I'm no stranger to money-saving challenges.

I've ditched my credit cards and tried the "cash-only diet," completed the food-stamp challenge, and even taken the "Elon Musk Challenge," which entailed a $2-a-day food budget.

When I set out to do free things in New York City for the month of February, the "challenge" seemed simple enough.

Not quite.

The issue wasn't finding free things to do (ironically, the most expensive US city offers an abundance of free things to do). It was actually going out and doing them. Part of it was the February weather; part of it was not wanting to break up my day-to-day routine; and part of it was laziness. I will say that every time I did motivate myself to trade in my warm apartment for an adventure, it was 100% worth it. 

I made the goal of checking off 14 freebies — one every other day — and I fell short by three activities. Here's what I did, what I wished I did, and what I'm saving for sunny spring days. 

Keep in mind that this is far from a comprehensive list and only scratches the surface. If you put in a bit of effort, you can easily experience this glamorous city on the cheap many times over.

SEE ALSO: I've lived in New York City for 22 years, and here are my favorite places to eat for less than $20

1. I did a gallery crawl through Chelsea.

I started in my neighborhood of Chelsea, where there is a maze of free art galleries of all shapes and sizes. I wandered in and out of about 10 of them, but there are hundreds to choose from and you can easily fill a morning or afternoon gallery hopping.

I've also heard that if you plan your gallery crawl for a Thursday night, you may stumble upon free wine and cheese.

Check out the Chelsea gallery map.

2. I strolled through the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology).

I spent an evening at the Museum at FIT — also in Chelsea — which is the only museum in New York City dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion. There's a permanent collection of garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to today, as well as rotating exhibitions. Admission is free to all.

Learn more about the Museum at FIT.

3. I ventured across the Brooklyn Bridge.

I'd been told that the views from the Brooklyn Bridge, which links the two boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, are one-of-a-kind. I wasn't disappointed.

A perk of crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on a winter evening is that you have the entire place to yourself, a rare luxury at the popular tourist attraction. We made a night out of it, walking over the bridge into Dumbo, Brooklyn for a view of the Manhattan skyline, and returning via the Manhattan Bridge. If you're doing the round-trip on foot, I would suggest skipping the Manhattan Bridge and crossing the Brooklyn Bridge twice. Its views and architecture are unmatched.

If you're crossing the bridge during the day, learn more about the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Why do Americans love guns?

Why does bread in the US taste so sweet?

Why do American schools start so early?

These are just some of the American customs and habits that flummox the rest of the world.

We turned to Google search to see what were the biggest questions people had about the US. We rounded up the queries and even tried to answer them for any stumped Googlers.

SEE ALSO: 5 hard truths about quitting your job to travel the world

Why does American ... bread taste sweet?

Probably because it's filled with sugar. A typical slice of white bread contains more than a gram of sugar, according to LiveStrong.

Why are Americans ... so rude, ignorant, and loud?

It might just be cultural differences. There are certain things Americans do that people in other countries find terribly rude.

Why does American ... beer taste so bad?

That depends on what American beer you're drinking. A lot of the world's best beers come from smaller breweries in the US.

March Madness is underway — and with Middle Tennessee's huge upset over Michigan State in the first round and Northern Iowa's half-court shot to upset Texas at the buzzer, it's already proving to be a dramatic tournament.

It's impossible to know which teams will be squaring off in the NCAA championship game, slated for April 4.

In the meantime, we took a walk down memory lane and rounded up pictures of the past 25 championship teams.

SEE ALSO: Middle Tennessee just pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history over Michigan State, and everyone's brackets are busted

1991: Duke defeated Kansas, 72-65

1992: Duke defeated Michigan, 71-51

1993: North Carolina defeated Michigan, 77-71

Can you imagine the three-woman American R&B group TLC singing Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time?"

Neither can we, but it almost happened.

Spears' debut single was originally written for TLC, but the trio passed on what would turn out to be an enormous cultural phenomenon.

