Problem: Article: The internet has made shopping so easy you can add to your collection from the comfort of your own home. Start by looking in online forums; collectors are often willing to trade for new items or to sell items they currently own.  Ebay is a great place to look for pieces. You can pay outright for items, or bid slowly to try to get the best deal possible. The con to using Ebay is that you don’t get to see the item in person before purchasing.  Craigslist is a great option to buy pieces as well. You can search by your location, or if you’re willing to travel a little further, you can expand your search to a nearby state. The added benefit of shopping on Craigslist is you get to see the item in person before committing to buying that item. While most mainstream stores won’t carry the niche pieces you’re looking for, there are still plenty of places to look. Try visiting Flea Markets in your area, as well as antique stores and thrift stores. On weekends, visit garage and estate sales. Finally, check online to see if there will be any collector shows happening in your area. Collector shows are great ways to meet people within your collection community, and possibly get a new piece out of the deal.  When shopping at antique or thrift stores, make sure you dig through every item. The gold is often buried amongst the garbage. Arrive early at garage and estate sales; the best pieces tend to go early. Come back on Sunday, sometimes the owners of the sale will drop their prices to rid themselves of their inventory. Collecting can be an expensive hobby and many people dive right in. Instead, start off slow and aim to only pick up a few pieces each year. This will prevent you from wasting money, burning out and ending up with a lot of items you don’t need or value.  Consider only adding to your collection while on vacation. This way, you tie pieces of your collection to fun memories from your travels. Collect from experiences. Pick a collection that doesn’t cost any money. Consider collecting matchbooks from restaurants or coasters from bars. Collect seashells from your beach vacations or rocks from cool hikes. Your collection doesn’t have to be expensive to have personal value. When adding to your collection, learn a fact about the item you're adding. This will give you something to talk about when showing off your collection to others and will also make the collection experience more personal for you.  When shopping for pieces, stock up on extras whenever you can. You can use these duplicates as leverage when trading with other collectors. Part of having a collection is refining it. Edit out old pieces you no longer care about to make room for new ones. Sell the old ones on Craigslist or Ebay, or take them to a pawnshop to have them appraised. Use the money you earn to add a new piece to your collection.
Summary: Shop for pieces online. Shop for items in person. Start cheap and work your way up. Know your items.

Problem: Article: Coffee has caffeine in it, which means it will keep you up and help you avoid feeling tired. Try to drink 1 cup of coffee at the start of the night to help you stay awake if you are feeling tired. If you don’t normally drink coffee, don’t drink more than 1 cup. It can give you the shakes and make you feel more tired if you drink too much. Your bed might seem like a great place to sit and relax, but this can signal to your body that it is time to fall asleep. Stay away from your bed or laying on a super comfy couch until you actually want to fall asleep. Try to sit on a chair with a back instead. If you only have a bed to sit on, try putting some pillows on the floor to make a seat that is comfortable but won’t make you fall asleep. If you start feeling super tired, go to the bathroom and turn your sink to the coldest it can get.  Cup some water in your hands and splash it into your face until you feel awake again. This will shock your body and make it harder for you to go to sleep. You can do this a couple times throughout the night if you need to.  Try not to splash water all over your bathroom when you do this. Doing exercise can help your body think that it is time to stay awake. If you start feeling tired, do some simple jumping jacks and lunges to wake your body up. Try doing exercises until you are slightly out of breath to get your heart rate up. This will circulate more blood and oxygen throughout your body to keep you awake. When you wear pajamas, you signal to your body that it is time to go to bed. Wear clothes that you would normally wear during the day, like jeans and a t-shirt, to subliminally tell yourself that it is time to stay awake. You can even put your shoes on if you want to signal to your body that it really is time to stay awake and be active. Making your room dark will probably make you sleepy. If you can, keep your lights on and bright to make sure you can’t fall asleep easily. If you can’t leave your lights on in your room because other members of your family might see them, take a flashlight with you and keep that on as you stay awake. Overhead lights will keep you awake even more than lamps, since they are usually brighter and stronger.
Summary: Drink coffee to help you stay awake. Avoid laying in your bed or getting too comfortable. Splash some cold water on your face to wake you up. Exercise to keep your body awake. Change out of your pajamas to keep yourself awake. Keep your lights turned on if you can.

Problem: Article: A house, clean water, a loving family, friends, and food are all things that we often take for granted. So many people don't have these things so try to always remind yourself to be grateful. Be proud of your accomplishments, and be sure to thank people for their help and support.  Make a list of the things you are thankful for. Let people you love know you care for them, it will both make them feel loved and strengthen your bonds. Human beings are social animals, and we feed off of each other's positive energy. Find friends and family that make you feel good and make it a priority to hang out with them. Ring them for a chat after work or go shopping on the weekend. Go to your grandma's for Sunday Lunch. Spending time with them will make you happy, and vice versa. Make sure you are taking care of yourself with some quality "me" time. You don't have to examine your life or look for problems, just find a few hours each week to be by yourself, away from work or stress. Go for a walk/hike, listen to your favorite albums, or curl up with a good book. Being happy and confident by yourself is the first step to being happier in any situation. Life isn't perfect, and there will be hardship along the road. Don't feel like you need to ignore bad situations or tough times, as they won't go away when you do. Instead, try and learn what you can from negative experiences, finding the positives whenever possible. You are still alive, you still have people that love you, and you still have yourself. Pick up the pieces, learn your lesson, and move on. There is no better feeling than positively impacting somebody else's life. Whether this is something little, like helping an elderly person cross the road or carrying their bags, or something big, like tutoring someone or volunteering on weekends, being generous is proven to improve your own happiness. Exercising releases endorphins into the body to make you feel better, and improves performance in almost every aspect of life. Eating well is also a huge factor in bettering yourself as most of the "healthy" foods contain positive nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that contribute to better overall health. Take care of your body and your mind will thank you. Love yourself and good things will happen. Remind yourself that you are worthwhile and use the power of positive thinking to bring happiness into your life. Simply feeling confident in who you are attracts similar people, and everyone, from your boss to your spouse, will take note of your energy.
Summary:
Appreciate what you already have. Spend as much time as possible with family and friends. Schedule personal time to relax. Find the positives in bad situations. Help others. Eat well and exercise. Be happy with who you are.