Using Time Wisely

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Archives for January 2012

Swag Bucks: Intermediate Guide

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Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

Having had opportunities this week to chat about the benefits of Swag Bucks, I enjoy sharing more ways you can earn Swag Bucks to help in stretching your dollars.

For registration instructions, please visit Swag Bucks: Beginner’s Guide. After registering and conducting basic searches, you can increase your Swag Bucks by doing the following:

1. Download the Swag Bucks Toolbar

NOTE: The toolbar is only available for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari browser users. Chrome toolbar is coming soon. I use the toolbar through Firefox on my desktop while waiting patiently for the release of the Chrome toolbar for my laptop.

The Swag Bucks toolbar includes a search field. Anytime I need to search a topic, I open up a new tab and type the topic into the Swag Bucks toolbar. By skipping the step of searching for Swag Bucks and then my topic, I save time by using the toolbar.

Another feature I find helpful is the mail notices. Periodically Swag Bucks releases codes for free Swag Bucks. You will get a red envelope notice on the toolbar with instructions for redeeming that code.

Redeeming your Swag Bucks is quick when selected from the toolbar.

NOTE: Adding toolbars on your computer may cause your computer to slow down. My husband, the computer tech, informs me each time I mention waiting on my computer to process that my two toolbars are slowing me down. However, I choose to keep Swag Bucks since the benefits are worth a little extra time.

2. Bookmark Frequently Used Pages

If you visit your web site or e-mail account each day, then setup a bookmark to that account through a Swag Bucks search.

    • Go to Swagbucks.com
    • Type in your web site (i.e., Using Time Wisely)
    • Click “Search”
    • Verify that the site you want appears in the search results
    • Bookmark that page (click on the star in the address bar)

When you need to go to that site, click on your bookmark and Swag Bucks will re-search those words. You can save precious time using your bookmark while searching through Swag Bucks.

3. Print Coupons

After compiling your grocery lists, check Swag Bucks for more coupons. If you plan to use the coupons offered, then print them out and redeem them. For each coupon you print AND redeem, you will earn 10 Swag Bucks. This perk is nice, but it does take up to 3 months to see those Swag Bucks deposited into your account.

If you do not plan to use the coupon, then save your printer ink and bypass that coupon. You will not get any Swag Bucks for printing the coupon. You must print and redeem to get the Swag Bucks.

4. Search on Fridays

Fridays are Mega Swag Bucks Days. Extra Swag Bucks are given throughout the day. You have a good chance of winning 20 or more Swag Bucks for your searches on Mega days. Though there is no guarantee that you will win, Swag Bucks gives higher value Swag Bucks every Friday.

5. Purchase Groupons

Groupons.com is a daily deal site offering a new deal each day. The widget on my sidebar indicates the Groupon of the day. If I choose to buy that Groupon, I can also earn Swag Bucks. The process is a bit complicated, but worth the time to earn those gift cards.

Because Christina at Centsible Savings wrote a great explanation in a guest post on moneysavingmom.com, I recommend following these guidelines. If this process is too tedious, you can buy your deal through the link on Using Time Wisely. Using Swag Bucks is just another way to earn those rewards to stretch your dollars.

In using time wisely, the toolbar setup occurs once, the bookmarks used daily, coupons checked weekly, Friday searches weekly, and Groupons purchased periodically. Though there are many more ways to earn Swag Bucks (coming in next week’s post), I choose these five options to increase my Swag Bucks while using time wisely.

Note: Affiliate links included in this post where Using Time Wisely receives compensation by Swag Bucks for those registering through these links.

Question:  What is your favorite way to earn Swag Bucks? Please add your answer to the comments.

More Swag Bucks Posts:

Florida Residents: 2012 SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Preschool Pass

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Photograph Credit: Busch Gardens

If you are a Florida resident with children ages 5 and younger, then here is a treat for you!

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa are offering kids ages 5 and younger a FREE SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass valid through December 31, 2012 for unlimited admission to both parks with no blackout dates. This is a savings of $160 per child.

Is your child turning 6 this year? As long as your child is 5 years of age on or before the date you register for the Pass, your child is eligible.

How do I register?

