Recently, Flickr gave all of its users 1 terabyte of free space. Reddit user rlaw68 shows how to utilize that space for more than just photos and videos.

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Free plans to DIY a closet organizer system from one sheet of plywood. Video tutorial and step by step instructions from Ana-White.com

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About Project

Author Notes: 

Last fall, I went to Minneapolis somewhere between harvesting our winter's supply of moose and going on book tour.  I know, I'm terrible at telling you all these things!  I've been a bad bad blogger!

This was the final destination of the trip - Suite 700 of the Family Handyman Shop.  We (the Ram and I) are here to film project videos for Skil Tools!

The DIYer in me really had a tough time sitting in the hair and makeup chair, and I felt ridiculous wearing false eyelashes and lipstick to build.  Good news is the men were subject to the same torture.

Minus the eyelashes.

One of my most favorite projects from this weekend was this closet organizer system.  I know it's "just a closet" when you look at it, but here's what's really neat: It's built from exactly one sheet of plywood!  

Yes, a closet from ONE SHEET of plywood!

Wondering how to make a closet organizer system from one sheet of plywood? Check out this quick video for the step by step.

And of course, the diagrams and cut list follow if you are needing to organize some closet space on a budget!

Dimensions

Dimensions:  Dimensions shown above.

Materials and Tools

Shopping List: 

1 sheet ¾” plywood ripped into strips 15 7/8” wide, referred to as 1x16 boards throughout plan
Wood glue
4 closet rod sockets
4 wood closet rods in lengths needed for closet
2” wood trim screws
3” wood screws
Optional shelf pins for adjustable shelves

Tools:  measuring tape square pencil safety glasses hearing protection drill circular saw sander countersink drill bit

Cut List

Cut List: 

2 – 1x16 @ 80” long (sides)
7 – 1x16 @ 15 ¾” (shelves)
5 – 1x16 @ 3” (wall cleats)

General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Step 1

Either have your hardware store rip your plywood into three easy to manage strips 8 feet long x 15 7/8” wide or use a table saw to rip plywood into strips 15 7/8” wide. These strips will be referred to as 1x16s in this plan. Then follow the cut list using a circular saw to cut 1x16s to needed sizes.

Step 2

Mark joint locations on insides and outsides with measuring tape and square. Predrill holes with a countersink bit. Apply glue at joint and attach shelves to sides.

Attach one cleat to top inside of closet, screwing through outsides and top to secure. When installing the closet, you can secure closet to wall by screwing through this cleat into a stud in the wall.

Step 3

Additional shelves can be added same as main shelf OR a Shelf pin jig used to add adjustable shelves. If you go the shelf pin/adjustable shelf route, I recommend cutting the shelves down 1/4" so they fit inside easily.

Step 4

Locate studs in walls and mark. Attach wall cleats to wall using countersink bit and 3” screws, screwing into studs.

NOTES: If closet has a baseboard, use a jigsaw to cut notch out of back of closet system for baseboard.

Step 5

Measure and cut the closet rods. Install rod sockets with drill and measuring tape. Check rods for level with level.

Finishing Instructions

Preparation Instructions:  Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth. It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.

May I Suggest a Finish?

Weathered Pine Stain

Painting White Outdoor Adirondack Projects

Walnut Minwax Express Color on Cedar

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This post is from staff writer Kristin Wong.

Over the weekend, a friend and I were enjoying a couple of beers in my neighborhood. As we sat outside people watching, he drooled over every fancy car that drove by.

“That’s a whatever-whatever,” he would tell me. “It costs $100,000.”

I live in Los Angeles, where these symbols of affluence are common.

“I can’t help it,” I told him. “All I can think of when I see a car that expensive is that the driver made a terrible financial decision.”

“But what if the driver is rich and can afford it?” my friend argued.

We then got into a conversation about fancy cars, happiness and frugality. I argued that, no matter how much money I might make in the near future, I plan on driving my Corolla into the ground.

“You wouldn’t trade it in for a nice, sleek Mercedes?” he asked. I said no, and he looked suspicious. But here’s why I think I’ll drive my car until it wears out.

It’s got sentimental value

The non-money answer is that I love my car because it used to be my brother’s.

Both of us had Corollas. I paid for the down payment on mine and spent five years paying it off completely. Since college, Old Trusty and I had been through a lot together; he had a good 150,000 miles on him. So I wanted to take him with me when I moved to California, but my parents thought he was unfit to make the trip. My car was a 2004, and my brother’s was a 2008 with considerably fewer miles. For some reason, when my brother went off to college, my parents bought him a new truck (how come I never got a new truck, guys?). Mom and Dad insisted I accept his newer, less worn-out Corolla, saying it would give them peace of mind.

