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Archives for 2012

Organizing: Enlisting the Help of Family Members

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When I am cleaning the house, putting away the laundry, or organizing coupons, my girls are at my feet asking begging to help.

Though I can get the job done much quicker without their help, I try to find something they can do. Encouraging them to help by giving them age-appropriate activities, teaches them to contribute to the maintaining of our household.

Please know that I struggle with allowing my children to help. In using time wisely, I have a set agenda that I am attempting to complete in a specified time frame.

Distracted by little ones, creating more of a mess in their effort to help, is not efficient or productive. However, I am learning that taking the time now to teach my little ones will pay off in the future when they will not need my help.

Instead of getting frustrated with them, I am learning to spend more time with them to teach them how to complete the project. The more we fold laundry, pickup their room, and sort coupons, the more they can practice what they have learned. I can then guide them, correct them, and encourage them to the end.

Not too long ago, I was cleaning the kids’ room, and my daughters came to help. While I worked on making the beds, the girls picked up the toys and placed them in one of the following containers:

1. Blue fabric bin: Child #1’s toys

2. Green fabric bin: Child #2’s toys

3. Brown fabric bin: Books

4. Beige fabric bin: General toys

5. Cardboard box: Items that do not belong in their room

If my girls were unsure of where the item belonged, I taught them to put the item aside. When I reached a stopping place, I came over to help with the sorting.

My girls enjoyed working with Mommy. Though they did not work for a reward, I enjoyed sharing a special treat with them.

As you continuing using time wisely, remember you do not have to do it alone. Your time is valuable, enlist the help of family members and work with them.

As you train them, you might find some enthusiastic helpers willing to get the job done. If not, then try a reward program, competition, or special treat to encourage them along the way. Happy organizing!

Question: How do your children help with household maintenance? Please add your answer to the comments.

Life Insurance: Policies for Spouse – Part 2 of 3

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Last week I began explaining my life insurance policies, consisting of three bundles kept in the third file opening of Box 2 of our important documents.

In Part 1, I shared the paperwork associated with my term life insurance policy. These items are paper clipped together in the first bundle.

The second bundle is my combination life insurance and long-term care insurance policy.

Combination Life Insurance and Long-term Care Insurance Policy

Just like Paul’s policy, this combination insurance operates as an extra life insurance policy. If I need in-home care, then I can act on the long-term care benefits of this policy. Currently, this policy has a low overall value. However, we choose to slowly increase the value at each annual or open enrollment. By adjusting slowly, we increase our coverage without a significant increase in cost.

This policy obtained through Paul’s work belongs to me. If Paul leaves his job, we will lose the payroll deduction benefit, and pay the premiums directly to our insurance provider. Knowing that we own this policy, we choose to invest in our future without reservation because a job change will not cancel these benefits.

The documents kept in this bundle include the following:

1. Change notifications. Choosing to automatically increase the value each year, we receive notification of the new premium amount, new face value, and the date of the change. These documents are kept in my file near the policy.

2. Endorsements. Confirmation of additions or changes of riders on the policy is given via an endorsement notice. Occasionally, the insurance company offers new riders to existing customers. If we choose to add these riders (e.g., accidental death benefit, accelerated death rider, EZ value benefit rider, etc.), then the insurance company will check the request. Once approved, I will get a letter listing the changes and effective dates. These notices are kept together near the policy for verification of coverage.

3. Beneficiary Designations. Documentation verifying my beneficiary designations and any changes made to those designations stay in the file with the policy.

4. Policy. This multi-paged document, detailing the insurance contract, stays in this file.

5. Application for insurance. Though this group policy did not require a physical exam, I answered some general health questions with my application during an annual or open enrollment session. After completing the electronic application, we retained a copy.

The application information went to the insurance company, and coverage  began after approval. Though my policy is active, I choose to keep the application documentation in this file.

Paper clipped together, these documents stay behind the term life insurance documentation bundle in this third file opening.

Though this combination policy seems insignificant now, it can save our financial future. Long-term care policies are very expensive, but locking in at a young age will save money in the long run. As our policy value and premium slowly increase each year, we hope to have comfortable coverage in our old age.

After researching and obtaining these insurance policies, I keep them safe within my filing system. As you discover a system that works for you, keep it current. In the event you need these items, you will want to have accurate information that is easily accessible. Keep up the great organizing!

Question: What types of life insurance policies do you find beneficial for your family?

Raising Money: Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education

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Schools are often raising money for equipment, supplies, and expansion projects. Creating fundraisers is not for the faint-hearted. These events need tons of volunteers, high-energy, and hours of time.

