I've been kind of obsessed recently with apps and tools that help me be more productive and organized. I've also recently realized that in searching for these productive apps and tools I've neglected to actually be productive and organized.
Sometimes what you are most looking for has been in your possession all along. In the spirit of this wise old statement I thought it would be helpful to myself and my readers if I listed my top 10 favorite apps and tools that actually make you more productive, organized and most importantly Sane & Satisfied.
Apps
1. iNoteBox (previously called My Notebook) - $3.99 from Trinkilee: This is by far the best note taking app for iPad. It's greatness lies in how customizable it is. You can create folders and rename the built-in folders much like on a computer. You can type notes, handwrite notes, add pictures and video, record audio and draw. It also has an expanded keyboard that allows you to tab, undo, add the date and time, arrow left and right one character at a time and has a line of common symbols you might need. It also connects with your Outlook calendar. On top of all of this you are able to upload notes to Google Docs, Blogger, Drop Box and email. It's also a sign of the dedication of the creator that each update has made this app easier to use. It's basically got everything.
2. Get It Done - $FREE from marcucio.com: This is a task organizing app that allows you to organize tasks by project, tags and when you plan on getting them done. What I like most about this app is I can organize my tasks and view them in many different ways. If I want to see what tasks I'm working on today I tap the Today group. If I want to see what tasks I have left for a specific project I tap on that project. If I want to see which tasks I've deemed "Important" I tap on the "Important" Smart Group. I've also added a "Recurring Tasks" Smart Group for the tasks I do most days like "dishes", "write blog" etc. so I don't have to rewrite them everyday. I just move the task to the Today group in the morning and then move them to the Inbox when I'm done. This app is FREE but you can pay a small fee to allow you to sync with an account that you can access from any computer. My only complaint is that this app didn't come with a guide so I had to mess around with it a lot before I understood the power of its design.
3. Bread and Milk Classic - $0.99 from Jim Holloway: Another highly customizable app. (Seeing a pattern here?) This is a grocery list on steroids. It let's you organize items by category like "baking", "dairy", "deli", "produce" etc. and by store. You then add items to your "Shopping List". When you get to the store you tap the items as you put them in your shopping cart. This system reduces time it takes to write out every item by hand and allows you to add items to your shopping list as you run out of them without having to keep track of loose pieces of paper. You can also rearrange the categories to match the layout of your grocery store. Produce comes first? Move the produce group to the top so you see the items in the produce isle first. You can also enter prices for each item and the app totals your "Shopping Cart" to help you stay on budget! The only drawback is that I have to constantly explain how to use it to my husband. Men will be men no matter how easy you make things for them.
4. Relax Melodies Premium - $3.99 from iLBSoft: This app is one of my all time favorite apps. We have all heard that music and pleasant sounds help us focus. Well Relax Melodies takes this to a whole new level. It comes with 76 recorded sounds including Humming, Urban Rain, Ocean, White Noise, Fire Camp, Night (cricket sounds), and Whales. It also includes melodies like Tribal, City and India. You can combine sounds and melodies to create your own relaxing experience and add them to playlists for easy play. My favorite combination is Night, Ocean and Fire Camp. Use this app while you study, read or meditate. It also helps you fall asleep. Plus, it includes Binaural Beats which sort of train your brain to enter a particular brain wave pattern that promotes states like Concentration, Pre-Sleep or Dreamless Sleep. So insert headphones and escape from your stressful day.
5. HootSuite - $FREE from HootSuite Media Inc.: HootSuite is a straightforward app that allows you to write a status update and post it on Twitter, Facebook and LinkdIn at the same time. This cuts down on writing and posting time and allows you to keep track of your social media environment from the convenience of this one app.
6. Zite - $FREE from Zite, Inc.: Zite is a customizable magazine interface. You select topics you enjoy reading about and Zite creates a newspaper pulling from websites and blogs. Read about all your interests from this one app. No need to scour the net for articles on design, crafting, business or sports. It's all on your Zite front page!