Who am I to turn down a better car and worry my parents? I said goodbye to Old Trusty and drove my brother’s car to LA.

Maybe it’s sappy and weird, but this car reminds me of home. My apartment and pretty much everything in it (even Brian) came from LA. My car is one of the few things from home that I still have with me.

Car payments scare me

“You wouldn’t want a car with heated seats and a comfortable interior?” my friend asked.

Of course I would. But as comfortable as heated seats are, they don’t feel nearly as good as not having car payments.

If my car was on its last leg, or if it was severely uncomfortable and I had a two-hour commute, it might be a different story. But for me, upgrading simply for the sake of upgrading isn’t worth the expense.

I’ve always found it odd that many people consider car payments to be a constant. For lots of people, paying off their car loan means trading in their car for a newer one with all new payments. I guess if you can work it into your budget, maybe you can afford it. But I’ve always been a fan of the Dave Ramsey school of thought:

“When it comes to money, normal is broke. You want to be weird, and weird people don’t have car payments.”

My cost of ownership is low

Last year, my auto maintenance expenses totaled $523, but that included a new set of tires. Granted, I don’t drive much (mostly on weekends and road trips). But I still think this expense is relatively low. In fact, Edmunds shows that the total estimated cost of my car’s annual maintenance (not including the tires) is $150. For a Mercedes C-Class, it’s $260.

Let’s say I did buy a new car this year — even a new Corolla. At least until its eighth birthday, depreciation is the car’s biggest cost. At year one, the cost of depreciation is obviously at its highest — 57 percent of the total owner cost, according to Consumer Reports. Considering my current driving habits, my car would incur higher-than-ever depreciation while it sits in a parking spot. Seems like a waste. At five years, depreciation is still my largest expense, but at least it’s not depreciating as much (48 percent) while it mostly just sits there during the week.

This is a unique example, and perhaps it depends on perception, but the point is, the costs over time should be considered.

My car still has value

I don’t consider buying a new car to be an investment. It doesn’t make sense to think of it that way, because it’s not an asset that has the possibility of appreciating. Yes, if you buy an expensive car, you can later sell it for more money than you could a cheaper car, but the same can be said for a pair of boots.

I simply think of my car as part of my Stuff. Sure, I kind of need it, and it’s worth more than most of my other Stuff, but the bottom line is, I bought it to be used, not to watch its value increase. Thus, wouldn’t I want to get as much out of my money as possible?

While I don’t think of cars as investments, they also aren’t like the rest of our Stuff; usually, they’re a lot more expensive to replace. In an age when cellphones and computers are always upgraded, I feel like it’s easy to believe your vehicle needs an upgrade, too. I’m surprised at how many people say it’s “time for a new car” simply because they haven’t had a new car in a while. That’s a costly treat. Though some would argue upgrading a perfectly usable phone is a costly treat, too.

But what if you’re a gazillionaire?

“But if you’re a billionaire, why not just buy a new car? It would be nothing to you,” my friend argued.

I’d like to think that, even if I had all the money in the world, I’d still drive my little Corolla around town. I’d like to think a lot of things. But most likely, if I were a billionaire, the little dings and scratches on my car would probably start to bother me, as would the non-heated seat cushions.

No matter how much wealth I may build, I hope I never lose sight of value. Because to me, this argument is like saying, “Well, you have a lot of money, so why not throw a buck down the toilet?”

But then again, when you throw money at a fancy car, you’re still getting a fancy car.

As your wealth grows, I suppose your idea of value often changes. “Comfortable” isn’t what it used to be, and you experience lifestyle inflation. This is where my friend and I came to a standstill — where do you draw the line? At 20, spending a couple of hundred bucks on a phone seemed like a huge waste of money, but nowadays, it’s just part of my budget. “You could just live bare bones, but why else do you have money?” my friend argued.

But then again, a $100,000+ Porsche Carrera is pretty far from bare bones. That’s an extreme example, but I see a lot of them around town, and I often wonder about the mind-set that went into spending that much on a vehicle.

Getting off my frugal high horse

Having control over my finances makes me happier than any luxury vehicle could. But not everyone has as much fun with frugality. I also don’t get than new car itch. But plenty of people do, and I itch for other things that some people might see as a waste.

