|
Every so often, we come across interesting bits of useful information. We offer these tips to our clients and friends who are looking for ways to simplify their lives.
If you have a useful tip, send it to us. We always enjoy hearing from you!
Tip #10 Simplify your life with a password manager for Web sites
If you are like many people, you regularly visit websites that require you to have a login and password. Unfortunately, not every website has the same qualifications for these safeguards. What this means is you have to track multiple login and password combinations and most likely forget a few now and then.
A new tool that solves this problem is now available, and best of all, it's FREE.
Visit www.roboform.com to download RoboForm and it completely automates your password entry.
Once you have downloaded the program, each time you enter a login and password, it will ask you if you want to save it and what to name that login (usually the website name). Once it is saved, just click on the "Login" link on your toolbar and choose what website you would like to login to. It will automatically go to the website, enter your login and password, and then logs into the website. We use this in the office and it works great.
Tip #9 Five fast e-mail productivity tips
If you find yourself spending too much time reading and responding to e-mails here are 5 tips that may help free up your time for more important tasks:
- Shut off auto-check - Either turn off automatic checking completely, or set it to something reasonable, like every 20 minutes or so. If you’re doing anything with new email more than every few minutes, you might want to rethink your approach.
- Pick off easy ones - If you can retire an email with a 1-2 line response do it now. Get it off your plate, and get back to work.
- Write less - Stop imagining that every e-mail needs to be a novel. Get better at just keeping the conversation moving by responding quickly and with short actions in the reply. Ask for more information, pose a question, or just say “I don’t know.”
- Cheat - Use something like MailTemplate to help manage answers to frequent email subjects. Templates let you create and use boilerplate responses to the questions and requests to which you usually find yourself drafting identical replies over and over from scratch. At least use a template as a basis for your response, and then customize it for that person or situation.
- Be honest - If you know in your heart that you’re never going to respond to an email, get it out of sight, archive it, or just delete it. Guilt will not make you more responsive two months from now, otherwise, you’d just do it now, right? Trust your instincts, listen to them, and stop trying to be perfect.
Tip #8 Turn your old computer into a charitable donation
If a new computer is on your wish list this holiday, you might think about donating your old model to charity. Making a computer donation allows you to reclaim some value from older electronic equipment and take a deduction on your income taxes. But like other noncash donations, giving up your computer isn't as easy as hauling your hardware to the nearest Goodwill.
-
Before you donate, assess the value of your computer. You can find the value by checking Internet auction Web sites or even computer manufacturer Web sites. You can also pay $4 for an appraisal by Orion Blue Book, an industry authority on market values, at www.OrionBlueBook.com.
-
Deductions are valid only for gifts to a recognized charity, meaning it has IRS approval to register as a tax-exempt organization. Before you donate, check out the charity at www.CharityNavigator.com.
-
You might also check out The Used Computer Mall at www.UsedComputer.com. The Web site lists charities that accept new or used computer equipment. It also provides recycling guidelines in case your computer is a real dinosaur -- too old to go anywhere but the recycling bin.
-
Remember to erase all the files from your computer's hard drive before you donate. At best, others will laugh at the poetry and E-mails you saved. At worst, you could be a victim of identity theft. Look for so-called disk-cleaning software, which will clear your computer's hard drive.
Be sure to get a receipt for your donation from the charity. You'll need it to take the deduction come tax time.
Tip #7 Become a gourmet cook
Getting ready for the holidays and wondering how to refresh your standard menus? Planning a dinner party and want to make something that will wow your guests? Not sure what to do with that bushel of apples you bought at the farm stand?
Check out epicurious.com for exotic new recipes – or variations on your “tried and true” favorites. You can see photos of most of the recipes, find out which wine works best with your selection, and even read reviews – often with suggestions for how to make the dish even better.
Tip #6 Reduce the junk in your mailbox
If you want to cut down on the amount of direct mail you get, send a postcard or letter to:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512
Be sure to include your name, home address, and signature. For a $5 fee, you can get on the DMA's "off mailing" list online: http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist.
Putting yourself on the list should dramatically reduce the commercial mail you receive. Except for local third-class mail addressed to "homeowner," you will get no more catalogs or correspondence from businesses looking for new clients -- including mail you might be interested in.
You can be more selective about the direct mail you get simply by not responding to offers you don't want. Keep in mind, direct mail is expensive. And direct-marketing businesses don't want to spend money on sending mail to people who won't respond to it. If you don't respond to their offers, they'll remove you from their mailing lists themselves.
Tip #5 Get hip to the weather and more
Interested in knowing the weather trends for the year? Want some guidance on how and when to plant your garden? Looking for recipes for some of the old family favorites? The Farmers' Almanac offers advice on these topics - and more. And now you can visit them on-line at www.farmersalmanac.com.
Tip #4 Buy your postage online
Tired of waiting in long lines at the post office, especially during the holiday season? Can you imagine being able to get the postage you need by printing it out from your personal computer. This convenience is now a reality! Check out www.usps.com for information on how to get set up for this.
Tip #3 Send an extraordinary gift
Why send ordinary flowers, gift baskets, or chocolate gifts when you could send an extraordinary gift?
If you ever struggle with decisions about the right gift to send or where to go for the best selections, www.netique.com is for you.
It offers effortless gift-giving, with a wonderful selection of gifts for everyone on your list. Just place your order and they do the rest, including gift-wrap, preparing the enclosure card and shipping.
Tip #2 Remember special events
Do you often find yourself in the “belated birthday” section of your local card shop? Never miss another birthday again with the help of birthdayalarm.com. They take the hassle out of trying to remember the dates of friends’ and relatives’ special days. Log on to www.birthdayalarm.com and follow the simple instructions to register. You have the option of recording the dates yourself, or e-mailing friends and having them record their information directly.
You will be alerted twice prior to each date listed, once at 7 days and again at 3 days. By going to the site, you can send a free e-card or you can opt to send flowers, though there is a charge for this. Birthdayalarm.com also offers a subscription service that will send reminders directly to your cell phone.
No more excuses! Remember the people you care about.
Tip #1 Take care of your car
Do you have trouble remembering when your automobile maintenance and repairs are due?
Log on to www.carcare.com for a quick and easy solution. Their proprietary software allows you to track the times and mileage of your maintenance needs for your vehicles. And, their service is free of charge! You are busy enough as it is; they’ll remind you via e-mail when it is time to do common maintenance items on your car such as:
· Change your oil
· Rotate your tires
· Change your tires
· Have a tune-up
· Renew your insurance
· Renew your driver’s license
· Renew your license plates/tags
Proper maintenance can increase the life and value of your vehicle. Your own e-mail assistant will remind you when it is time for your maintenance items on your automobile and they will maintain a complete automobile maintenance log that you can print out when it comes time to sell your vehicle.
PLEASE NOTE: The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy. When you link to any of these web-sites provided here you are leaving this site. Our company makes no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these sites. Nor is the company liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences arising out of your access to or your use of third-party technologies, sites, information and programs made available through this site. When you access one of these sites, you are leaving this company’s web-site and assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the sites you are linking to.
|