Visit SeaWorld.com or BuschGardens.com and click on the box for the Free Preschool Pass (at the bottom of the page for SeaWorld). Fill out the form and submit it online.

Where do I receive the e-ticket?

After registering, print the e-ticket and bring it to the front gate at either SeaWorld or Busch Gardens, along with a valid form of identification that proves the child’s date of birth. This offer is not available at the front gate. You must bring the e-ticket with you.

What are acceptable forms of identification?

Valid identification includes a copy of a certified birth certificate or a travel Passport only.

Need one of these documents? The certified birth certificate is less expensive to get than the Passport. If you have these items, then retrieving them from your important documents will take you no time since file box 1 (or your file) holds your personal documents. 😉

Click here to start your 2012 SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Preschool Pass registration.

Want more family weekend event ideas? Stay updated through my event page on Facebook. Enjoy your weekend!

Question: What is your favorite SeaWorld or Busch Garden memory? I’ll post my memory on Facebook. See you there.

Evaluating: Taking a Step Back – Overview

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Caston Corporate)

After spending the day snuggling with my ill children, washing bedding, and cleaning up accidents without feeling frustrated, I ventured out to the grocery stores since it was the last day of the sale. I had planned to shop in the morning after taking my son to school, but . . . life happened. 🙂

With limited time, I made out my grocery list and grabbed those coupons in about 20 minutes. When I realized how quickly the plan came together, I reaffirmed the benefits of this process for me.

I remember a time in the not-too-distant past when this same process took me an hour. Back then, I was thinking:

  • Maybe I should spend my time doing something more constructive
  • Maybe I should forget the coupons
  • Maybe I should just shop at Aldi and forget these other stores

What I should have thought was:

  • Look what I am learning by methodically planning my savings
  • See the deep savings I am getting to feed my family
  • Wonder how I can increase my productivity with this system

By repeating this process each month, I am continuing to see deep savings while using time wisely. Spending 20 minutes to save $30 is worth those precious minutes. Thankful now that I created a plan, executed that plan, and repeated the plan for almost a year because I am reaping the benefits.

This process has worked for me. Try it. It may work for you as well.

My Menu Planning Process

My Grocery Shopping Process

My Evaluation Process

  • Step Seven: Taking a Step Back.
    • Part 1: Reviewing your grocery list.
    • Part 2: Reviewing your grocery envelopes.
    • Part 3: Reviewing your receipts.

Next week, I will begin this last step in the process – Evaluating: Taking a Step Back. This section helps me learn from my mistakes, update my rock bottom pricing list, delight in my savings, and reset for another great week. Happy savings!

Question: What have you found helpful in this series? Please add your answer to the comments.

Time Saving Strategy: From Night Owl to Early Bird

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Peter Lee)

Are you rolling your eyes just reading the title of this post? If so, I understand. I was there right with you.

Burning the midnight oil has been my way of life since graduate school.

Up until about a month ago, hubby and I would awake around 6:45 a.m. and retire for the night between 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. Some days I would snag a nap with the girls, but this schedule was my norm.

My Effects of Staying Up Late

    • Sluggish energy level
    • Unmotivated
    • Tired
    • Irritable

If you are a night owl, you may or may not experience these effects. The older I get, the more these effects show themselves.

Motivated to Change

I was struggling with stress, exhaustion, and mood swings. (Yes, I was a mess, and still am on some days.) When I found myself too tired to help my daughter on the playground, I felt the stab of reality –  my children are growing up, and I am “too busy” to help, play, and enjoy. At this turning point, I knew my priorities needed realignment.

Back to the drawing board I went to set my priorities:

      1. God
      2. Husband
      3. Children
      4. Ministry
      5. Business

Finding a Solution in Rising Early

Upon reading a number of blogging articles about the benefits of rising early and the downfalls of staying up late, I knew this change was for me, but where to start? I just did it. I went to bed early around 10:00 p.m. one evening and chose to get up at 6:00 a.m. when the alarm sounded.

Wow! What a difference a change of routine makes.

The Benefits of Rising Early for Tracy

No distractions. With everyone sleeping and the house quiet, I am free to think and write.

