Archives for 2012

Organizing: Outside Toy Chest

September 3, 2012 by Tracy

Happy Labor Day! For some this is the end of summer while others are just taking a little break from their new school routine. Between last dips in the swimming pool to summer picnics and barbecues, I wish you a wonderful Labor Day.

As our family is taking a little break from our new school routine, I have closed the chapter on our summer fun. The fun remains, but we fit it in between school obligations and responsibilities.

In completing most of our backyard outings, we took a little time after dinner one evening to clean out and organize our outside toy chest. My decision came after rearranging the items twice to fit toys with broken pieces. Rather than fuss with the lid, I began unloading the chest.

Unloaded the Toy Chest

Our outside toy chest contains all our outside toys. Everything from baseball and soccer equipment, chalk, water guns, sand box shovels, Frisbees, and balls find their way into the toy chest.

Our too many unused and broken toys

With getting the toys in and out, my children have emptied containers, broken items, and out-grown some of the toys. As our summer came to an end, we unloaded the toy chest by dumping the contents into the yard.

Unloaded the outside toy chest

Sorted the Toys into Piles

After spraying out the chest, we sorted the items into two piles:

Trash
Keep

Trash and Keep Piles

We had lots of broken items, including swimming toys from our first baby pool – 5 years ago. Yep! We needed to clean out this chest.

Organized the Toys

After trashing the one section, we put similar items together from the keep pile. Our sections consisted of water toys, sand toys, soccer toys, baseball toys, etc. The sections were then placed back into the toy chest. By the time we finished the sun had set, so the picture is a little darker than the others. But we finished!

Project complete!

In using time wisely to organize our outside toy chest, our family unloaded, sorted, and organized the toys that will entertain my children into the fall season. Clearing out the chest rid our toy stash of unused, broken, and out-grown items. With an organized chest, we will find the wanted item without wasting time and energy searching among broken toys.

Before putting the summer items away, spend a little time clearing out for next summer. In using time wisely now, you will save storage space and energy at the start of next summer by keeping only the toys you need. Enjoy the rest of your summer and your Labor Day. Happy organizing!

Question: Where do you store your outside toys?

2012: Happy Labor Day!

September 3, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

In celebration of the contributions and achievements of American workers, we celebrate Labor Day.

On this symbolic end of summer day, I wish you safe parties, summer picnics and barbecues, and parades while using time wisely with your family and friends.

Happy Labor Day!

Social Security: Reviewing Your Annual Statement

September 2, 2012 by Tracy

As I pulled out a Social Security Annual Statement to write this post, I looked at the date. Yikes!

I have Paul’s 2011 statement but not this year’s statement. I checked the date on my record and found 2010’s statement but missing 2011 and 2012.

Guess I did not complete last week’s project. Oops! I’ll have to get on that this week. 😉

If you completed last week’s project, then you are ready to review your Social Security Annual Statement for accuracy.

Reviewing Your Annual Statement

Though your statement consists of 4 pages, only pages 1 through 3 contain information you can verify. The last page offers facts and extra help getting information. To review your annual statement, check the following information for accuracy:

Page 1

1. Your name listed after “Prepared especially for”

2. Your name and address under the bar code

Page 2

1. Your date of birth – the third line from the bottom of the first section

2. Your social security number or the last 4 digits

Page 3

Match your W-2 Wage and Tax Statements for each year with the listed amount under Your Earnings Record. You should find Your Taxed Social Security Earnings in Box 1 and Your Taxed Medicare Earnings in Box 3 of your W-2 form.

If you find discrepancies between your records and the numbers listed on your Social Security Annual Statement, then note those differences and set aside your documentation.

Weekly Project: Review your Social Security Annual Statement.

Though this step is time-consuming, you are the only one who can verify this information. If you cannot find your W-2 forms, work with what you have. Keep searching for those tax records because your Social Security Annual Statement determines your future benefits.

In using time wisely, review your annual statement and note all incorrect information. Next week, I will share the process I undertook to correct the discrepancies in my record. Keep organizing. I’m working along with you updating and verifying our information. Happy reviewing!

Question: How do you like the weekly project?

2012: Walmart Gas Promotion

September 1, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Walmart

Yeah! Walmart has brought back their gas promotion. Though I did not take advantage of the Walmart gas promotion last year, I know many of you did.

Having had a year to get accustomed to Fuelperks! and now with the additional trips to school, I am ready to see the savings at the pump.

Finding a gas promotion that works in your area and accepted at locations you frequent can prove tricky. In using Fuelperks!, I tried a couple of locations before discovering that redeeming at our Sunoco station gave the deepest discount.

