When you sign a two year contract with your wireless carrier, you probably know there's a termination fee if you want to get out early. You may think that fee could be waived if you could demonstrate a real need to end your contract, but this sad story suggests otherwise. In fact, it's easier to break an apartment lease than it is to get out of a cell phone contract. So if you need to get out of your contract but your pleas fall on deaf ears, how do you get out without emptying your wallet? Here's how.

Navigate the Customer Service Maze

Before you do anything drastic, you should always see if you can get your wireless provider to come around to your cause. They won't want to lose you as a customer, but most companies will make some kind of exemption if you talk to the right person and have a good reason. If you're moving because of work or a compelling personal reason (death in the family, etc.) to a location they don't cover, are a soldier who's being deployed, or you've lost your job and are unable to continue paying your contract, they'll usually let you out or work with you on a compromise. Photo by Brad P.

However, don't expect to just call up and have the first person you speak to solve your problem. You may need to call back several times or escalate your issue. Here are some more tips to cut through corporate bureaucracy and get your carrier to listen to you. Don't be afraid to use the company's social media channels to your advantage, or go straight to the top and contact corporate executives.

Trade Your Contract with Someone Else In Your Boat

No one actually likes wireless contracts, and you're not the only person who wants to get out of theirs. Odds are there's someone out there who's trying to get out of their contract with the carrier you want to join, and vice versa. Check out services like Cellswapper, Celltrade, or TradeMyCellular that all play matchmaker between people who want out of their contract with one carrier, and people who want into shorter-term contracts with another. If you have six months left on your T-Mobile contract but you're moving to an area served by Verizon, for example, you can pair up with someone who's willing to trade their 18 months remaining on Verizon for your 6 months on T-Mobile. Even better, the service can find someone who wants only a short-term T-Mobile contract—the service handles the paperwork, and you send out your phone, cover the transfer fee, and walk away contract-free.

Find a Wireless Carrier Willing to Buy Out Your Contract

It's not terribly common, but some wireless providers are so eager for new customers that they're willing to buy you out of your old contract, and pay down whatever early termination fee you may have. The big carriers shy away from offers like this, but smaller ones and MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators, or companies that buy the rights to resell a big carrier's bandwidth under their own name. Boost Mobile, Credo Mobile, and Virgin Mobile are all examples of MVNOs) often bend the rules to bring in new customers.

For example, new Tucows startup Ting is running a month-long contest to get you out of your contract (although that month is almost over, so act quickly!) They're willing to buy one lucky winner out of a contract or your termination fee, whichever is cheaper, every day this month. Considering their approach to the wireless business, you may want to consider it. Keep in mind though, even when Ting's promotion is over, other MVNOs may be willing to work with you when big carriers won't. Here's a full list of MVNOs in the United States and the carriers they resell from—you may even be able to keep your phone.

Hack the System

Finally, if none of the other tricks work, it's time to play a little dirty. We've talked about how contract changes are often a way to escape a long contract, so if your carrier has added new fees or changed the terms of your agreement recently, that may be your ticket out of there. Moneycrashers has some more tips, and while they were written for T-Mobile specifically, most will work with any carrier. Still, your mileage may vary—some of them are technicalities you may have to fight for. When the iPhone launched on Verizon Wireless, we offered up some more tips to get out of your contract without paying an early termination fee. Check them out—many of them work on any carrier, and for any phone. Photo by Jessica Spengler.

If playing dirty doesn't appeal to you, consider changing your contract to the absolute fewest number of minutes and smallest data allowance they offer. Cancel SMS messaging entirely, and trim your account to the bare minimum. Not only does this make you an undesirable customer, but the lower cost per month for the duration of your contract may be less than the termination fee, just spread out. Then sell the phone, remove it from your account, sign up with your preferred carrier, and walk away.

Want all of the benefits of organic, local produce, meat, and dairy with the convenience of a grocery store? A food co-op might be what you're looking for. They're pretty easy to find and in many cases, you can walk out with bags full of groceries for a fraction of what you'd pay at a traditional supermarket. Here's how to find and get involved with one near you.