Here are 13 hits that almost went to other artists:

SEE ALSO: We finally know the meaning of 'Hit Me Baby One More Time,' but it's not what you think

Rihanna's "Umbrella" ... by Britney Spears

Rihanna's "Umbrella" was originally written with pop star Britney Spears in mind, according to author John Seabrook of "The Song Machine." But Spears' label rejected the song because she already had a full load of material to record.

Released in late March 2007, Rihanna's "Umbrella" topped the Billboard charts, staying there for seven straight weeks and changing her career and innocent island-girl image.

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Pharrell's "Happy" ... by CeeLo Green

Singer, rapper, and producer Pharrell Williams told Howard Stern that the infectiously popular "Happy" was intended for CeeLo Green.

Pharrell turned "Happy" into a worldwide hit and sold more than 5 million digital singles. To date, "Happy" remains his most successful song, with 47 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100.

During a 2014 interview with Oprah, Pharrell began crying after watching a supercut of people around the world dancing to his song "Happy."

"It's overwhelming because I love what I do," he told Oprah.

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Rihanna's "S.O.S." ... by Christina Milian

One of Rihanna's first hits, "S.O.S." spent three weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 in 2006.

But the catchy tune was originally written for singer-actress Christina Milian, who rejected the song.

Meanwhile, Milian hasn't had a hit since "Dip It Low," which was released in 2004.

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Professional social situations can be awkward. And, unfortunately, many people wind up making fools of themselves because they don’t understand that etiquette rules in business differ from those in other settings.

In "The Essentials of Business Etiquette," Barbara Pachter writes about the rules people need to understand to conduct and present themselves appropriately in professional social settings.  

We looked through the book and spoke to Pachter to find the most important tips on how to introduce yourself, how to dress, and what to order at restaurants.

As it turns out, a lot of these rules should be followed in everyday life as well as business.

Vivian Giang contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: 14 email etiquette rules every professional should know

DON'T MISS: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health

Stand when you're being introduced to someone.

"Standing helps establish your presence. You make it easy for others to ignore you if you don't stand. If you are caught off guard and cannot rise, you should lean forward to indicate that you would stand, if you could," Pachter writes.

Always say your full name.

In a business situation, you should use your full name, but you should also pay attention to how others want to be introduced.

If your name is too long or difficult to pronounce, Pachter says you should consider changing or shortening it. Or you should consider writing down the pronunciation of your name on a business card and giving it to others.

Always initiate the handshake if you're the higher-ranking person or host.

In today's workplace, the host or the higher-ranking person, regardless of gender, should extend their hand first, she writes. "If the higher-ranking person fails to do so immediately — often because of gender confusion — the lower-ranking person should extend his or her hand without missing more than a beat."

Either way, the handshake must happen. "In the United States, the handshake is the business greeting. If you want to be taken seriously, you must shake hands and shake hands correctly."

While "Deadpool" is still owning the box office, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is about to become the biggest new movie of the season when it hits theaters next week.

Yet the blockbuster is still shrouded in secrecy.

The latest multi-superhero epic has yet to screen for critics, even while stars Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) have done rounds of press.

But Warner Bros. has just released a huge batch of new photos that give a closer look at key moments from the film, including behind-the-scenes shots of the actors at work with director Zack Snyder ("Man of Steel,""300").

A lot is riding on the latest from Snyder, who's already signed on to helm two "Justice League" movies next. We'll see if it cashes in at the box office, but at least based on this glimpse, the visuals look stunning.

Check out the photos from "Batman v Superman" and what you need to know about it below.

SEE ALSO: The best and worst Ben Affleck movies, ranked

The movie centers on a heated battle between Batman and Superman, though they ultimately join forces against a larger evil.

As for the evil, that comes from villain Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Eisenberg didn't have to bulk up for the role like his costars. He joked that he was Affleck and Cavill's "spotter" in the on-set gym.

Ahead of President Barack Obama's landmark visit to Cuba this weekend, Business Insider sent three reporters to step back in time on the stagnant island nation.

Instead of booking rooms in one of the state-run hotels, we decided to stay in a three-bedroom "casa particular," a traditional Cuban home we found through Airbnb, which started offering accommodations in Havana in June.

