Wise Bread (Life Hacks posts)

Best Money Tips: Habits of Exceptionally Healthy People

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:00:15 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on habits of exceptionally healthy people, how to select the best credit card, and cheap ways to keep kids busy this winter.

News & Events

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Be sure to check out our News & Events Calendar to see all the awesome upcoming events in the personal finance world!

Written by Ashley Jacobs and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

10 Tips to Make Working From Home a Success

Parenting Squad — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:48:16 +0000

It's estimated that 10 to 15 million Americans work from home. Many people, including a great percentage of moms and dads, find the work-from-home opportunity the perfect fit for their lifestyle.

But working from home is hard work, especially with kids in the picture. Whether you're contemplating a work-from-home opportunity or already heading to your in-house office each day, here are 10 tips to help make the business adventure a success. (See also: 3 Sources for Freelance Work at Home Jobs)

1. Get everyone in the house on board

Without family support, your at-home business won't survive. The kids must understand the times when mommy or daddy might be home but can't be disturbed. Your spouse must step up to duties you might otherwise assume but can't because of work. Share the household workload.

2. Create an office or work space

Even if you can do your job sitting on the couch with laptop in hand, creating work space is important. Whether it's an actual office with doors and a desk or a corner of the bedroom partitioned by a room divider, you need an area that's off limits to the kids. Another bonus: Office space for an at-home business is tax deductible.

3. Establish a schedule — but work when you can

Establish a base schedule: A set chunk of hours, certain days of the week, etc. where you perform the bulk of your duties. This is especially important if you have clients working traditional business hours at an office.

But embrace the flexibility working from home allows. Are you an early riser or night owl? What tasks can you complete late at night when the family's asleep, or in the morning before everyone wakes up? Do quick tasks when the baby's napping.

4. Take breaks

Just because you're already home doesn't mean you don't deserve a break. Take a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break, long enough to stretch your muscles, do some breathing exercises, or make a quick personal call. Schedule a lunch hour and step away from the computer.

5. Don't do laundry during office hours

It's so tempting to fold those clothes or unload that dishwasher, but you couldn't do any of that if you were at an office building. Treat your at-home job as you would any other job, avoiding the temptation to do house chores during business hours.

6. Write a job description and keep track of goals and achievements

Write a job description that highlights your duties and responsibilities, and track your goals. Doing so keeps you on target. Additionally, having an updated resume is essential when you're working from home. Writing a job description makes the task simpler.

7. Multi-task wisely and organize

If juggling multiple duties at once doesn't come naturally, figure out a way to learn this all-important skill. Working from home affords flexibility, but with flexibility comes the need to do multiple duties. Organize your day. White boards and calendars become your new best friends. Also, check out Zoho.com, recently featured on Lifetime Television's The Balancing Act. Zoho has organizational solutions, paperwork, productivity apps, and much more for professionals who work from home.

8. Utilize pre-school, child care, or sitters

Ah, the joys of taking business calls with a tired toddler at your feet! Don't confuse working from home with being at home. If your budget permits, consider preschool, child care, or other options during daytime hours. You'd do so if your office was downtown instead of downstairs, right?

9. Establish connections within the profession

Join a professional association, attend conferences and seminars, and participate in online forum discussions. Networking and staying in tune with current topics within your industry are critical for your professional development.

10. Get out of the office

Remember the idea of taking a break that was mentioned earlier? Make one break long enough to allow you time out of the house. Meet a friend for lunch, go to the gym, walk the dog. Yes, it's your office, but it's also your home. You'll burn out and go stir crazy if you don't find a change of scenery.

Working from home is a great alternative for many women wanting to balance their personal and professional life, as long as family support and the right mindset and tools are in place.

Working from home is hard work, especially if you have kids in the picture. Here are 10 tips to help make the business adventure a success.

Guest Post Blurb:

This post is by Kelli Robinson from our sister blog, Parenting Squad. Visit Parenting Squad for more parenting tips and news:

Written by Parenting Squad and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Getting the Most Out of Free College-Planning Resources

Julie Rains — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:48:09 +0000

Having heard so much about the difficulty and stress of choosing, applying to, and getting accepted into college, I was concerned that I needed to spend lots of time coaching my son during his senior year of high school, looking over his shoulder, asking the right questions, pursuing varied choices, and more. Now that this process is over, I realize that neither my son nor I did everything exactly right. But effective use of these free resources gave us enough direction to help him land a slot in the freshman class of the college of his choice. (See also: Wise Bread's College Guide)

Here are the resources that were useful to my family.

Online Resources

There are many online resources that help students with college planning. College Board, College Navigator, and CollegeView help you find colleges and universities that meet your requirements. Others, like Unigo, provide insights into college life.

Because my son was already using College Board to register for the SAT, practice solving sample problems, and send test scores to colleges, this site was a natural go-to source of information. Admittedly, I have a love-hate relationship with College Board. This organization is the sole provider of the SAT and other standardized tests (such as AP course tests and SAT Subject tests), which play an expensive role in providing information on prospective students to colleges and universities with seemingly uncertain returns on investment.

I love the site, though, for its free resources. There you can find colleges that fit your criteria and determine if you fall within their requirements. It lets you specify your wants in a college or university and drill down to a short list of possibilities. This process can be useful in developing a preferred list of colleges and universities or locating a safety school if you aren’t selected for your top choice. Anyone can use this feature, but you’ll need to sign up for a free account if you want to save your searches and their results.

To get started, go to College MatchMaker:

Make your initial selections, then “submit and continue."
Keep going or refining your results until you have a manageable number of colleges to consider or there are no more selections to be made.
Click "see results" when you have finished specifying relevant information.

Specifying the college major is not intuitive. Here's what to do so that you can find colleges and universities with the academic programs you want:

Select a college major by entering keywords or selecting categories, press “go,” and then select majors among the results, adding individual or all selections to your list.
Find schools that have at least one of these majors or all of these majors by selecting the "any" or "all" radio button.

After you make your list, learn more about each college or university. Key items to note are admission requirements and academic stats on class rank and GPA under "At a Glance." You can also check out other characteristics like what type of student housing is available, campus and city amenities, and special non-academic programs.

What Worked for Me

My son's top choice was UNC-Chapel Hill (my alma mater), but I felt he needed a Plan B, aka "safety school." Using the College MatchMaker, I found a school that met his criteria for location, setting, academics, and size. He and I both wanted a larger school with all the majors of his choice so that if he changed his mind, he could easily switch his course of study without having to transfer to another college or university. Finally, we looked at admissions criteria to make sure that he really was applying to a safety school based on its admissions requirements and his qualifications.

Guidance Counseling Office

Guidance counselors can help you navigate the college selection and application process. Many school-based counselors carry a heavy student load, so it is helpful to prepare a list of questions or specific agenda for a meeting.

Over time, I learned about guidance counseling services, which include:

Providing you with information on class rank, beginning as early as the end of freshman year
Writing letters of recommendation for college applications and scholarships
Sending transcripts to schools on your behalf or providing you with official transcripts in a sealed envelope
Providing a list of scholarships offered by universities and area organizations
Offering guidance in exploring careers and colleges that match your talents and strengths.