In stretching your dollars and using time wisely, consider helping schools by saving the labels on products you already purchase.

Labels for Education

Photograph Credit: Labels for Education

The Labels for Education program, offered through the Campbell’s family of brands, rewards schools based on the number of labels collected.

On participating products, you can find a label for education, printed with the UPC symbol. By clipping these labels, collecting them, and submitting them together through a coordinator, schools can redeem their points for equipment and supplies.

This program is ongoing and a great way to help your school without spending extra cash. Just check your empty boxes, cans, and containers for labels before disposing of them. When everyone participates, the label count increases, and the schools reap the rewards.

Box Tops for Education

Photograph Credit: Box Tops for Education

Another great program involving labels is Box Tops for Education. These labels on participating products are worth $.10 per label. Similar to Labels for Education, the labels need to be submitted through the school-appointed coordinator.

In addition to collecting labels, Box Tops offers more opportunities for fund raising through on-line shopping, bonus tops, eBox Tops, and sweepstakes.

If you live in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, or Tennessee, you can enter to win 100,000 Box Tops for your school. This is $10,000 for the winner’s chosen school.

Since Publix (a southern company) sponsored this sweepstakes (expiration date: February 28, 2012), entrants must meet the criteria: resident of a listed southern state.If you cannot take part in this sweepstakes, then keep watch. There are other opportunities throughout the year.

In using time wisely and stretching your dollars, keep a watchful eye on empty containers, jars, cans, boxes, and packages for Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education. If you do not have school-aged children or know of any school-aged children, any school will gladly accept your labels.

Raising money for education does not need time-consuming events. Cutting and collecting labels helps our schools without sacrificing money, energy, and time. Happy label hunting!

Question: What is your favorite fundraiser for education?

Redbox: Free Movie Night on February 14, 2012

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On Valentine’s Day treat those near and dear to you to a free movie night provided by Redbox.

Photograph Credit: Redbox

To use the promotional code, you need to:

1. Become a fan of Redbox on Facebook.

2. Visit a Redbox kiosk on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

3. Enter the promotional code: HEART.

4. Select your free DVD rental.

This promotional code is limited to one use per Facebook account and is only valid on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

If you are planning a romantic evening with your sweetheart, hanging out with friends, or spending the evening with your family, then let Redbox provide the one-day movie rental. Enjoy your special celebration while using time wisely!

Looking for more fun? Visit Using Time Wisely’s Facebook event page for more family activities. Happy planning!

Evaluating: Taking a Step Back – Part 3 of 3

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Bethany Lynne)

Here it is . . . the last post in this food cycle series. This journey began with menu planning, circled around grocery shopping, came to evaluation, and continues back to menu planning. By following an intentional plan, I continue to save money, energy, and time.

In Step Seven: Evaluation, we considered reviewing our grocery list (Part 1) and our store envelopes (Part 2). In Part 3, consider reviewing your receipts.

Reviewing your Receipts

Surveys. When I review my store receipts, I check the bottom for a survey invitation. Though Publix does not offer surveys, our Bi-Lo stores do. Since there is a 5-day time limit to complete the survey, I try to get these done first.

When I complete my survey, Bi-Lo offers a link to a coupon. The coupon is usually for a free product with a month-long expiration date. If you really like the coupon, then break up next week’s trip into more than one transaction. You can print a coupon for each survey completed.

WARNING: Please do not print or copy multiple coupons without filling out a survey for each coupon printed. If customers take advantage of the system, then stores may stop these survey benefits.

Documenting. After taking the survey(s), I enter the receipt totals into a spreadsheet. Tracking my spending and savings by entering the amount I paid and the amount I saved, I can watch the numbers and the percentages all year. Need a free spreadsheet? Try the Coupon Savings Tracker by Happy Money Saver or the Coupon Savings Calculator by Coupon Closet.

Filing. When the documenting is complete, I file my receipt by how I paid. Filed in a pouch, kept with my monthly expenses, are the cash receipts while the credit card receipts are filed in that credit cards’ file folder in my filing cabinet.

In evaluating my shopping trips, I review the store receipts by completing surveys, documenting my savings, and filing. With the shopping and evaluating process complete, I am ready to start back at menu planning. This process continues as my family continues to need nourishment.

As you find a system that fits your needs, be intentional with your planning, spending, and evaluating to save money, energy, and time. Continue using time wisely to create a system or adjust my process to work for you. Happy savings!