Our apartment was just a few steps away from the infamous Habana Libre hotel, the beautiful seaside views of Malecón, and Havana's main drag, "La Rampa." 

SEE ALSO: We sent 3 reporters to Cuba for a week, and it was a wild adventure from the moment they arrived

NOW WATCH: We just stayed at an Airbnb in Cuba, and this one thing was a big surprise

We booked a 7-day stay at "Diana's luxury apartment in the heart of Havana" for a grand total of $840. The listing was accurate for the most part, but it would have been nice to know that there was a serious issue with the water — most days, we didn't have any.

Bienvenidos a nuestra casa aquí en Habana, Cuba! This is what our living room looked like. We had two wooden rocking chairs, a glass table, and a bookcase. Most of the furniture in our apartment, including the Marilyn Monroe canvas, was from IKEA.

Our bookcase was stocked with plenty of Russian and communist literature, but since we had plenty of things to do, we didn't take the time to sit down with all five volumes of "Lenin."

If you save money by accident, does it still count?

I was at a meet-up the other day for entrepreneurs, and upon plopping down my laptop and plugging my mouse into it, I immediately felt a pat on my back and hearty chuckle.

“Dude – what is this, 1998?” – a friend blurted out.

“Hah, I know – it’s weird using a mouse w/ my laptop huh?” – I shyly shot back

“Nah man, I’m talking about how OLD your mouse is. Is that a ball at the bottom of that thing???”

<insert even louder laugh>

“What, are you on AOL dial-up too????”

<others start coming over to join in on the fun>

I’ll admit it was all pretty funny (and don’t you dare tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about with those ball mouses – you youngins!), but it had never crossed my mind just how strange this is in a world where everything’s so brand spanking new all the time. And since it’s been well over five years since I last worked in any real office, I guess I just got used to it all as “normal.”

But while everyone assumed I was just way too cheap (or broke) to go out and get a new mouse, the truth is I’m just way too busy to be bothered by it. And the thing works just fine anyways, so why go out and waste both time and money? Even if I have to take it out every now and then to blow on it and get rid of those dang dirt lines around the wheel thingies, haha … I didn’t even get a chance to explain why I use a mouse in the first place – the track pad on my laptop broke four years ago.

I started wondering if there was other things I do that accidentally save me money in the process, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

SEE ALSO: I spent 12 months trying to cut costs everywhere in my life — here's how much I saved

I haven’t bought clothes in like a year.

I used to be obsessed with new tees every couple of weeks, but over the years both time and desire have drastically reduced since I got into the whole minimalism craze. While it still sucks to have my clothes wear out and get holey all the time, I have to admit it’s nice having a small wardrobe of only stuff you LOVE to wear every time you get dressed.

I cut my own hair.

Most people do this purely to save money, but for me its more out of the annoyance of not wanting to take an hour out of my day to sit and watch someone do what I can do at home in five minutes. Now granted the requirements of my hair style is fairly simple – shave both sides and leave the part in the middle! – but I do have to say I’ve gotten pretty good using mirrors to keep the ‘hawk’s lines fresh ;) It works on facial hair too!

I still eat peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for lunch.

Not only do I still enjoy the taste after all these years, but it’s so nice to be able to make your lunch 1-2-3 without waiting for anyone or getting into the car. I’d eat them even if they cost $5 a sandwich! (And I have two almost every day!)

The world's unhappiest country is not war ravaged Syria, nor is it Afghanistan, which is locked in an escalating battle with a resurgent Taliban.

Instead, the world's unhappiest nation is the tiny landlocked nation of Burundi in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although home to only 10.3 million people, the nation was judged to have the least happiest people by the fourth annual World Happiness Report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 

The report measures a nation's happiness on six factors — per capita gross domestic product, social support, years of life expectancy in good health, freedom to make life decisions, perceptions of corruption in government and business, and generosity marked by resident's charitable donations. 

According to these standards, Burundi comes in almost dead last across the board leading to its placement as the least happy nation. Burundi's general unhappiness has only be exacerbated by unrest over the past year. 