I’m about to take a pretty pricey vacation. I’ve been saving up for it, and I’m relishing it, the way many luxury car lovers would relish their purchase. I forget there’s an important difference between me and people who buy fancy cars: they like fancy cars.

There are plenty of practical reasons for not buying a luxury car. But we all have the urge to splurge on different things.

I’ll end with a question a GRS reader once posed. She wondered whether she should buy a new, luxury car. She could afford it, but she didn’t need it.

This comment was singled out as a favorite:

“If you can really afford it — you’re paying cash, you’re already putting enough money into your 401(k) to get the full employer match, you’re putting extra money into an IRA, you’ve got three (or six) months extra cash saved up, you don’t have any looming debt — then I think you should go for it. That’s what money’s for: buying things. [...]“

I would agree with the above comment. When you’re financially free and fully prepared for your financial future, money is for buying things.

It’s a great comment. But I would have closed it with:

“Unless the car costs six figures.”

Even dismounted from my frugal high horse, I still can’t fathom a vehicle being that expensive.

Unproductive days at work come in many forms. There are the days when you're tired (I probably shouldn’t have gone to that midnight movie last night), days when you’re distracted (How can I focus on work when my relationship is on the rocks?), and days when you can't get motivated (Can’t I do the monthly report next week?). And then, there are days when it just feels like your brain isn’t all the way there.

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Spring is in the air — and greens are in the earth. According to a friend who tends a farm Upstate, only the last couple weeks have granted the consistency of warmth needed to thaw the ground and allow for new plantings to begin. Rejoice! But then, not all plants need to be planted, per se. Some prefer to seed spontaneously, in the wild. Introducing the season of wild onions, including those most coveted now in New York City — ramps.

The farmers markets throughout the city have been showing off the first arrivals of these elegant allium. Ramps are noticeable for their long and slender, pinkish-tinted bulbs and flat-leaved shoots, but they’re distinctive for their mellow, sweet flavor, too. They aren’t cultivated, but rather foraged, and prefer to grow nearby ponds and rivers. Rare, wild, delicate and mild, they offer so many uses, you see.

wild ramps

To celebrate the mild, sweet flavors of spring, I thought I’d sprinkle them into a light pasta dish. Although they aren’t in season just yet (but will be soon), some peas sounded good company here. Peas are one of the few vegetables that freezes and reheats quite well in its raw state. I’m not sure why anyone would buy them in cans when they’re so fresh-tasting and easy to use from the freezer.

cut to long and slender pieces

One more addition to this pasta dish comes from a chance encounter at a butcher shop. I’d attended a butchering demonstration at the longstanding East Village Meat Market last week. While we had gathered to hear about the newly formed Adirondack Grazers Cooperative and watch skilled experts break down a side of their beef, I became smitten with the meat market’s own house-cured “City Ham,” set on a table for snacking. So smoky-tasting and moist, it stood out amongst all the charcuterie we sampled, and kept me slightly distracted from the cuts of raw beef being cut up and plopped on the carving table like great piles of fish. So I took home a whole pound of this ham, in slices. I’m sure the beef would have tasted great, too.

the meat market’s “City Ham” is thinly sliced

A good ham can be hard to find, and it’s underrated in my opinion. Wherever bacon can be used, finely diced, for flavor, so could some salty, smoky, but less fatty ham. I thought it would make the perfect complement for the sweet, spring ramps and peas. And after a very quick, no-more-than-fifteen-minute cooking session, it did satisfy. The ham and ramps are just barely cooked, and kept in long slivers — I didn’t want to break the composition of the ramps too much, and the ham didn’t need any improvement from crisping. Just a little sweat on the pan to spread around its juices, which were absorbed by the pasta that was stirred in after a few moments of this.

You might notice that I’ve used a whole-grain shaped pasta for this dish, and the type that I found is actually made with farro. I’d found the fancy, Italian pasta at BKLYN Larder recently, and think that its nutty complexities add pleasant layers of earthiness to this dish. Try this with a whole wheat pasta, or just your favorite semolina variety instead. Just be sure to cook it al dente, and splash in a good ladle of the starchy cooking water, which will take on the smokiness of the ham.

Pasta With Ramps, Peas and Ham
(makes 3-4 servings)

1 lb shaped pasta (preferably whole grain)
2-3 small slices cured ham, cut to thin strips
1 cup frozen peas (or fresh when in season)
1 bunch wild ramps, cut to 1-inch pieces along its shoot and bulbs halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
optional 1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in pasta; stir immediately.