7. Lynda.com - $FREE from Lynda.com: Lynda.com app allows you to connect to your Lynda.com account and watch instructional videos right on your iPad. It's a free app but you need to have a Lynda.com account to watch videos. Subscriptions are very reasonable for the insane amount of value. You get access to probably thousands of videos that teach you how to use various software including Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Flash and HTML among hundreds of others subjects. Knowing these programs are essential for any designer or designer wanna-be. No need spending tens of thousands of dollars at a college. Pay $250/yr and learn all you ever need.
Since this list is about staying Sane and Satisfied here are some fun Apps as well. After a long day of getting all your tasks checked off you need a break. And since Sane & Satisfied loves entrepreneurship and creativity these two games are the best games I found that incorporate creativity and resource/time management.
8. Fiona's Flowers - $0.99 from Chillingo: In this game you play a young gardener named Fiona who is trying to earn enough money to enter a prestigious gardening competition. Much like in real life Fiona starts out small with only flower seeds. You control Fiona by tapping on various actions to make her plant seeds, water the flowers and eventually cut them and put them in her shop where customers purchase them. As you go through the game you unlock equipment like the Juicer and Food Dryer to help you create more products to sell in your shop. You also receive special orders that you have to deliver in the allotted time earning you even more money. Unlike other time/resource management games you only pay the .99 cents and are not hounded to purchase more Bux or coins in order to progress through the game. Play in "Story" mode or "Free Gardening" mode. When you've won the Story mode you can reset and play again or go back to any level and continue to earn money for endless playability.
9. Eden World Builder - $0.99 from Kingly Software Inc.: This really isn't a game so to speak. You don't unlock achievements or gain skills. You simply build things with square blocks. You can pick from the stone block, grass block, wood block and a dozen other blocks to create houses, castles, amusements parks and bunkers. It's a 3D environment so you can actually walk around your creations. There's also an online community of Eden creators who have posted their creations for you to download and walk through. It's all accessible from in the game. Create as many Worlds as you like and add, edit and get inspiration from other Worlds. It's easy to use and has endless playability.
This next tool isn't an App or a game but it's the best way that I know for being productive, organized and happy.
10. Define, Create & Reflect - $FREE from Sane & Satisfied: You can have all the Apps and tools in the world to keep you organized and productive but they won't be of any help to you unless you define your goals, create the elements that get you closer to your goals and reflect on your life. Clearly define what you want out of life and how you plan on getting there. Create the parts that make up your goal. Write the outline for that book you've been thinking about. Go for a walk to kick-start your exercise program. Attend that conference to learn more about your industry and network with potential customers or business partners. In short "Just do it", whatever "it" is. And lastly, reflect on your life and take a break to have fun and embrace where you are right now.
What are your favorite Apps that help you stay Sane & Satisfied? (If you don't have an iPhone or iPad you can still share tools, programs or organization systems you use to stay Sane & Satisfied.)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Who Are You Today?
I read about Julia Cameron's Morning Pages about a year ago and I kept telling myself I should start doing them but I never got in the hang of it. I told myself to do a Morning Page again last night and miraculously got up this morning and did one while I ate breakfast.
I call my Morning Pages "I Am..." pages because I'm trying to focus on today and what I need to do today rather than worry about the future. I was also inspired by the subtitle of Bene Brown's, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you are supposed to be and embrace who you are. That sentence has been going through my head ever since I read it. It's become a mantra for me.
Whether you do Morning Pages or "I Am..." Pages its extremely important to spend some time with yourself each day. In fact, its a required step of being Sane & Satisfied.
I believe the only reason we are unhappy is because we try so hard to be what we think we ought to be or what we think other people think we should be. But that's crap! How can I be anyone but who I am right now? I don't have a doctorate in physics but I'm pretty sure that humans can't be more than what they are at any given moment. So why do we try so hard for something that is physically impossible?!?!
