RoboForm: FREE Password Manager through April 13, 2014

April 12, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: RoboForm

If you routinely register for freebies, enter in the same information on a routine basis, and/or you have many online account usernames and passwords to remember, then you would benefit from this FREE year-subscription to RoboForm.

RoboForm Everywhere is one of my favorite time-saving tools. I used the FREE version for a number of years.

Last fall, I found a deal to get a FREE lifetime subscription to RoboForm Everywhere which I snagged. I saw the deal with only an hour remaining, so I did not post it. Sorry!

Though this deal from SharewareOnSale.com is not for the lifetime subscription, it is for 1 year. You can try it out and see if it works for you. I have enjoyed the full-version after using the FREE version for so long.

With the FREE version, I only got 10 usernames and passwords. With the lifetime version and this FREE 1-year version, one gets unlimited logins.

RoboForm Explained

This software is a password manager. When you download the software to your computer or the app on your device, you will establish a master password. Think carefully, and do not lose this password as you cannot change it once you create it.

Once RoboForm is installed, just operate as usual on your computer or device. When you come to a login screen and enter your information, a pop-up window will ask if you want to save this information in Roboform.

You can then title that login. When you hit enter, you will need to type in your master password (the one you cannot change). Then that information is stored in your RoboForm directory.

I also save my standard information – name, address, phone number, junk e-mail, etc. – for filling in freebie forms. When I come to a registration or entry page, I just click on my name on the toolbar. I have saved my identity information in RoboForm to make requesting freebies only one click to completion.

RoboForm Accessed

To access RoboForm, you can click on the icon which may be in your top menu bar or on your desktop or use an extension in your browser. Before extensions, I used the icon on my task bar.

Task Bar Icon

If I remember correctly, I went to settings and selected “show lower RoboForm toolbar.” The RoboForm toolbar stays at the bottom of my screen when I am on the Internet. This way, I can easily access sites I need.

For example, when I want to search, I open a new tab, select “logins” on my RoboForm toolbar, choose SwagBucks (which is what I named my SwagBucks login information), and watch RoboForm log me into SwagBucks.

Extension Icon

Currently, I use the Google extension for RoboForm. Here, I also use the lower RoboForm toolbar. To select that option:

Add the RoboForm for Google Chrome extension (see these instructions for adding extensions to Chrome)
Once installed on your menu bar, right click the icon
Select “options”
Choose “Show lower RoboForm toolbar” and “Show lower RoboForm toolbar for popup windows”

The toolbar will now show at the bottom of your screen when you are on the Internet.

In using time wisely, I find RoboForm a valuable tool to save all my login information (usernames and passwords) in one place. To snag your FREE year subscription, go to SharewareOnSale and click on the turquoise-colored “Download it now” button. This FREE software is only available through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, 2014.

Once your yearly subscriptions ends, you can still keep the FREE version. Just pare down your logins to 10. I know that will be tough, but 10 is better than none. I will also keep an eye out for more RoboForm deals.

You won’t regret getting this software as you will save yourself so much time online with all your usernames and passwords at your fingertips. Go! Get it now!

Question: Do you keep the same password for all your accounts, or do you select different passwords for each account?

Finding Your Momentum

February 17, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Welcome, Blogelina Commentathon participants! Glad you are joining us on this journey of Using Time Wisely. Jump right on in as we learn from each other.

Last week was a big hiccup from our family’s typical week. With light snow falling early Tuesday morning through the development of black ice on Friday morning, our family stayed home.

Of course, we ventured out to play in the snow once it accumulated, but we also enjoyed sleeping later and staying up past normal bedtime.

Don’t get me wrong, we loved it! However, all good things must come to an end.

As we moved bedtime back over the weekend, we are starting to find our momentum. If you are out of sync due to illness, snow, or other unusual circumstances, you might feel sluggish and unmotivated.

Recognize that a change is needed and that you can make that change. In finding your momentum, start with your routines, plan simple meals, and get your rest.

Start with your Routines

Routines are patterns of activities performed in a sequential order. For example, in our family’s evening routine, my children prepare for bed. These activities include:

Fill drink containers and take upstairs
Bath/shower
Put on pajamas
Brush teeth
Go potty
Lay out clothes for tomorrow

This routine is automatic for our 3 children. When Paul and I ask them to go upstairs, they fall into this routine and prepare for bed.

By starting with the routine, our family gets back into a rhythm. For resetting, I find the evening routine the most important because it sets us up for a great morning. At which time, we can implement our morning routine and then fall into our afternoon routine.

Once the routines start flowing, we find our momentum and get back on track.

FREE printable

Plan Simple Meals

During this time of transition, I find simple meals the best use of my time. I know I will need to help Mr. 8, Miss 6, and Miss 3 with extra homework, more reminders, and time to adjust as we find our groove.