A Food Co-Op? What's That?

If you're not familiar with the concept, food co-ops operate like grocery stores, but are owned by members of the cooperative—in other words, they're owned and managed by the people who shop and work there. Because of this they have greater flexibility in the products they carry and how much they sell those products for. Most co-ops specialize in natural, organic, and locally grown foods, and develop relationships with nearby farms to supply their dairy, meat, and produce. Photo by glenngould.

Even better, because members pay in to the cooperative to keep it alive, those products are often sold at a discount. Co-ops are also known for offering cooking classes, gardening lessons, monthly grocery baskets, and other community perks to their members. Some co-ops require you to become a contributing member before you can shop there, but if you shop frequently, you'll get it back quickly in bargains on the stuff you take home.

How Can I Find One Near Me?

The Coop Directory Service has a comprehensive list of co-ops and buying clubs across the US and Canada. LocalHarvest, who you might remember from our article on Community Supported Agriculture, also has a directory of food co-ops around the US. If you're still having trouble finding one, Cooperative Grocer's directory may be able to help as well.

You'll have better luck finding a co-op near you if you live in a city or suburb, but the demand for high quality, local food is high enough that more open in rural areas every year. In some cases, the closest co-op near you may focus on a specific type of food, like gourmet cheeses dairy or all-organic produce. Don't be afraid to shop around or keep looking until you find one that's more grocery store than niche market.

What's The Catch?

As we mentioned, many co-ops expect their shoppers to support the cooperative by becoming members. That means yearly dues, and like the big-box buying clubs, you can come in and look around for free, but you won't be able to check out without proof of membership. You can sign up on the spot of course, but make sure you check out the membership fees before you sign on the dotted line. Photo by Jason Riedy.

On the bright side, many cooperatives let you pay in volunteer hours instead of dollars, so if you have a few spare hours on the weekend and want to get out of the house, you can lend a hand stocking shelves, or indulge your secret passion for box-stacking. If you're interested in learning a new skill, you might even be able to work with the local butcher or nearby farmer to pick up what they know while you work. You never know, it could be a rewarding experience.

What do you think? Are you a member of a co-op in your area? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Photo by DrStarbuck.

Great DIY projects are often easy to do at home, but many require tools and space that you may not have. Just because you don't have a basement workshop doesn't mean you don't get to scratch your DIY itch. Odds are there's a hackerspace in your community, stocked with tools, plenty of space, safety gear, and knowledgeable people willing to help you. These spaces offer would-be makers a place to go and safely experiment, tinker, and dream. Here's how you can find and get involved with one near you.

What Is a "Hackerspace?"

Put simply, a hackerspace (or hackspace) is a shared workspace where you can tackle DIY projects you wouldn't normally be able to because you don't have the space or materials. Very often, those spaces are loaded with tools, training classes, and other experienced members willing to help you get your projects off the ground. Whether you're hacking IKEA furniture or making your own electronics, a hackerspace can provide you with everything you need to get started, as long as you bring the materials, the idea, and the motivation to make it happen. Photo by Mitch Altman.

Why Would I Want to Join a Hackerspace?

Dr. Lindsay Levkoff, Director of Education at SparkFun Electronics explains:

Hackerspaces are designed to have an encouraging and inclusive environment so people of all skill levels feel comfortable. People who are just getting started will benefit from various educational opportunities like classes and workshops, and the act of designing, building and creating are incredible ways of building confidence. The sharing aspect of hackerspaces provides incredible resources that most people cannot afford on their own.

Many hackerspaces have machinery like welders, laser cutters, sewing machines, and various other tools. Aside from the physical resources, hackerspaces are also full of incredibly talented people who are happy to share their knowledge.

For example, among all of the other cool things at this year's Maker Faire in San Francisco, educator and Mythbusters host Adam Savage delivered an eloquent argument in support of the DIY community (embedded at the top of this post), not only because it offers a creative outlet, but because DIY projects encourage critical thinking. If you've been looking for a way to do just that, or you just wish you had a place to go to work on your pet project, a hackerspace is for you. Thankfully, they're plentiful, easy to find, and easy to join.

