Cords and cables have a rough life, they're constantly pulled around and stuffed into bags. It's no surprise that sometimes they begin to fray, usually where the flexible part of the cord meets the solid bit where it plugs in. 

With some basic cords, such as USB cords, it might not be a big deal to buy a new one, but laptop chargers can cost upwards of $100. Why not try to extend their lives a with some easy tricks before you resort to buying a replacement? 

Electrical tape is my go-to for extending the lives of cords, not necessarily because it's the best method, but because I always have some on hand. Wrap some tape tightly around the frayed portion of the cord, then move outwards to cover either side of the fray. It won't last forever, but when it starts to come off, you can always replace it with fresh tape.

Cords become frayed because they are constantly being bent. While some cords have well designed measures built in prevent to cords from bending too much, others do not. If your cords don't (Apple users pay attention) you can add your own DIY protection by taking the little spring out of a clicky pen and wrapping it around the cord on either end. 

Heat shrink tubing will give you very good protection, but you probably won't have this on hand. Heat shrink is, unsurprisingly, a material that shrinks when heated. You can purchase short tubes of it and slip one over your charger, then blow it with a hair drier and it will shrink down and secure the fray. Heat shrink tubes need to be able to fit over the plug at the end of the cord so if the plug is particularly large (such as for an iPhone 4 or earlier) heat shrink might not be the best option. You can purchase heat shrink at most computer repair or electronics stores. 

Have you got any other tips for fighting frayed cords?