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?

Scheduling: Holidays, Responsibilities, and Expiration Dates

January 2, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Starting out with a blank calendar for 2014, I am being intentional about adding items and activities this year. Seeing how easy it is to fill the space, I want only the best items to land on my calendar.

If I overextend our family, then we get cranky, tired, and less effective. Allowing time for spontaneous trips to the park or entertaining at home, I need to keep plenty of margin space in our schedule.

Using the Planning for Success series from January 2013, I am slowly adding items to my calendar. Knowing that everything is recorded in one place frees me from wondering if I am missing something. By writing and scheduling these items, I can consult our calendar knowing that the planning has been done.

Though I took the entire month of January last year and scheduled one theme on my calendar each day, I am grouping similar items together this year. With my calendar selected and printed, I am verifying or adding the following items to prepare for a successful 2014:

1. Include Holidays: Planning for Success – Day 15

My calendar of choice includes most holidays, but non-Federal holidays, like Groundhog Day, Daylight Savings Time, and Pearl Harbor Day, are not always listed. To add the holidays our family honors and celebrates, I use these two additional lists to record the holidays and special days on our calendar:

2. Set School and Work Activities: Planning for Success – Day 8

Since we have chosen a private school education for our older children, we are tied to the school activities listed on the school calendar. These activities include science fair, history fair, field day, field trips, special days, and volunteer opportunities.

Though my volunteer responsibilities have been limited, I choose to help my children’s teachers on a weekly basis. These activities are listed on my calendar to prevent over-committing or double booking.

As work activities arise for Paul, I add those to the calendar. These entries might include parties, travel, conferences, early meetings, or late evenings. Most of these types of activities come up throughout the year, but any that I know of at the start of the year get added to the calendar.

3. Record Membership Expiration Dates: Planning for Success – Day 4

Finding valuable benefits in having annual memberships, our family invests in these money-saving options. Currently, we only have one active membership. Our zoo, recreational district, and garden memberships expired this past summer. Our science membership is still active and will be renewed this year.

In seeking memberships, I keep watch on the daily deal sites (like Groupon, LivingSocial, etc.) for discounted memberships with reciprocal benefits. Reciprocal benefits means that members gain access into venues in addition to the membership location. I will share, in another post, how we chose our science membership and the benefits we receive.

4. Note Daily Deals Expiration Dates: Planning for Success – Day 11

For any daily deals I have purchased, I record the expiration dates on our calendar. I also add a note in the top right corner of each month on my calendar indicating available deals leading up to the expiration date. This way, when I am looking for a family activity, I can easily see the reminder to use any deals purchased.

Not only do we purchase family activities and memberships, but also restaurant and theatre deals for date nights. All these deals come with expiration dates which get noted on our calendar for use before they expire.

5. Highlight Contract and Subscription Expiration Dates: Planning for Success – Day 9

Our home is reaching the 10 year mark. As we had our home built, we still have some warranties that are in effect. With the expiration date of warranties closing in, I am scheduling inspections of those items prior to the warranty expiration dates.

Other items to include are cable, phone, insurance, medications, newspaper, and magazine expiration dates.

In planning for 2014, I plan to succeed by using time wisely recording holidays, responsibilities, and expiration dates. For more details of what items to include in each category, please refer to the Planning for Success links where I recorded detailed lists and suggestions.

Taking time to plan for success, I will continue to review and re-post the links from the 31 Days of Planning for Success series last year. Rather than listing all the posts, I will address these themes in groups of similar items throughout January to get our year off to a great start. Happy scheduling!

Question: How are you planning for a successful 2014?

Guest Post: Taking Baby Steps to Achieve a Healthy Lifestyle

July 24, 2013 by Tracy

Today, I’m privileged to have Bridget Sandorford share some practical ways to live a healthy lifestyle.

On my own health journey, my baby step is drinking 64 oz. of water each day. With baby steps, I am seeing baby changes which is so encouraging.

I love how Bridget realizes that we have short bits of time and offers small changes from meals to sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you, Bridget, for sharing these techniques.Though I don’t have a treadmill desk (which really intrigues me), I love the cooking in bulk suggestion.

As you continue on your health journey, I hope you find some encouragement as you read Bridget’s perspective on taking baby steps to achieve a healthy lifestyle. ~ Tracy

Taking Baby Steps to Achieve a Healthy Lifestyle

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Getting healthy can be a lot of work. You have to shop for fresh ingredients (which may mean several trips to the store in a week), cook up fresh meals (no take out), and then find time to get to the gym.

