Slash Your Phone Bill and Save

Posted on May 23, 2012 by theresa

 

Is a cell phone only option a good solution for you?

Telephones are no longer considered a luxury but a necessity.  People of all ages usually have a land fixed telephone line plus a cell phone.  Kids can’t imagine not having a cell phone to chat with their friends.  Some even use their phone to keep in touch with parents.  At least we’re communicating more with each other but it’s become a monthly expense that can get out of control.

Some are afraid to open their phone bill each month and discover how much they went over budget.  If you’re spending more than you should, then it’s time to take a good close look at your bill and determine if you really need all those extra bells and whistles.

For instance, ring tones are fun, but do you really need them.  Can you do without call forwarding and call waiting?  How often do you text message?  If you don’t regularly use these extras that you pay for cancel them and save.

It may be time to go totally cellular.  More than 15% of households have done just that.  Before you take the total cell plunge, analyze your phone bill to see how much you use your landline and then add about 20%.  Most people tend to talk more on their cell than the landline.  It just seems to be trendy and convenient.

Comparison shop.  Some providers are not opposed to negotiating for free minutes, lower rates and even free services.  There is lots of competition out there but be sure you have the plan that’s right for you even if you pay more.  Ask about combining services and a family plan if several phones are needed.

Read the contract carefully including the fine print.  Ask questions, but ultimately making the right decisions will be up to you.  Make sure the provider rounds to the nearest second, not minute. 

If you’ll be talking more in the evening hours make sure you get their definition of night hours.  Roaming charges can take a big bite out of your pocketbook and vary with the provider.

Take advantage of the trial period.  This can vary from 2 days to 30 days and may be negotiable.  This will give you a chance to use the cell phone in your home and see if there are any areas of poor reception.  Find out if you can access 911 with your cell. 

VOIP (voice over internet Protocol) comes from your Internet provider and transmits calls over the internet.  If you make a lot of long distance calls this can be a good choice because it usually provides unlimited local and long distance calls.  But, if you have a power failure, most broadband cell phones won’t work.

Another option is the pre-paid phone cards where you pay for minutes in advance.  The price range is about $15 to $25.  This is good for chatty children with a limited amount of minutes teaching them discipline and budgeting.  If you lose the card you lose the minutes and many have an expiration date.

Going totally cellular is an important decision.  Be honest with yourself on how much you use the phone.  Over estimate rather than under estimate.  Avoid long term contracts.  Keep an eye out for special limited offers.  Good phone service can keep you in touch.  But, don’t lose touch with your budget.

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Time Is a Four-Letter Word

Posted on May 15, 2012 by theresa

Granted this states the obvious but it does capture the feeling about time. It’s not that you don’t like having time to get things done or time to spare. That’s not the problem. The reason that “time” evokes such strong feelings is when your calendar is so crowded that time feels more like a curse than a benefit.

The way to take away the frustration over time is to better use the hours and minutes you have. Everyone works with the same 24 hours but some people seem to get more out of it. They certainly aren’t expanding time, that’s not possible. What they do is to use time efficiently and that’s the essence of time management.

Do you maximize your time?
Do you maximize your time?

The most challenging aspect of time management is to decide that you really do want to manage your time. If you are certain about that, then you have to decide if you are willing to make changes in your schedule and activities. 

There is no cosmic shoehorn that allows you to cram 35 hours of work into a 24-hour day. When you hear that someone wants to “make more time,” forget it. There is no way to expand the hours. You simply need to make choices about how to use the hours in each day.

When you think of ways to do more in the same time period, don’t even think about cutting back on sleep. That’s a common mistake.  You need seven to eight hours of sleep nightly for health, energy and to work at prime efficiency.

Working late and cutting back to five or six hours might be ok once in a week, but it’s not good to do all week then think you can catch up on the weekend. A sleep-deprived body and exhausted brain are not your best assets. You’ll get much more accomplished by getting a full night’s sleep and tackling that new client proposal or special project in the morning.

If you have more work, family and leisure activities than you can fit into a reasonable day, then you need to make some choices. Before you start to associate time management with giving up something, understand that this is not the point. You can’t manage your time until you decide what goes and what stays.

