Do you feel digitally deluged? Are you one of the people out there who statistically check their instant messages 77 times a day and their emails 140 times a day?

Can you ignore the ping of an incoming email? Or the ring of a phone?  Are you hooked??  Do you have a Pavlovian response to and need for these sounds?

 Think about this: Is it the massive flow of information coming to you that you need to control, or your response to your technology? (Think of the time and stress that could be saved if you only checked those things once or twice each day!)

If your house and office is looking pretty clutter-free, set aside a few hours on a slow day or two to declutter and organize your computer files and digital assets.

• Delete old files
• Archive important files that are no longer active
• Delete poor-quality photos
• Post favorite photographs to online sharing sites,
• Alternatively, save favorite photos to CDs and send them out to family and friends
• Download and install a desktop search tool like MSN Search’s Windows Desktop Search to help you easily find items anywhere on your computer, including e-mails and attachments, in the same way a search engine searches the Web for you.

Make your technology, your gidgits and gadgets serve YOU instead of you serving it!!

AS GAS PRICES SOAR,

CPA FINANCIAL PLANNERS OFFER ADVICE

Now that the average cost of a gallon of gas is heading closer to $4, are you thinking about buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle? The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants advises that you consider all the costs involved in trading in the old for the new.

“Owners of automobiles need to look at the total cost of ownership when they evaluate swapping their gas-guzzler for a more economic vehicle,” said Steven Levey, CPA/PFS, of GHP Horwath PC in Denver. “Saving gas dollars may not be enough.”

Levey gave this example: Assume you drive 15,000 miles per year, with gas at $4 per gallon. If your vehicle gets 15 miles per gallon, divide 15,000 by 15. Your vehicle uses 1,000 gallons per year. With gas at $4 a gallon, you are spending $4,000 a year on fuel. If you trade your vehicle in for one that gets 25 miles per gallon, your gas costs are $2,400 per year (15,000 divided by 25, or 600 gallons).

“This looks like a potential savings of $1,600 or $133 a month,” Levey said. “But you also have to look at the transaction costs.”

A newer car can sometimes mean higher insurance, higher monthly payments, more interest, and sales tax on the purchase. “In fact, if you try to make money by selling your old car outright, you may pay sales tax on the full purchase price compared to sales tax on the trade-in price,” Levey said. “Another factor of true cost is depreciation. The gas guzzler may not be worth the loan payoff, so negative equity will be added to the cost of the new automobile.”

If you are looking into a hybrid car, Levey recommends comparing the cost of the hybrid to the equivalent gas-powered vehicle. Hybrids can cost several thousand more. You have to consider the deferred cost of replacing the batteries. “The saving grace then might be a tax credit and the gas mileage,” Levey said.

Here are some additional tips on coping with high gas prices from CPAs who hold the AICPA’s Personal Financial Specialist (CPA/PFS) credential:

              “Offset high gas prices by looking at your other expenses. Eat in more and shop less. Control ATM withdrawals. It’s hard to keep track of small expenses, and they can really add up.”

                  Lyle Benson,   L.K. Benson & Co., Baltimore

            “Try car-pooling. Ask your neighbors or take out a classified ad in your local newspaper. If it’s possible, ride a bike to work or walk.”

                   Michael Eisenberg, Los Angeles,   Member, AICPA National CPA Financial Literacy Commission

              “Instead of making several trips to run errands, try combining errands in order to use your car less frequently. If you live in an urban area, do your light errands on foot or by bicycle rather than by car. You’ll save on gas and get exercise at the same time.”

                       Beth Gamel, Pillar Financial Advisors, Waltham, Mass. Member, AICPA National CPA Financial Literacy Commission

             “Consider gas cards that offer a percentage off on purchases, and consider public transportation.”

                     Marc Minker,  Mahoney Cohen & Company, New York  Member, AICPA National CPA Financial Literacy Commission

About the AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (www.aicpa.org) is the national, professional association of CPAs, with more than 350,000 members, including CPAs in business and industry, public practice, government, and education, student affiliates, and international associates. It sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, federal, state and local governments, and non-profit organizations. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination.

See Also:

Gas prices - Grrrrrrrr!!!!!

Save Money by Saving Fuel - Learn to Hypermile!

The free U.S.  Dept of Labor’s FirstStep Employment Law Advisor site is designed to help employers determine which federal employment laws administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) apply to their business or organization, what recordkeeping and reporting requirements they must comply with, and which posters they need to post.

The Advisor can help all employers, including non-profit organizations, private sector businesses and government agencies.  The site includes links to free printable posters.

Do you often wonder why you feel stuck? In her article the author suggests that you take an inventory of things you feel are incomplete not only in business but in your entire life. These could be things you have not started yet, things you have not said, things you have not finished or things that you have not changed.   She also suggests that you assign completion dates and start checking things off your list as they are completed.

