Using Time Wisely

Organized to save money, energy, and time

You are here: Home / Archives for Uncategorized / Planning for Success

Planning for Success: Jot down Library Return Dates – Day 16

by

Planning for success - Day 16

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 16: Jot down Library Return Dates

Planning for SuccessIn continuing to schedule items on my calendar, I must jot down library return dates – as I will forget. Though we occasionally borrow videos, we select mostly books.

With that said, we might borrow 25 books one week, return 15 the next, and checkout another 20 on the following visit. With our revolving system, I note the due dates on my calendar to prevent incurring fines.

Access On-line Account

With our library’s on-line account option, I login to verify the due dates and to find the order in which the books are due back. The note in my calendar reminds me to check the on-line account for the exact titles.

Set Up Alerts

In addition to checking the on-line account, I set up permanent alerts resulting in an e-mail sent 3 days prior to the due date.  The e-mail contains a list of supplies and books with the titles. 🙂

Gather Titles

When I plan a trip to the library or get an e-mail notification, I gather the books and place them in the van. With the books with us, we can drop them off on our next visit.

Going to the library is a fun activity for our family. We return supplies, play on the computers, put together puzzles, and select new supplies. Using the library service is free unless you return your borrowed items past the due date. To keep this activity free, I record the due dates on my calendar and return the items prior to that date.

In planning for success, jot down library return dates in your planning tool. Though I limited this post to the library, you can broaden this category to any borrowed item that needs returning (e.g., car rentals, video games, etc.).

By setting up reminders, you are better able to stay organized, return items on time, and prevent fines. Keep scheduling while using time wisely!

Question: Which resource does your family primarily use at the library?

Planning for Success: Include Holidays – Day 15

by

Planning for success - Day 15

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 15: Include Holidays

Our family enjoys holidays. Since I like to decorate for most of them, my girls get so excited when I begin putting away the current decorations because they know a new set is coming. For example, as I took down the Christmas trees in my children’s rooms this past weekend, my toddler asked multiple times to have her Valentine’s Day hearts put in her room. *Sigh* A mother’s work is never done. 🙂

Though most planning tools include holidays within their pages, some do not. If you create your own calendar, like me, then your planning tool is blank, and you add in the holidays. If you need to add the holiday schedule to your calendar, then Day-Finder.com includes the following lists:

American Holiday Schedule

Canadian Holiday Schedule

Realizing that Canadians need a few more holidays and Americans tend to celebrate everything, I included the American holiday schedule on my calendar. Knowing the dates helps in planning events, parties, and celebrations.

As you plan for success in 2013, include holidays on your calendar for which you and your family celebrate. Though there are other important dates and the above lists are not inclusive, customize your calendar with additional days, like Daylight Savings Time.

Keep using time wisely and jot down holidays and important dates to help you save time and energy. Happy planning!

Question: What additional holidays are on your calendar?

Planning for Success: Purchase Batteries – Day 14

by

Planning for success - Day 14

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 14: Purchase Batteries

If I had known how many batteries we would need once we had children, Paul and I would have purchased stock in Duracell. Besides coming with wires, plastic cases, and complicated packaging, most toys require batteries. Though we keep a stash of the basic types – AA, AAA, C, and D, we rarely have 9-volt batteries in our stockpile.

Since our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors take 9-volt batteries and we change these batteries on Daylight Savings Time weekend, I add a reminder on my calendar to buy batteries.

If the weekend arrives and I don’t have the batteries, then no change is made. By the time the weekend is over, changing the batteries has slipped my mind and will go untouched until the next Daylight Savings weekend.

With Daylight Savings Time occurring this year on March 10 and November 3, I have added to my calendar at the beginning of February and October a notation to purchase batteries. The reason for the early notice is to watch the sales during the month. As most sales run on 6-week cycles, I should find a battery deal within that time frame.

In planning for success, purchase batteries prior to Daylight Savings Time. Having this reminder in my calendar alerts me to the upcoming time change and this important household maintenance. Though our detectors work on electricity with a battery backup, I want all systems in top condition should an emergency occur.

Continue adding your household alerts to your planning tool. With the reminders, you can address these maintenance items in the desired season. Keep using time wisely as you add tasks to your calendar while planning for success. Happy scheduling!

Question: How often do you change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors?

Planning for Success: Secure Doctor’s Appointments – Day 13

by

Planning for success - Day 13

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 13: Secure Doctor Appointments

I realize that most of us do not like doctor’s appointments. Other than a sick visit here and there, our family mostly sees the doctor for yearly annual exams. By getting preventative care, we address any concerns and track our health from year to year.