I'll tell you why: because we keep being duped. Every year another 12 Step plan comes out that promises to make us stronger, smarter, thinner, richer. Telling people, "You are who you are and there's nothing to change that but through hard work, sweat and tears" doesn't make people a whole lot of money. But it's the truth.
Know yourself, listen to yourself, stop comparing yourself to others and you will always be the best you can be.
1. Take a 12x12 inch sheet of card stock and cut into fourths so you have 4 pieces of 6x6 inch paper. Set three pages aside to use for later. You will only need one page right now.
2. Take a moment to quiet your mind and focus on what you are feeling at this moment.
3. Use markers or colored pencils or whatever writing instrument you have and decorate your page. To get your creative juices flowing you can start by writing the date at the top and doodling around it.
4. Next, journal about what you feeling right now, what your day looks like, what you want to accomplish today, what you are focusing on today. Try to keep it short but don't think too hard. When you start to think too hard about what you are writing those pesky Supposed To's pop up. But you aren't interested in what you are supposed to be like today. You only care about what you ARE today.
5. Last, simply finish decorating or doodling to fill the page as you wish. I find it's easier to write first and then doodle based on what I wrote about.
The great thing about focusing on who you are right now and knowing and embracing yourself is that it's a lot easier to combat those people in our lives who try to lead us off track.
You can also fasten your pages together to make a book and review it throughout the year.
Happy Journaling
I call my Morning Pages "I Am..." pages because I'm trying to focus on today and what I need to do today rather than worry about the future. I was also inspired by the subtitle of Bene Brown's, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you are supposed to be and embrace who you are. That sentence has been going through my head ever since I read it. It's become a mantra for me.
Whether you do Morning Pages or "I Am..." Pages its extremely important to spend some time with yourself each day. In fact, its a required step of being Sane & Satisfied.
I believe the only reason we are unhappy is because we try so hard to be what we think we ought to be or what we think other people think we should be. But that's crap! How can I be anyone but who I am right now? I don't have a doctorate in physics but I'm pretty sure that humans can't be more than what they are at any given moment. So why do we try so hard for something that is physically impossible?!?!
I'll tell you why: because we keep being duped. Every year another 12 Step plan comes out that promises to make us stronger, smarter, thinner, richer. Telling people, "You are who you are and there's nothing to change that but through hard work, sweat and tears" doesn't make people a whole lot of money. But it's the truth.
Know yourself, listen to yourself, stop comparing yourself to others and you will always be the best you can be.
How to Do an "I Am..." Page
If you know how to write your thoughts down on paper and doodle than you know how to do an I Am... Page. There is no right or wrong way to do this but here are some tips to get you started.1. Take a 12x12 inch sheet of card stock and cut into fourths so you have 4 pieces of 6x6 inch paper. Set three pages aside to use for later. You will only need one page right now.
2. Take a moment to quiet your mind and focus on what you are feeling at this moment.
3. Use markers or colored pencils or whatever writing instrument you have and decorate your page. To get your creative juices flowing you can start by writing the date at the top and doodling around it.
4. Next, journal about what you feeling right now, what your day looks like, what you want to accomplish today, what you are focusing on today. Try to keep it short but don't think too hard. When you start to think too hard about what you are writing those pesky Supposed To's pop up. But you aren't interested in what you are supposed to be like today. You only care about what you ARE today.
5. Last, simply finish decorating or doodling to fill the page as you wish. I find it's easier to write first and then doodle based on what I wrote about.
The great thing about focusing on who you are right now and knowing and embracing yourself is that it's a lot easier to combat those people in our lives who try to lead us off track.
You can also fasten your pages together to make a book and review it throughout the year.
Happy Journaling
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
I've been struggling with decisions lately. What makes a decision a good decision? What makes a decision a bad decision? This struggle has clouded my judgement of my own decisions. It's gotten to the point that I don't trust my decision making skills anymore.
Part of the reason why I'm having this inner struggle is because I, like you, get judged by my decisions. And those closest to me sometimes give the harshest critiques.