Sometimes just writing things down and getting them out of your head can get you unstuck.

While this seems simple, I think it may be essential. This is like applying David Allan’s Getting Things Done Theory to your entire life and I believe it could have a very cleansing effect in many areas.

It can also help you feel that you have accomplished something. I know that I was able to cross a couple of things off my list right away because I immediately decided that I no longer needed to complete them.

If you would like to print out a worksheet to complete your own personal inventory or read other articles by Gaile Blanke go to http:// www.realsimple.com/myinventory.

Stop buying stuff

Stop buying stuff, stop bringing stuff into the house, and stop acquiring stuff.  Stop and think, do I really need this and have I got somewhere to keep this? Some people work on a one in, one out system, i.e. if you buy a new sweater, toy for the children etc. then one goes to charity or is given to a friend.

Junk Mail

Dump junk mail the moment you receive it. Deal with other mail at least once a week filing away what you need to keep in an indexed concertina file, card or plastic file wallets or even large brown envelopes. 

See:

 #1 Rule in Time Management 

Minimize paper clutter AND keep Impulse buys at bay!

2 Ways to Receive Less Junk Mail

Garbage Bag Rodeo

For ten minutes a day, everyone in your house should wander around the house with garbage bags. In one of them put stuff that is garbage; stuff that has trashed, soiled clothing, old magazines, stuff that can just go immediately into the garbage. In the other one put stuff you are happy to give to the Salvation Army or St Vincent’s. If you do that for 10 minutes a day, at the end of the week you will have 10 bags of stuff that is trash, and 10 bags of stuff going to good will.

Do you really need it?

You wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time. Turn all the coat hangers back to front for the next six months. When you have worn an article, hang it up the correct way. Whatever is left still hanging back to front, ask yourself whether you really need it. Do the same for household appliances and gadgets by keeping them in a box. When you use them, put them back in the cupboard. Whatever is left in the box could be given or thrown away. Be ruthless. If you have not used an item in the last two years, you are not likely to need it again. Do you really want a clutter free, streamlined home or not?

Give and get for free

Use recycling websites such as freecycle.org or paperbackswap.com.

Look for organizations like The Open Hands Foundation in Cascade County MT, which will come and pick up your items and give you a tax deductible write off. (Contact them at 406-868-8382.)

Seek Professional Help

If the thought of organizing gives you an ulcer, a professional organizer might be in order. (Like me!!) A professional can identify problems and solutions you might be unaware of, gently guiding you toward more organized systems and spaces for your home.

Do not give up.

It will take time. Not all the clutter came into your home in one day and you will not get rid of it all in one day. Keep on sorting, dumping, tidying and labeling (!), cut back on bringing new clutter home and you have a battle that can be won. You will have more time, a neat home and less stress as a reward for your efforts.

See also:

Clutter and Control

1. Do not get overwhelmed. Many folks get absolutely bogged down at the thought of decluttering their current homes, so they end up not doing it and dragging all of their old clutter along with them.

You may already be overwhelmed with your clutter. Do not get more weighed down thinking you have to get rid of it all in one day. Take some time and spread the work out - remember Rome was not built in a day!

Peter Walsh. Walsh, host/clutter-buster on TLC’s Clean Sweep, writes very elegantly about how clutter is destroying us and if we do not take control, it will consume us completely.

“People hold onto stuff like their kids’ old clothing as a way of holding onto the past. Or they keep things they think they might need someday as a way to control the future.”

“Look around your house. Does your house reflect the kind of life you want? Does the stuff that you own, help you create the kind of life you want, the mood you want, the feeling you want in your house? If it does, then there’s not a problem, regardless of what’s in the house. But if your house doesn’t reflect the kind of life you want, then it’s cluttered.”

Remember: If you do not use it, do not need it and/or you do not love it, it is clutter.

Put a plastic tub or a box of some other kind in each room marked either ‘garage sale’ or ‘charity’. Make a promise to yourself that each day you are going to work on getting rid of just a little bit of clutter, (even just one itsy-bitsy item) and each day you will be freeing up a little more space.  Seriously sort through the things you have and lighten your load and your life.

Before you know it, you should begin to see your table surfaces and your bedroom closet floor. (Just do not keep adding to it!)

2. If you have a room (or garage) in your home that is stuffed from floor to ceiling, it’ is time to take back control of that space. Focus on that one room for the next few weeks, each day choosing a few things to add to your give away box.

3. If you have other people in your life, use them - teamwork can mean the difference between winning or losing at the game of life. Encourage the folks in your life to support you in chipping away at your clutter. Every person no matter his or her age should have his/her own specific job to do. Delegate and teach the other members of your household to learn what clutter is and how to declutter their areas of responsibility.