In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would seek a third term as president counter to the country's constitution. His decision has sparked ongoing unrest that has led to the deaths of 400 people and at least 230,000 refugees having fled the country.  

SEE ALSO: The world's 25 most fragile states

Protesters attack a female police officer accused of shooting a protester in the Buterere neighborhood of Bujumbura, Burundi, May 12, 2015. Protestors opposed to the president's decision to run for a third term chased, beat and stoned the woman, who was later handed back to police.

Workers package processed tea for export at the Teza tea factory in Bukeye commune, Muramvya province, Burundi April 23, 2015.

Boys walk behind patrolling soldiers in Bujumbura May 15, 2015.

Fort Worth, Texas— "This room is the most advanced painting facility in the world," retired US Air Force pilot and F-35 simulation instructor Rick Royer told me as we toured Lockheed Martin's highly secure plane facility.

The Aircraft Final Finishes bay is where America's most expensive weapons system gets coated with a highly classified stealth technology, which makes it invisible to radar.

After the jet is assembled and before it can take flight, three laser-guided robots apply the Radar-Absorbing Material (RAM) to each of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II variant aircraft.

Here's all we know — and can share — about how the F-35 gets its invisibility cloak:

SEE ALSO: There's nothing else like America's most expensive war machine ever

First, each F-35 variant is assembled in Lockheed Martin's mile-long production facility.

Once an F-35 is ready to leave the production line, it is carefully rolled ...

... into the windowless, multistory, 226,000-square-foot Aircraft Final Finishes (AFF) complex.

In case you haven't heard, Apple's introducing a new phone next week. And it's not even September!

On Monday, Apple is expected to introduce a new iPhone called the "iPhone SE." Originally people believed this phone would be called iPhone 6c, until 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman said the name would actually be "iPhone 5SE."

So, what is the iPhone SE?

Here's what you need to know before Apple unveils this new phone on Monday.

It will have a 4-inch screen.

According to Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson, there are about 200-250 million people who still own an iPhone with a 4-inch screen (either the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S). It's not clear why those people don't have a newer phone; maybe they find newer phones too expensive, or maybe they simply prefer a smaller screen size. Either way, the return of the 4-inch iPhone — the first model of its kind in about three years — will be Apple's way of appealing to those tens of millions of customers.

It will look nearly identical to the iPhone 5S.

The 4-inch screen won't be the only similarity the iPhone SE has with the iPhone 5S. In fact, 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman says the iPhone SE will look "identical" to the iPhone 5S, with its round volume buttons, volume button on top of the phone, and chamfered edges along the outside. It will even have the same speaker and microphone locations (at the bottom of the phone), and the back of the phone will also look identical with metal in the center and glass on the top and bottom.

The iPhone SE will actually fit into existing iPhone 5S cases!

Since the dimensions of the two phones are reportedly identical, anyone who owns an iPhone 5S will be happy to know their case will work with this new 4-inch iPhone.

Big cities aren't for everyone. But America's best metropolises have become magnets for people looking to find a great job and start a new, exciting life. 

In its recently released ranking of the best places to live in America, U.S. News & World Report gathered data on the 100 most populous US cities. Among the factors they considered: affordable housing, access to well-paying jobs, a low cost of living, good schools, and quality healthcare (you can read U.S. News' full methodology here). 

U.S. News separately ranked the best mega-cities on their list, defined as the major metros with populations above 2.5 million people. Business Insider has included the top-12 big cities from that list.

Scores for "value," a blend of annual household income and cost of living, and "quality of life," which accounts for crime, college readiness, commute, and other factors, are included below on a 10-point scale, as well as the city’s population and median annual salary.

Keep reading to discover America's 12 best big cities to live in right now.

SEE ALSO: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

NOW WATCH: REAL-ESTATE WARS: Inside the class and culture fight that's tearing San Francisco apart

12. Atlanta, Georgia

Population: 5,455,053

Median annual salary: $48,750

Quality of life: 5.8

Overall value: 7.1

The premier metropolis of southeastern America, Atlanta blends southern charm and big-city hustle and bustle. It offers residents a below-average cost of living and access to major employers like CNN, Delta, The Home Depot, and Coca-Cola. 