How Do I Find a Hackerspace Near Me?

To find a local hackerspace, head over to Hackerspaces.org, a community-maintained wiki with an always up-to-date list of locations around the globe you can join. If you're interested in starting or getting involved in a new hackerspace, the "all spaces" list will show you planned spaces and ones just getting off the ground.

Finding a space is easy, but finding out whether it's the right space for you is a different issue. Check out the events list to see if the hackerspaces near you are hosting anything you'd be interested in. Make sure to visit your local space's web site to find out what type of space they are, how to become a member, and what dues they may charge. Some hackerspaces focus on DIY electronics and crafting projects, others focus on traditional network and computer hacking, and others blend both into the same space. You'll want to make sure the space you choose lines up with what you want to do before dropping by for a visit—and you definitely want to visit before you sign up to become a member.

What Should I Know Before Getting Involved?

Before you become a member at your local hackerspace, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Visit your local hackerspace's web site. Many are run entirely by volunteers, or a by a non-profit group. Reach out to the space's management and find out how you can get involved.
• See if you can visit before you sign up so you can get a feel for the location. Most spaces have open houses where the public is invited to come and see the facility, take tours, and sign up to become members. Take advantage! Photo by Nottingham Hackspace.
• Let them know what types of projects you're interested in working on, and ask if the hackerspace is well suited to those types of projects. Do they have space available for your new wi-fi hacking passion, or your sudden desire to build replica props from your favorite TV shows? Are there other members who have similar passions and can help you?
• Ask how much it costs to become a member, and how frequently those dues are paid. What do you get in exchange for those dues (free access to the facility, tools, or classes, perhaps?)
• When and how often is the space open? Many hackerspaces are only open after-hours, when volunteers can break away from work or school to open and manage the space. Do those hours work for you?
• How inclusive is the space? Do members welcome people of all skill levels, and regularly help one another with their projects, or does everyone generally keep to themselves? Which answer suits you best?

Dr. Levkoff explained that those new to the DIY/hackerspace community "Start with a few smaller scale projects that can be completed without too much hassle. It is really rewarding to see a few projects through to completion. Once you have a few projects under your belt the sky is the limit." Photo by Mitch Altman.

Whether you want to sell your work on Etsy or you just want to build your own desk, or maybe make it height adjustable, most hackerspaces will have the tools to help you customize your gear to your needs, or build something from scratch that's better than anything you could get at a store.

Get Involved and Start Making

All of us at have at some point thought to ourselves that our desk, bed, entertainment center, or bookshelf would be perfect if it just had this thing, or some feature we wish we could add to it. Normally we have to suck it up and live with what we have, but being a member at a hackerspace means you don't have to settle for the things you buy or see on store shelves as they are. You can tweak to your heart's content, experiment with new projects, and let the DIY enthusiast in you bloom. Best of all, if you don't know how to make your idea real, there's probably someone there who can help you learn. Photo by Ash Berlin.

Are you a member at a hackerspace in your community? Do you have any other tips for people looking to get involved? Share your tips—and some of the DIY projects that got you started—in the comments below.

Lindsay Levkoff, Ph.D. is Director of Education at SparkFun Electronics, and a passionate maker herself. She volunteered her expertise for this post, and we thank her.

Title photo by SFBlogg.com.

You have a busy life and a to-do list a mile long. Unfortunately simply adding a new task to your to-do list doesn't actually mean it'll get done. Wouldn't it be nice if you could get out in front of your to-dos at work and at home, always know what's on your plate, and even have a little time to think about how you can work smarter instead of slaving away every day? You can, and it's easy to do: you just need to incorporate a weekly review into your schedule.

What Is a Weekly Review?

Simply put, the weekly review is a set-aside period every week, usually an hour or two, where you dedicate yourself to getting organized for the week ahead and ensure that nothing is slipping through the cracks. We'll get to how later, but the important thing to remember is that the review is time reserved for you to be an executive of your personal and professional life, organize your tasks, make lists of people you need to follow up with, and arrange your priorities so you're always working on the things that are actually important. Photo by David Chico Pham.