Access to an educational consultant was free to my family, who offered his services at no charge to members of his church (which included our family). Some of these services might also be available through a guidance counselor:

Assistance in selecting target colleges or universities based on academic achievements plus desired courses of study
Clarification of college goals, preferences, and needs
Guidance on summer activities that will be meaningful to the student and colleges
Advice on classes to take and extra-curricular activities to highlight
Responses to specific questions about the planning, selection, and application process

What Worked for Me

The guidance counselor assigned to my son changed at least once during his high-school career. His reticence and the changes were a couple of reasons we didn't use this resource as much as we may have. However, his designated counselor did write a letter of recommendation based mainly on his high-school resumé, review of his academic record, and a meeting with him. Also, the team of counselors pulled together to help him get testing accommodations when he broke his right arm a few days before the SAT.

The counselors at my son's school developed a process for student requests of transcripts, which was useful to know given the strict deadlines for admission and scholarship applications (plus the tendency of some students to wait until the last minute to make a request). This process covered mail and electronic submissions, timelines from receipt of request to fulfillment, and methods of documenting completion of requests.

The educational consultant offered intelligent, sound, and objective advice to my son. He outlined the college planning process, created a short list of colleges and universities for consideration, and answered specific questions my son had throughout his high-school career, like whether to re-take the SAT.

School and College-Sponsored Forums

Forums with panel presentations and Q&A sessions are often held by high schools as well as colleges and universities. Guidance counselors may speak at school events. At systemwide and college- or university-sponsored events, representatives from many schools are available and they take turns sharing insights. The topics covered in these sessions might include:

How to choose, pursue, and showcase high school courses and extra-curricular activities
Overview of admissions philosophies and insights into the selection processes
What not to do
Profile of ideal students (or discussion of the fallacy of an ideal student)
Methods of navigating the college-applications process so that you will meet all deadlines

What Worked for Me

An admission forum helped my husband and I to feel comfortable with our son's choices of activities. We learned that honest, dogged pursuit of what was interesting to him was way more meaningful than dabbling in activities esteemed by grown-ups.

A presentation by the guidance counselors on the last day of my son's junior year was helpful to get started during the summer before his senior year, when he was not overloaded with class assignments. This session also helped me understand how the counselors perceived their roles and the family responsibilities in planning and applying for college.

In regard to the essay, I learned that admissions staff are most interested in getting a glimpse of the student's personality, not reading perfectly written documents. Just as I was debating whether to ask my son to continue improving his essay, a friend told me that the university reps warned against parental meddling, often evidenced by abrupt changes in tone and style. As a result, I encouraged him to make edits that he thought were needed and stayed calm when one of his former English teachers told him that the essays weren't all that good.

Colleges and Universities

The college and university representatives who I encountered in face-to-face, online, and phone conversations were surprisingly honest and accurate about what makes a good match between the school and student plus what steps to take in getting your application to them. You can easily access their advice via websites, blogs, phone calls, and campus tours to get this type information:

Academic programs
Admission standards and selection processes
Application procedures and deadlines
Opportunities for study abroad
Eligibility for merit and need-based scholarships and financial aid

What Worked for Me

Because my son's interest in exploring universities beyond Chapel Hill was almost non-existent, we used these resources on a limited basis. However, I did enjoy learning about how UNC had changed since my graduation during a campus tour. And admissions officials there and at one of my son's safety schools were patient and kind when answering my questions about application processes.

What free resources did you use to plan for college? Tell us how you make the most of them in the comments.

Written by Julie Rains and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

5 Ways Blazing Internet Speeds Can Save You Money

Carlos Portocarrero — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:00:15 +0000

This technology article is sponsored by Comcast Business Class, the nation's leading communication services provider.

Benjamin Franklin said it best — time is money.

This is especially true today, when the speed of your internet connection can directly impact your bottom line. There are many ways employees, entrepreneurs, and business owners can benefit financially from blazing fast internet connections.

1. Knowledge

If you want to thrive in today’s world, you need to know everything you possibly can about your competition, your industry, and your reputation. That means keeping up with the latest research, news, and trends.

The average American consumes 34 gigabytes of data per day. That’s a lot of presentations, video feeds, emails, and documents. Wouldn’t you rather spend time digesting that information instead of waiting around for them to download?

Imagine if faster internet saved you 1 minute per hour. If you worked 8 hours days, you would save 40 minutes a week, which adds up to 2,080 minutes (34.6 hours) a year. That’s 4.3 work days saved per year for just one person.

Faster internet speeds also help you look ahead and grow.

For example, iTunes lets you take entire college-level courses in a bunch of different subjects. MIT’s business school also offers all of their course materials online free of charge. If you run a business, you can add more talent to your team and employees get to develop their skill sets without spending a fortune.

2. Telecommuting and Communication

High speed internet is needed to power high-quality video conferencing and VoIP — two key tools for improving employee collaboration, reducing travel costs, and making your company appear more professional to clients.

If you look at the gas prices lately, telecommuting should be a no-brainer. Having one employee work half of his time from home saves his company about $10,000 per year, and the employee up to $6,800 per year, according to the Telework Research Network.

A drawback of telecommuting is that you get cut off from coworkers. This is why quality high speed video conferencing is so important. Studies show that only 7% of communication involves actual words; 55% of communication is visual (body language, eye contact), and 38% is vocal (pitch, tone of voice).

There’s a world of difference between a pixelated version of you chopping in and out of a video conference versus an HD version that’s crystal clear. The right connection correctly projects your body language and tone of voice — fully bringing you into a meeting. On the other hand, a slow connection can create disastrous misunderstandings (Cartwright!) that will inevitably cost you money.

3. Efficiency and Happiness

Slow internet speed creates distractions that lower your efficiency. Think about it — you’re trying to complete a task, and then you run into a speed bump. Say the large PDF you’re downloading has stalled or the training video you’re watching stops streaming. So you switch over to your email or Facebook to see what’s going on there. You’ve just distracted yourself and become inefficient.

Doesn’t sound like a big deal right? Well, those seconds add up. The average worker switches tasks every three minutes, and, once distracted, that worker takes nearly a half-hour to get back to work, reports the New York Times. Interruptions and the time it takes to recover from them consume 28% of a worker’s day.

Aside from distracting you, slow internet speed can also frustrate you to the point of throwing things. Nobody likes to wait for downloads, especially when it’s crunch time and things need to get done. Frustrations at work are not only annoying, but they also affect an employer’s bottom line. Unhappy workers are less engaged with their work, and are generally 10% less productive.

On the other hand, happier workers are 12% more productive. Studies show that when websites loads faster, the users experience less frustration, lower blood pressure, higher engagement, and deeper flow states. All these positive effects can lead to higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and a general sense of well-being around the office.

4. The Cloud

Productivity and morale are important, but every business knows that without data, nothing gets done. Whether it’s your database or your research, you need to have fast, immediate access to all your data if you’re going to make educated decisions.

The last thing you want to worry about is losing all your precious data, and that’s why cloud technology has been such a boon. Storing your data in the cloud ensures it’s safe no matter what happens to your hardware.

Cloud storage also saves you money. When files are stored on remote servers, your local computer spends less energy storing and processing data. According to recent reports, cloud technology will save the global business community $12.3 billion on energy bills, and save the planet from 87 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

Of course, there’s a catch to backing up to the cloud — it’s not going to be convenient unless you have a fast internet connection. Storing everything in the cloud would be a huge mistake if you can’t get to your data quickly. Implementing cloud computing without upgrading your internet connection is like putting rocket fuel into a Model T.

5. The Future

If your goal is to grow and maintain your business indefinitely, you have to be prepared to adapt to new technologies and new ways of doing business. Who knew ten years ago that Facebook and Twitter would play such an important role in everyday life?