Parks are plentiful, and other popular attractions include Civil War museums, the Georgia Aquarium, and the city's beloved professional baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. 

11. Phoenix, Arizona

Population: 4,337,542

Median annual salary: $45,840

Quality of life: 6.2

Overall value: 6.8

Come for the weather, stay for the city: Phoenix boasts more sunny days per year than any other city in the US, according to a local expert. But it’s the thriving job market, variety of shops and restaurants, and easy access to numerous outdoor activities — think everything from hiking to paddleboarding — that keep residents happy long-term.

10. Tampa, Florida

Population: 2,851,235

Median annual salary: $43,420

Quality of life: 6.7

Overall value: 5.4

Tampa’s laid-back atmosphere, warm weather, and barrage of entertainment options make it feel like a trip to paradise. “Living in the Tampa Bay is like being on vacation all year,” said a local expert.

Tampa hasn’t been overtaken by tourists, however. It retains several niche communities, including a strong Cuban influence in historic Ybor City, formerly known as the “cigar capital of the world.”

Over the past decade, China has pursued an extensive and far reaching campaign of dredging and creating man-made islands within the South China Sea. 

These pursuits have put China at odds with Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and large sections of the international community including the US. One of the main areas that China's expansion has focused on has been the Spratly Island chain close to the Philippines. 

Beijing's expansion in this region has focused particularly one three main islands — the Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef, and the Subi Reef. Below is a quick overview of what China has built on each of these islands, and how it impacts the Philippines. 

SEE ALSO: This interactive map of China’s power in the South China Sea is a wake-up call to us all

Fiery Cross Reef: January 2006 — June 2015

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The Fiery Cross Reef is one the most developed of the islands that China is dredging in the South China Sea. According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Beijing has already reclaimed over one square mile of territory on the reef.

China has immediately put this new territory to work. The reef is home to a 3,000 meter long airstrip that is capable of receiving military aircraft, in addition to a port that can receive tankers and surface combat ships. The reef also has two identified helipads.

In terms of defense capabilities, CSIS notes, the reef is equipped with air-defense guns, anti-frogmen defenses, a likely radar tower, and upwards of 10 possible satellite communication antennas. 

Aside from military power, China has also attempted to obtain de facto control of the reef through the use of civilians. In the beginning of January, China chartered civilian planes onto the island's airstrip in order to boost its territorial claims. 

Source: Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/CSIS

Mischief Reef: January 2012 — June 2015

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Mischief Reef falls entirely within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative notes. And if China's reclaimed islands throughout the South China Sea are disregarded, the reef is 599 miles away from the nearest piece of land recognized as belonging to China.

So far, Beijing has reclaimed over two miles of island on Mischief Reef, and construction efforts on the island are well underway. The island currently features two pre-existing military facilities, fortified seawalls, and up to three satellite communication antennas. 

Unlike the Fiery Cross Reef, on which China appears to be creating an aerial-focused base, Mischief Reef is much more focused on acting as a place of safe harbor for China. Currently, China is dredging and widening an entrance into the reef, likely in an attempt to form a naval base. 

China is also in the process of quickly constructing an airstrip on Mischief Reef, and it has already built cement facilities on the reclaimed land. China took control of Mischief Reef from the Philippines four years ago. 

Source: Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/CSIS

Subi Reef: August 2012 — June 2015

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Subi Reef is China's most northern outpost in the Spratly Islands. Beijing has occupied the reef in some capacity since 1988; this is reflected in the island's overall level of development. 

Altogether, China has reclaimed slightly over 1.5 square miles of land. And Subi Reef is home to another 3,000 meter airstrip, a helipad, and a military facility, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative notes. Additionally, the island has reinforced seawalls and up to seven satellite communication antenna. For construction purposes, the island also has at least three concrete construction plants. 

Subi Reef is also the closest to the Spratly's to a civilian location. At its closest point, the reef is only just over 15 miles away from a Filipino civilian population center of the Thitu Reefs. 

