates for calls to cell phones and landlines. Most cards list the PIN underneath a silver scratch-off coating. This may be located on the front or back of the card depending on the manufacturer. In rare instances, however, the PIN might be listed on the receipt. Dial the 800 number listed on the front of the card. Listen to the options on the automated menu. If it’s your first time using a prepaid card, be patient when listening so that you don’t miss anything. Wait until you are prompted to:  Enter the PIN. Dial the number you want to call using the steps outlined in Method 1. Keep a pen and paper by your phone. Jot down the time you began your call and the time you hung up. Convert the time span into minutes. Deduct those minutes from the total minutes you paid for. For example, if you began your call at 12:00pm and ended it at 1:10pm, you were on the phone for 70 minutes. If you bought 5,000 minutes of talk time, you now have 4,930 minutes remaining.

Summary: Choose your card. Find the PIN. Place your call. Keep track of your minutes.


Many smartphones come encrypted, meaning that their software scrambles your information so it can’t be accessed by unauthorized users. To check if your phone is encrypted, go to its settings and click on the security tab.  Automatically encrypted phones include iPhones, newer Androids, and Google’s Pixel phones. You can enable encryption software on your Android in its security menu. For extra protection, you can download encryption applications from the app store. ” Although your phone’s Bluetooth isn’t as easy to hack into as a wireless network, hackers can still use it to access your phone remotely when they’re in range. To prevent this, set your Bluetooth’s default to “non-discoverable” so you don’t pop up on hackers’ radar.  If you see an unknown Bluetooth request to pair with your device, ignore or deny it right away. Take extra care in crowded areas where potential hackers are within range of your Bluetooth, such as restaurants and public transportation. The easiest way for viruses to get into your phone is through downloads like apps. “Official” stores like the Apple app store or the Google Play store can typically be considered safe places to buy apps, but you should never download one from any other site. Remember to read over the requirements, terms, and conditions an app has before you install it. This will be long and probably boring, but it’s important that you know exactly what is being installed onto your device. For the most reliable smartphone protection, you can buy a mobile security package. These tools typically come with a firewall and spam protection, as well as GPS tracking to help you find a lost or stolen device. Some security packages also come with remote locking capabilities to prevent a stolen phone from being used.

Summary: Enable encryption software on your phone. Set your Bluetooth to “non-discoverable. Download apps from verified stores only. Download security software for extra protection.


People are most persuadable immediately after thanking you. You are at your most persuasive after being thanked, so the perfect time to ask for a favor? Just after someone's thanked you for something. To increase your chances of getting what you want, try starting the task off for them. People are more likely to be compliant if they've seen you've already put in a little bit of work. Let's say your partner says, "Thanks for making dinner, honey. It was great." You reply with, "You're welcome. I've just started the dishes – can you finish?" There are three basic types of incentives you should have in your arsenal. If you know your audience, you'll know which will be the most effective:   Economic. Let the person know that they may lose out on a great money-making opportunity, or that they could gain money by complying with your wishes.  Moral. Let the person know that by helping you out, they'll somehow be bettering the world around them. If they think they're a good person, how could they not?  Social. Let them know that "everyone else is doing it, too." It's doubly effective if you can name off a few of their friends. Do you know all those people in the mall who try to hand you samples of lotion whether you're avoiding them like the plague or not? That's not just to get you to try their product and fall in love with it – that's to make you feel a little guilty so you end up buying something. You can do this, too, just be a bit more sly about it than they are! Say your son or daughter is raising money for some school function. You've promised you would get some funds from your colleagues. A few hours before you approach Marie with your proposal, you drop off some of your daughter's homemade cookies at her desk. After that, you're a shoo-in. Implanting an idea in someone's head is one of the hardest things to do when it comes to persuasion, but it is also one of the most effective. Instead of outright saying what you want, you just dance around it for a while. In time, with the right dance, they'll come up with the idea themselves. Let's use the same example: you want to get some money from your coworkers for your daughter's fundraiser, but you don't want to outright ask. Instead, you start a conversation about charity and how great it is to help people. You mention that you gave part of your tax return to your favorite one last year. Then, you slip in how your daughter is working a fundraiser right now. If done right, your colleagues may even offer. The fact of the matter is that everyone is different. Some people are going to respond to economic incentives, some people are going to respond to moral incentives, and some people may not respond to anything. To persuade them to get onto your side, listen to them. Pay attention to what they want. If you can offer them something they actually want, you're in. Let's say you're having trouble getting time off approved by your boss. Work has just been swamped lately. You hear him mention how he wishes the company could be represented at a series of conventions over the course of the summer. You chime in with the fact that you'd love to make the trip and would take on a few of the expenses yourself. This way, he's getting something, and so are you.

Summary: Get the right timing. Give them an incentive. Give them something first. Let them think they came up with the idea. Pay attention to what they want.


You should be able to see yourself all at once in any mirror you use in your home. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to have a home full of full-length mirrors, but you should avoid tiny mirrors, or mirrors made up of individual tiles. You should be able to see your head and shoulders in the mirror at the same time. You should avoid selecting mirrors with distorted surfaces. This also applies to mirrors with antiquated surfaces. It's believed that looking into such mirrors will make you feel distorted yourself, and this is bad for your home's feng shui. Try to avoid using round or oval shaped mirrors in your home. Square or rectangular mirrors are generally thought to be best for creating good feng shui. You shouldn't hang any mirrors in your home that are broken or cracked. If a mirror that's already in your house breaks, take it down immediately.
Summary: Use whole mirrors. Don't use mirrors with distorted surfaces. Use square or rectangular mirrors. Avoid broken mirrors.