Heat a wide saute pan with the olive oil. Add the ham slices, and stir a few moments. Add the ramps and peas and stir another minute. Once pasta is cooked al dente, transfer with a slotted spoon or tongs immediately to the saute pan of other ingredients, along with about 1/2 cup of its cooking liquid. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stirring, let cook another minute or so to meld the flavors and cook off most of the liquid. Remove from heat and stir in the optional tablespoon of butter. Serve immediately.

Cost Calculator
(for 3-4 servings)

1 lb fancy pasta: $8.99
1 bunch ramps: $4.00
2 slices ham (at $8.99/lb): $0.50
1 cup frozen peas: $0.50
2 tablespoons olive oil: $0.25
1 tablespoon butter: $0.30

Total: $14.55

Health Factor

Five brownie points: You can use just a small amount of ham to “ham up” any dish, rather than making it the main substance. That way, you’ll get less cholesterol and smokey flavor. This pasta is likewise studded fairly sparsely with vegetables, too, so as to highlight the subtle flavor of ramps. But ramps themselves provide lots of Vitamin K thanks to their leafy green shoots, as well as a host of phytochemicals present in onions. Peas add a little more protein, and so does the pasta if using whole-grain.

Green Factor

Six maple leaves: The imported, fancy pasta I’ve used doesn’t help decrease the fossil fuels spendings of this dish, and I’m not sure how humanely raised or local the house-smoked ham was from the East Village butcher store — but wild ramps can only be found from small, local farms that bother to gather them. Grab ‘em while you can this spring.

There are a ton of browser extensions that promise to protect your privacy, which leads to some natural questions: Which is the best? Do they all do the same thing? What should I really download? In this guide, we’re going to look at the most popular browser extensions that promise to protect your privacy online, and give you our recommendations.

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If you're sick of hearing the noisy THUNK-THUNK-THUNK of water dripping down your rain gutters, you can keep them quiet with a nylon rope and a bit of caulk.

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If you need a specific type of paper for your notebook, organizer, or even your Hipster PDA, don't settle for drawing lines on paper yourself. Generated Paper has over 40 printable PDF templates for ruled paper, graph paper, business cards, music sheets, and more, all completely free.

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Does your body always protest around this time of year with watery eyes, sneezing, congestion, and an overall feeling of misery? Seasonal allergies suck. To get some relief (without shelling out big bucks for allergy medications), try eating foods that naturally suppress spring allergy symptoms: Those that are high in quercetin.

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With many countries and states phasing out incandescent light bulbs, you're probably on the lookout for replacements. Our friends at the Wirecutter think the Cree Warm White bulb is the best one around. Here's why.

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About This Project

Thanks to the tips and tricks we picked up from Ana here, we were able to build our very own storage shed. We use it for storing our kayaking, sailing and camping gear for our company down here in the Bahamas (which is still a bit unorganized in the photo). It works so much better than what we had before in multiple kit sheds. We even have a loft up top for extra storage, electricity in there with a fan, fridge and lights... MAJOR UPGRADE :) We still need to paint it and finish a few things, but we are very thankful to have it up and being used.

My favorite thing is the door handle (a boat cleat) sliding barn door and the herringbone design for 'eye candy' :)

Thanks go out to Ana and her wonderful site! I would have never attempted this without the foundation I built here!

Estimated Cost:  $4,000 (living on an island in the Bahams so it's a bit higher here) Estimated Time Investment:  Week Long Project (20 Hours or More) Required Skill Level:  Intermediate Type of Wood:  PT Pine, Plywood, T1-11 Siding Finish Used:  Still need to paint it!

A nearly-universal problem – we hate marketing emails but we love the occasional bargain we can get out of them.

Since they come from innumerable disparate sources, there's no effective way to control them and only see them when we want to.

Until now.

Unroll.me lets you identify recurring emails that you want to look at on your own terms. Consider your daily Groupon email. If you want, Unroll.me will snatch it out of your inbox and save it on the web for you to read at your convenience. At the end of the day, Unroll.me will send you an email digest of all the messages it's snagged for you.

We've only been using it a few days, but we don't think we'll be stopping any time soon.

Get started by heading to Unroll.me

Select the email service you use – this currently only works with Yahoo and Gmail

We're using Gmail, so we have to confirm that the app has permission to access our account

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

What's the Latest Development? The French are the least happy people in Europe, according to a new survey of French nationals living in France and abroad. What's more, the French academic behind the new poll places the blame on French culture itself. Claudia Senik, a professor at the Paris ...