Source: Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/CSIS

Apple's next big product unveiling is right around the corner. The company will hold a press event at its Cupertino, California headquarters on Monday, March 21.

Here's what we expect to see unveiled.

A smaller, 4-inch iPhone SE

Apple is expected to announce a new iPhone, but it won't be called the iPhone 7.

The marquee new product that's expected to take the stage at Apple's March event is a smaller, 4-inch iPhone, allegedly called "iPhone SE." The SE moniker will apparently stand for "Special Edition," according to outlets like 9to5Mac and Bloomberg.

Beyond a smaller display, the iPhone SE is rumored to look like a mash-up of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 with a metallic body. According to 9to5Mac, it will be just as powerful as the existing iPhone 6s with an A9 processor. 

One big feature that will be missing from the iPhone SE is reportedly 3D Touch, which Apple implemented in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

The iPhone SE will likely replace the older iPhone 5c in Apple's lineup and cost between $400 and $500. Like past iPhone models, 9to5Mac says the base iPhone SE model will come with 16GB of storage.

A smaller iPad Pro

9to5Mac's Mark Gurman says Apple will make the 9.7-inch iPad Air more powerful and call it the iPad Pro, which currently exists in a 12.9-inch form factor.

That means the smaller display size that belongs to the iPad Air now will get support for Apple's Pencil stylus, stereo speakers, and faster specs. It could also have an upgraded 12-megapixel camera that can record 4K video, according to 9to5Mac.

The base model is rumored to cost $599, according to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman. That's $100 more than the iPad Air's base model, but the smaller iPad Pro is expected to have double the iPad Air's base storage with 32GB.

New Apple Watch bands

While a new Apple Watch model isn't expected this month, 9to5Mac reports that there will be new color and band options announced. 

New looks for the Apple Watch will likely be in partnership with luxury fashion brands, similar to how Apple partnered with Hermès for ultra-expensive bands last year.

One Google employee brings new meaning to the term "company man": For nearly two years, he and his wife lived in a small RV in the parking lot of the tech giant's Mountain View, California, headquarters.

They're not the only people to live on the company's campus— which is known for perks like free meals and fitness classes — and they claim to be the longest-running residents of the lot.

Pete, 33, will have been at Google for five years this April. He started as a temp and now works as a program manager for the research-and-development team. Nearly two of those five years, from January 2012 to October 2013, were spent living in the Google parking lot with his wife, Kara, 28.

They had no electricity or water during their parking-lot stint. It was basically "glorified camping,"Kara described on their blog, "Pete and Kara Living," but it allowed them to save 80% of their take-home pay, despite living in the notoriously pricey Bay Area.

Today their "mini Winnie" is still alive and kicking, but now it's parked in the driveway of their home, which they bought with their sizable savings in the summer of 2013.

Business Insider talked to the couple about their unique experience and their transition to traditional home ownership.

SEE ALSO: A 23-year-old Google employee lives in a truck in the company's parking lot and saves 90% of his income

The couple purchased their 21-foot 1985 Winnebago Lesharo in September 2010. At the time, they were based in Chicago, where Pete was finishing up a summer contract with the Chicago Park District and Kara was teaching at a Montessori school.

They found the lightly used Winnebago Lesharo for sale in Warrenville, Illinois, Kara wrote on their blog. "We went to see it, took it for a test drive, and made him an offer. It was ours for $1,900, about half of what we originally expected to pay."

Shortly after, they quit their jobs, sold all of their belongings, and moved to Pete's parents' home in Attica, Michigan, to prepare the Winnebago before setting out on the next chapter of their lives: living as full-time RV residents in Austin, Texas.

They kept renovations cheap — under $100 — which consisted of ripping out the back passenger seats to build a twin bed with storage underneath and installing "a peel-and-stick wood-looking floor," Pete tells Business Insider.

While renovations cost next to nothing, repairs ultimately became one of their biggest expenses. Pete estimates that over time, they've put $10,000 into the RV, mainly for repairs.