Even then it’s not about giving up something. You can alternate some activities. For example, if you like to play golf but rush through the course to take the children fishing, then play golf two weekends and set up an all day fishing adventure on the other two weekends. This way you can enjoy both leisure pursuits without being so frantic that the fun is taken out of having fun.

Time management isn’t just about finding more ways to cram in more work. Effective time management also helps you find time for leisure or even to sit around and do nothing. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Imagine if you had time to lounge by the pool, read a novel instead of a company report or ride your bike around the park.

That’s not a fantasy or something that you put off until retirement. Having time for yourself is possible, if you are willing to apply time management techniques to your busy life.

Just get out the eraser because you have to start by trimming back to a manageable amount of activity to fit into a 10-12 hour day with 8 hours to sleep. That leaves 4 to 6 hours to spend each day. If you take away worry time and zoning out in front of the television, you have just found time. Now it’s up to you to manage that time.  What else can you trim or change so you can have more time to do the things you love or the things you’ve been procrastinating?

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Wordless Wednesday – Organize Outgoing Mail

Posted on May 2, 2012 by theresa

Organize your outgoing mail in a napkin holder.  Keep it by the door and you can easily grab the mail to put in the mailbox on your way out each day.

A great way to remember birthdays is to prepare all the birthday cards to be mailed at the beginning of each month.  Put all the addressed, stamped and sealed cards in the napkin holder to be mailed.  Mail each card one week before the recipients’ birthday.  No last minute card and stamp shopping.  It’s all ready to go!

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Five Meals That Are Quick and Tasty for the Whole Family

Posted on April 25, 2012 by theresa

Family preparing salad for dinner.

Every day is hectic and the weeks fly by. You want to feed your family well, but you have no time to spend hours in the kitchen. How are you going to give your family healthy, tasty meals and avoid bringing home fast food for dinner?

Here are five suggestions for getting through a no-time-to-cook week:

1. Have a soup and salad or sandwich night. This can be anything from good old-fashioned tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, to homemade lentil soup with a healthy salad of dark greens, tomato, sliced black olives and a sprinkling of cheese.
You can use soup from the can, or throw together a quick homemade recipe, or even cook up a batch on the weekend for serving during the week. Sandwiches can be served on whole grain bread or rolls with a variety of veggies, meats, and cheeses. Salads are quick and easy to make and you can serve them with a simple oil and vinegar dressing or a side of dressing from a bottle.
2. Make use of that crock pot that’s stuck in the back of your cupboard. Get the crock pot out in the morning, toss in some cubed beef, sliced potatoes and carrots, some onion and a bit of water or broth and you’ve got stew when you get home. You can also make soups, chili and other recipes in the crock pot – very convenient and easy.
3. Try a simple pasta dish. Everyone loves pasta and you can make a tasty, but easy pasta dish with by tossing any kind of pasta with your favorite sauce and maybe a sprinkle of cheese. Or try a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of basil. Serve with whole grain rolls and a quick salad and you’ve got a simple family-friendly meal.
4. Stir fry a quick and healthy dinner. Buy pre-cut stir-fry vegetables at the grocery; add some chicken, shrimp or beef, a package of stir-fry seasoning and serve over rice. Use low sodium and no MSG seasonings for a healthier stir-fry. You can use any combination of vegetables and meat, or go meatless. Your family will love it.
5. Enjoy breakfast for dinner. Crack open some eggs and make a tasty omelet for the family. Serve with fresh sliced fruit and a side of toast. Or serve breakfast burritos and a side of healthy turkey bacon or sausage.

Eating well doesn’t have to involve long recipes that take hours to complete. And eating quick doesn’t mean a run to the nearest fast food restaurant. Take advantage of the simple things that you know your family loves.

Satisfying, healthy and quick meals are at your fingertips with a bit of imagination. Don’t forget to let the kids help with preparing the food, setting the table or cleaning up. If you want to be sure that your family enjoys wonderful, cooked from scratch feasts, save those for the weekend, or make them on the weekend and freeze them for use during the week.

Your busy life isn’t a good excuse for eating fast food, but you’re not expected to produce culinary works of art everyday either. Enjoy a simple meal with your family.

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