This also means that you shouldn't spend your review time actually working. This is your time to step back, connect with your work, and act like an executive—the CEO of a company of one. During your review, it's important that you—like any good manager—set the priorities, not micro-manage.

David Allen, the creator of the popular Getting Things Done productivity technique and proponent of the weekly review, has said that if you're not doing a weekly review, you're not really following GTD. Of course, you don't need to follow GTD to take advantage of the weekly review; all you need is a desire to get a better handle on your work and life.

The weekly review is supposed to help you do three things: get clear, get current, and get creative.

• Get Clear. Take some time to clean up your workspace and empty your inbox. Then, review your projects. Which are most important? Which ones have milestones coming up in the following week? Organize them by priority and urgency so when you start next week, you'll know what to start without having to think about it.
• Get Current. Look at your calendar. Perhaps next week you have a big meeting with your boss about a big software upgrade, but you forgot to call the vendor to get the details. Put that call on the calendar for next week, and give yourself enough time to research before your meeting with your boss. Finally, check your mail for anyone you may be waiting on input from. Make notes or appointments to check in with them next week.
• Get Creative. Look at those projects you've always wanted to get to, like redesigning your personal web site, and think about what small parts of those projects you might be able to slip into your schedule. Think about how you can be more efficient—maybe you're a sysadmin and there's a new tool that will cut down on the time you spend each week pushing patches to your servers. Take some time to get out in front of your life, instead of sitting in the passenger seat.

First Things First: Put It On The Calendar

Pick a day that works for you—whether it's the end of the week, or the day after a big weekly event that you have to deal with at work—and put your weekly review on the calendar for the end of the day. If you wait until you have your whole weekly review planned out and ready to go, you'll never do it. Ideally, you'll want to make it the last thing you do that day, and schedule it for a good hour or two. Photo by Joe Lanman.

I scheduled my weekly reviews for Friday at 5pm, and stretched them out until 7pm, when I normally left the office. It sounds like a long time, but you'll only need that time when you get started and have a lot to go over. With time and practice, you may even get your weekly review down to 30 minutes. It's not impossible, and hey—if you finish early, you can go home early, right? Either way, get it on the calendar, and the rest will follow.

Build Your Checklist

A weekly review checklist is an essential tool to making sure you touch on all three of the pillars mentioned above. Here's what a basic review checklist looks like, courtesy of GTD Times: Photo by Karuka (Shutterstock).

Get Clear

• Collect loose papers and materials
• Get Inbox to zero
• Empty your head

Get Current

• Review Action Lists
• Review past calendar data
• Review upcoming calendar
• Review Waiting For list
• Review Project (and larger outcome) lists
• Review any relevant checklists

Get Creative

• Review Someday/Maybe
• Be creative and courageous

If you need more detail, David Allen offers a template checklist (free, but requires registration) on his site to get you started, and this one (scroll down to weekly review) is another good example. On the GTD forums, some users have shared their own checklists for inspiration. Whether you use a template or build yours from scratch (and it doesn't have to be long—just those things you want to make sure you do every week), make sure you populate it with things you want to review and not do. Remember, you're not supposed to spend time working during your weekly review—just reviewing.

My checklist is highly customized to my activities, and even if you start with a template, yours should be as well. If you don't work with paper, for example, there's no reason for you to spend time every week cleaning up your desk. Also, don't forget to include your personal activities in your weekly review—are you renovating your house? Planning to redecorate your apartment? Get those items on your checklist as well so you don't forget to check in on their progress as well.

Try a Trigger List

If you're having a hard time building a checklist, you may consider using a "trigger list" to jog your memory each week. The trigger list is just a long list of items you should scan during your weekly review to make sure you didn't forget anything. It's designed to trigger your memory and help you remember something you may have forgotten. We mentioned how you can use a trigger list for school and personal projects, and productivity guru Merlin Mann published this one at 43Folders a long time ago for professional projects.
To build your own trigger list, just copy and paste the templates, remove anything that doesn't make sense, and start brainstorming projects and areas of your life that might need a little follow up. Then just add them to the trigger list. As with your checklist, don't forget to add your personal life as well—your PTA commitments, community group, family events, even work-life balance and social events. The last thing you want is for your personal and social commitments to pile up while you spend time organizing your professional life. To build on the "CEO of one" analogy, think of yourself as the CEO of your whole life—not just the CEO of your job. They may be different divisions of the same company, but if one fails, they all fail.