Nobody did — and that’s the point.

There are going to be new technologies that are going to kick ass…if you have the speed for it. YouTube would’ve been useless to most people back in the day of slow, screeching modems. But today’s speeds mean HD video is available to most of us.

I wish I could tell you I know which new technology is going to take the world by storm, but I don’t. I do know this — it’s going to be neat for most people and killer for businesses with fast Internet. Maybe it’s 3D videoconferencing that actually looks good or virtual reality or a better way of cooperating with people across the world.

Who knows...but if you want in, you’d better step on the gas.

Personally, having faster internet has made me smarter (I’m taking a programming course on iTunes) and more inspired (TED talks, anyone?). What has speed done for you?

Written by Carlos Portocarrero and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Financial Tricks to Master for a Happier Life

David Ning — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:24:25 +0000

Chances are very good that it's not the money we are after, but to be happy. Yet, many of us mistakenly chase the elusive idea of "having more money" and we end up working endlessly while we sacrifice our happiness to reach this goal.

If you want a good motto to live by, it should be this: The journey IS the reward. Here are five things you can do this year to increase your happiness. (See also: Big List of Things to be Happy About)

Make Only One Goal

The start of the year also marks the favorite time to make new goals, but we often make so many that we end up not reaching any. There's no shame in making just one goal and meeting it. The satisfaction of a job well done is so fulfilling.

Aim to Improve a Tiny Bit

Many high earners will tell you that they aren't happy with their income. This is because they are already used to the amount of money that they are making. Everything is all relative. In order to feel happy, make improvements. And it doesn't even have to be related to making money, either.

Weight loss, family ties, time management, starting a budget, and many other goals will all make you happy as long as you are making progress. The bonus is that if you are always aiming to improve a tiny bit, it will help you start a routine faster because you will feel less overwhelmed by a completely new project.

Shrink Your To Do List

No one likes to have things piling up. Try to stop thinking and worrying about what you have to do and just do it. You will be much happier with fewer tasks on your to do list and more accomplishments under your belt..

Swap TV Time for Activities Out of Your Home

The average person spends about four hours in front of the TV daily. That's time you could be using to improve all facets of your life, time you could be exercising, and time you could be spending with your family. The No. 1 complaint most adults have is probably not having enough time, so why spend any time in front of the TV, gaining weight while you bleed your life away?

Indulge Often!

No matter how much you love seeing your net worth grow, frequent indulgences make us happier than socking money away and seeing a bigger account balance. The obvious problem is that we don't have unlimited funds, so why not trade some of your bigger expenditures for small indulgences?

Instead of a big car payment, why don't you go out for dinners more often? Instead of an expensive annual vacation, why don't you go on a mini-road trip every month? By spending frequently but with smaller amounts, you will find that you get much more satisfaction out of every dollar that you spend.

Written by David Ning and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

15 Tested Tips for Creative Efficiency

Annie Mueller — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:36:23 +0000

Creative pursuits and efficiency don't always seem to go together; in fact, our age-old wisdom tells us that in order to be truly creative, we need wide open swaths of time, unbounded by other obligations like work, kids, and the need to get dinner on the table. (See also: Fun and Cheap Ways to Get Creative When You’re Bored)

Then there's real life, which includes work, kids, the need to get dinner on the table…little things like that which won't go away. Life won't be put on hold while we decide to get creative.

So what's the answer? Unless we've found "being creative" a way to also earn a living, we find ourselves having to fit our creative pursuits around the edges of our day. If you're in a boat like mine, you're trying to do all that and then some: being a mom, while also using your creative skills (in my case, writing) to supplement your family's income… oh, and also carve a little time in to write that novel or book of poems that you don't expect will make you any money but which simply must be written.

I'm writing this right now with my third child snuggled up next to me. He's 2 1/2, and he and the other three kids have been sick for the last week. We're all starting to get better now, but for the last seven days I've not had more than a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time. To say I'm tired is a drastic understatement. My oldest is five. My youngest is 5 months. Also, right now, we're living in my in-laws' basement due to the black mold problem discovered in our house. We've been living away from home for a couple of weeks, running back and forth to get what we need, moving back in once only to find more mold so moving back out again. Needless to say, my life is a bit unsettled.

What I'm trying to say with that long drawn-out story is that life is rarely going to bless you with long open hours to sit around and paint portraits or write songs or write novels.

If you want the time, you have to fight for it. And chances are, you'll win it in minutes and snatches, not in hours and days.

So here are 15 tips I've discovered/gathered/collected from the last seven years of being a wife, a mom, and someone who values creativity too much to let it wait until the kids are grown and we're retired and I have all the time in the world. Which I don't expect will happen anyway (the all the time in the world part, I mean. I do expect the kids to be grown, someday).

1. Create simple routines for your day

Routines simplify the repetitive tasks of the day, helping you to get them done on autopilot so your brain is free for creative pursuits while your body does the routine work.

2. Keep your supplies on hand

Accessibility is a big part of being more creative. If you have to get involved in any sort of major set-up before you can be creative, you're putting up a road block.

3. Focus on one project at a time

It simplifies what your brain needs to do, and allows your unconscious to work on the project and be ready with creativity when the time comes.

4. Do something related to your art every single day

Keep it fresh and front of mind. Even if all you have time for is something very basic, get in five minutes of an activity related to your creative project. For a writer, that could be just keeping a daily journal, or a five-minute creative writing break. For artists, it could be making a sketch, or reviewing your sketches.

5. Have an easy way to catch ideas

Keep a notebook in your pocket or get good at quickly recording ideas on your phone. They don't need to be good ideas, just treat them as valuable and put them in a place where you can find them later. This has a double benefit of freeing your brain up from the work of holding those ideas and giving you a place to start when you're out of ideas, later.

6. Focus on one medium/method at a time

Focus is powerful; it sets boundaries for your creativity, which actually kicks it into gear.

7. Immerse yourself

Read books on or related to your creative pursuit. Read biographies, or watch biographies and documentaries of others in the field. Go to workshops, talk to peers, listen to inspiring music, study, immerse yourself in what you're doing and things related to it. Give your brain plenty of fodder.

8. Think in 5- to 10-minute blocks

What can you do in five minutes? In ten minutes? Think in these terms. It's different than having hours of unbroken time, but that kind of luxury isn't always possible. Five minutes is long enough to write a few sentences, analyze the light in the corner, listen to the line of a song, try a new stitch pattern, match some colors, play with a logo design. It's not enough to do everything, or even much, but it's enough to do something.

9. Make creativity mobile

How can you work on your creative project while you're on the go? Can you listen to related recordings, podcasts, music? Can you jot down ideas in your notebook? Talk about it with a peer or mentor?

10. Eliminate time wasters that eat up your free time

Keep a time log if you're not sure what your time wasters are. You'll find some. Pick one, and get it out of your life.

11. Turn off the TV

It eats your time and your brain cells. If you truly want time to do your creative work, kill it. For that matter, unplug yourself entirely when you're off work and able to be unavailable. Silence the phone, shut down the browser. Give your brain some free space.

12. Train your muse

Do some work every day at the same time in the same place. It trains your muse to show up and be ready.

13. Hang out with inspiring people

Find the people in your life who inspire you to work harder, think bigger, be better. Put yourself around them. Limit your time around the people who distract you with gossip, negativity, same-old same-old ruts of life.