Post written. Come 7:00 a.m. I am either done or mostly done with the post for tomorrow. Having this task off my plate for the day is a weight lifted. I do not need to concentrate on “when I can fit in writing today?” With the post written, I am free to spend my day with my kids.

Blanket of Calm. Love this benefit because I can crawl on the floor and build with my toddler or paint my preschoolers’ nails without rushing and trying to get that post written. The more relaxed I am, the happier my children become because “Mom has time for me.” (Wow . . . heart tug here.)

As a perfectionist, I really struggle balancing family life with blogging life. As you can tell, my blogging life was superseding my family life. When I realized this downfall, I stopped.

Though I still get to bed late, I treasure my 6:00 -7:00 a.m. time frame. My system is not perfect and I still hit that snooze more times than I want, but this one change, from night owl to early bird, has decreased my stress level and increased my energy, my attitude, and my productivity.

Life with little ones gets exhausting. You will get tired, cranky, and need that nap. If you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and unproductive, I understand. Consider making a change to rise before everyone in the household. Just fifteen minutes of calm can improve your day.

Though I am learning down here in the trenches, I plan to rise early this year expecting more productivity while using time wisely.

Question: What change are you making to increase your productivity this year? Feel free to add your answer to the comments.

Christmas Program: Directing a Children’s Play – Part 2 of 3

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My son - Shepherd 2 posing with his staff 😉

Directing a program can overwhelm. In arranging the details and giving instructions, support an atmosphere of calm.

Even with preparing in advance, I still get bombarded with questions and suggestions that did not cross my mind.

Knowing my framework assists me in fielding these questions and deciding to add, remove, or change a previous choice.

Last week, I shared my planning process for directing the children’s play for my son’s school Christmas program where two-thirds of the process is planning.

The first third, covered in Part 1, focused on the script, set, and properties. Upon gaining momentum with the framework in place, I move to the second third of the planning process, the cast and crew, costumes, and lighting.

Cast and Crew

Though thought-out and working on paper, you need people to execute, put feet to your plan. Recognizing  your limitations and your strengths can guide you to find a cast and crew to balance you.

For me, working with children is hard. Dealing with the talking, wiggling, giggling, and goofing-off distracts others and wastes time. To keep myself focused, I plan extra help during rehearsals to handle these distractions. With this extra aid, I make progress while using time wisely.

The cast and crew for this production included the following:

      • The student actors
      • Playwrights
      • Adaptors
      • Director
      • Choir directors
      • Costume Engineer
      • Lighting Engineer
      • Pianist
      • Parent Volunteers

The Cast

The cast received assigned parts for this production. Via e-mail, parents responded if their child wanted an acting part. From the feedback received, I (with help) assigned the actors to a part.

The actors received their scripts before Thanksgiving break. With the extra time, most of the actors had their lines memorized during the first week of rehearsal.

The Crew

Comprised of parent volunteers, the crew helped pin sticky notes with children’s names on costumes, brought in items for our set, and assisted with crowd control during rehearsals. By never turning away help, I kept a list of To-Do items. When asked if I needed help, I had an answer.

With the cast and crew chosen, I began working with the costume engineer.

Costumes

The mom who helps as the costume engineer is fantastic. She brings creativity and energy to the project. With a list in hand, she and I sort through the school’s costumes. Placing the garments, head pieces, and sashes together, we make notes of items we are missing.

Then we borrowed, made, or purchased more items for the cast members. Adjustments to the hems,  fasteners, and accessories came after the actors’ fittings. But getting organized early and planning for dress rehearsal gets us closer to a successful performance.

Lighting

Though limited in lighting options, I chose to create a simple light plot with 6 cues. Working in a church auditorium with groups of lights controlled by one switch gets tricky. No matter what the limitations, you can still make the most of the situation. My lighting design will not win any awards. However, the simple design creatively followed the action.

With the cast and crew, the costumes, and the lighting design chosen, the framework is complete. This framework is the road map to get from start to finish. The last step is executing this plan, covered next week in Part 3.

In planning your next event, ask for help. While planning and executing, you will have a friend along with whom to interact, laugh, and share. Enjoy the calm of the event by using time wisely to organize. Happy planning!

Question: How often do you ask for help when planning an event? Please add your answer to the comments.