If there are other people in your home besides you, every person in your household should also be responsible for certain household tasks. Split up tasks between you and your spouse. If you have kids, give them chores and insist they do those chores before playing. If you live with roommates, come up with a task schedule so everyone chips in.  I highly recommend Chorebuster.net

It is amazing how much time could be saved when good teamwork is put in action.  If necessary, hire outside help, or ask a relative or neighbor to assist.

4. Give yourself a plan.  Think about it, really, how much will you accomplish, and how well will you accomplish it all, without a plan?

Do not randomly go through your day, keeping all of your tasks, projects and errands in your head, jumping from one thing to the next with absolutely no plan. You will end the day both exhausted and unfulfilled, and most likely, you will have a bunch of unfinished projects.

Instead, give yourself a written plan. Make a To Do list each evening for the next day. Follow it closely throughout the day. Cross things off as you finish them.  (See the GTD Agenda.)  http://gtdagenda.com/

At the end of each day, look at all the things you crossed off your list and rejoice in everything you have accomplished–then relax and enjoy your evenings!

5.  In  “A Perfect Mess: the Hidden Benefits of Disorder” by Eric Abrahamson and David H Freedman the authors state: “When we are being ruthless about ridding ourselves of what naturally accumulates around us and about meticulously straightening out what remains, we are in a sense tidying our identities. ”

What part of your home needs to be tidied up? Do you own your things or does your clutter own you?

If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”  

~ Henry Ford (attributed)

See also:

Kaizen will help you KAZAAM your New Year’s Resolution!

Fit More into Your Day

System for the Overwhelmed

Could a Virtual Assistant help YOU?

Ideal for postcards, photos, reminder notes, etc. Available in red/white strings, red/red strings, black/white strings, green/white strings, transparent/red strings and transparent/white strings.

Dimensions = ø49, d2.5 cm as shown.  At a pricey £69 (approx $135) you pay for the design - however, again, this would be a fairly simple project and you could say that you have a very expensive designer piece in your office, craft room, etc!  In addition, you could make it any size that fits your personal space.

 

Have a Business Organizing, Time Management, or Money Saving question for ReAnn?

Send it to her via e-mail at Rothwell.Company@gmail.com with ‘Organizing Question’ in the Subject Line.

          - OR -  

Leave your question as a comment to this post!

2) Time your showers/bath. Most people take way more time in the shower than is needed. Set your timer for 5 minutes. When the timer sounds, your shower is done. (Be really productive and take an extra minute to wipe down the shower/bath before you get out. See #5 below. )

3)  Just like when you were little, plan your outfits the night before. Hang whatever you are going to wear on the door of your closet. When you are ready in the morning to get dressed, your outfit will be waiting for you.

4) Never run just one errand. Always combine at least two to three errands in one trip. Start with the errand furthest away, and then work your way back.

5) Clean and organize as you go. Rather than giving yourself huge cleaning jobs each week, as you make a mess quickly clean it up. Dirty dishes can be rinsed immediately and placed in the dishwasher. Wipe off the bathroom countertop and spray the shower with shower spray as soon as you are done. Make your bed as soon as you get up. File papers away as needed, rather than allowing them to pile up in a To Be Filed tray.

6) Consolidate your phone calls. Rather than making and taking calls throughout the day, allow your answering machine to field your calls. Then, make or return calls during one consistently scheduled phone hour each day, such as between 2:00P and 3:00P (after lunch hours). 

7) Make and use written lists. Do not try to remember everything you have to do. Always jot down tasks, errands and things to pick up. Use calendars to help you remember and To-DO lists. (See the articles references below for how-to’s and tips.)

When you are cooking Cook enough for two meals. No matter what you are cooking–breakfast, lunch or dinner–always cook enough for two meals. When everything is prepared and done, divide it in half. Immediately refrigerate or freeze the one-half, and enjoy the other half now.

9) Enlist help. Do not be afraid or too proud to ask for help. Whoever is living in your house, whether that person is a spouse, a child, a friend or a relative–that person should be able to help you get things done in one way or another. A spouse can help with the kids’ bath times every other night. A child can help fold clothes, help dust or help put toys away. Someone who is not able to help physically, may still be able to sit at a desk and help you sort the mail or shred some documents. It should definitely be a team effort and not a one-man or one-woman show.

10) Reward yourself!! There is nothing more draining than going through an entire day without doing a single thing that is fun. Sandwich small rewards between each task. For instance, when you are done with the ironing, read your favorite novel for 15 minutes. Or watch your favorite TV show for 30 minutes. When you are done cleaning the bathroom, sit in on the deck while you relax and sip a cup of iced tea.

See also:

“System for the Overwhelmed”

“Time is Valuable…How Are You Using Yours? 10 Tips”

And other fascinating (!) Time Management Articles, by yours truly,  HERE!!