14. Define creative work so you know when you're doing it

There are so many ways to be creative. You probably have a lot more creativity in your life than you know. Cooking, baking, sewing, humming, playing games… define creativity beyond art/music/writing.

15. Use your creative strengths on obligatory tasks

Need to plan a birthday party? Find a way to use your creative strengths. You'll pull off a better party and use the time "planning" as creative time. Try to do that with everything possible: volunteer for things that fit your creatively. Take on the work projects that allow you to use your creative strengths. So on.

What are your tips for creative efficiency? How do you fit creative work into your busy life? Share in the comments so we can all benefit.

Written by Annie Mueller and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

15 Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance

SavvySugar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:24:22 +0000

Staying on top of your A-game and maintaining a healthy work-life balance can feel like an oxymoron. Most of us experience an uneven pull between our social lives and work commitments, which isn't surprising considering the current economy and fact that employees everywhere are working overtime to show they're an indispensable part of the team. Nevertheless, it's important to establish a healthy harmony between your job and personal life. This doesn't just mean working overtime to please your boss and boyfriend; it means creating a balance of time spent working, playing, and pleasing yourself.

Foster Healthy Weekday Habits

If we're not careful the weekdays can become one big work blur. Instigate healthy habits by taking a trip to the grocery store (save on groceries with these tricks) on Sunday and planning the meals you will make at home during the week, or challenge yourself to visit the gym four nights in one week. The time away from the computer and work worries will clear your mind, allow you to focus, and likely inspire you to be more productive when you are at the computer.

Learn the Value of Saying No

Most SavvySugar readers admit they have a hard time saying no to work and social invitations, which means many of you are getting roped into projects, parties, and events you'd rather say "no way, Jose!" to. Next time you are invited to something, weigh the benefit and cost before saying yes. If you think the event or project will have a positive impact on your productivity, career, and networking without disrupting your non-work schedule, go for it. If you think your personal life will suffer because of it, say no.

Remember, don't be too "nice" or you may not be able to get ahead at work.

Set Calendar Reminders

Set goals, appointments, lunch dates, or even eye breaks or gym appointments in your work calendar. The little office notification will pop up and force you to stop what you are doing and focus on your goal.

Put Family First When You're Home

Your family and loved ones will come to resent you if you keep your eyes on your laptop or phone every night. Make quality-time dates with your family or significant other after dinner to distract you from your workload. The work will always be there in the morning, or after Glee. Savor your at-home time while you can.

Get Your Zzzs

When you're running up against the clock and finishing a high priority project, it's easy to lose track of time and pull an all-nighter. But chances are you won't produce your best work at 4 a.m. after 20 hours in front of the computer. Don't compromise your sleeping schedule or ignore the power of your beauty rest. The pile will still be there in the morning, and chances are your co-workers won't respond to their email before 9 a.m. anyway.

Having trouble waking up? Use these tips to wake up and get out of bed fast.

Know When to Unplug

While most of us can't finish all our tasks while we are in the office, it's crucial to set boundaries. If you carry your laptop home with you at night and often work on it while watching TV or hanging out at home for more than an hour, stay at work for an extra 45 minutes instead to finish critical tasks and leave your computer at the office. If you carry your BlackBerry with you everywhere and check work email every five minutes, make a rule to only check it once or twice an hour. You'll be more productive and still be able to relax and focus on your non-work life.

Sign Up For a Class

If challenging yourself to cook or visit the gym isn't doing the trick, sign up for a class you can't miss. If you pre-pay for a yoga or French pastry class you will be more likely to show up and detach from work for those few hours.

Take Personal Breaks During the Day

Unless your employer asks you to clock in and out for breaks, you should assume responsibility for your time. Make sure you've scoped out your manager's take on personal breaks and then make a schedule to give yourself 15 or 20 minutes of break time during the day. Take a walk around the block and call your mom or BFF. Make a list of errands you need to accomplish during the week and then sit outside Starbucks for 15 minutes while you make your phone calls. Your fellow employees will appreciate you not making personal calls in the office and you will feel as though you've taken a work break and taken care of your personal items.

Leave Work at a Decent Time

Employers pay attention to the time you commit on the job, but that doesn't mean you need to stay until dark every night of the week. Stay late when you need to finish a project, but don't be afraid to make plans during the week that will force you to leave the office at a decent time. Getting outside at a healthy time will boost your mood and make you happier about resuming your work in the morning.

Schedule "Work Hours" at Home

If you must work at home, set some time limits. Make dinner with your family, wind down with a little TV or a chapter of a book, and then work for an hour or two and return to "me time." Better yet, work for an hour before dinner and then spend the rest of the night worry-free.

Keep Work (and Your Laptop) Out of the Bedroom

If you do work at home, make sure to establish "no-work zones" in the house. In my mind, work, laptops, and smartphones shouldn't be allowed in the bathroom or bedroom. Set up a definitive work area at the dining room table, your home office, or the coffee table.

Figure Out How to Be Happy at Work

Being happy with your work life is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Make a friend at the office and invite her to lunch once a week, or grab your work BFF and the new gals from the department upstairs and indulge in an ice cream or happy hour. The better your relationships with colleagues the more likely you'll be to turn to them for project support or advice if you need it.

Challenge Your Partner or a Friend

If you have trouble detaching from work and unwinding from a stressful day at the office, challenge your partner or friend to get out of the house too! Plan weekly runs or walks through the neighborhood, a new dish you can make together, or simply commit to sitting and talking for two hours about anything but work. You'll quickly find you have a million things to talk about other than the annoying girl down the hall who keeps undermining you in meetings.

Drowning? Speak Up!

If the projects keep piling up and you're physically incapable of finishing all your assigned tasks during work hours (and all the overtime you put in!), sit down with your manager and explain the situation. Let her know how many hours you have been working overtime and discuss other team members who may be able to assist you or the possibility of hiring an intern. Chances are your manager is fully aware of how hard you have been working (or should be!) and can help you devise a better time management plan.

Reward Yourself

After challenging yourself to focus on your work-life balance, don't forget to reward yourself for making an effort to change. Send yourself flowers or treat yourself to a manicure. You'll feel proud every time you look over at the flowers or your fancy nails and be motivated to keep your new healthy habits.

Want to be happier at work AND at home? Follow these suggestions to keep yourself balanced, healthy, and joyful.

Guest Post Blurb:

This is a guest contribution from our friends at SavvySugar. Check out more useful articles from this partner:

Written by SavvySugar and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Surprising Things That Can Kill Your Credit

Kate Luther — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:36:28 +0000

When it comes to credit scores, we're all very familiar with the damage a late payment can do to your credit "worthiness." We also know that having too much debt is bad as is having no credit references at all.

But surely that can't be all that affects your credit score, right?

The truth is, there are several things that can tank your credit, some of which just might surprise you. (See also: 6 Credit Card Services You Don't (Usually) Need)

Sneaky Inquiries

When you apply for a new credit card, you expect an inquiry to show up on your report. This is known as a "hard" inquiry, and too many of these within a 12 month period will lower your score.

But filling out that Visa application isn't the only way to generate a hard inquiry. If you use a debit card when you rent a car for example, many rental agencies will check your credit before approving the transaction, and since few of us read all the fine print, you may not realize it's happened until it's too late.

Likewise, opening a new checking account will also typically generate a hard inquiry (even though you're not applying for credit) as will applying for new phone service and — surprise! — requesting an increase on an existing account. Unfortunately, many consumers assume that credit card companies simply look at their own payment history to determine approval for increases, but the fact is that your existing creditors are monitoring your credit score on a regular basis.

