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I got pretty used to having a drink in my hands living in NYC in my 20's. What I thought I would miss was trying new/different things which I felt added a lot to my life. Believe it or not homemade iced tea (it's summer) is actually a pretty good substitute. If it's during the day, I'll make a green tea. HUNDREDS of varieties, plus the calm energy provided by naturally occurring l-theanine and many other well-documented health benefits. In the evening I stick with herbals, usually a combination of mint and chamomile, but I've also become a fan of ashwagandha. Again, almost limitless herbals to choose from, all with different tastes/effects. I'm a self-admitted "stuff" guy so I've linked my favorite tools in the recipe. The items are things I've collected over time and are pricey, but alcohol (particularly craft beer or cocktails) wasn't cheaper.

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Here's my definitive single-serve iced tea process which is surprisingly quick:

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1. Combine 12oz boiling water with two tea bags in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Using 2 bags makes the tea stronger which is helpful because the ice in step 5 will dilute it, and the Pyrex is nice because it has measurement markers on the side and can easily handle hot liquids. Mix and match different teas for added fun.
   
2. Let steep for recommended time (typically listed on the tea box). I usually let it sit a little longer, to again offset the dilution.
   
3. While waiting, add three ice cubes to a thermal pint glass. Mimics the feel of a beer, and will keep your tea cold for HOURS.
   
4. Remove tea bags from pyrex and stir in sweetener if desired.* I experiment with honeys most of the time, but use plain sugar with black tea.
   
5. Pour the brewed/sweetened tea over the ice in the pint glass and stir until ice has melted (~20 seconds).
   
6. Add two more ice cubes and you're done!
   
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   Obviously, you can swap/add/remove things to your personal preference, that's half the fun! Part of why drinking is so addictive is the ritualization of the process or using it as a reward. Both of these things can be satiated with your own personal brew system. Self-medication is a darker but very real reason to drink as well. Depending on what you want/need (energy, relaxation, even pain relief) you can usually find a tea concoction that will help.
   
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   Isn't that just swapping one addiction for another? Yeah, maybe, but I've never met someone who's ruined their marriage or drove into a school bus because of tea. Congrats on cutting back on the alcohol, you'll never regret that.
   
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   * Part of the reason I enjoyed drinking was appreciating the booze itself (expensive whiskeys, interesting cocktails, etc.). What I do to replace that is experimenting not only with teas, but also with sweeteners. CBD extracts are a debatable (and pricey) trend, but personally I find hemp honey adds a nice calming effect to my teas, and subconsciously I think I value the drink more because I know I spent an extra $1-$2 making it. Spending money doesn't necessarily make you truly happy, but for better or for worse, it does often make me appreciate something more.

Well, first, again I'm not a CFA and these are just recommendations you'll have to consider and figure out if the risk is acceptable to you. I'm not liable for any financial decisions you make.

With that being said, you should be researching every means of investment opportunities available: rental properties, careful long-term stock investments, potentially starting a business (different than a sole proprietorship or being unemployed—the business, once set up, should effectively run itself). If you want to start simple, you could do a mall pop-up store or a local service of some sort and employ high-schoolers.

But if that's not for you, 7% is the approximate amount you can expect from sticking your money in an index fund and letting it sit there, so that's what you're looking to beat with other investments. If you can get a 10% or 15% return from an apartment rental, for instance, then that's a better place to stick your money.

But at the very least you want to be getting some return on your money so long as it beats inflation. Putting it in well-performing index funds or exchange traded funds to get a 6-7% return is a good start. I'm pretty bullish of self-driving cars being huge after 2020, so Tesla and other manufacturers of self-driving cars might be a good bet.

If you want to get really crazy you can invest in buying stuff like the crypto-currency Etherium (Reddit.com/etherium) as that seems to be taking off. It took me a while to realize that a crypto-currently like Etherium (ETH) or Bitcoin (BTC) are not "funds" like on a stock market but are the actual product, like an actual bar of gold, that you're buying and holding on to ... it just happens to be stored on your computer in a digital wallet instead of a safe.