When you have a busy lifestyle (like most of us do), it can be hard to find 10 minutes to go for a short walk around the block, let alone an hour to do cardio and weight training. Cooking usually involves heating something up in the microwave or picking up the phone to place an order.

However, getting healthy has to be a priority, no matter how busy your schedule is. Otherwise, you put yourself at risk of developing chronic health conditions and even disease.

You jeopardize the quality of life you can expect to have. Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to get healthy that will fit in with even the busiest of schedules. Here are a few ideas for how you can take baby steps to achieve a healthy lifestyle:

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Cook in Bulk

You may not have time to cook dinner every night, but you can likely set aside a couple of hours on the weekend to make a couple of big batches that can be portioned into individual meals. You can make foods like soups, stews, pastas, rice, stir fries, roasts, and more.

After a couple of hours of prep time, you will have a lot of food that you can portion out and put in the refrigerator or the freezer for use later in the week. Then you just have to pop them in the microwave when you come home from a long day at work. You’ll be sure to always have healthy meals ready to go instead of being tempted by take out.

Order Meals

Takeout food is often loaded with unhealthy fats, sugars, and additives. Plus, it’s usually about 2 or 3 times the size of a normal portion and has far too many calories. However, if you just don’t have the time to cook, ordering takeout is often the only option you have.

Instead of ordering takeout, order your meals from a delivery service. You can get quality, ready-to-eat foods that only have to be warmed up. Services usually are based on weekly or monthly menu plans, but you can likely customize your plan to fit your needs.

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Add More Activity in Your Daily Routine

You don’t have to go to the gym to get your body moving. You’ve heard it before, but now it’s time to start actually doing it: take the stairs (yes, even up those four flights), park at the end of the lot, walk to the bathroom that’s farthest from your desk.

If it’s possible, you can even install a standing desk in your office so that you can get off your butt and burn more calories. If you work from home, you might even consider setting up a treadmill desk. (Yes, that’s a real thing.)

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Combine Exercise with Socializing

An easy way to squeeze in more exercise without taking more time out of your schedule is to combine it with something else you would have been doing anyway, such as spending time with family and friends.

Instead of sitting around chatting after you meet your friend for lunch, go for a walk while you talk. Instead of meeting for drinks, meet up for a tennis match. Instead of going to a family movie night, go for a family skate night. Whatever you do, you’ll be having fun together, and you’ll be getting more exercise.

Find Ways to Release Stress

Stress is a silent killer. Too much stress over too long a period can start to cause serious health problems, even disease. You will dramatically improve your health by simply finding ways to reduce stress in your life. You don’t have to set aside an hour for meditation (which would likely just cause you more stress by limiting your time even more).

There are many exercises you can do right at your desk that take no more than 5 minutes, such as visualization and focused breathing. Anything that makes you laugh or feel good will also help, and it takes no time at all to tell a joke.

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Get More Sleep

One of the first things that most people sacrifice in their quest to fit tasks into their limited hours in the day is sleep. Yet sleep is one of the most important things for your health.

Studies have shown again and again that getting less than 5 or 6 hours of sleep at night can have devastating consequences for your health. Getting at least 7 hours, if not 8, should be your goal each night.

If you think that you just can’t make the time for sleep, consider this: Not only will getting more sleep improve your health, but it will also help you to have more energy and to focus more easily; therefore, getting more done more quickly and saving you time overall.

Your health should be your priority. Yet when you are faced with a busy schedule, it often gets sacrificed with a poor diet, inactivity, high stress, and lack of sleep.

You don’t have to overhaul your lifestyle overnight, but it is important to start making changes that can help you to protect your health. These baby steps can help.

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance blog and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching cooking school online. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.

Planning for Success: Face Vehicle Maintenance – Day 30

January 30, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: iStockphoto

Knowing that a successful year will not materialize on its own, we must plan and prepare for a prosperous 2013.

Throughout the 31 days of January, I will choose one topic each day to prepare or schedule for this year.

Without preparation, I know I will forget, miss, or overlook certain items. If you desire an organized year, then join me in this adventure of Planning for Success for a prosperous 2013.

To receive a daily e-mail around 11:00 a.m. with the new posts of each day, subscribe to my free daily newsletter. In case you miss a post in this series, I will provide the link to each day as the month progresses. 🙂

Day 30: Face Vehicle Maintenance

When Paul and I got married, we made an agreement. He would not expect me to sew, and I would not ask him to fix the car. Fair deal! 🙂

Knowing that neither one of us knew anything about vehicles, we found a trustworthy mechanic, who keeps our vehicles running in tip top shape without costing us an arm and a leg.

