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Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together
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Oliver Munday for NPR

Could you live without shopping for a year? Try the 'no-buy challenge'

The goal is to save money, cut back on overconsumption and be more mindful of wasteful and unsustainable shopping habits. This guide can help you start a challenge of your own.

How to buy less stuff

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A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks
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Life Kit

A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks

What's for dinner? It's a question that can lead to overspending on delivery, unhealthy meals and dread. FitMenCook founder Kevin Curry shares meal prep techniques that can alleviate stress and save money.

A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks

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Networking can be awkward. Here's how to make it work for you
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Networking can be awkward. Here's how to make it work for you

Networking expert Robbie Samuels explains why adapting the attitude of a croissant is more likely to create meaningful job connections — and shares ways to make networking feel more natural.

Networking can be awkward. Here's how to make it work for you

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This illustration shows a scaled-up person taking up most of the frame, draped over in a hug-like posture and crowding another. smaller-scale person into the bottom right corner of the frame. The second, smaller figure is pushing up on the person crowding them trying to create more distance and show a codependent relationship.
Jasjyot Singh Hans for NPR

Perspective

How I broke free from codependency — and learned the meaning of loving relationships

"I thought: if I just helped my friends, colleagues and neighbors, maybe I’d get the connection I craved in love, work and life," writes journalist Gina Ryder.

How to know if you're in a codependent relationship

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A young student struggles to carry a large heavy backpack, symbolizing the worries that can accompany the transition back-to-school.

Today’s teens struggle with big feelings — and their parents struggle to have hard conversations with them, according to a recent Gallup poll. Teen psychologist Lisa Damour explains how parents can better support their kids as a new school year begins. Annika McFarlane/Getty Images hide caption

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Annika McFarlane/Getty Images

Want to help support your Gen Z kids? Talking really helps

A recent Gallup poll offers parents fresh insights into the emotional landscape of Gen Z youth, just in time for the new school year and all the changes it may bring.

How to help your Gen Z kid cope with their back-to-school emotions

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LISTEN: Dealing with neighbor drama
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Life Kit

LISTEN: Dealing with neighbor drama

Conflicts with neighbors are common. Trash, noise, parking, weeds — there are seemingly endless ways neighbors can get on each other's nerves. But it doesn't have to be that way. A mediator and a dispute resolution expert say that taking calm, measured steps to resolve conflict can lead to greater understanding and even harmony between you and the folks on your block.

LISTEN: Dealing with neighbor drama

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Collage: citrus slices, a banana, and pennies burst out from a bag full of groceries and dollar bills.
Photographs Unsplash; Collage by Kaz Fantone/NPR

How to cut your grocery bill: Tweak your recipes and freeze leftovers

Food prices are still high, but your grocery bill doesn't have to be. Beth Moncel, founder of Budget Bytes, shares smart tips how to save money at the supermarket.

To save money on groceries, try these tips before going to the store

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LISTEN: Fruit flies don't appear out of nowhere. Here's how to get rid of them
Becky Harlan/NPR

Life Kit

LISTEN: Fruit flies don't appear out of nowhere. Here's how to get rid of them

Seeing a swarm of pesky fruit flies in the kitchen is frustrating. We talk with a fruit fly researcher about how fruit flies make their way into your home, how to ripen fruit without attracting them and how to trap them.

LISTEN: Fruit flies don't appear out of nowhere. Here's how to get rid of them

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Getting hitched? Protect your finances with a prenup
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Life Kit

Getting hitched? Protect your finances with a prenup

Everyone should consider a prenuptial agreement before getting married, says family law attorney Theresa Viera. Here's how to talk about it with your partner and decide if it's right for you.

Getting hitched? Protect your finances with a prenup

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Illustration that shows two gold wedding bands intertwined. On the left two people embrace and kiss as they're encircled in one of the wedding bands, on the right a person looks on, seemingly in emotional agony as their partner engages in an affiar, breaking the circle of trust that they had established and the relationship contract they had agreed upon.

Can a relationship recover after a romantic affair? Psychologist and affair recovery specialist Talal Alsaleem weighs in on the topic. Adrián Astorgano for NPR hide caption

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Adrián Astorgano for NPR

Perspective

Once a cheater, always a cheater? Busting 3 common myths about infidelity

Clinical psychologist Talal Alsaleem has helped hundreds of couples work through romantic affairs. He shares common misconceptions about cheating -- and how to cope.