To help myself with this good vs bad decisions debate I was going to write down all the "good" decisions I've had. My brain, like most brains, tends to get hung up on all the bad decisions I've made and forget the good ones so I wanted to try to prove to myself that I do, in fact, make some good decisions.
One of the "good decisions" I was about to write down was "deciding to take the temp job at Artisan Scientific". At first I thought this was a "good" decision because I enjoy working there, they have a huge snack room, and the owners are great people to work for. As far as temp jobs go I'm pretty sure I hit the jackpot.
"Wait a minute!" My brain told me. "If you didn't take this temp job you would have had more time to work on your other venture and possibly might be making a lot more money right now." This makes it sound like it was a bad decision.
And then I had an epiphany... Decisions aren't really good or bad until we react to making them. Meaning, we put the modifiers of "good" and "bad" on the decisions we make. But decisions are just decisions. They are based on the information we had at the time we made them.
To my knowledge, no human can really predict the future, so when we are faced with a decision our only choice is to base it on the information, resources and skills we have at the present moment. In other words, we can't make a decision today based on information we might have tomorrow.
So, I guess, in effect, every decision we make is a "good" decision if for no other reason than we actually made it.
Part of the reason why I'm having this inner struggle is because I, like you, get judged by my decisions. And those closest to me sometimes give the harshest critiques.
To help myself with this good vs bad decisions debate I was going to write down all the "good" decisions I've had. My brain, like most brains, tends to get hung up on all the bad decisions I've made and forget the good ones so I wanted to try to prove to myself that I do, in fact, make some good decisions.
One of the "good decisions" I was about to write down was "deciding to take the temp job at Artisan Scientific". At first I thought this was a "good" decision because I enjoy working there, they have a huge snack room, and the owners are great people to work for. As far as temp jobs go I'm pretty sure I hit the jackpot.
"Wait a minute!" My brain told me. "If you didn't take this temp job you would have had more time to work on your other venture and possibly might be making a lot more money right now." This makes it sound like it was a bad decision.
And then I had an epiphany... Decisions aren't really good or bad until we react to making them. Meaning, we put the modifiers of "good" and "bad" on the decisions we make. But decisions are just decisions. They are based on the information we had at the time we made them.
To my knowledge, no human can really predict the future, so when we are faced with a decision our only choice is to base it on the information, resources and skills we have at the present moment. In other words, we can't make a decision today based on information we might have tomorrow.
So, I guess, in effect, every decision we make is a "good" decision if for no other reason than we actually made it.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Sane & Satisfied Health Plan
I hope you had a Sane & Satisfied Christmas. Like me you probably had your fill of goodies. My husband and I made Fondue for Christmas Eve and I won't hide the fact that I stuffed my happy face.
As with every other year, the days after the holidays and the start of the new year bring all kinds of resolutions, mostly centering around eating healthy, dieting and exercising. Sane & Satisfied people should cringe at the word diet, by the way. It brings to mind starving oneself. It's also interesting how the word diet was originally a noun used like "a Mediterranean diet" or "a low sugar diet". Now it's a verb. "I'm dieting" or "I'm going on a diet". Often times people forget to define what sort of diet they are going on.
But I digress...
Whatever your health goals are this year, please don't fall into the same trend as last year and the year before and the year before. Which is to say don't listen to the hype, marketing and propaganda from "health gurus" who bank on the fact that thoughts of dieting and exercise are flooding the minds of Americans right now.
These "health gurus" will make you think their health plan is the "only one" of the season. That it's the "fastest way to lose weight". Some may even claim that you don't have to lift a finger and the pounds will somehow just fall off.
Don't believe a word of it!!!
The foundation of being Sane & Satisfied is to line up your expectations with your efforts. On one hand this means to make sure you aren't putting out more energy than necessary. It also means that you aren't putting out a little energy and expecting grand results.