By falling back on our list of 15 Quick Meals for Busy Nights, I create margin (extra time in our schedule) while feeding our family.

My other favorite dinner strategies include crock pot options and freezer cooking which I place on our monthly menu planner. (You are welcome to download my FREE printable menu planner).

This menu planning tool helps our family get to the table while using time wisely since we don’t have to wonder what’s for dinner at 5:00 p.m. Whether you use a menu planner or another tool, experiment to discover what works best for you in finding your momentum.

Get your Rest

As you get back into your routines with your well-fed family, take time to get your rest. As you are working diligently and exerting more energy to get back into your normal pattern, you will need rest.

Think of it as the first day of school. Do you remember how exhausted you or your kids are after that first day. Whew! It’s a whirlwind. My daughter did not even make it to her bed. She fell asleep out of exhaustion on the ride home.

You are tired. It is normal as you are gaining speed and finding your momentum. Realize that getting back to normal is going to cost you some sleep. Take it. The better rested you are, the more energy, more patience, and more stamina you will have to tackle the tasks at hand.

With a plan in place, are you ready to press forward? Begin with a mindset of “I can do it,” and then start with your routines, plan simple meals, and get your rest. Before you know it, you’ll be back into your groove and plugging along.

Hiccups will happen, so creating a plan for those bumps in the road will help you in finding your momentum while using time wisely. Happy momentum building!

Question: How do you find momentum when life happens?

Scheduling: Regular Maintenance

January 27, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Keeping up with regular maintenance saves money, energy, and time. Having concentrated on regular maintenance of my health these past two weeks, I am so thankful to have escaped illness. I did get a mild cold, but no fever, chills, or other flu symptoms.

As Paul is still recovering, we will wait until full healing before changing our air filters and giving our home a good cleaning. In keeping up with regular maintenance on our home, we can prevent some major repairs and expenses.

Continuing to schedule 2014 using the Planning for Success series from last year, I am adding these regular maintenance tasks to our calendar:

19. Schedule Annual Home Maintenance: Planning for Success – Day 7

Keeping up with our termite inspection, pressure washing, and heating and air conditioning maintenance, I select months where the contracts renew or where the service is most needed to remind me to make the call to have these services performed.

20. Check Light Bulbs and Air Filters: Planning for Success – Day 21

With a year’s worth of air filters housed in our garage from a great sale where I found the filters $.59 each, I tend to forget that the filters need to be changed. By adding this maintenance item to our calendar toward the end of the month, I remember to ask Paul to change them out when he checks for burned out light bulbs.

21. Purchase Batteries: Planning for Success – Day 14

With daylight savings time on our calendar, I make a note about 2 weeks prior to look for sales on batteries. We then store these batteries in their original container.

Please be very careful with 9-volt batteries as storing them in a group where the positives and negatives could touch each other could start a fire as it did in the embedded video.

22. Face Vehicle Maintenance: Planning for Success – Day 30

Our mechanic sees our vehicles at least 4 times a year for regular oil changes. During these visits, he checks our vehicles and alerts us to any major maintenance services that need to occur.

With the advanced warning, we are able to save for those costs and schedule a date before getting stranded by a non-working vehicle.

23. Address Technology: Planning for Success – Day 28

To protect my files, I schedule regular updates, backups, and cleanup. Though I have an on-going project to consolidate all my documents into two locations, I do keep backups. Last year Paul purchased a terabyte hard drive for me to backup Using Time Wisely and my computer and laptop files.

If something should happen to my hosting site, I have a backup which gives me peace of mind. Having lost documents in the past, I learned and now have a backup system.

In taking care of our home, vehicles, and computers, we schedule regular maintenance. As life happens and I would forget to do these items, I add them to the calendar to jog my memory to save us money, energy, and time.

As you continue scheduling 2014, remind yourself of regular maintenance tasks to save you money from big problems, energy from hurrying to find a solution, and time waiting for a problem to get fixed. Happy scheduling!

Question: What regular maintenance items are you adding to your calendar?

Scheduling: Deposits, Transfers, and Payments

January 26, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

For those of you battling the flu, stay warm, get your rest, and drink plenty of liquids. With a 6-day contagious time frame, Paul has been home, coughing, and miserable.

Our children have had fevers off and on this week, and our family is resting this weekend.

In looking at the calendar, January is almost over. With only about half of the items from the Planning for Success series on my schedule, I am adding the following deposits, transfers, and payments reminders as I get my desk back in order:

16. Verify Paycheck Deductions: Planning for Success – Day 26

If you have not checked your paycheck deductions yet for 2014 and you’ve received a paycheck, please schedule a time. I shared in this scheduling post how forgetting to check the pay stubs created a mess at the end of the year.