I've also heard of people making lucrative over-seas trades on Japanese or other foreign stock exchanges because of the time zone difference from the US, but I have no idea how that works.

Anyway, two good books to start with are

Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612680054/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rs2nzb2S9WABC

And

How to Make Money in Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times and Bad, Fourth Edition (Personal Finance & Investment) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071614133/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xL2nzbJRN9YA5

There is a reason for "winter weight", and you may enjoy the warmth of a few extra pounds. Not healthy advice, I know, but it is going to get cold.

Some things I might also recommend, as the focus on cars and driving were covered well already, are strategies you want to include in other areas.

In your house or apartment, you are going to realize that there are drafts of wind you had no idea were there. Kits can be purchased that will add a layer of plastic to your windows and unused doors. This will help lower heating costs. There are these things that look like stuffed toy snakes, they go at the bottom of your door to block the seams where the cold comes in. Toy stuffed snakes will also work if you have them.

Salt your walk and steps. When you shovel, take your time, snow can be very heavy.

Layers are your friends. Exposure is not. REI has some great thermal layers for underneath, get some. Meijer "hunting section" also has affordable and less trendy options. Any area of skin that is exposed to the environment can suffer frostbite. Wear a hat.

In the Big Mitten, you may see feet of snow, no snow, or shear sheets of ice. It's pretty inconsistent, as you likely discovered when we had a 72 and sunny day followed by snow and 32 the next.

There are at least 38 different types of snowflakes. A variety of different snow conditions, like wet, dry, hard, soft, sticky, icy, pelts and sheets. Add in the wind and you are starting to think twice about moving here. You can learn more in my book about this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VISTRD4

In the car I keep some kitty litter, if there is ice and you get stuck, it might help. Put lubricant (de-icer) in your locks. Don't pour boiling water on the windshield if there is ice on it (unless you want to buy a new one.) Warm water will melt away the thick stuff, but it can be risky if you hit a chip.

No one remembers how to drive in snow the first 2-3 snow falls. You are going to see some funny and scary drivers out there. Seatbelt's are mandatory, crash helmets are optional.

Best of luck - stay safe.

I get excellent reception of all the Detroit and several Windsor stations with a big-ass antenna mounted to my chimney. I checked a while ago and my particular model is no longer sold. The antenna and supplies were about $200 total. I bought everything but the antenna from SolidSignal.com. They have good online tools to tell you what antenna to buy, etc etc. I bought the antenna itself from Amazon, since shipping on the enormous thing was pretty expensive from solid signal.

One tip - think hard about the size of mast you'll need. Remember the mast needs to parallel your chimney for several feet, so a 5-foot section of mast probably isn't enough. Ask how I know.

Otherwise, the installation was easy except driving in the grounding rod. that is a pain in the ass.

If i had that to do again I would start by digging a hole with a post hole digger as deep as i could easily get. That is not that difficult to do - it is much less labor per foot than driving in the ground rod. You can probably rent the post digger or they are like $20 from bigbox home stores. Then use the "wet drop method" described here, but starting at the bottom of the hole you just dug:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/electrical-ground-rod-installation

Stadium hardware has the grounding rod & clamp & wire. probably the big box places do too.

I've had friends who put antennas in their attics with decent results.

Said friends suggested I buy an amplifier when I bought my antenna. I haven't needed it, i'd sell it for half what I paid. It would probably help if you wanted to try an indoor antenna. this username @ gmail.com if you want it, drop me a line.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017I1PVC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One other tip. Tivo and channel master make DVR's that work with antenna. Tivo also has a bunch of streaming functionality built in, much like a roku. It's expensive though.

Unlike MiataCory I do miss a few shows that were on cable. I've decided that not watching more TV is a reasonable life choice.

