Are You Still Multi-Tasking?

Americans love to multi-task. There's something so wonderful about the idea of eating lunch, working on the computer and talking on the phone all at once. It makes us feel so productive and so useful.

Again and again research has shown that multi-tasking actually cuts down on the ability to get things done. A British study showed that while multi-tasking IQ goes down by ten points. Other studies show that talking on the phone while driving (even with a hands free headset) has the same effect as driving drunk.

The New York Times has a good article http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/technology/01distracted.html?pagewanted=5&hp about using your car as an office while driving. Talking on the phone, emailing, texting, etc. The dangers are tremendous. Of course people think it increases their productivity, but one of the most interesting parts of the article is that companies which have banned talking on the phone, emailing, texting, etc. have shown no loss of productivity. So multi-tasking while driving is not only dangerous but doesn't make work faster, better or more productive.

Saving Money With Coupons 2009 #6

There are a lot of sites and blogs on the web where they list freebies, deals and coupons. The list below is a partial list. Look at these sites and you'll get an idea of what is available and how you can save money.

www.the freebieblogger.com

www.imommies.com

www.thefrugalfind.com

www.centsiblesavings.com

www.scoringdeals.com

www.momsneedtoknow.com

www.freeflys.com

www.nwadeals.net

www.freebies4mom.blogspot.com

www.thethriftymama.com

www.mommysnacks.net

www.dailyessentialsanddeals.blogspot.com

www.southernsavers.com

www.tomorrowsplight.blogspot.com

www.pueblopennypincher.blogspot.com

www.coupons.com

www.myfrugaladventures.blogspot.com

www.bargainbriana.com

www.newfrugalmom.com

www.coupongeek.net

www.happyhomemakercindy.blogpost.com

www.savingsherry.blogspot.com

Saving Money 2009 #5 -- Coupons

Can you save money using coupons. Yes, you can. Whether you save a little or a lot depends on how much time and effort you put into couponing. On January 15, 23, and 24 I had posts on coupons and how to save money. They included the usual save you coupons for when the item goes on sale (when you can really save a lot) and other coupon ideas.

By using the Internet you can also save a lot of money. There are coupons that can be pritned out directly, free offers available only on the Internet and websites that comb the Internet looking for them. There are also websites that go trhough each weeks offereing from national chains like CVS and Walgreens to see what their offers are and how to combine them with coupons so you get the items for free or very little money.

One fo the best is www.couponcravings.com which each week has an amazing list of coupons and free items. Each week it also lists what the national drugstore chains have in their circulars that you can combine with coupons and get for free. It also has a glossary tht expalins to new couponers the terms used and what they mean. For instance BOGO -- Buy One Get One Free. But their list of terms is quite extensive and it really explains them.

Paying The Same, Getting Less

Once again I urge everyone to take note of the size of the item you are buying. Many, many manufacturers of just about everything have cut down on the size of the product but are charging the same price.

Haagen Dazs ice cream is just the latest that I have noticed. Their "pints" are now 14 oz. A pint is 16 oz. I saw that packaging looked a little strange on the "pints". I checked the amount and sure enough they have reduced it by 2 ounces which is about 12%. The price has stayed the same. I have looked at other pints and they are all still 16 oz.

Tuna quite a while ago went to 5 oz. from 6. I rummaged around for a while on the shelves looking for 6 oz. cans and found quite a few but they no longer exist.

A friend who has a dog said dog food no longer comes in 50 pound bags, it's now 44 I believe.

So watch the unit price to see what you are really getting. If you look at the ice cream price of Haagen Dazs and then look at their unit price compared to any other ice cream their unit price is the highest by far -- even when compared to other premium ice creams. It's the reduced size of the container that does it.

So check the unit price and check the amoutn in the package. It's only going to get worse.

I'll be posting a lot more about coupons and free samples soon.

