Make 2008 YOUR year to improve your stewardship of finances, time, and talents!
WEBSITES
www.getorganizednow.com: In my crusade to simplify and improve my time management, I found this site with some tips I’ll share later. You can subscribe to an e-letter with more advice and tips. By subscribing, you at least keep the goal for organization before your eyes.
www.coolsavings.com and www.couponmom.com: Sites for coupons.
You can also inspire yourself with ideas with the book entitled Shameless Shortcuts: 1027 Tips and Techniques That Help You Save Time, Save Money and Save Work Every Day! This is from the editors of Yankee Magazine. I found it in my public library. Pick 1-2 ideas to try every quarter or every month.
January is a good time to…
Starting a new year is often the time we set goals or make resolutions. Fabulous! I’m a proponent of goals (see my prior newsletters from January 2007 & 2006).
However, below are three ideas to consider for your new year:
1-Back up your computer hard drive. You should do this at least monthly, but if you’re like most people, it’s been a while since you’ve backed up your home computer drive. If you keep precious photos on your computer, this is a must!
2-Review and schedule car maintenance. If you have procrastinated on maintenance, now is the time to schedule at least the most critical elements. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
3-Prepare for taxes. Take an hour one evening or weekend and spend time filing important financial documents. Start the organization process now so that when you receive your W-2s, you are ready to file promptly.
SAVING TIME
Maria Gracia at www.getorganizednow.com offers several options for educating yourself about organization. One key component of saving time is to remain organized to avoid wasting time! One of Maria’s offerings is a free idea pack of 50 organization tips. I recommend you subscribe and educate yourself in 2008. Below are a few tips from Maria that I am sharing in order to encourage you to check out her site.
1. DETERMINE YOUR GOALS.
Before you start anything, determine its goal. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you ever get there? Set mini-goals and reward yourself for successes.
2. DECLUTTER YOUR DESK.
An uncluttered desktop erases unnecessary distractions and helps keep your mind on tasks that need immediate attention. Keep only the items on your desk that relate to your current projects.
3. DON’T RELY ON YOUR MEMORY.
You run the risk of letting tasks fall through the cracks. The best way to never forget an appointment, a deadline or a detail again, is to write everything down.
4. CONSOLIDATE SIMILAR ACTIVITIES.
Instead of starting and stopping at different levels of activity, you’ll save time by making all of your outgoing telephone calls together, taking care of all your errands at once, etc.
5. CLEAN OUT YOUR FILES.
Before you go through the expense of purchasing more file cabinets, folders, etc., take the time to purge all unnecessary paperwork and materials.
6. USE ONE CALENDAR.
The biggest mistake people make when using planning calendars is to keep more than one. Keep personal, professional and family items on one calendar. It will help to eliminate scheduling conflicts. Remember, ‘the man who wears two watches, never knows the correct time.’
7. REDUCE TELEPHONE TAG.
Plan telephone calls (whether to doctors, plumbers, clients, etc.) whenever possible. Have all necessary materials in front of you. Write key questions down in advance.
8. SET UP FILES FOR PROJECTS.
Don’t waste time searching for papers when you need them. Keep all paperwork that pertains to a certain project together in one large folder.
9. SET TIME LIMITS.
Say, ‘I’ve got only 5 minutes to talk.’ Outline your calls, Say, ‘I’d like to discuss these 2 possible solutions to problem A . . .’
10. MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF.
Make at least one screened appointment with yourself each day. Screened time is quiet, uninterrupted time allowing you to concentrate on a project or catch up on your reading.
On the “make time for yourself” tip, let me add that in 2007 I had a goal to do just this. I read Lisa Whelchel’s book Taking Care of the Me in Mommy and was inspired to make many changes in my life to improve the time I give to myself. I was skeptical that taking more time for myself would mean even less for my family. Just the opposite. I found myself more positive and relaxed, resulting in greater productivity and better emotional health. If you haven’t read Lisa’s excellent book, I encourage you to do so (copy at your library or perhaps a used copy on Amazon.com).
If you are looking for ideas on time management, Donna Otto’s book, entitled Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time, offers ideas for day planners/organizers. She has great forms you can copy or create to help you plan activities.
EXCURSIONS
1-January 26 from 10:30 - 12 noon—-Lifeway Christian Bookstore is having a free Kids Day. They will offter discounts on some kids’ merchandise and they will have free activities for children. Periodically, Lifeway Christian Bookstore offers dates with free children’s activities.