Measuring a little less than 100 square feet, the Winnebago came with a small kitchen area with a propane stove top and sink, a kitchen table surrounded by two booths, and enough storage to accommodate their two bikes, clothes, and spare parts for the RV. It also had a shower and toilet, which they didn't use often.

After finishing preparations, they left for Austin in early December 2010. They set up camp in an RV park and started looking for work. "There was quite a bit of uncertainty at this time because we had no jobs and only $10,000," Pete tells Business Insider.

Four months later and in the nick of time, Pete got a call about a temp position at Google. "We were on our last $50, shopping at Walmart for rice and beans," Pete remembers. "There was some legitimate fear and uncertainty at that time and we were a few weeks — if not days — from losing everything."

The call turned into a job, which he started right away in April 2011. He worked remotely until January 2012, at which point Pete, Kara, and their Winnebago left Austin and headed west to Google's headquarters.

Most people will tell you they don't look forward to Sunday evenings.

In fact, a whopping 76% of American workers say they get the Sunday Night Blues, according to a 2015 Monster survey.

Even if you love your job and typically look forward to getting back into the swing of things, "it's easy to feel a bit of trepidation on Sundays about the stresses waiting for you on Monday morning," writes Laura Vanderkam in her book "What The Most Successful People Do On The Weekend."

Experts say there are certain things successful people do at the end of the weekend to combat those Sunday Night Blues and prepare for the week ahead. 

Here are 12 of them:

SEE ALSO: Here's the biggest sign it's time to quit your job

They spend quality time with their families, friends, and significant others. 

Successful people know that their weeks will be jammed and that they are likely to be unavailable, says Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide." So they make the most of their Sunday nights by spending time with their loved ones. 

They plan something fun. 

"This idea may be the most important tip," Vanderkam writes. "This extends the weekend and keeps you focused on the fun to come, rather than on Monday morning." 

Vanderkam quotes Caitlin Andrews, a librarian, who says her extended family gets together for dinner almost every Sunday, alternating houses. "It takes my mind off any Sunday night blues that might be coming on," Andrews says.

You might also make Sunday a movie or spa night, or you could join a Sunday night bowling league.

They organize and plan for the week ahead. 

Some successful people like to look at their calendars on Sunday night and set goals and deadlines for the upcoming week, says career coach Marsha Egan. The trick is to do this without stressing yourself out.

Doctors keep telling us to get rid of the stress in our lives but, for most of us, this is an unrealistic option.

Unless you are planning to move to a desert island any time soon, stress is an inevitable part of daily life.

The key is learning how to manage it and to make the most of it.

The funny thing about stress is how it takes us away from the very things that would help us combat it.

We retreat into bad habits like staying up all night, binge watching TV, gorging on junk food and skipping workouts.

We withdraw from friends, we are reluctant to try new things and we don’t make time for our favorite hobbies.

The result is a double dose of stress.

The good news is, with a little patience and perseverance, you can learn to become stress-hardy.

Create a personal reservoir of resilience to inoculate you against setbacks and keep you strong, even in the face of stress.

Here’s how:

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1. Hold the door open for a stranger

Studies show that when we help others we help ourselves. Small gestures like opening a door for a stranger, holding the elevator, bringing a coworker coffee and asking someone if they need help mitigate daily stress.

2. Take the stairs

Exercise plays a key role in dampening the effects of stress. Do your best to build more movement into every day.

3. Grin and bear it

Smiling during stressful moments can reduce your body’s physical and mental response to stress.

Across forty years I’ve come to recognise many factoid-driven myths about smoking that just won’t die. If I asked for a dollar each time I had to refute these statements, I’d have accumulated a small fortune.

Their persistence owes much to their being a vehicle for those who utter them to express unvoiced but clear sub-texts that reflect deeply held beliefs about women, the disadvantaged, mental illness, government health campaigns and the “natural”.

Let’s drive a stake through the heart of ten of the most common myths.

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1. Women and girls smoke more than men and boys

Women have never smoked more than men. Occasionally, a survey will show one age band where it’s the other way around, but from the earliest mass uptake of smoking in the first decades of last century, men streaked out way ahead of women.