Walk Through Your Review

When your weekly review is scheduled to begin, get in the mood. Get up, take a quick walk around your desk or office. Grab a cup of coffee or refill your water bottle. Make sure you're jazzed for it—you're about to close the books on your week, it should be a happy occasion! When you get back to your desk, put on your headphones, steer clear of any distractions, fire up your favorite song or a playlist (in fact, at the GTD forums, a number of users have "weekly review theme songs") and get started. Photo by Dan Foy.

Stick to your checklist. If you've built it with the three pillars in mind—clear, current, and creative—you should have a simple set of to-dos in front of you. Tidy up your inbox. If you're not sure how, consider emptying your inbox with the trusted trio. Add any actionable appointments or responsibilities to your calendar. Fire up your to-do app and clear out anything you've already done, and add new to-dos that come to mind. Finally, round out your review with the creativity items on your checklist—whether it's research, talking to other people you want to learn from, or just sitting with a cup of tea thinking about how you can work smarter and not harder.

Make Sure You're Reviewing and Not Doing

One common trap that people fall into when trying a weekly review is that they spend too much time actually doing things instead of reviewing them. If you hear someone say the weekly review only works for a small number of tasks, or that their weekly review takes hours upon hours, the problem may be that instead of scheduling a time to call that software vendor back, you're actually taking time out of your review to call them. Don't fall into that trap—it's tempting to do it now and get it off your plate, but a rule of thumb is that if the to-do takes more than 2 minutes to accomplish, stop and schedule it or put it in your to-do manager.

What a Real Weekly Review Looks Like in Action

I use a checklist and a trigger list every week for my review, and it's scheduled every Friday afternoon. Working with a team that spans time zones can make it a challenge, but the important thing is that you try to schedule it for a time when you won't have any distractions or interruptions. My weekly review is usually about an hour, and here's how it plays out: Photo by Lisa Yarost.

• 0-15 minutes: Clean up email/paper notes. Interview notes, new contacts, and emails I want to follow up on all get filed. If there's a message I can fire a response to in a minute or two, I'll respond, but nothing that requires research.
• 15-45 minutes: Review ideas, projects, calendar appointments. This is where I spend the bulk of my time. I look through my idea bank (stored in Wunderlist, which I mentioned last week), trash anything stale, add new ideas, and assign dates where I can. I head over to my to-do app (ReQall, another tool I love), clear out old and completed tasks, and add new or follow-up items based on my calendar, assignments, and trigger list.
• 45-60 minutes: Brainstorming. This is where I head back to my idea bank and start brainstorming topics I want to write or learn more about, items in the news that are worth investigating, and personal projects that need my attention.

Reap the Benefits

My weekly review is scheduled for an hour—it used to be two when I was a project manager—and it usually takes me about 45 minutes, give or take a cup of tea. It took some time to get used to, but I learned that when you take time to step back and reconnect with the things you have to do and why you have to do them, you begin to understand what's really important, what you really have time for, what you need help with, and how much bandwidth you actually have. You'll finally be able to respond to your boss when they ask you "So what's on your plate," without fudging the answer, and you'll know for fact whether you have time to help your neighbor with their landscaping project next weekend. Photo by wetwebwork.

Most people consider the weekly review a difficult thing to start, but it doesn't have to be. Hopefully, with these tools it's a bit easier to get into the habit, and once you're in it, you'll find the benefits will pop up all over your life. You'll be more organized, you'll never wonder if there's something you forgot to do or something you should be working on, and you'll never be afraid you forgot about something important. You'll be in control, and with that control comes the flexibility to accept changes as they happen.

Do you have a weekly review on the books? How long is it? Do you follow a checklist, or do something different? Share your techniques in the comments below.

Photo by Steve Cukrov .