Archive for March, 2009
Reversing Your Email Composition [Idea]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Ideas on March 31st, 2009
We came across a great article about reconsidering the order you do things when composing an email. Typically, here is the flow of input to an email:
- Input recipients
- Write subject
- Write body of message
- Attach files
The author of the article suggests a different approach:
- Attach files
- Write body of message
- Write subject
- Input recipients
There are a few good reasons to follow this new approach
- Attach files - if the file you are sending is the main reason for the email, this will make sure you have it attached before you get caught up writing the email
- Write body - the body is the next most important part because the body should describe what actions should be taken on the attached files, or the body is just stating the overall purpose of the email and you want to compose that before you put the subject on the message
- Write subject - creating the subject after the body is a good way to make sure the subject paraphrases the purpose you just wrote about in the body
- Input recipients - adding this information last does 2 things for you: 1. Hopefully you will never send an email to people by mistake the is not complete, and 2. You might remember to add someone else to the email later based on the information you share in the email
Think about these ideas and give it a try next time you are composing emails.
Original article: Reversing Your Email Composition
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Why are you disorganized? [Opinion]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Opinions on March 30th, 2009
Before you can implement a system to become organized, it is important to know WHY you are disorganized. Read here for some ideas: Organization: Pinpoint why you are disorganized
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Organization ideas from HGTV [Idea]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Home, Ideas on March 30th, 2009
When you have some time, it would be excellent to take a look at this great website from HGTV with tons of organization ideas: http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/index.html
Also, the show on there (Mission Organization) is really great and would probably help you to get some organization ideas of your own. Watch a few episodes online or check your DVR to record a few. I watched one this morning about organizing your office and it was very helpful information.
What are some home organization tips that you have?
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Designing the Perfect, Personalized Home Office [Lifehacker]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Opinions on March 27th, 2009
I really enjoy following lifehacker to read their tips and downloads for getting things done. Here was a good article they posted about designing the perfect home office: http://lifehacker.com/5186714/designing-the-perfect-personalized-home-office
Some highlights:
Check out that article and share this information with your disorganized friends.
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Track your spending and organize your checkbook [Opinion]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Financial on March 25th, 2009
“Where did all my money go this month?”
How often have you asked yourself that question? I know I have a few times because it seems like the paycheck is not lasting as long as it used to. More importantly, what have you done to answer that question in the past? Did you look at your utility bill to see if it went up from the previous month, or look at all the new clothes in your closet to see what you have spent money on?
As an excellent way to organize my spending, I love a feature that is offered for free with my Discover Card, it is called “Spend Analyzer“. This tool is very straightforward and shows your spending in the past month, 3 months, etc., all the way back to 24 months. Here is how I have used it:
Organizing your Monthly Bills [Idea]
Posted by Rachel Welland in Financial, Home on March 23rd, 2009
When my now-husband and I moved in together, I felt as though our monthly bills magically multiplied by thousands!! Dramatic, I know, but I truly felt like bills were arriving everyday and I couldn’t even keep track of them, much less remember what was due when, and if certain bills had been paid. It was madness, and something had to be done to get the madness under control.
So I spent some quality time with my favorite software program… good ol’ Excel. I made a fantastic spreadsheet that I consult each and every time I pay bills – and I mark off what is paid! That way if we overlook a monthly bill, or it never arrives in the mail, I can nip it in the bud before it becomes past-due.
Very simple instructions for creating the spreadsheet: Down the left side in column A (starting with row 2), type the name of each bill in order of it’s due day. Next, type in column B the approximate amount of the monthly bill (some bills are more predictable - like cell phone, cable, water… other bills vary - like credit cards). Type in column C the due day each month. Then on row 1, starting in column D through column O, write each month, January through December. Print it and store it at your desk or wherever you typically pay bills. Ta-da! Now you have a beautiful spreadsheet on which you can proudly and confidently mark a “X” each month as you pay each bill.
Say “goodbye” to past-due bills forever!!
Print custom calendar [Idea]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Ideas on March 20th, 2009
Here is a great website where you can customize and print a calendar to help you organize your schedule: Calendar Labs
What is Calendar Labs?
CalendarLabs is the one stop destination for all the needs of calendars. We provide different kind of free calendar for year 2008, 2009 and 2010. Here you can easily find and customize your desired 2009 calendar. Online calendar and holiday calendar are available for your quick reference.
Use this tool to print out a calendar of holidays or add some astrology or pictures to it to make it pleasing to the eye.
Have a story about a way your organize your day? Email me and your story can be featured on our website as well!
Ladies - Do You Have A Morning Routine? [Opinion]
Posted by Kristin Harding in Home, Opinions, Personal on March 19th, 2009
Are You FRAZZLED in the Morning? Try this Routine to SAVE You Time!
Mornings used to be a disaster for me. It seemed as though every time I turned around the clock had surged into fast-forward mode and I was left with little to no time to get my make-up on and get out the door. I finally grew sick of the anxiety this was causing me and devised a routine that has made my mornings more enjoyable and efficient. First trick - get to bed at a decent hour! I know, it can be more than difficult to achieve this, but part of looking good is getting that beauty sleep. Secondly, wake up on-time. If you hit the snooze button 3 or 4 times (like we all love to do) you’re causing your own problems in the morning. So, after you wake up, immediately get a fresh glass of water and down it (with your vitamins!). Prepare your breakfast - I love instant oatmeal or make some scrambled eggs the night before for the next few days and you’ll have breakfast ready. Add some toast with almond butter and your favorite cup of joe (or juice) and you’re set in the nutrition department.
Plan and organize your savings [Idea]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Financial on March 17th, 2009
I use Discover Bank online and I really like it. It is easy to use, pretty easy to mail in deposits or use their online tools to transfer money in. For withdrawing money, they give you checks you can use for taking the money out or you can use their online system to pay bills.
The key to this or any savings account is to plan your savings and organize them and keep track of what you have. Discover Bank has made a Savings Goal calculator (http://www.discoverbank.com/savings-goal-calculator.html) that helps you put in your goal of amount to save, time frame you want to save in, and how much you can deposit each month. The helpful chart will allow you to visualize how long you will have to save for or will let you put in how long you want to take until you reach your goal, and tell you how much to put in each month.
If you are comfortable using an online savings account, look around to find the one that works for you, and expect higher interest percent that you will make on your money.
They key to financial organization is planning - set a goal and keep up with it. Treat the deposit into your savings account like a “bill” that you must pay each month, and you will stay on track.
Good luck and enjoy your rewards!
RSS - What is it and how can it help you? [Opinion]
Posted by Phillip Burger in Opinions on March 16th, 2009
Definition from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS):
RSS (abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a “feed”, “web feed”, or “channel”) includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.
So, how can this help you? The Internet is full of information - some of it you care about and some of it you do not. Additionally, some of the information you want to be able to read about quickly, without going through a lot of different steps to get to it. RSS is a great use of technology that can help you do this.