Now, only the hard inquiries generated by a request for an increase will ding your score — those periodic "checkups" are considered soft inquiries and don't cause a penalty. But that doesn't mean that they can't still hurt your credit, bringing us to the next item on this list...

Changing Your Ratio

When a creditor approves an application for credit, they will continue to monitor your score to ensure that your credit worthiness doesn't change. And again, these soft inquiries don't count against you. But should the creditor decide that you no longer meet their requirements, they can lower your credit limit or worse, close your account. By the time you realize it, the damage has already been done.

Your credit score depends greatly on the ratio between how much credit you've used and how much you have available. So, if you have an account with a $2,000 balance for example, and you've charged $400, then you've used 20% of your available credit, and anything up to 30% is considered to be responsible credit management.

But let's say that the credit card company decides that you no longer meet their standards and as a result, they lower your limit to $250 (yes, they can do that — I speak from experience). Now, instead of having a credit ratio of 20%, you're suddenly maxed out as far as your credit report is concerned, and your score will drop considerably as a result.

If they decide to close the account instead (yes, they can do that too), you not only suffer the ding for a high credit utilization ratio, but you also lose the benefit of that available credit once you've paid the balance off. Remember, your utilization ratio is based upon your total credit available, so when an account is closed, it reduces the amount of credit you have access to. And the less available credit you have, the higher your utilization ratio will be.

This is also the reason that financial experts discourage balance transfers. Debt-conscious consumers will often transfer their credit card balances to a new card with a lower rate, thinking that they're making a smart move, but this can actually have an adverse effect on your credit.

Not only do you suffer the ding for a hard inquiry to secure that new, lower-rate account, but you'll also skew your utilization ratio if — like many consumers do — you close those higher-rate accounts after the balance transfer is complete.

Let's say for example, that you have two cards, each with a $1,500 limit and a $200 balance. That gives you a utilization ratio of about 13% ($400 used / $3,000 total available). Then let's say that you get a new, lower-rate credit card with an additional $1,000 limit, and you shift your $400 outstanding balance to that new card. You now have a credit utilization ratio of just 10% ($400 used / $4,000 total available), but the minute you close those two older accounts with the higher interest rates, your ratio goes down the tubes.

Instead of having $4,000 in available credit, you now only have $1,000. Your ratio goes from an impressive 10% to a whopping 40%, and that's bad, bad, bad.

Applying for the Wrong Type of Credit

Many consumers think that any kind of credit is good, and for those trying to rebuild their credit scores, getting approval on in-house financing plans might seem like a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, that's not the case.

These "local" finance plans — like those you see advertised by furniture stores and car dealerships — are considered to be "second class" credit...that is, credit for those who can't get it anywhere else, and this makes you look like a high risk to potential creditors.

In addition, because these in-house programs don't issue you a revolving limit, your available credit is typically the amount of your purchase. So, when you finance $1,000, it appears as a maxed-out account on your credit report and affects that all-important utilization ratio we were talking about before.

Skipping Out

When it comes to late payments, it's not just your credit cards that you have to worry about. Those old library fines, parking tickets, and unpaid balances on your book club can also hurt you if the company decides to use a collection agency to resolve the account.

And once the collection hits your credit report, you and your score are stuck with it for seven years.

Swearing Off Credit

After having a few bouts of credit card debt in my early twenties, I swore I would only pay cash for my stuff and never use a credit card again. But knowing the importance of having credit, I kept a few accounts open and just locked the cards away. I thought I was being smart... I thought wrong.

When you don't use your credit — as in, ever — there's no payment history for potential creditors to evaluate and after an extended period of time, your creditors may close your account because of inactivity, both of which can make it harder for you to secure credit when you need it.

In addition, if you do ever decide to use one of those cards, you may find that your purchase is declined because it's outside of your "usual" spending habits. Of course, this can be resolved, but not without some embarrassment as you step out of the checkout line to call your credit card company.

The Moral of This Story?

Managing and protecting your credit score is most certainly a pain, but it's a necessary one. Use your credit, but use it wisely, and always ask about credit checks before securing new services...even (and especially) when those services seemingly would have nothing to do with your credit.

But most importantly, monitor your score. The only way to know what's being reported is to check it yourself and then dispute any information that's incorrect.

Written by Kate Luther and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Budgeting for People Who Hate Planning

Kelly Kehoe — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:24:11 +0000

Although potentially life-changing, there are two things that most people hate doing — dieting and budgeting. Whether it’s weight loss or a better financial situation that you seek, neither task is easy, they’re often frustrating or boring, and it tends to take quite some time before you see significant results. With budgeting, it’s more about crunching numbers than crunching abs, but if you hate math or just planning in general, there are several ways to make this important task more exciting. (See also: How to Spend Less Without Starting a Budget)

Find the Motivation

Your first step to better budgeting is finding a motivating factor that will keep you surging onward even in the face of boredom. I used to dread budgeting too, but after printing up pictures of things I would like to have or do (travel, new laptop, etc.), I noticed a substantial boost in my enthusiasm level. Having these pictures (or just visualizations, if you prefer) with me constantly — on the refrigerator, in the car, on the bathroom mirror — was helpful in keeping my mind focused on the goal at hand. We don’t live in a fantasy world, though, so in order to achieve our goals, we need to put in a little (or a lot of) effort along the way. Visualizing or seeing your goals in pictorial format serves as a constant reminder why you’re planning out your financial future in the first place. If you need an extra "kick," then perhaps keep a diary or start your own blog to keep track of your process (again, keeping you continuously focused on the end goal).

Seek Inspiration From Others

The Budgeting Babe has an excellent list of budgeting blogs on her website. Check out some of the blogs listed to help you kick-start your own foray into the realm of numbers and dollar signs. And consider starting your own blog or diary (or discussing your budgeting goals with a trusted friend or spouse) to keep yourself accountable for your financial situation, and thus, more likely to succeed.

Make It Fun

Now that you’re motivated and being held accountable, let’s get down to the actual process. All work and no play makes one a dull budgeter. Challenging yourself to spend under $___ amount in a given category each month can get your mind off the mind-numbing calculations and more engaged with the goal of saving money. If you “win,” then at the end of the month, go out and splurge a little as your reward. Just as the dieting process is nearly impossible for most people without a break (comfort food!), budgeting will grow old very quickly if you don’t reward yourself for milestones along the way.

Furthermore, there are some websites and smartphone apps that can help you compose your budget in the form of colorful pie charts, which are more fun to work with and look at than just a plain spreadsheet. Two of the best websites for this process are Mint and PearBudget.

Take It Slowly

Again with the dieting references, “crashing” your way through this mildly unpleasant task is not going to work. In order to maintain a suitable level of drive and succeed in creating a functional budget, you ought to take things in little steps. Phase unnecessary expenses out slowly and factor in a savings category as your excess income builds up over the course of time. Also, fewer categories will help — not only does this mean there is less to keep track of overall, but it decreases the amount of time you’ll need to spend pouring over spreadsheets and bill categorization. Speaking of bills, having as many online payments as you are comfortable with can speed up the initial formation of your budget, producing a low-maintenance, almost-automated system to help guide you through your finances in the future.

Budgeting isn’t difficult unless you make it so. Take a personal finance class or read blogs if you need added help (coming to Wise Bread is a fantastic start!). With proper planning (with fun elements thrown in), you will have a budget up and running in no time.

Tell us about your budgeting tips in the comments below.