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[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Baseball season at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field kicked off this week, and if you're looking to eat well on game day, it pays to plan ahead.

Both stadiums have put more effort than ever into their in-house food, and hey, Parm or Shake Shack mid-game is a great thing. But if you've made the trip to the South Bronx or Corona, how about trying some of the local fare? You'll find shorter lines (and largely cheaper food), we promise.

Yankee Stadium

Moro de habichuelas rojo at Nano Billiads. [Photograph: Chris Crowley]

Our ace Bronx reporter Chris Crowley has two year's worth of stadium eating guides well worth a read, with Caribbean, African, and Latin American food aplenty:

• Where To Eat Near Yankee Stadium, 2012
• Where To Eat Near Yankee Stadium, 2011

In the coming weeks he'll be giving more shoutouts to good food near the stadium. This week: Nano Billiads. More highlights? Some tasty Mexican at Xochimilco, streetside Dominican chimi, and a great introduction to West African food at Bate.

Citi Field

The Pumas from Tortas Neza. [Photograph: James Boo]

Citi Field is situated in a good food neighborhood and adjacent to a great one. The surrounding neighborhood of Corona is home to all kinds of good (mostly Latin American) eats:

• Tortas Neza in Corona: Of Fútbol, Family, and Good Food
• Fresh Masa and Italian Tamales at Tortilleria Nixtamal
• Best Tamales in Queens? My Favorites, at Taqueria La Casa Del Idolo
• Mexican Eats: La Estancia de la Spiga
• Where To Eat Near The US Open: Under $5

And if you're taking the 7 train to the stadium, Sarah Markel-Gonzalez has a field guide for you with tasty food at almost every stop. Don't miss the legendary Italian sandwiches at Leo's Latticini.

Muslim lamb chop at Fu Run. [Photograph: Max Falkowitz]

Take the 7 or the LIRR a little farther and you find yourself in Flushing, Asian food capital of Queens and, in some respects, New York City. Take some time to explore the Golden Shopping Mall's regional Chinese food court, go on a dumpling hunt, find some amazing Korean food, or have an awesome sitdown meal at Fu Run or Biang!, the flagship restaurant of the Xi'an Famous Foods empire.

What Else?

What are you planning to eat on your trip to the ballpark? Anything we missed? Sound off in the comments.

These plants add color, texture, and a lush, garden-like feel to your yard—all while offering a fix-and-forget solution for bare spots, steep slopes, and more

Here's a father that will make your heart melt in aww and a nursery that'll make you want to go back to being a kid again. Screw real life, I want to grow up again with Calvin and Hobbes. Heck, I don't care if I can even fit on the bed... I want to live in that room right now. More »

A Chinese fishmonger was going about his business when he randomly discovered a bomb... inside the stomach of a squid he was gutting. Apparently, a three-pound squid had swallowed an eight-inch bomb on accident. The bomb was live. More »

Spring approaching (still cold but days are getting longer) gets me in a growing mood. I’ve shown you this basil growing tip before but it’s worth repeating.

All the instructions with more images are in the earlier post but basically we get fresh potted basil in the grocery store, cut the stems off at dirt level and stick them in a glass of water for a couple of weeks. That’s the stage I’m at now. After the stems grow roots you plant them in potting soil in a large pot and you have fresh basil for the whole season. We’ve successfully grown basil like this for years as opposed to several failed attempts growing them from seeds. Try it!

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Brunchy food… it’s perhaps what I cook the most, but what makes it to this site the least. Saturday and Sunday mornings are just not the time to be breaking out the camera. So in an effort to provide a … Go to the recipe...

With spring here for half of us, it's time to start thinking about planting a garden. It's never as easy as it sounds, but Sprout It is a webapp that guides you through the best time to plant those vegetables depending on where you are. More »

Ah, gadgets. Sometimes you turn out to be worth the hype and sometimes, well, not so much. What was the worst gadget you've owned? More »

Just before the Enron scandal broke, the company's CEO immediately put his money into annuities—in his wife's name. Why? Because those assets are creditor-protected, so they can't be seized (in this case, by the government). This is just one example of many illustrating how extremely wealthy people get the most from their money—and most of them do it legally. Much of their success comes from knowing where to find loopholes in the financial system. While we'd never recommend any illegal or dishonest money moves (seriously, don't break the law!), there are a handful of legal personal finance hacks that are available to all of us. More »