It's New Calendar Time!

This is the time of year when those of us who rely on paper planners need to think about purchasing our new planners for the New Year.

Purchase your calendar based on your personal needs. Do you need a one day at a time format or week at a glance? Do you need a specific size, to fit into your backpack or purse? I personally like a loose-leaf format, so you can easily add accessories, such as address/phone book section, planner guide tabs and pages, etc.

A favorite of mine is Frank Covey: http://store.franklinplanner.com. There are so many different styles, formats and options to choose from, you're assured a planner for your specific needs. Another favorite of mine is Day Timer: http://www.daytimer.com. I used Day Timer as my time management system, before the invention of PDA's. Now my iPhone is my time management choice. Whichever calendaring system you use, be sure that you use it consistently. Otherwise, it is useless.

A Clock That Sticks Anywhere–To Keep You on Track

This is a helpful idea–a clock with a suction cup that you can stick anywhere a suction cup sticks to, especially on your shower door. The Bath Clock is one way to improve your morning routine by supporting your need to keep track of time.

Once you add a new item like a clock to your environment, it's important to create the habit of looking at that clock to help you gauge how long each segment of a task is taking you.

Regularly checking your time as you work through your morning routine will help you manage your time more effectively. It is important to know how much time is needed for each task you do before walking out the door. Let's look at how your morning routine breaks down into measurable segments:

A. What time do you wake up? B. How long to shower and fix your hair? C. How long to get dressed? D. If you are a woman, how long does it take to apply your makeup? E. How long does it take for you to eat breakfast? F. Are there any other people in the house that you are responsible for getting up and out the door in the morning? If so, how long does that process take? Break those steps down too and add up the needed time.

What often gets us off track is our inability to manage our time better–5 minutes in the shower can often turn into 15 minutes or more. With the Bath Clock stuck to your shower wall, you'll stay on track so that you no longer get stuck in the shower, lost in your own thoughts. Here is where you can buy it: http://www.stacksandstacks.com/bath-clock-suction

Neat Desk

The folks at Neat who brought you Neat Receipts now has Neat Desk. Obviously this one is a little bigger than Neat Receipts, but it can scan up to 10 business cards, 10 receipts and 10 sheets of paper at one time, or even a single, 50-page document. NeatDesk is a high-speed, duplex desktop scanner and digital filing system. The software (NeatWorks 4.0) creates a digital filing cabinet for you and transforms the information into PDF files. The data can be exported to Excel, Outlook, Quicken, QuickBooks, and TurboTax. For us Mac users there is a Mac version of this product. 

http://neatco.com

Saving Money in Tight Times

In any economy, learning how to prioritize your spending and manage your money are important lessons to learn and implement in your daily life.

I have mentioned this product to a few clients that are dedicated coupon clippers and coupon downloaders. The product is the Couponizer, great for all of you serious shoppers and savers. I suggest that once you clip out your coupons and organize them into the Couponizer, keep this product in you car, van or SUV, where you will benefit from its use. Check in out at www.couponizer.com

You can also print out lots & lots of coupons from the internet. I suggest that you only print out or clip out coupons of products that you already use. The store you are shopping in might also have specials that you can take advantage of. Check out all of your options before you head out the door to shop. Remember that it is always better to shop from a list, not count on your memory to shop. This is how runaway shopping and spending happens. Take control of your shopping and your spending by preplanning each of your shopping trips and use your shopping list. Place your list in a central location in your kitchen and have your family get into the habit of marking down the products that they use up on the grocery list, so that you always have a current record of the products and items you need to replenish. I also ask my husband if there is anything else he needs that I can add to the list before I walk out the door (in case there is a last minute need I was not aware of).  I want to wish you happy shopping and saving!

Modular Purse Organizer

Inner Peace for your Inner Purse®

This product is just right for anyone that wants an organized purse. With this product, you can use any style purse and carry all of your essential items in their own special pockets. These pockets  attach to 3 different sized Inner Peace support panels. 

They offer an Essential Set for $24.97 that includes 2 different size support panels and 7 different item pockets (pen, card, phone, lipstick, key, sunglass & zippered mesh pockets).  They also offer an Essential Boutique set which offers a few more items. This purse organizer makes a great gift for yourself or others.  Check out their website for more info: www.innerpurse.com