What health gurus don't tell you is that your bad eating and exercise habits took many years to cultivate. The reason why we are getting more and more unhealthy stems from many, many sources. The only way to get healthy is to recognize what sources are causing you to not be as healthy as you would like. You are the only one who can create a solution.
Making a true change in your life, no matter what that change is, is difficult and requires time and patience. If those health gurus told their customers that do you think they would sell anything? No, I doubt they would either. But it's the truth.
So the next time you hear a "new diet and exercise plan that rids you of all fat in only 5 minutes a day and you can do it from the comfort of your favorite chair" think twice about buying into it.
Instead, follow the Sane & Satisfied Health Plan. It focuses on the key areas of a successful health plan. They are Movement, Motivation, Balanced Diet, Cooking Your Own Food, and Consistancy.
Here are the steps:
1. Movement: Just get up and move. Do the first thing that comes to your mind. Bike riding? Swimming? Yoga? Just do it for at least 10 minutes. Right now. Don't wait.
2. Motivation: Now that you have started moving reflect on how it made you feel. Hopefully you feel more awake and limber. Focus on that feeling. Remember that feeling whenever you think about exercising.
3. Balanced Diet: Now write down your favorite foods in each food group. You know them...grains, fruit, veggies, meat, diary. If you find that one group is pretty short, write down a food that you would like to try. Also list your all time favorite treats. Don't put down the candy bar you buy on a whim at the check line. I'm talking mouth watering, feeling content treats. Grandma's cookies, that cinnamon roll front the corner bakery. One of mine is rice krispie treats. These are the treats you should be eating. Stop wasting your taste buds on crap treats just because they are there. Save your sweet indulgences for food you really, really enjoy eating.
4. Cook Your Own Meals: Make dinner from scratch tonight including your all time favorite treat! Search online for a recipe, write down the ingredients and stop by the store tonight on your way home. Surprise your family with a home-cooked meal, feel the accomplishment of making food with your own hands, and relish in the yummy taste of a made from scratch meal.
5. Consistancy: This is where most people get tripped up. It's easy to start something with gusto but a lot harder to keep it going. The first step is to remember your motivation and understand clearly what you want and what you are going to have to do to get there. And then you must make it a priority. I think the best way to stay consistent is start with one change and consistently ask yourself, "What's next?" Drinking more water is a great way to start living healthy. It doesn't require much work, every restaurant has water and you don't need any special equipment. Plus water makes you feel full and if you are drinking water you aren't drinking sugary sodas.
Don't stop here! Keep asking yourself, "What's next?" "What can I do today to make my body healthy and happy?" "What new food can I try to replace a not so healthy food?" "What new meal can I make today?" My favorite foods to make are foods that I've liked at an expensive restaurant or at a restuarant I can't find where I live. My version is just as good as theirs plus I know what ingredients are going into it and I'm saving money!
I think the real reason why so many people fall off the healthy band wagon is because we are taught that being healthy is a lot easier and faster than it really is. So we start a diet and exercise plan thinking that we will just float through it and when it starts getting hard we give up or think that we must be doing something wrong.
Staying healthy doesn't happen in the space of 30 minutes a day. It may start there but it's much more fun and satisfying to work healthy moments into every area of your life. Not to mention you will be more successful at losing weight and staying healthy.
As with every other year, the days after the holidays and the start of the new year bring all kinds of resolutions, mostly centering around eating healthy, dieting and exercising. Sane & Satisfied people should cringe at the word diet, by the way. It brings to mind starving oneself. It's also interesting how the word diet was originally a noun used like "a Mediterranean diet" or "a low sugar diet". Now it's a verb. "I'm dieting" or "I'm going on a diet". Often times people forget to define what sort of diet they are going on.
But I digress...
Whatever your health goals are this year, please don't fall into the same trend as last year and the year before and the year before. Which is to say don't listen to the hype, marketing and propaganda from "health gurus" who bank on the fact that thoughts of dieting and exercise are flooding the minds of Americans right now.