What happens after someone cheats

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Feeling grumpy and stressed? Try taking a 'forest bath'
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Feeling grumpy and stressed? Try taking a 'forest bath'

Studies have shown that spending time in the forest, what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, can significantly improve mood and reduce stress. Here's how to reap these benefits on your next hike.

Feeling grumpy and stressed? Try taking a 'forest bath'

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This illustration shows a man standing on a teal floor and surrounded by fragments of U.S. dollar bills scattered all around him on the ground.

Financial educator Yanely Espinal shares some of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to borrowing, investing and budgeting their money. rob dobi/Getty Images hide caption

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rob dobi/Getty Images

To save more money, avoid these 5 common financial mistakes

Financial missteps can cost you money. Make better-informed decisions about budgeting, investing and borrowing money.

Common financial mistakes to avoid

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Want to try weightlifting? Don't let intimidation get in your way
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Want to try weightlifting? Don't let intimidation get in your way

Strength training is a great way to exercise efficiently while preventing injury. But it can be nerve-wracking if you're worried about what other people think of you at the gym.

Want to try weightlifting? Don't let intimidation get in your way

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An eight-part grid displays images representing common chores in households that have babies, including diapering, research, grocery shopping, meal planning, bed time, bottle feeding, dishes, clothes shopping, laundry, doctor's appointments, sick care and managing the bills and mail. Each of the items has a sticky note on it that reads either

Dividing household labor with a partner after welcoming home a baby takes intention, communication and revision. Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Caring for a newborn is a team sport. Here's how to share the load

Before the baby comes along, expecting parents should have a conversation about how they will divide the household labor — and any anticipated child care needs.

How to babyproof your relationship

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The Pain and Frustration of Families of Israeli Hostages Held in Gaza

An Israeli woman stares into Gaza where her loved one is being held hostage. Carrie Kahn/NPR hide caption

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Carrie Kahn/NPR

State of the World from NPR

The Pain and Frustration of Families of Israeli Hostages Held in Gaza

As the war drags on, families of hostages who have been held in Gaza for nearly eleven months are becoming increasingly frustrated and angry. Some of them release some of their pain by yelling their loved ones names into Gaza, in hopes of being heard.

The Pain and Frustration of Families of Israeli Hostages Held in Gaza

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A studio photograph of three basic phones, the Nokia 6300 4G, the Cat S22 Flip and the BLU Z5 -GSM, propped up on clear display shelves. They sit on a table covered with celestial-patterned cloth and behind them is a light blue backdrop. A white hand with blue finger nails reaches in from the top left corner to take the Nokia 6300 4G phone.

Opting for a basic phone can help you take control of your time. There are many different models with different capabilities and price points. The three pictured here are the Nokia 6300 4G, the CAT S22 Flip and the BLU Z5 -GSM. Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Overwhelmed by your smartphone? Switching to an old-fashioned flip phone might help

These lower-tech devices do not include many of the apps typically found on smartphones. And that may be appealing if you're looking to spend less time online.

Overwhelmed by your smartphone? Try a boring phone

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A triptych of three photographs depicting three athletes: track cyclist Kelsey Mitchell of Team Canada, Luna Solomon of the IOC Refugee Team and rower Helen Glover of Team Great Britain as they compete in the Olympic games. The photos of Mitchell and Glover show them competing in the 2024 Olympics in Paris and the photograph of Solomon shows her competing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Athletes of every sport prove it’s never too late to uncover your fitness potential. Left to Right: Canadian track cyclist Kelsey Mitchell, IOC Refugee Team sport shooter Luna Solomon and British rower Helen Glover all competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. They did not discover their sport until their 20s. Photographs by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images; Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images; Alex Davidson/Getty Images hide caption

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Photographs by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images; Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images; Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Inspired by the Olympics? It’s not too late to ignite your own fitness journey

Some athletes at the Paris Olympics didn't discover their sport until later in life. Here are five science-backed tips that can help you start an exercise routine you'll actually stick with.

Photograph of a woman wearing a yellow backpack and leaning backward in joy as she walks on a sidewalk against the backdrop of a concrete wall. The photograph is taken from a low angle and depicts excitement and joy.

Back-to-school season can still be an opportunity for a refresh, even if you're not headed back to the classroom. Maria Korneeva/Getty Images/Moment RF hide caption

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Maria Korneeva/Getty Images/Moment RF

6 ways grown-ups can recreate that fresh, buzzy feeling of a new school year

Refreshing ideas that harness the excitement of going back to school -- like learning new things, packing a school lunch and playing at recess -- updated for the adult version of you. 

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