With the Walmart gas promotion, only participating Murphy USA stations grant the discount. (NOTE: Not all states will see the full discount. 🙁 )

The Walmart Gas Promotion

Walmart is rolling back their gas prices from August 31 to December 24, 2012, with two tiers of savings for customers using one of these Walmart cards:

Walmart Gift Card – get $.10 off per gallon

Walmart MoneyCard or Credit Card – get $.15 off per gallon

Getting the Walmart Cards

Gift Cards are available for purchase in the store or on-line. The gift cards have no fees. The balance is non-refundable if the card is lost or stolen.

MoneyCards, similar to a debit card, are available in store and on-line. The MoneyCard carries a $3 monthly fee, but your money is safe if the card is lost or stolen. Depending on where and how you obtain your MoneyCard, you may incur extra fees.

Credit Cards are limited to either a Walmart Discover or Walmart Credit Card. Both require an application process with no annual fee. The Walmart Discover offers the added benefit of earn 1% cash back on your purchases.

In using time wisely to purchase and load or apply and receive your Walmart card, you can save on each refill at the pump while stretching your dollars.

As you consider the Walmart gas promotion, check for participation at your Murphy USA location, determine the cost of the Walmart card, estimate your savings, and evaluate the savings at other gas stations.

Though the Walmart gas promotion is a great deal, it may not end up stretching your dollars. Happy calculating!

Question: How are you stretching your dollars at the pump?

3M Dream Big Sweepstakes: $25K for Winning School

September 1, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: 3M Dream Big Sweepstakes

Calling All Educators –

Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, and School Board Members:

Schools of all levels, types, and sizes need your winning entry to receive the one $25,000 cash reward from the 3M Dream Big Sweepstakes.

Before you dismiss the idea with, “Well, I never win anything,” give yourself a chance. You may or may not win, but don’t quit before you try. Most of us cannot write a check for $25K, but we can enter a free sweepstakes.

3M Dream Big Prize Package

When your brilliant entry wins, your school will win the following 3M Dream Big Sweepstakes $50,000 prize package:

$25,000 in cash
$20,000 in 3M products
A presentation by the 3M Visiting Wizards – worth $5,000

I don’t know of a school that wouldn’t love to get this prize package. To help your school with their next project, you must enter the 3M Dream Big Sweepstakes.

School Requirements

In using time wisely, let’s make sure your school qualifies for the prize package. Per the sweepstakes’ rules:

The school selected by entrant must be an operating public school of grades K-12 in the United States, (excluding Puerto Rico), as defined by the Department of Education and not-for-profit private and charter schools grades K thru 12 who are run by or supported by legal residents of the United States or a U.S. corporation. Sponsor reserves the right to make any final decisions regarding the school’s eligibility for the prize. All private schools must be non-profit and exempt under IRS code 501(c)(3) to be eligible. Private schools that are for profit are not eligible for the prize. Submission of a 501(c)(3) letter of tax exemption may be required to verify eligibility.

If you are unsure of your school’s eligibility, contact your school’s finance office for clarification.

How to Enter

You need to write a short essay, no more than 500 words. Don’t panic. Most of the posts you read here on Using Time Wisely are more than 500 words, so we are not talking about a research paper. 😉 Remember, you want your school to win $25,000. Keep your eye on the prize.

To enter, visit www.3MDreamBig.com and tell us in 500 words or less how innovative your school is and what is your big dream for your school. Complete the online entry form and click on the Submit Your Essay link button. Essays must be submitted in English. Only one school can be submitted per entry. Prize cannot be divided between multiple schools. LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON/EMAIL ADDRESS. Duplicate essay entries will be disqualified. Entries must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. EDT on 10/31/2012.

Tracy’s Writing Tips

I recommend writing your essay in a word processing program, like Microsoft WORD. Upon completion, run the spelling and grammar check and verify your word count. When the essay is complete, copy the words of your essay and paste them into the online entry form and submit. The judges will choose a winner around November 30, 2012.

Judging Criteria

You want to win don’t you? Well, the fine print shares the grading scale. 🙂

Winner selection: A qualified panel of judges will select one winner. Entries will be judged 30% on Innovative Ideas, 40% on Significance of Need, and 30% on Creativity. Each portion of judging will be given a score of 1 to 5. In the event of a tie, tie breaker will be based on the highest score in the first judging criteria, continuing thereafter to each judging criteria in order as need to break the tie. For WI residents only, in the event of a tie, duplicate prizes will be awarded.

With a Halloween deadline, October 31, 2012, submit your winning essay to the 3M Dream Big Sweepstakes. Use storytelling or personal experiences to draw the judges into your big dream for your school. Give them what they want, so they can’t help but give your school that $25,000 reward. Happy composing while thinking how your school could stretch $25K!

Question: How are you helping your school dream big?

« Previous Page