These "health gurus" will make you think their health plan is the "only one" of the season. That it's the "fastest way to lose weight". Some may even claim that you don't have to lift a finger and the pounds will somehow just fall off.
Don't believe a word of it!!!
The foundation of being Sane & Satisfied is to line up your expectations with your efforts. On one hand this means to make sure you aren't putting out more energy than necessary. It also means that you aren't putting out a little energy and expecting grand results.
What health gurus don't tell you is that your bad eating and exercise habits took many years to cultivate. The reason why we are getting more and more unhealthy stems from many, many sources. The only way to get healthy is to recognize what sources are causing you to not be as healthy as you would like. You are the only one who can create a solution.
Making a true change in your life, no matter what that change is, is difficult and requires time and patience. If those health gurus told their customers that do you think they would sell anything? No, I doubt they would either. But it's the truth.
So the next time you hear a "new diet and exercise plan that rids you of all fat in only 5 minutes a day and you can do it from the comfort of your favorite chair" think twice about buying into it.
Instead, follow the Sane & Satisfied Health Plan. It focuses on the key areas of a successful health plan. They are Movement, Motivation, Balanced Diet, Cooking Your Own Food, and Consistancy.
Here are the steps:
1. Movement: Just get up and move. Do the first thing that comes to your mind. Bike riding? Swimming? Yoga? Just do it for at least 10 minutes. Right now. Don't wait.
2. Motivation: Now that you have started moving reflect on how it made you feel. Hopefully you feel more awake and limber. Focus on that feeling. Remember that feeling whenever you think about exercising.
3. Balanced Diet: Now write down your favorite foods in each food group. You know them...grains, fruit, veggies, meat, diary. If you find that one group is pretty short, write down a food that you would like to try. Also list your all time favorite treats. Don't put down the candy bar you buy on a whim at the check line. I'm talking mouth watering, feeling content treats. Grandma's cookies, that cinnamon roll front the corner bakery. One of mine is rice krispie treats. These are the treats you should be eating. Stop wasting your taste buds on crap treats just because they are there. Save your sweet indulgences for food you really, really enjoy eating.
4. Cook Your Own Meals: Make dinner from scratch tonight including your all time favorite treat! Search online for a recipe, write down the ingredients and stop by the store tonight on your way home. Surprise your family with a home-cooked meal, feel the accomplishment of making food with your own hands, and relish in the yummy taste of a made from scratch meal.
5. Consistancy: This is where most people get tripped up. It's easy to start something with gusto but a lot harder to keep it going. The first step is to remember your motivation and understand clearly what you want and what you are going to have to do to get there. And then you must make it a priority. I think the best way to stay consistent is start with one change and consistently ask yourself, "What's next?" Drinking more water is a great way to start living healthy. It doesn't require much work, every restaurant has water and you don't need any special equipment. Plus water makes you feel full and if you are drinking water you aren't drinking sugary sodas.
Don't stop here! Keep asking yourself, "What's next?" "What can I do today to make my body healthy and happy?" "What new food can I try to replace a not so healthy food?" "What new meal can I make today?" My favorite foods to make are foods that I've liked at an expensive restaurant or at a restuarant I can't find where I live. My version is just as good as theirs plus I know what ingredients are going into it and I'm saving money!
I think the real reason why so many people fall off the healthy band wagon is because we are taught that being healthy is a lot easier and faster than it really is. So we start a diet and exercise plan thinking that we will just float through it and when it starts getting hard we give up or think that we must be doing something wrong.
Staying healthy doesn't happen in the space of 30 minutes a day. It may start there but it's much more fun and satisfying to work healthy moments into every area of your life. Not to mention you will be more successful at losing weight and staying healthy.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
What I've learned from Extreme Couponing
I have learned a lot from Extreme Couponing and frugal spending for the last few months. And I'm surprised how much of what I've learned has helped deepen my Sanity & Satisfaction.