Written by Kelly Kehoe and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

The Senior Resume for High School Students

Julie Rains — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:48:18 +0000

As a career-services provider, I have developed resumés for high school seniors to accompany their college applications. Much of this work involved organizing innumerable details of a laundry list of activities, highlighting academic and extra-curricular achievements, and demonstrating leadership skills.

Now, as the mom of a high school senior, I have a different take on the high-school resumé. While learning about the college-application process, I discovered that this document was not supposed to remake my nearly adult child into the most stellar applicant ever (though, certainly, there are students who reasonably have such a goal) but to show who he is. More precisely, its purpose is to shed light on how he spent his time, what novel and difficult situations he encountered, and what he valued (evidenced by how he allocated his hours in high school), whether in sync with his parent's desires or not.

So, I'll share with you the specifics of what I learned, hoping to relieve some stress and improve your productivity during your senior year. (See also: Great Ways to Improve Your Resume Today)

Why a High-School Senior Needs a Resumé

The best reason to put together this type of resumé is to capture what’s relevant about your high school career in order to help you develop your applications to colleges, universities, or technical schools. Specifically, you will use this information for the following reasons:

Provide insight to teachers, counselors, supervisors, etc. for letters of recommendation
Discuss your background with guidance counselors and college advisors
Identify topics on which to elaborate in personal statements and essays
Recall information to complete various sections of college applications and scholarship applications

And, unlike most types of resumés, the main purpose of this document isn’t to win a job interview or land a job. However, those who may be pursuing work-study arrangements, a part-time job, or an internship can make adjustments to emphasize work experience, entrepreneurial ventures, and freelance activities.

What to Put on the Resumé

The guidance counselors at your school probably have a form for you to complete or an example to follow. Use that as a guide to make sure you include pertinent information. Depending on your school’s requirements, complete the forms as requested, but feel free to create your own version of your high-school history (or take a look at this example resume I made). Typically, the major categories are:

Name and Contact Information
College and Career Choices (optional)
Academic Record with info on Class Rank, GPA, SAT scores, AP classes, etc.
School Activities
Community Activities
Work Experiences
Honors and Awards
Other Items of Interest (such as personal interests that are not covered in the above categories or a short personal statement indicating obstacles you have overcome, like a learning disability, personal or family setback, or unexpected change in circumstances)

When you are putting everything together, most of the information will emerge naturally. You’ll remember which years you played soccer or volunteered at the humane society, the fall seasons that you ran cross country or played in the marching band, and the dates that you were in the school play or were inducted into the honor society.

But other information may be tougher to bring forth, so take your time to recall as much as possible, whether you immediately consider an activity relevant or not. Ask your parents, friends, and grown-up advisors (like teachers, coaches, youth group leaders, etc.) about things you may be missing.

How to Categorize, Explain, and List the Activities

Some items, like your name and AP courses taken, will be easy to categorize and need no further elaboration. A few are straightforward, like your participation on the soccer or swim team. But many are more complicated, as certain activities could fall under more than one category plus need elaboration for readers to understand.

Place activities in the category that makes the most sense to you. For example, my son tutored elementary school kids during the off-season and worked on a Habitat for Humanity project as a part of an outreach program organized by the head football coach. Likewise, he completed service hours as part of membership requirements for the academic honor society. Rather than placing these items under “football” or “honors,” he classified these activities as community service.

Explain and elaborate on certain activities. Most people have heard of Habitat for Humanity, so listing the item is sufficient. But the two weeks that my son spent repairing homes and getting to know impoverished homeowners in rural areas with a lesser-known group can use some explanation. And special designations or leadership roles, even minor ones, need elaboration; that is, tell us if you were a photographer for the yearbook or the sports editor for the school newspaper.

Figure out and give time frames for each activity. Specify frequency and over what period of time. Be consistent with each activity, using the same types of references for all items (for example, list junior year or Grade 11, summer after junior year or Summer 20XX rather than a mixture of these formats). Many applications will request hours devoted to each activity, which can be useful but is not necessary for this type of resumé.

Add or adjust categories that best reflect your activities and accomplishments, even if this means deviating from a standard format. For example, consider a heading for awards to list accolades associated with music, science, and scouting apart from academic honors; a separate section for these makes sense even if most people you know don’t have such a heading. Create an experience category if you have held a traditional job, run a side business, or earned money by providing manual labor for neighbors. If you'd like, add a personal statement so that you can have that information handy when you fill out applications.

Senior year should be fun. This mom's advice is to go ahead and put together the resumé as early as you can so that you can move quickly but thoroughly through college applications.

What have you learned about writing a high-school resume? What worked best for you?

Written by Julie Rains and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Great Ways to Invest in Yourself

Carlos Portocarrero — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:16 +0000

Most people are scared of investing because it involves risk. No matter how sure you are about a stock, mutual fund, or business opportunity, there’s always the chance that you could lose all your money.

And that’s scary.

So what if I told you there’s a way to invest with absolutely no risk? I can’t promise an exact return on the investment, but I guarantee it will always be positive.

It’s called investing in yourself.

I know it sounds cheesy, but when was the last time you learned something new made you a better employee or job candidate? Instead of trying to get rich by putting huge piles of your hard-earned money into a stock you think is going to go up, why not invest time and money into improving your skills and boosting your earning power? (See also: Best Investment: Yourself)

More skills can lead to a higher pay, more job opportunities, and added job security. Bonus — more skills also make you more interesting.

That sounds great, but how do you invest in yourself without going back to school and paying thousands of dollars for a degree?

Here are some ways you can invest in yourself to boost your skills.

Read a Book

Books are my favorite way of learning new things. Everything I learned about investing and personal finance I learned from reading books. I read everything I could get my hands on and became knowledgeable enough that I started my own site, The Writer’s Coin. I recommend I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi to start.

Start a Blog/Site

When I started my site I did it because I felt I had something to say about personal finance. I had no idea it was going to teach me about networking, social media, SEO, entrepreneurship, CSS, and PHP, or that it would start to make real money for me. Bonus — blogging regularly will make you a better writer, and that’s an essential skill in the world today. Go to Wordpress.com and start your own blog today — it’s free!

Subscribe to a New Site

Learn what an RSS fee is. Then start adding new sites to your reader, and you’ll stay up to date on whatever topic you’re curious about. This is how I injected myself into the personal finance blogosphere.

Take a Course

There's a course for anything you can imagine out there. Whether it’s a local class to learn how to cook or an online course about computer programming, if you can think it, I guarantee someone out there is teaching it. You’ll meet new people, learn new skills, and broaden your horizons. Thanks to the Internet you can learn pretty much anything you can think of. iTunes U has tons of cool courses for free!

Teach Something

The best way to become an expert on something is to have deep knowledge of it and then try to teach it to others. It works your brain in a totally different (and good) way. Plus you’ll meet some interesting people. Pick a sport/instrument/topic you know a lot about and teach your niece/nephew/child a basic concept about it — you gotta start somewhere!

Learn a Language

This is easier said than done, but if your job requires a lot of travel or will be investing in another country soon, then another language might be essential. Tip — Duolingo is gonna be awesome.

Freelance

Freelancing is a great way to get a taste of another job without leaving your current one. It’ll also teach you about handling clients, running a business, and marketing. Check out Craigslist or ask your friends if they need help with something.

Be Smart About the Skills You Learn

Don't expect your boss to give you a raise simply because you can say "hello" in French. Be smart about which skills you tackle and how they fit into your career plan. If your company just signed a major client from France, then go ahead. If you're doing it because you like Paris, it probably won't have an effect on your value to the company.

