There's a reason why an estimated 180 million people in the US are Amazon Prime members—and it's not Prime Video's user interface, that's for sure. Even if you're not the biggest fan of the company's founder, business practices, or workplace culture, it's incredibly hard to resist the convenience of (usually) fast and free shipping.

It became even more difficult in 2022, when members could also get a one-year subscription to Grubhub+ at no additional cost, entitling them to even more opportunities for free delivery—albeit for a limited time. But that's no longer the case: Thanks to a recent upgrade, that perk is now permanent for Prime members.

But before you get free delivery on your pizza order, you'll need to activate the benefit. Here's what to know.

How to activate the Grubhub+ benefit on Amazon Prime

The free Grubhub+ membership isn't automatically applied to Amazon Prime members' accounts: You have to activate it in order to take advantage of the benefit. To do this, go to www.amazon.com/grubhub while signed into your Prime account, and click the yellow box that says "Activate now."

Alternatively, if you've recently received an email from Amazon (more specifically, store-news@amazon.com) with the subject line "New update to your Prime membership" you can activate Grubhub+ by clicking the yellow "Activate now" box.

Either way, once you've activated the benefit, you should receive an email from Amazon confirming your new permanent Grubhub+ subscription. If you already pay for Grubhub+, that plan will be canceled as soon as you activate your free subscription through Amazon Prime. Of course, if you cancel your Amazon Prime membership, your free Grubhub+ subscription will go away too.

If you no longer want the free Grubhub+ subscription, you can cancel it by going to the “Manage apps & services with data access” within the “Your Account” page on Amazon and unlinking your Grubhub and Amazon accounts, or by contacting Grubhub customer support.

What are the benefits of permanent Grubhub+ membership?

Removing the one-year limit to Amazon Prime members' free Grubhub+ subscription is important for a few reasons. First, there's the fiscal benefit: Now, as long as you keep paying the $139/year Amazon Prime membership fee, you'll get a $120/year Grubhub+ subscription for free indefinitely, instead of only once.

This upgrade also makes the free Grubhub+ benefit more appealing to Prime members who may be hesitant to sign up for trials or subscriptions because they want to avoid the worry and hassle of losing benefits, or being auto-subscribed to a paid service when the trial ends.

Plus, now you have the option of placing your orders through Amazon, in addition to the Grubhub site or app.

And, of course, there's all the usual stuff you get with a Grubhub+ subscription, including:

• Free delivery on eligible order of $12 or more (before tax, tip, and fees)

• Lower service fees

• 5% Grubhub+ credit back on pickup orders (which you can use on future orders for the next 90 days)

• Other exclusive offers and deals

Once you activate your free Grubhub+ subscription, you can get $5 off one $25+ order from now through June 3, 2024 at 2:59 am EST (June 2, 2024 at 11:59pm PST), or while supplies last, by entering code PRIME5 at checkout.

Between the recent solar eclipse, and the geomagnetic storms that made the Northern Lights visible as far south as Florida, the sky has been putting on quite a show lately. For its next act, groupings of five or six planets will align in the early-morning sky throughout the month of June.

Much of the reporting on the upcoming astrological event has focused on what's been dubbed a "planet parade" taking place on June 3, when six planets will appear in a straight line in the night sky. However, as multiple astronomy experts have noted, there have been some crucial pieces of information missing from this coverage—including the fact that planetary alignment isn't limited to June 3.

What is a "planet parade"?

A "planet parade" is an unofficial term some use to describe an alignment of multiple planets. As the planets in our solar system orbit the sun, there are times when, from our perspective on Earth, multiple planets appear in the sky in a straight line. While it's not unusual to see to a few planets in alignment, sightings of five or more are less common.

When, where, and how to see the planets in alignment this June

Per the majority of media coverage, six planets—Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus—will appear in a straight line on the night of June 3. While those planets will, in fact, be in alignment on the 3rd, that's only part of the story.

The beginning of the month

For starters, it's not a rare, one-night-only occurrence. According to Scott Sutherland, a meteorologist with more than 20 years of experience, the six planets mentioned above, along with the waning crescent moon, will appear aligned in the pre-dawn sky from May 28 through June 5.

But don't expect to see all six planets lined up like a poster from your elementary school science class, in part, because Mercury, Jupiter, and Uranus won't make it above the horizon before the sun rises, Sutherland says. Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and the moon will be in formation before dawn, though you'll need a telescope or powerful binoculars to see Neptune.

The alignment will be visible from most places on Earth in the eastern pre-dawn sky, provided it's not cloudy, and there's minimal light pollution. The exact times that the planets rise depends on your location, so you may want to consult an interactive tool, like the one on Time and Date, to find out when to expect them in your area.

June 15

Instead of getting your hopes up for June 3rd, Sutherland suggests marking your calendar for June 15, when Jupiter will rise before the sun. Mercury won't be in alignment with the other five planets, and Neptune and Uranus still won't be visible to the naked eye, but you'll have the chance to catch Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and the moon.

June 29

Meanwhile, according to Preston Dyches of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the "real parade" will take place on June 29. Like June 15, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the moon will be visible in the early morning.