I use a body lotion that contains lactic acid. I've had eczema since I was 8 (30 now) and it is the only thing that's ever worked for me. I discovered it three winters ago and my symptoms have been super manageable. I was using Disrobe by Sunday Riley but it's been discontinued. I'm hoping when my bottle runs out that I can find another one with the same effect. This one has a lot of positive reviews on Amazon for helping with eczema and I think it will be the first one I try. Hope this helps!

I have an outdoor antenna that I mounted to an old DirecTV dish and I get a lot of channels

highlights: local channels in clear HD, plus stations from Toledo, Jackson, Lansing. 56-1, 56-2, 56-3 are PBS stations. in total I have ~20 stations that are worth watching, with a handful of others that I've removed from the channel list (QVC, Religious channels, etc)

these past couple weeks there have been different NFL games on CBS Toledo and CBS Detroit so it was nice to be able to jump back and forth (11-1 & 62-1)

I use this antenna and this preamp

I'll probably mess with it more come Spring, a better preamp closer to the antenna MIGHT allow me to get CBC which would be awesome

• Know your signals (and use them) for turning when riding in the road.
  
• Be as visible as possible, perhaps with a reflector vest over clothes and some bike lights.
  
• Wear a helmet, always.
  
• Scope out and take routes that may be a bit longer, but have bike lanes (or less pot holes, traffic, etc.). There's even a cool (older) map that has some of that already figured out.
  
• Feel out your comfort level for riding on the sidewalk vs. bike lanes. For me, sidewalk intersections can be tricky as folks aren't as aware of fast moving "traffic"--only time I've been hit was at an intersection with a sidewalk crossing.
  
• Avoid the cobblestone in Kerrytown, it hurts without shocks
  
• Check out this video from Grist for general tips on how to bike in a city-- I watched it a while back when I first started bike commuting and found it to be a good introduction.
  
  Be safe and have fun!

You can get pumpkin carving kits at Meijer, Aldi, or pretty much anywhere, but they are a bit cheap and flimsy. I bought this kit on Amazon and love it.

This is my pumpkin.

Depending on how confident you feel with electronics repair, this is something you can actually fix yourself. All things considered, it's honestly not that difficult. It takes a bit of time, though.
Here is where you can buy the screen with the necessary tools to do the job.

Of course if you don't feel confident in doing this there are many places around Ann Arbor to get this repaired. It is likely to cost more though.

I'm not sure where the best place is. Someone else may have that answer.

Check out the book of Ann Arbor https://www.amazon.com/Book-Ann-Arbor-Richard-Retyi/dp/1947989030#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div. Super entertaining read of Ann Arbor history. If you do buy it, get it from Nicolas or literati tho instead of amazon

It appears that the 35 gram limit is for carrying with you. I would feel confident in bringing home or ordering a large canister for home use only. REI sells 230 gram bear spray. I like the look of this one;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002368VJ6?ref_=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza&redirect=true&pldnSite=1

EDIT: Home Security System

even cheaper is wood spirals. It doesn't look as cool as a barrel, but the results are still incredibly solid. I occasionally age the spirits for a last word with wood and add the lime after the aging process. It's... insanely good.

Here is one that is equally as reliable as a psychic and will save you thousands of dollars

it's a pretty common phenomenon all over
http://amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202

Get the memory foam from Costco or buy it from Amazon if you want it delivered for free:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CT37L0

It's the same mattress but different name at Costco for a bit less at Amazon. It goes on sale sometimes too -- you just missed it going down to $250 from $450. But it's worth it at $450. Or CamelCamelCamel.com it if you can wait.

Ann Arbor Beer and "Brewed in Detroit" would be a good place to start. The Ann Arbor library has both. I read an article online about workers bringing buckets to work to collect beer, but I don't remember the source. Might've been the Ann Arbor Observer, but I can't seem to find it.

Edit: Found it