1. I've been taught to love, and therefore buy, only certain types of brands. One of the first things you must learn to be successful at Extreme Couponing is to ditch brand loyalty. In order to save lots of money you must be open to using coupons for similar items you usually buy but aren't your favorite brand. It's a bit uncomfortable at first but after a while you stop noticing.
2. I've been taught to think the only way to keep myself looking and smelling fresh is to buy expensive products. Since I don't live in or near a big city I don't get the sweet deals that other couponers get and so I have had to seek other avenues of money saving in the beauty department. My main tactic is to figure out how many beauty, hygiene and cleaning products I can make myself. I have found that most of these items I buy at the store I can actually make at home for pennies. Toothpaste, glass cleaner, counter cleaner, deodorant, face wash, face toner, soap, shampoo and conditioner are just some of the items I found recipes for. I even found a recipe for clay mask (you know, the stuff that you smear on your face and body at expensive day spas). I haven't tried it yet but the main ingredient is plain, unscented, clay kitty litter. I found a huge bag at Walmart for 2.99. Sure beats the hundreds of dollars I'd spend at the spa. The bottom line is that you don't need a closet full of over-priced bath items to feel pampered and look beautiful.
3. Just because a store tells you that you are getting a deal on something doesn't make it true. One of the stores I have started to frequent is Dollar Tree partly because I know that whatever I buy it will only be a dollar. It must be a deal, right? Well, last month I bought some movie candy at Dollar Tree to sneak into Paranormal Activities (terrific movie, by the way). I also stopped at Walmart on my way to the movie and found the same candy for $0.50. I found many other items at Dollar Tree that are more expensive than our local grocery store too.
4.The last and probably most important thing I've learned from Extreme Couponing is that most of the time you are paying for marketing instead of the quality of the item itself. The next time you buy a product, any product, ask yourself if it lives up to the marketing. Did that shampoo really make your hair look like that sexy model on the commercial? Did that hair dye really make you play a better tennis game? So you even need that shaving gel or will your trusty soap work just fine? I've heard many savvy business owners say they don't sell products, they sell confidence or sex, or relaxation. And I guess I see their point. But you can get relaxation from turning your phone off and not checking your email. You can get confidence by sticking up for yourself or exercising. No purchase necessary!
Extreme Couponing is a great exercise to help you change the way you think about shopping and the products you buy. It's also a great exercise in being Sane & Satisfied. You don't have to spend 40 hours a week preparing for your shopping trip to haul four shopping carts of cereal home. (I only spend about 2 hours a week preparing and if there aren't any great deals I'll skip a week.)
Even if you never clip a coupon or know what WYB2 or B1G1 means the more you think about your shopping habits and the more you are aware of what marketers can make you think about certain products, the more you will save and the more Sane & Satisfied you will be.
1. I've been taught to love, and therefore buy, only certain types of brands. One of the first things you must learn to be successful at Extreme Couponing is to ditch brand loyalty. In order to save lots of money you must be open to using coupons for similar items you usually buy but aren't your favorite brand. It's a bit uncomfortable at first but after a while you stop noticing.
2. I've been taught to think the only way to keep myself looking and smelling fresh is to buy expensive products. Since I don't live in or near a big city I don't get the sweet deals that other couponers get and so I have had to seek other avenues of money saving in the beauty department. My main tactic is to figure out how many beauty, hygiene and cleaning products I can make myself. I have found that most of these items I buy at the store I can actually make at home for pennies. Toothpaste, glass cleaner, counter cleaner, deodorant, face wash, face toner, soap, shampoo and conditioner are just some of the items I found recipes for. I even found a recipe for clay mask (you know, the stuff that you smear on your face and body at expensive day spas). I haven't tried it yet but the main ingredient is plain, unscented, clay kitty litter. I found a huge bag at Walmart for 2.99. Sure beats the hundreds of dollars I'd spend at the spa. The bottom line is that you don't need a closet full of over-priced bath items to feel pampered and look beautiful.
