Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Check your gas meter at the same time each month. Track your gas meter reading for at least 2 monthly cycles. Subtract last month's reading from this month's to get your usage.

Answer: This is the only way to take useful readings. Your gas company will take 1 reading a month, usually around the same time. To estimate your usage, you need to do the same thing. Look at your gas bill to see what day the gas company usually checks your meter, though it can vary month-to-month. Checking it on the same day will give you the most accurate reading. For example, you might check your meter every month on the 1st. You can't do much with a single reading, as it won't let you calculate your usage. This is because the gas company doesn't reset the meter each month. To calculate usage, you'd need to know your reading from last month. If you have a copy of your bill, you get your previous month's reading from it. Also, you can compare your reading to the gas company's reading. When in doubt, subtract the biggest number from the smallest number. Use a calculator or subtract it by hand. This will tell you how much gas you used this month! Compare this number to your bill to verify the gas company is only charging you for the gas you used. Remember, it can vary slightly depending on when you took the measurement.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Choose a wide range from the numbers available in the lottery. Pick different numbers without following a pattern. Play the same numbers every time you buy a ticket. Use quick picks if you're uncertain what numbers to play.

Answer: Most people play common numbers like their birth or anniversary date. Picking those "lucky" numbers limits your ability to win since many lotteries include higher numbers other players tend to ignore. There are only 12 months and 31 days to pick from! You're better off picking a mixed bag of low and high numbers instead of a few that are close together. For example, a Mega Millions ticket starts with 5 numbers between 1 and 70. You might play 1, 15, 36, 48, and 63. It is a unique ticket that not a lot of people are likely to pick. Think of the odds as well. Many people go for numbers that seem meaningful. Even if you win, you might end up having to share the prize with them. If you're working hard to come up with a clever number pattern, you're playing yourself out of a potential winner. Since lotteries pull from a range of numbers, those patterns aren't likely to show up on the winning ticket. Instead, come up with a range of numbers you like. If they look random on paper, then you're on the right track. A winning ticket is unlikely to consist of a pattern like 3, 13, 23, 33, 43. It also isn't likely to be a short range of numbers like 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. Mix up your ticket with both odd and even numbers. Although the winning numbers could be all odd, for instance, it is unlikely. So your first ticket doesn't win you any money. The next time you go back to buy a ticket, you may feel tempted to switch to "luckier" numbers, but don't do it! The odds of you predicting the winning numbers in a game is very low. Instead, stick to the same numbers in case they show up. In theory, your numbers will eventually get picked. Number combinations that were picked in the past are unlikely to come up again. There are too many possible combinations to make this a guarantee, however. You can't predict the winning numbers, so don't stress yourself out by trying to. Each drawing is its own random event. Don't even bother looking at past winners for "lucky" numbers. Quick picks usually aren't recommended, but they can serve as a starting point when you're new to a game. With a quick pick, the lottery machine selects numbers for you. Many people win this way, although the odds aren't any different than when you pick your own numbers. Quick picks are random, so you know you will end up with a unique set of numbers no one else is likely to have. It has as much of a chance of winning a single drawing as a ticket you picked yourself. Quick picks save you time, but keep in mind that it's all chance. Randomly picking numbers that match randomly-picked winning numbers is extra unlikely. These numbers are also harder to remember than ones you play all the time.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Understand the complexities of real perfume. Know the layers. Discern synthetic from natural ingredients. Pay attention to longevity. Know what kind of notes the perfume is supposed to have. Test it out.

Answer: The scent of authentic perfumes is complex and intricately constructed. While smell can be a difficulty measure of authenticity, those who know the perfume's scent can often sniff out a counterfeit. Authentic perfumes will have three layers of scents that reveal themselves over time, consisting of top, middle and base notes. This complexity ensures that the scent is varied and multidimensional, allowing the scent to change from the initial application until complete skin absorption. Fake perfumes will have one dimensional fragrance layer and it will often have an "off" smell after only a short time of wearing it. Authentic perfumes have had a lot of work put into creating the different notes in the perfume. They will use a mixture of scents derived from natural products and synthetic products. Cheap perfumes tend to be completely synthetic and therefore lack the complexity of layered perfumes created with natural ingredients. An imitation perfume will initially smell similar but you will usually find that the authentic perfumes outlast their imitators in terms of longevity and effectiveness, which makes them better value in the long run. Opened bottles of authentic perfumes should retain their scents from six to 18 months. Citrus-based scents generally deteriorate around the six month mark, whereas floral-based scents should maintain until 18 months. Cheap opened bottles of perfume will lose their scents in a matter of weeks or a couple months. When researching the perfume you're about to purchase, it's important to know whether it's supposed to have a 'single note,' or a complex scent. Single note perfumes contain only the top notes, so a lack of middle and base notes doesn't always indicate a counterfeit. When checking the authenticity of a single note perfume, pay attention to whether the scent smells strange and if the scent matches up with the description listed on the manufacturer's website. You should only test out the perfume once you've examined the packaging and analyzed the scent beforehand. Be cautious because counterfeit perfumes can often cause allergic reactions, or leave unwanted rashes on your skin. Once you've thoroughly checked every aspect of the perfume, apply it on your skin and pay attention to the way it smells throughout the day. If it's an authentic complex perfume, then you should notice the tapering of the top notes throughout the day while the middle and base notes reveal themselves. A counterfeit perfume will often only keep its top scent for a few hours at the most.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Decide whether misconduct has really occurred. Schedule a meeting with the agent's managing broker. Gather supporting documents. Meet with the broker. Request resolution. Ask to see a supervisor.

Answer:
Difficulties in the relationship with a real estate agent often stem from a simple breakdown in communication. Re-establishing communication may clear up any misunderstandings. However, if you feel that your agent has deliberately lied or misled you about anything you consider material (e.g., the condition of a piece of property, the willingness of a seller or buyer, or the costs of services), you should pursue a complaint. Sometimes what strikes a seller as unprofessional conduct may seem minor to real estate professionals. Discuss your issue with an unbiased third party to gain another perspective. The broker is the party who owes you a fiduciary duty; the agent is merely the broker's employee. You should therefore set up a meeting and make your complaints known. The agent may or may not be invited to attend. Write out your complaints and all of the details that you remember. Take down the name of any witnesses as well as their telephone numbers. Practice explaining your complaint. You want to be precise and clear. Be firm but not angry. If you believe the broker violated the contract, take out your copy of the contract and highlight the section you believe has been violated. Although the agent's manager has access to the contract, the meeting will go more smoothly if you bring as much supporting documentation as possible. Other important documents include lease contracts, sales receipts, and communications between you and the agent. If you do not want the agent to attend, ask for him or her not to be present. If possible, you should willingly agree to have the agent at the meeting. Problems can be resolved more quickly if the supervisor or manager has both sides of the story. You can also gently correct any errors the agent makes in describing his side of the story. Apart from merely lodging a complaint against an agent, you can ask the managing broker to resolve your problem. For example, if the agent did not disclose a defect in the house, you could ask for an offsetting reduction in agent fees. Be open to settlement. Accepting less than you want does not mean that you cannot still file a complaint with your state's licensing board. If you feel the meeting did not go well, ask if there is anyone else you can meet with. In large real estate offices you probably will not meet with the president initially, so there should be someone else to talk to. Ask to move up the chain of command.