Written by Carlos Portocarrero and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Toxic Laundry: What’s in Your Dryer Sheets and Fabric Softener?

Kentin Waits — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:48:21 +0000

Fabric softeners, dryer sheets, fabric sprays...and now laundry crystals. Most American laundry rooms are beginning to look like home chemistry labs. Liquids, gels, foams, and fragrances are mixed and remixed in a never-ending (and quite ironic) search for “freshness.” It makes me wonder what, exactly, our clothes and linens are going through that requires them to so be thoroughly and aggressively treated. Are all these products really necessary, or have we wholly embraced some trendy loft full of marketers’ whiteboard dreams? (See also: 9 Ways to Help Your Clothes Last Longer)

The Chemicals

Some of these products are actually harmful to our bodies. According to the EPA and industry-generated Market Safety Data Sheets, fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain a laundry list (pun intended) of dangerous petrochemicals that are often used in untested combinations. There are enough toxins and carcinogens in most of these products to make Erin Brockovich stand up and take notice. Here are just a few:

Chloroform

In fabric softeners, chloroform is a solvent and aromatic agent.

Potential dangers: Chloroform is an anesthetic, neurotoxin, and carcinogen. It's on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list. Inhalation of chloroform fumes depresses the central nervous system. In high concentrations, chloroform may cause headache, gastrointestinal problems, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of the respiratory tract, and loss of consciousness. It aggravates kidney, liver, heart, and skin disorders.

Ethyl Acetate

Ethyl Acetate is a solvent used in the manufacture of dryer sheets — it disolves easily and leaves behind only a pleasant smell.

Potential dangers: This narcotic is also on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list. It irritates the eyes and respiratory tract, and may cause headache, anemia, and damage to the liver and kidneys. Prolonged exposure may lead to defatting of the skin and dry or cracked skin.

Linalool

Linalool is an alchohol compound that has a pleasant flower-like smell and is often used to scent dryers sheets and fabric softener.

Potential dangers: Linalool is a narcotic that causes CNS disorders and can cause respiratory problems and impair motor activity.

Phthalates

In dryer sheets, phthalates are typically part of the "fragrance" ingredients. Phthalates help scents last longer.

Potential dangers: Phthalates are getting more and more attention in the European Union and in the U.S. as the scientific community explores the health effects from long-term exposure. Phthalates are additives used in the manufacture of children's plastic toys to make them softer and more flexible. They're also a common ingredient in wide range of cosmetics and scented products. Phthalates have been linked to breast cancer, allergies, and reproductive system problems.

To find out what other chemicals are in your fabric softener and dryer sheets, check out the article in Natural Life Magazine Are Soft Clothes Really Worth It?

This toxic recipe of chemicals isn't doing our clothes and linens any favors either. Fabric softeners are designed to be absorbed into the fabric’s fibers — creating a lasting fragrance and softness. But over time, these chemicals build up in our clothes and the residue can attract dirt and grime. Why are we buying laundry products that make our stuff dirtier? On towels, fabric softeners interfere with the natural absorbency of cotton and can make that plush bath sheet about as an inviting as polyester pantsuit.

Fabric Softening Alternatives

If you want all the benefits of dryer sheets and fabric softeners, but don’t want to invest in a hazmat suit to get them, there are alternatives. To soften fabric, add a quarter cup of baking soda to the wash cycle or a quarter cup of white vinegar (don’t combine with bleach) to the rinse cycle. For more natural commercial products, check out Seventh Generation’s Natural Lavender Scent Fabric Softener that uses vegetable products instead of chemicals to soften fabric. A Canadian company, Maddocks, has created a reusable dryer sheet called Maddocks’ Static Eliminator — it’s non-toxic and hypoallergenic.

I'm no scientist, and of course every consumer should to do his own research on these chemicals, but the more gunk and goo I pour into my washer and the more perfumed sheets I toss in the dryer, the less clean I feel. Water, a bit of detergent, some good old fashioned agitation, and a line dry takes care of most things. Save yourself a few bucks and guard your family’s health in the process — shut down the laundry lab and consider experimenting with some kinder, gentler options.

Written by Kentin Waits and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

11 Cool Uses for a Tablet Computer

Carlos Portocarrero — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:48:13 +0000

Tablets have taken the world by storm, and it seems like everybody wants one. And why wouldn’t they? They’re sleek, they're cool, and you can take them anywhere. It’s a great way to carry around your music, pictures, and videos.

But other than that, how else are you going to use a tablet? Are you really going to drop $200–$500 for just another screen to stare at between commercial breaks? If you’re dead set on buying a tablet (or just trying to convince yourself it’ll be worth it), here are 15 cool ways to use it. (See also: Frugal Advice for the Gadget Addicted)

1. Second Monitor

Instead of spending an another $130 to get a second monitor, hook up your tablet. Adding another display is a great way to become more productive at home or at work — plus using a tablet as a monitor is easy.

2. Remote Control

It depends on the way you’re set up at home, but it's likely you can find an app that will let you control your TV and your sound system from your tablet. It’s already going to be on your lap, so why not take advantage?

3. Play Old School Games

From old-school Nintendo games to Playstation and Nintendo 64 titles, emulators exist for just about any system you can think of. You’re supposed to own the games you download, so make sure you look into that first. Contra here we come!

4. TV in the Car for Kids

Kids get restless in the car, even if it’s just a 30 minute ride. Instead of buying a portable DVD player, just fasten the tablet to the back of a headrest and boom — they get some entertainment, and you get some peace and quiet.

5. Cash Register

If you own a portable business or are just trying to sell the junk in your garage, taking credit cards will make it easier to sell out. You can take credit-card payments from your phone too if you want, but why not go for the big screen? Happy selling!

6. Order at Restaurants

It’s only a matter of time before restaurants use tablets to take your order. That means they don’t have to run around as much, and your food comes out faster. If you run a food establishment, take note!

7. Make Music

GarageBand is one way to make music on your tablet, but it isn’t the only one — Audiotool Sketch for Android is also out there.

8. Recipe Stand

My wife and I bought one of those cheap plastic cookbook stands, and we never use it. Why? Most of our recipes come from AllRecipes or an email someone sent us. So why not use the tablet as a recipe stand? It’s portable, and we can take right into the kitchen. You can get a fancy stand or just slip it into a Ziploc bag.

9. Picture Frame

Load it up with pictures, set it down in the living room, and let it work its magic — just make sure you aren’t sharing any “personal” pics.

10. Place to Keep All Your Manuals

Manuals suck. I have them for everything I’ve ever bought, and it’s a hassle. Most are available online, but bringing them up on the computer and then going back and forth to the thermostat or whatever it is I’m fixing is a hassle. Instead, put them in a folder on a tablet and boom — you’re done.

11. Textbook

Apple just changed the game with iBooks Textbooks, and I’m thinking this is just the start. Forget about lugging around all those heavy books that don’t play videos or music — textbooks on your tablet are the future.

Tablets aren't cheap, but if you want a deal you can always find one. Keep an eye on the Cheapskate blog and sites like Techbargains for good deals.

Do you have any other interesting ways to use a tablet?