17. Establish Automatic Transfers: Planning for Success – Day 27

For those who already have automatic transfers setup, just check them to make sure the amounts are fitting your current situation. If you need to put more in savings or pay more down on a loan, then you can adjust your automatic transfers to save time from manually making them.

18. Setup Bill Pay: Planning for Success – Day 12

The bill pay option is so nice. I love being able to just add the amount of the monthly bill, schedule it, and forget about it.

Having just checked each bill pay option to verify that payment is sent to the correct address on the billing statement and that all recurring payments are accurate, we are good to go. Checking these accounts for accuracy, I pay the bills each month knowing that all is correct.

In using time wisely to check your deposits, transfers, and payments, you will know where you money is going without spending lots of time following up on when the payment posted.

With the payday noted on my calendar, I refrain from checking it off until I look over the pay stub. With the transfers and bill pay options, I record the due dates on my calendar.

As you continue scheduling 2014, mark the items you need to help you pay your bills on time without late fees or spending unnecessary time paying manually. Happy scheduling!

Question: Do you use automatic transfer and bill pay options?

Scheduling: Due Dates, Payday Deposits, and Credit Report Schedule

January 5, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Knowledge is freeing. Knowing where items are located, the balance in our accounts, and the dates of time-sensitive materials, we can make informed decisions knowing we have used all the tools available to gain that information.

Having completed the Planning for Success series last year, I did not feel tied to my calendar. In fact, I loved seeing all the details as I could easily move items around without forgetting anything.

I find planning eases my mind from having to remember everything. I don’t need to lie in bed wracking my brain to remember what I forgot to do.

As I continue Scheduling 2014, I am adding more items to my list. I have not completed all 5 items from the prior scheduling post, but I have jotted down the items I still need to record. My list includes a magazine subscription, a newspaper subscription, and 2 home warranty dates.

In addition to my list, I am adding monthly due dates, payday deposits, and credit report schedule and using the FREE printable to stay organized while using time wisely.

6. Mark Due Dates for Monthly Bills: Planning for Success – Day 5

Listing due dates a day or two prior to the actual date gives me a little leeway should I get behind on paying bills. Since I pay bills twice a month, I rarely get close to the due dates, but the buffer puts my mind at ease when crunch time comes.

In addition to our mortgage, utilities, tuition, and other monthly bills, I record paying my children an allowance. I discovered last year that we went 4 months without paying them simply because I forgot. From that point on, I have marked my calendar with the word “allowance” to remind me. It works as I haven’t forgotten since recording it on my calendar.

As I pay bills each month, I record the amounts on our bill pay record. Having included the FREE printable last year, I updated the record for you again this year. 😉

FREE PRINTABLE

Bill Pay Record – 2014 (.pdf version)

Bill Pay Record – 2014 Excel version (Microsoft Excel version)

You are welcome to download, customize with the Excel version, and use this FREE printable. To share this resource with others, please forward the link to this post rather than sending the file directly.

Thank you for protecting Using Time Wisely’s copyright.

7. Post your Payday Schedule: Planning for Success – Day 19

Not only does posting the payday schedule let me know when money will arrive, but it also reminds me to check the pay stub. With Paul’s check getting automatically deposited and the pay stub available online, I must remember to check the online stub for accuracy.

Back in the day, the pay stub was sent via mail or interoffice envelope, but now the stubs are only available online. Mistakes happen. A co-worker of Paul’s learned the hard way when she discovered at the end of the year that her federal taxes had not been deducted. She never checked her stub and trusted that all was well. It was not, and she was left with a hefty tax bill.

To catch payroll errors, check your pay stub. Though I review after each pay period, you will want to scan your pay stub at a minimum of 3 times a year:

After the first paycheck of 2014
After the first paycheck of the start of your company’s fiscal year
After any salary changes

8. Insert Credit Report Schedule: Planning for Success – Day 6

With the rise of identity theft, one needs to stay alert to unusual activity. One way to do so is to request your FREE credit report from each of the three credit bureaus on a rotating basis. If you were to request all 3 at the same time, then you will need to wait an entire year before checking again.

To watch our credit throughout the year, I request our reports on this schedule. By seeing two different reports every 4 months, we will be able to identify any new or unauthorized accounts before any more damage is done.

Since I would forget without a reminder, I schedule to request this year’s reports a day later than the date on the current report. For example, if February 10, 2013 is the date on Paul’s Experian report, then I schedule to request his next Experian report on February 11, 2014. This way the report is FREE.

In scheduling 2014, the monthly due dates, payday deposits, and credit report schedule land on my calendar to free my mind from remembering these important tasks. As I seek using time wisely, I find a calendar with all the details a great tool.

If you live by your calendar, I hope these resources help you know what needs to be done to free you to using time wisely. Happy scheduling!

Question: How do you keep up with all the details of life?