In scheduling quarterly vehicle maintenance, our mechanic warns us when a major or expensive repair is coming due. With advanced notice, we can make sacrifices as needed to save money for those needed repairs.

Though we don’t always meet the quarterly schedule, our vehicles get their checkups often since these reminders are posted within my calendar. The oil change stickers on the upper left corner of our windshields also remind us to see the mechanic.

In planning for success, face vehicle maintenance head on. The little noises now can develop into larger, more expensive problems later. To make your vehicle maintenance a priority, add a reminder to your planning tool each quarter. Even if you miss one, your vehicle will still get 3 checkups this year.

Quarterly vehicle maintenance prevents annoying clinks and clanks and breaking down on the side of the road. In using time wisely, vehicle maintenance provides preventative care rather than creative reconstruction which saves money, energy, and time. Keep scheduling, and happy maintaining!

Question: How often do you face vehicle maintenance?

Planning for Success: Enter Drugstore Rewards – Day 23

January 23, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: iStockphoto

Knowing that a successful year will not materialize on its own, we must plan and prepare for a prosperous 2013.

Throughout the 31 days of January, I will choose one topic each day to prepare or schedule for this year.

Without preparation, I know I will forget, miss, or overlook certain items. If you desire an organized year, then join me in this adventure of Planning for Success for a prosperous 2013.

Day 23: Enter Reward Deadlines

If you shop the sales and promotions at the drugstores, then you are probably earning rewards. Though each program is different, each drugstore offers rewards in the form of coupons for your next transaction or next visit.

By entering the expiration dates of the reward into my calendar, I can remember to use the rewards before they expire to save my family money. Rewards entered are CVS Extra Bucks, Walgreens Register Rewards and Balance Rewards, and Rite Aid +Up! Rewards.

CVS Extra Bucks

During weekly promotions, you can earn Extra Bucks coupons for dollars off your next transaction. The deals are listed in the store circular stating any restrictions.

Last week, I purchased 6 bottles of Suave body wash at $2 each with the “spend $12, get $4 in Extra Bucks” promotion. I used 3 manufacturer’s coupons for $1 off a purchase of 2 Suave products as well as a $6 Extra Bucks coupon from a previous visit. My total came to $3.18, and I received a $4 Extra Buck coupon on the bottom of my receipt.

For my second transaction, I purchased 3 packages of Huggies diapers and 2 bottles of Dawn detergent. I used the following manufacturer coupons: 2 – $2 off Huggies diapers, 1 – $1.50 off Huggies diapers, and 2 – $.25 off Dawn detergent.

Combining the coupons with the “spend $30, get a $10 CVS gift card” promotion, the $4 Extra Bucks received from transaction #1, and $10 Extra Bucks earned from a previous visit that was soon expiring, I spent $11.15 and received a $10 CVS gift card. Having used all my Extra Bucks, I had none due to expire.

By far, CVS has been my favorite drugstore. I started learning the drugstore game with CVS, and find little to no problems with their promotions at the register. If the store is out of the item, then no worries, the employee will give you a rain check for the item(s) with the promotion attached.

Walgreens Register Rewards and Balance Rewards

Walgreens has a number of programs going at the same time, including rebates. Their system is more complicated than CVS, but you can snag some great deals when you combine the savings strategies. The Register Rewards print at the register to use on another transaction. You must follow the promotion exactly to get the reward to print.

Balance Rewards are fairly new. You can earn points and then redeem those points for cash off at the register. Combining the rewards gets tricky. For a better understanding of Walgreens rewards, I recommend The Krazy Coupon Lady’s post, Walgreens: How to Roll Balance Rewards Points.

Rite Aid +Up! Rewards

I miss Rite Aid. With their monthly video rewards, I used to watch their videos (short commercials for products) and print high value store coupons that could be paired with manufacturer coupons for deep discounts. I would then wait for sales or promotions with Up! Rewards to get merchandise dirt cheap.

Since Rite Aid has made some changes to their program and I am out of the loop, keep current with Fabulessly Frugal, and Mel’s thorough explanations. I found Rite Aid’s program worth my time and energy.

Working hard to save money and earn the rewards, you don’t want to lose those savings by missing the expiration date. Enter reward deadlines on your calendar to remind yourself to use them.

In using time wisely, take the few moments to jot down the dates to help you save money, energy, time, and frustration. Keep planning for success, and happy savings!

Question: Which drugstores are your favorites?

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