2-Washington, DC: While it can be downright freezing in DC this time of year, the crowd level is substantially less than the warmer months. This is a great time to go to museums (miss the cold indoors) or even tour a few outdoor sites. Christmas Day we took visiting relatives to DC and had reasonable temperatures prior to sunset. Crowds at monuments were small and we were able to create some wonderful memories and photographs (smaller crowds mean increased time to take pictures). Select sites like the Smithsonian, which have no entrance fees.
3-Ski Liberty, PA: Go to www.skiliberty.com for details about this ski resort. If you are in the metro DC area, you can be skiing or tubing in about an hour’s drive. This is not the most frugal excursion you can pursue, but it’s less expensive than flying to Colorado!
4-On President’s Day, February 18, 2008, entry to Mount Vernon Estates is free. Check other local historical sites for dates when you can gain free entry.
5-Ask about group rates for entry into parks and sites. Some venues offer discounts for groups. Gather a group of friends or families and enjoy a discount as well as a fun time of fellowship.
6-Monthly, Chic-fil-a hosts a kids’ night where there is a free craft activity. Ask your local Chic-fil-a if they host such an event and write down the dates! Ask if they are offering the “buy-one-get-one-free” chicken salad sandwich. This helps to feed your family or can offer you a lunch sandwich for the next day.
7-Mount Vernon: As I shared in my prior newsletter, my family purchased annual passes this year for Mount Vernon Estates. This historical venue has activities monthly, such as Colonial Days for small school groups February 20 - March 14. This is ideal for homeschool groups, kindergarten classes, and even a group of friends who want to educate their children during an outing. Nearly every month there is a special event. February is Black History Month at Mt. Vernon. There is also a special display of Presidential china.
Start a notebook or file folder with information about places you’d like to visit. Then, when you need an idea, you have one at your fingertips. As friends share about their adventures, add their ideas to your list. Maybe you cannot afford a week of vacation this year, but in a year or two of saving, you will be ready to go! This allows you to dream and gives you lots to look forward to (goals for saving towards).
FRUGAL IDEAS
1-Cold weather is perfect encouragement for a trip to your local public library. Read books about financial topics to educate yourself about one new subject in 2008. I’m enjoying books about time-saving ideas and household remedies (such as using hairspray to loosen ink stains). Your library is stocked with ideas on how you can improve your stewardship! Treat yourself to getting up early before the kids are up, grab a cup of coffee, and read for an hour to get one new idea for the year!
2-Valentine’s Day: Since many restaurants do not honor coupons on Valentine’s Day, select an alternative date to celebrate, if you are dining out. This way, you can enjoy a treat at a discount.
3-Instead of dining out for Valentine’s Day, cook together. Select a menu with your spouse and the two of you cook together. If only one of you enjoys cooking, then let the one who does not cook do the clean-up.
4-Skip dessert when you dine out. This will save you calories and major dollars over time. If you need a sweet treat, split one with a friend.
5-High Speed Internet: If you have more than one provider in your community, call your present internet provider and request a deal or incentive to “stay with them.” I was solicited by a phone company to “switch to them” for internet. I called my cable provider and they discounted my rate by $20/month.
6-Fight fees: If you have a service fee or “late fee,” call the company charging you and request it to be removed. More often than not, they will if you have good credit and payment history. While you don’t want late fees, there are times when life is demanding, such as the death of a loved one, when you pay an invoice late. Fight the late fees!
7-Check windows and doors for drafts. Avoid “heating the great outdoors” by using caulk, replacingin
8-Want to re-decorate? Just change your furniture location for a new look. Doesn’t cost a dime!
9-Most magazines, regardless of the type of magazine, offer some article these days on money management. Try to read an article per month to see if you can either affirm your efforts or glean a new idea.
10-At your next gathering of friends, ask for ideas on savings tips, shopping deals, investment ideas, etc. This conversation will be more edifying than gossip and it might give you a new avenue to pursue in your stewardship quest. If you have like-minded friends, start a club where you meet regularly and share ideas, pray for your finances, and encourage each other in stewardship of finances and time. You’d be surprised how friends can help and encourage each other!
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I am scheduled to speak on February 1 in Stafford, VA to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to encourage and share!
If your community or church group is seeking a speaker, please email me at michelebuschman@yahoo.com. I would love to share some encouragement and the love of Christ with your group!
And I also provide limited one-on-one financial planning and counseling by appointment. Contact me at michelebuschman@yahoo.com if you are interested in discussing your counseling needs
Joy! Michele
“And may the Lord our God show us His approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!” Psalm 90:17.