Written by Carlos Portocarrero and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Reverse Bucket List: Look Back Before Looking Forward

Nora Dunn — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:36:11 +0000

Everybody has a bucket list — a random list of things we'd like to do, be, or have before we “kick the bucket.” Some people make due with rough mental compilations, while others prefer their bucket lists typed, formatted, and prominently displayed. (See also: Goal Setting, Defined and Deconstructed)

But what of the bucket list? Where is the context? How satisfied will we feel about our lives today if we're constantly studying a list of things we haven't done? Where do we even begin with a list like this, instigated no less by a big clock in the sky counting us down towards an unknown “bucket date?”

I get panicky just thinking about it.

Although a bucket list can be motivational, I believe that in and of itself it can be more crippling than empowering. In order for a bucket list to reach its true potential, I think we should first start with a Reverse Bucket List.

What's a Reverse Bucket List?

In order to gauge where we're going, it's always good to know where we've come from. Creating a context of our journey thus far is imperative to understanding why we want the things we want, and ultimately, how to get them.

A Reverse Bucket List is a list of things that we think are “bucket list worthy,” but that we've already done. It's a creative way of reflecting on your life thus far and taking note of the some of the experiences that really sang to you.

Not only is it fun, but you might be surprised by what you've already done in your life. (Conversely, you may realize you need to get out of the house more.)

Either way, it's all good.

Reverse Bucket List Exercise

You may want to structure the exercise of making your Reverse Bucket List using the method for devising 100 ways to change your life.

By doing it as a fast-paced brainstorming exercise, you may be surprised at what makes its way on to your Reverse Bucket List. There are no right or wrong answers — only your own answers. It's your life, and your reverse bucket list; write down as many things as you can, without worrying about what you're actually writing. We'll get to that later.

Here are a few general ideas to get your reflective juices flowing:

Achievements or awards you've received
Fears you've conquered
Careers you've had
Friends you've made and people you've met
Places you've traveled to
Anything that's worthy of a story you tell other people
Goals and milestones you reached
Childhood dreams (no matter how silly in retrospect) you achieved
Bizarre or fun things that have happened to you or that you've done

What to Do With Your List

This isn't a pesky to-do list or a vision board that requires prominent display as a reminder of what you need to do or where you're going.

Instead, it's more in the act of constructing and initially reviewing your Reverse Bucket List that you will see the benefits.

Once you've finished writing out your Reverse Bucket List, read through it. What do you think? Do you notice any themes? Are there any gaps? How does reading this list make you feel?

Regardless of whether you feel there's too little or too much on your Reverse Bucket List, you might discover some of the things on it are surprising, even illuminating. And they might lead you to your next step.

The Next Step

Using the observations you made above, now is a great time to project your Reverse Bucket List forward. To reverse the Reverse Bucket List, as it were.

Here are some exercises you can do from here:

Written by Nora Dunn and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Big Bytes: Using Tech for Restaurant Discounts

Mikey Rox — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:24:27 +0000

One of the best things about technology — according to just about everybody but Congress — is the wealth of information that’s available anytime and anywhere we need it.

As the Internet and smartphones have evolved, so too has the way people use this technology. Our iPhones and Androids aren’t just for looking up news and directions anymore, they’re also an excellent way to save money on food and snacks on the go.

If you’re a busy career person or just that guy or girl who’d rather eat take out than turn on a burner, here are 10 tech-savvy apps and websites that will save you money when those hunger pangs hit, no matter where you are. (See also: A Cheapskate's Guide to Eating Out)

Foursquare

You usually can’t score full meals using Foursquare specials, but there are probably good deals that you can take advantage of in your neighborhood. In my area, there are lots of restaurants that offer a free glass of wine just for stopping in — no purchase necessary. At a Ruby Tuesday once, my husband and I scored a free appetizer by asking for the manager as the special requested. We had already eaten our dinner and weren’t hungry for the appetizer, which means that we got free dessert instead. Cake is much better than pot stickers anyway.

Restaurant.com

I live by gift certificates from Restaurant.com for two reasons: 1) They’re a great way to try a restaurant that you maybe you wouldn’t have otherwise, and 2) they provide an excellent opportunity to save money on a restaurant that you frequent a lot. There’s a place around the corner from my house that I visit at least four times a week to finish up my work or to simply connect with others since I work from home all day. I keep my gift certificates in my bag (which, by the way, I buy at the deepest discount available — mostly 80% but sometimes 90% off; do your Google search), so if I get hungry while I’m there I can order dinner without feeling too guilty about it.

Scoutmob

I used Scoutmob for the very first time last week, and it was easy as pie. When I opened the app, I noticed that one of my favorite restaurants was offering 50% off meals with a max discount of $25 (other deals will vary more or less, however). When my husband and I were looking for someplace to eat on Friday, that’s the first place that came to mind. Deals on Scoutmob don’t cost the user any money, either. You just show up, check in, and hand your phone to your server so that he can verify the discount.

Groupon Now!

This app is similar to Scoutmob in that it shows the deals closest to you at any given time, but unlike Scoutmob, Groupon Now! charges the users a discounted fee for whatever food item is offered. Personally, I would check Scoutmob first, but the deals are still very good here, too.

Papa John’s App

I’m singling this app out for a reason. Papa John’s has a program called Papa Rewards that allows registered users to earn points based on the cost of their orders. You receive one point for every $5 spent. Once you receive 25 points — which to be honest, doesn’t take too long depending on how often you order from the joint (we order from here way too much!) — you qualify for a free pizza. I’m using Papa John’s as an example here to let you know that these kinds of programs exist (with keychain and punch cards, too), and they’re worth looking into if you frequent certain establishments.

GrubHub

When I originally chose GrubHub to include in this post, I was under the impression that new registrants of the web- and app-based delivery service received a $10 credit to use when placing their first order. That was true at one point, but the deal expired this past November. Because I didn’t want you to miss out on GrubHub if you haven’t yet tried it — and I certainly didn’t want to deprive you of a chance to save some dough — I called the GrubHub peeps yesterday, and they were totally excited to offer the first 50 Wise Bread readers (who are new GrubHub users) a $5 coupon code to use when checking out after ordering their meal. Just enter WISEBREAD5 before January 23 to redeem this exclusive offer.

LivingSocial Instant

LivingSocial Instant is the exact same concept as Groupon Now! Like I said before, you might find a deal here that Groupon Now! or Scoutmob doesn’t have. It only takes a few minutes to compare and save.

BlackboardEats

The BlackboardEats website/app is a bit more exclusive than the others, with deals targeting only Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. But registered users will receive weekly e-mails good for a percentage off their meal, a free bottle of wine, exclusive prix fixes, secret menus, and more at some of the best restaurants in their respective cities.

Happy Hour Finder

The best part about happy hours is the discount booze and sometimes free food. In fact, I once stumbled upon a happy hour at the Jersey Shore that offered a smorgasbord of food including pastas, sausages, and cold cuts — enough to feed a crowd full of juice heads and me — for free. As soon as you open the Happy Hour Finder app, you’ll find happy hours nearby plus their registered deals. There are 13 in my area right now. How many are in yours?

Restaurant-Specific Websites

Before a trip to Dallas two years ago, I did an Internet search for the best barbecue restaurants in the area — I mean, who goes to Dallas without getting sauce on their shirt? Anyway, the search told me that Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse was highly recommended, so I visited the website to see what it was all about. I’m glad I did, too. Right there on the front page was a sign-up form for a buy one, get one free coupon. Total score! So many restaurants have these deals as part of their loyalty clubs and people overlook them — especially on birthdays when you can get a motherload of freebies…and a few extra pounds.

Written by Mikey Rox and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

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