After that, you'll have other chances to see six planets in alignment on August 28 and January 18, 2025, and a seven-planet lineup on February 28, 2025.

Although unfinished basements don't provide additional living space, they do provide a convenient place to store items you don't use every day—like seasonal decor, tools, and maintenance equipment. Unfortunately, they can also be damp, and prone to flooding and temperature fluctuations. The good news is that there are plenty of helpful products that can help keep your belongings safe, organized, and dry.

Products to help you deal with your basement's temperature and moisture conditions

Indoor thermometer with humidity reading

Use a small indoor thermometer/hydrometer to keep an eye on the temperature and humidity level in your basement. There are plenty available for under $10; for a few dollars more, you can get one with Bluetooth ($12.99) that allows you to monitor the conditions remotely via an app on your phone. That way you'll know whether you need to adjust the temperature, get a dehumidifier, etc.

Ceiling storage shelves

If flooding is a concern—or you're simply running out of room—you may want to look into installing storage shelves that attach to your ceiling, like this 45" x 45" adjustable storage rack ($74.99). These are more commonly used in garages and sheds, but they also come in handy in basements.

Floor mats

Installing some type of water-tolerant floor covering—like indoor/outdoor carpeting ($80.99) or those interlocking foam puzzle pieces ($119.99)—can make your basement storage area feel less damp, and more comfortable to stand on than concrete. If moisture tends to be a problem, periodically check underneath the carpet or foam tiles to ensure the floor is dry.

Products to help you organize and store the stuff in your basement

Plastic bins/totes

Instead of keeping your belongings in cardboard boxes, invest in some durable totes with lids. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles, but in my experience, the lids—more specifically, how securely they attach to the tote—is the make-or-break feature. Some lids firmly snap in place, or have a locking mechanism on the handle, but others never manage to feel secure.

I've tried totes from multiple brands, but keep coming back to the ones in Rubbermaid's Roughneck line—like the ones in this starter pack of 10 totes of varying sizes ($139.49).

Heavy-duty shelving units

Instead of stacking them on the floor, place the totes on shelving to get them up off the ground and make them easier to access. Better yet, get a unit on lockable casters, like this rust-proof and water-resistant one with six adjustable shelves and the capacity to hold up to 2,100 pounds ($99.99).

Enclosed shelf cabinets

Not everything kept in a basement is seasonal—especially in older homes, or others lacking above-ground storage. In situations like those, items typically housed in a pantry, closet, or cabinet—like small kitchen appliances, extra rolls of toilet paper, or cleaning supplies—may end up in the basement. If you don't want to dig through a giant tote every time they need a roll of paper towels, consider a fully enclosed shelf cabinet ($121.97) instead. They provide the protection of plastic storage bins with the accessibility of a cabinet.

Plastic drawers

Lacking linen closets? You may want to invest in a set of plastic drawers ($44.98) to keep your sheets, towels, and tablecloths dry, organized, and easily accessible.

Hitting the road for Memorial Day weekend? According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), you won't be alone: The organization estimates that 43.8 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend (Thursday, May 23 through Monday, May 27)—up 4% from last year.

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice President of AAA Travel said in a recent news release. The current record was set in 2005, when 44 million people celebrated the unofficial start of summer by getting out of town.

This year, AAA predicts that roughly 3.51 million Memorial Day weekend travelers will fly to their destination—up 4.8% from 2023—while around 1.9 million will take trains, buses, and cruises, an increase of 5.6% over last year.

Road trips are proving to be the most popular way to kick off the summer of 2024. According to AAA's projections, 38.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, more than any other year since the organization started keeping track of this figure in 2000.

While that will likely increase your chances of hitting traffic—whether you're traveling locally or long-distance—certain days will be busier than others. To help you plan your trip, AAA has predicted the best and worst times to drive this Memorial Day weekend. Here's what to know.

The best and worst times to drive during Memorial Day weekend 2024

Using data from INRIX, a firm providing transportation insights, experts at AAA have determined that these are the best and worst times to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend. The times listed below are all applicable in your local time zone. 

Thursday, May 23

• Worst time: 12—6 p.m.

• Best time: Before 11 a.m. / After 7 p.m.

Friday, May 24

• Worst time: 12—7 p.m.

• Best time: Before 11 a.m., after 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 25

• Worst time: 2—5 p.m.

• Best time: Before 1 p.m. / After 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 26

• Worst time: 3—7 p.m.

• Best time: Before 1 p.m.

Monday, May 27

• Worst time: 3—7 p.m.

• Best time: After 7 p.m.

Other things to note:

Gas prices should be similar to last year's national average of roughly $3.57 per gallon, though AAA experts indicate that fuel costs could increase once the summer driving season is in full swing.

Also, if your road trip takes you anywhere near one or more of the country’s major metropolitan areas, AAA has additional information available on when traffic will be the worst, broken down by the city and route.

The bottom line: A lot of people will be traveling over Memorial Day weekend, so give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.

“Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal," Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX said in the AAA news release. "Travelers should stay up to date on traffic apps, 511 services, and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic longer than necessary."