Knowing how blessed I am to have a healthy family, I have limited appointments to make. However, many of you could quickly fill an entire calendar with just your family’s doctor’s appointments. From routine visits to surgery, secure doctor appointments and stay organized by adding them to your calendar.

Though your list will differ, here are the doctor appointments I will make and add to our 2013 calendar:

    • Dental appointments – biannual cleanings
    • Internal Medicine – annual visits
    • OB/GYN visit – annual check
    • Pediatrician visits – annual well-checks
    • Periodontist – dental specialist, implant check
    • Vision appointments – annual visit

In planning for success, secure doctor appointments and add to your planning tool. As some of these visits have been set at the prior visit, I just transferred those dates to my calendar. For the other visits, I schedule a day to call for an appointment, and then I will add the appointment when set.

As you continue using time wisely, schedule doctor visits. I know they are not fun and that you are not sick. But preventative care can save you money, energy, and time. I know it helps our family save $500 per year. Happy scheduling!

Question: How often does your family visit doctor’s offices?

Planning for Success: Setup Bill Pay – Day 12

by

Planning for success - Day 12

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 12: Setup Bill Pay

If your calendar looks anything like mine, then it is getting full. 😉 For me, seeing a full schedule is a good thing. This means that I have jotted down what needs to occur, and I just need to follow the plan. The nice part is I don’t have to get it all done today. By assigning each task a day, I can accomplish the items scheduled for today and leave the rest for their appointed day.

In stretching our dollars, we have already marked the due dates for monthly bills on our calendar. By doing so, we can follow the schedule and pay prior to or on the due date while preventing late fees.

Bill Pay Option

To assist with recurring payments, your financial institution probably offers a free bill pay service. Think of it as writing an electronic check each month.  Instead of using paper, an envelope, and a stamp to deliver your payment, your bank electronically sends the payment per your request.

Bill Pay Setup

For me, the initial setup took some time, but then scheduling only takes seconds. If you have never used bill pay before, but are interested, here are some basic steps – though each financial institution has a slightly different system:

1. Sign up for on-line banking. Start at your financial institution’s website. If you have a login, then you are setup.

2. Login to your account.

3. Select the Bill Pay option. You might need to access your checking account to find this tab, button, or link.

4. Setup new account. For each bill you want to pay, you will need to setup a separate account, i.e., electricity, cell phone, cable, mortgage, credit card, etc.

5. Choose date to pay. I suggest paying a few days prior to the due date as the process may take a day or two to post.

Tracy’s Tip: If your budget is tight and you need to wait for a deposit before paying a bill, then don’t use the bill pay option as your payment might arrive late. Instead, choose to make the payment through the provider’s website, i.e., Verizon Wireless. The payment will post quicker.

Just be aware of your provider’s policies regarding time frames, holidays, and weekend. Some providers post immediately, like Verizon Wireless; whereas, others will not post until the next business day.

6. Indicate recurring or one-time payment. For payments that are consistently the same, like your mortgage, you can choose recurring. Then your payment is made every month per your request on the same day. You will not need to adjust the amount or timing each month. I like knowing that our mortgage gets paid because bill pay automatically transfer the money from our checking to our mortgage provider.

If the payment changes each month, e.g., your utility bill, then schedule a one-time payment entering the amount. You will need to schedule this payment once a month, but it only requires you to login to your account, choose the provider, enter the amount, select the payment date, and update.

7. Confirm your choices. This verification might be listed as set, pay, confirm, update, or something similar.

8. Adjust your payment. Once you use bill pay, check your accounts to verify payment. If you have problems, then access your bill pay setup to move the payment date, change the amount, or stop using this option.

9. Logout of your account. At the end of each session, you need to logout and close the tab or window. I always closeout the tab to verify that the Internet link between by computer and our financial institution closes. If left open, a hacker could gain access.

Though not the answer for everyone, bill pay is a great service to make payments electronically. Besides saving  paper and stamps, you can schedule your payments in advance and your financial institution will do the rest.

In using time wisely and planning for success, setup bill pay through your financial institution. I love bill pay for our recurring monthly bills that have consistent payments. This service saves me money, energy, and time.

As you consider your options for using time wisely and stretching your dollars, bill pay might be an answer. Remember, it is not all or nothing. You can setup some accounts through bill pay while paying other accounts via check, in person, or on-line through your provider. Whatever your choice, pay on time to prevent late fees. Happy savings!

Question: Do you use bill pay through your financial institution?