Organized to save money, energy, and time
In the midst of cookouts, softball games, and fireworks, remember the freedoms we experience today came at a great cost.
Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images
Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images
Between days at home and fun activities throughout the week, our summer days are anything but lazy. In using time wisely, I plan, schedule, and execute day in and day out. Though very productive, this cycle wears me out.
In realizing that rest is just as important as the busyness, I am learning to relax and embrace the gift of unscheduled time.
By making a short to-do list and knocking out those items as early in the day as possible, I can relax, read to my children, and play a game.
By combining scheduled time with chucks of free time, I can relax without focusing on the next thing on the list. These periods of rest clear my mind which fuels my productivity later.
As you plug along in using time wisely, stop to relax and embrace the gift of unscheduled time. You can begin today by celebrating Independence Day without dwelling on your schedule. Happy 4th of July!
Question: What do you do when relaxing?
Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images
Wow . . . is June over already? That means that our summer is a third of the way complete. Yikes! We still have much to explore, play, and do in the next 2 months.
One item on our bucket list is celebrating the freedoms we have because of the bravery and firm decisions made by the founders of the United States of America. As our country celebrates our Independence Day tomorrow on July 4, we will party with friends and family.
If you are seeking last-minute options for your celebration, let me point you to some helpful links:
1. 8 Simple Steps to Planning a 4th of July Party by Sandy Coughlin
2. 4th of July Party Plans by Holiday Party Ideas
3. July 4th Recipe Round-Up by Erin Chase
4. 4th of July Crafts and Recipes eBook by Favecrafts
5. Enjoy holiday sparklers without the fear of burns by the Krazy Coupon Lady
In addition to these ideas and suggestions, check your local newspaper for parades, demonstrations, and firework displays. Though many areas will bypass the fireworks due to the intense heat, dry woodlands, and high chance of fires, enjoy your celebration while letting freedom ring. Happy planning!
Question: How do you plan to celebrate July 4th?
Photograph Credit: Yankee Candle
As I dusted, wiped, and scrubbed my entire downstairs last week, I lost steam around Wednesday morning. My arms, shoulders, and upper back were sore from all the labor, and I was only about a third of the way done. Yikes!
Though my husband noticed the clean smell when he came through the door, I became accustomed to the smell and felt tired and unmotivated. As I sought for an easy task to get moving, I decided to switch my spring candle with my summer candle.
When I lifted the lid, the aromatic power of the pineapple cilantro ignited my senses, and I was off to light the candle. As the sweet smell permeated my home, I gained energy and strength and got to work.
On Thursday, I continued to work and as I finished on Friday, I kept coming back to my favorite summer scent, the pineapple cilantro candle from Yankee Candle (which rarely goes on sale). For me, this candle created motivation through the sense of smell.
When I lack energy and that walk or exercise routine fails to spur my motivation, I turn to my favorite scents to get moving. This little refreshment spurs me on to completion.
Tracy’s Tip: I keep a sweet-smelling soy candle on my desk upstairs. As I am paying bills and scheduling items, I periodically take a break, inhale a deep breath, smell my candle, and continue with my project.
As you hit a slump with your ongoing projects, surround yourself with your favorite scents to create motivation through the sense of smell. Happy refreshment!
Question: What is your favorite summer candle scent?
Returning from the Quick Tip Week refreshed, I’m ready to start and finish another category in our document organization.
We are in the home stretch in organizing our insurance paperwork in Box 2 of our important documents.
Kept within the tenth file opening are the documents for our short-term disability insurance which makes up our eighth category in our insurance filing system.
Defined
This type of policy protects Paul’s paycheck should he become disabled. Short term disability insurance is typically more expensive than long-term disability since you have a greater chance of using short-term than long-term.
Our policy will pay us 60% of Paul’s paycheck from day 7-90 should he become disabled. Our short-term policy covers the first 3 months before our long-term insurance takes effect. Each policy has different options, but this is a typical policy.
Documents
For this policy, I keep the following documents in this tenth file opening of our insurance file box:
1. Summary Page: This one-page document has the administrator’s contact information, our policy number, and instructions for filing claims.
2. Policy: Approximately 15 pages in length, this document lists our coverage, claim information, and limits.
3. Notifications: Currently, we carry a policy with the largest coverage allowed. We started out with 40% coverage and have inched it up to the 60% limit. With each increase, our policyholder has approved our request and sent notification of the changes.
4. Correspondence: Since Paul’s employer changed providers a few years ago and the rates were better with the new company, we switched our policy to the new provider to save money and stay in the group options. I keep the documents from our former contract should I need that information.
5. Release Authorization: Since Paul is the insured, the provider required his authorization before releasing information to me. In making the calls and keeping the documents, I periodically need information from the company. To prevent frustration with agents, Paul authorized a permanent release for me.
These documents placed together stay in this eighth category of our insurance documents.
If you have a short-term disability policy, then gather those documents and place them in this file. If you don’t have this policy and hope to have one, then create a label and leave an empty space in your file for the future. Easy peasy!
With another category complete, we only have one more category to complete file box 2. Keep up the good work. Happy organizing!
Question: Do you carry a short-term disability policy?