How To Run A Garage Sale

Garage sale season is very much upon us and many people want to make some extra money with a garage sale. I've run them both personally and professionally and I've worked some ideas to get you the most money and make things run smoother.

1. Make sure everything is clean. Clean things sell easily and more quickly than things that look dirty or that people don't want to handle. This applies to dishes, glassware, silverware, toys --anything that needs to be washed, polished or cleaned. Just because it is a garage sale don't think that you can just dump stuff out and get a good price.

2. Put a price on everything. Many people don't like to ask prices and you will lose sales if prices are not marked. Yes, it is tedious and time consuming but you want to make money. You can also put up signs that say all hardcover books 50 cents or all blouses one dollar. Make it easy for people to figure out what you want.

3. Have at least one extra person to work with you. Never work a garage sale alone. Otherwise things will disappear. Dishes, a toaster, other things. You need to have at least one person watching the people and the stuff all the time. Another person should be handling the money and the wrapping. If you can get a third person, that is even better.

4. Save newspaper and plastic bags for weeks or months beforehand to wrap and hold people's purchases. Lots of people want bags for whatever they have bought even if it is a small item.

5. Have small bills and change for people.

6. Be prepared to haggle. Some people will haggle over any price. Some are legitimately asking for a lower price. If people buy a lot of stuff cut the price. If it's a two day sale cut the prices the second day. The idea is to sell things not to hold on to them.

7. Advertise the sale. Give the usuals of date, time and place but also mention a lot of specific things. The more people that come out the better for you. Put an ad on craigslist, put it in a local paper, or any place that is free. If your community allows it (some don't) put up signs on trees to let people know about the sale and to guide people there.

8. Price realistically. Know what other garage sales ask.

9. Group things together. Like goes with like. The toys go together, the shoes go together, the glassware goes together, the costume jewelry goes together, the books go together. It makes it much easier for people to see what you've got and to see what they want to buy.

Do You Have A Safe?

Do you have a safe for your valuables? Is it also fireproof for your papers?

I've worked with many people who have a safe but few have it bolted to the floor. If it is the type of safe that you contains money or jewelry or other valuables you should have bolted to the floor. Otherwise thieves can just take the whole thing and open it at their leisure.

If it is on an upper floor it can fall if the structure burns. So put it in the basement or on the first floor.

If you only need something small for papers than get a fireproof box at one of the office big box stores. It will hold your important papers so they will not burn.

You should also make copies of the papers and send them to someone who does not live in your aera or scan them to a disc and also send them to someone out of the area. This way at least you have the information until you can replace the originals.

How NOT to Get Things Done

As a change of pace I thought I'd list 10 ways NOT to get things done and NOT to recognize what's important in life. If you want to keep yourself disorganized, harried and always behind this is the way to do it.



1. Don't throw anything out. Keep everything. After all you may need it someday. So what if things become so cluttered you can't find anything.

2. Keep making new piles. Don't file anything and don't ever go through old piles to see what can be thrown out.

3. Let paper take over your life. Remember that each piece is so precious and important that your life fades into the background instead.

4. Stack up and keep all the magazines and newspapers that you will read "someday".

5. Never figure out what are the real priorities in your life. After all if everything is equally important it doesn't matter what you get done first.

6. Never make yourself an important priority in your life. Sufficient sleep, exercise, eating right all those things don't really matter. What is important is getting caught up in the things of the moment and not the things that make your life better.

7. Do not set goals. After all you may just as well take whatever happens to you in life and just experience it. Setting goals and accomplishing things would just interfere with that.

8. Waste time watching TV or surfing the Internet. After all the average American watches 24 hours of TV a week and spends who knows how much time surfing the Internet so you might as well do it too.

9. Don't think of your family or friends as important. Concentrate instead on getting and acquiring things. After all that's what impresses other people so that must be what's important.

10. Never figure out how long it really takes to get things done. Just assume it will take 20 minutes and when it takes and hour and a half be really surprised.