In 1945 in Australia, 72% of men and 26% of women smoked. By 1976, men had fallen to 43% and women had risen to 33%.

As a result, men’s tobacco-caused death rates have always been much higher than those of women. Women’s lung cancer rates, for example, seem unlikely to reach even half the peak rates that we saw among men in the 1970s.

Currently in Australia, 15% of men and 12% of women smoke daily.

But what about all the “young girls” you can see smoking, I’m always being told. In 2014, 13% of 17-year-old male high school students and 11% of females smoked. In two younger age bands, girls smoked more (by a single percentage point).

Those who keep on insisting girls smoke more are probably just letting their sexist outrage show about noticing girls’ smoking than their ignorance about the data.

2. Quit campaigns don’t work on low socioeconomic smokers

In Australia, 11% of those in the highest quintile of economic advantage smoke, compared with 27.6% in the lowest quintile. More than double.

So does this mean that our quit campaigns “don’t work” on the least well-off?

Smoking prevalence data reflect two things: the proportion of people who ever smoked, and the proportion who quit.

If we look at the most disadvantaged group, we find that a far higher proportion take up smoking than in their more well-to-do counterparts. Only 39.5% have never smoked compared with 50.4% of the most advantaged – see table 9.2.6).

When it comes to quitting, 46% of the most disadvantaged have quit compared to 66% of the least disadvantaged (see table 9.2.9).

There is a higher percentage of the disadvantaged who smoke mainly because more take it up, not because disadvantaged smokers can’t or won’t quit. With 27.6% of the most disadvantaged smoking today, the good news is that nearly three-quarters don’t. Smoking and disadvantage are hardly inseparable.

3. Scare campaigns ‘don’t work’

Countless studies have asked ex-smokers why they stopped and current smokers about why they are trying to stop. I have never seen such a study when there was not daylight between the first reason cited (worry about health consequences) and the second most nominated reason (usually cost).

For example, this national US study covering 13 years showed “concern for your own current or future health” was nominated by 91.6% of ex-smokers as the main reason they quit, compared with 58.7% naming expense and 55.7% being concerned about the impact of their smoking on others.

If information and warnings about the dire consequences of smoking “don’t work”, then from where do all these ex-smokers ever get these top-of-mind concerns? They don’t pop into their heads by magic. They encounter them via anti-smoking campaigns, pack warnings, news stories about research and personal experiences with dying family and friends. The scare campaigns work.

Earth feels pretty large, and we feel pretty tiny living on it.

But we rarely, if ever, stop to think about the vast beyond. And we should!

Former astronomer Carl Sagan wrote in his book "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space":

There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

So just how small is Earth compared with the rest of outer space? These photos will help put our planet in perspective.

This humbling photo, taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2013, shows what Earth, indicated by the tiny white arrow, looks like from 898 million miles away.

NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center

Here, North America is superimposed next to Jupiter's Great Red Spot. As you can see in this to-scale image, Jupiter's giant storm would completely swallow the entire continent.

Courtesy of John Brady, who founded the blog Astronomy Central.

Saturn's rings are a beautiful spectacle of the cosmos, but they look much better on Saturn than on Earth.

Courtesy of John Brady, who founded the blog Astronomy Central.

A new kind of Comic Con kicked off in San Jose, California — the heart of the tech industry — on Friday. Silicon Valley Comic Con, created by Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak and his business partner Rick White, combines the pair's love of technology and entertainment.

It's clear this is no typical fan fest. Some of the convention's biggest stars are wax figurines of tech celebrities, crafted by the experts at Madame Tussauds San Francisco, where fans are lining up to snap selfies. Let's take a closer look.

"The Big Bang Theory" actor Jim Parsons sits at the front, but Sheldon gets no love. A queue forms in front of the tech celebrities.

Steve Wozniak revealed his wax figure on stage at the Silicon Valley Comic Con opening ceremonies. He's wearing the con's logo tee.

His wax figure wears an Apple Watch, which is a little awkward after he called out the watch's disappointing sales last week.

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak says he worries about the Apple Watch »