3. Just because a store tells you that you are getting a deal on something doesn't make it true. One of the stores I have started to frequent is Dollar Tree partly because I know that whatever I buy it will only be a dollar. It must be a deal, right? Well, last month I bought some movie candy at Dollar Tree to sneak into Paranormal Activities (terrific movie, by the way). I also stopped at Walmart on my way to the movie and found the same candy for $0.50. I found many other items at Dollar Tree that are more expensive than our local grocery store too.
4.The last and probably most important thing I've learned from Extreme Couponing is that most of the time you are paying for marketing instead of the quality of the item itself. The next time you buy a product, any product, ask yourself if it lives up to the marketing. Did that shampoo really make your hair look like that sexy model on the commercial? Did that hair dye really make you play a better tennis game? So you even need that shaving gel or will your trusty soap work just fine? I've heard many savvy business owners say they don't sell products, they sell confidence or sex, or relaxation. And I guess I see their point. But you can get relaxation from turning your phone off and not checking your email. You can get confidence by sticking up for yourself or exercising. No purchase necessary!
Extreme Couponing is a great exercise to help you change the way you think about shopping and the products you buy. It's also a great exercise in being Sane & Satisfied. You don't have to spend 40 hours a week preparing for your shopping trip to haul four shopping carts of cereal home. (I only spend about 2 hours a week preparing and if there aren't any great deals I'll skip a week.)
Even if you never clip a coupon or know what WYB2 or B1G1 means the more you think about your shopping habits and the more you are aware of what marketers can make you think about certain products, the more you will save and the more Sane & Satisfied you will be.
Monday, October 31, 2011
$8/hr, Splitting Headaches & Possessions
I just can't get into the swing of things lately. I've had so many ideas for Sane & Satisfied and for my other ventures but my body can't keep up.
Ain't that how life goes, though? You don't regret the things you did, you regret the things you didn't do. Well, I reckon I'll be regretting a lot of things. And here I go getting morbid and mushy.
Anywho...
I've been asking myself a lot lately if I do things for me or for other people. Or if I do things because of my feelings about them or because of other people's feelings about them. And I haven't really come to an answer yet. But I've had two situations that tested this question just in the last week.
One was that this guy offered me a position to run his new screen printing business here in town. I would be responsible for setting up his showroom, advertising, and designing shirts to sell in the showroom. The catch was that he would only pay me $8/hr. He said that I would be able to raise my pay myself if I brought in enough business.
I was "this close" to saying yes. But then I forced myself to be quiet and think about all the things I'm already working on. I realized that I would be doing all of the things for him that I should be doing for my own business. Not only that, but if I accepted his offer I would be going in yet one more direction that really isn't the direction I want to go in. I want to be in the mountains someday not tethered to a brick store.
I knew it was one of those weeks last week when I conked out at 9:00pm right after dinner, in the middle of watching The Office and woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. It always happens that way. I keep my stress and worry bottled up inside until it can't help but force it's way out in the form of droopy eyes, irritability and pain.
If I've learned anything last week it was because I was able to at least keep my head above water long enough to see what the lesson is: That high above our worldly possessions, towering over our computers, Twitter accounts and designer clothes we have possession of ourselves...if we can keep it.
Ain't that how life goes, though? You don't regret the things you did, you regret the things you didn't do. Well, I reckon I'll be regretting a lot of things. And here I go getting morbid and mushy.
Anywho...
I've been asking myself a lot lately if I do things for me or for other people. Or if I do things because of my feelings about them or because of other people's feelings about them. And I haven't really come to an answer yet. But I've had two situations that tested this question just in the last week.
One was that this guy offered me a position to run his new screen printing business here in town. I would be responsible for setting up his showroom, advertising, and designing shirts to sell in the showroom. The catch was that he would only pay me $8/hr. He said that I would be able to raise my pay myself if I brought in enough business.
I was "this close" to saying yes. But then I forced myself to be quiet and think about all the things I'm already working on. I realized that I would be doing all of the things for him that I should be doing for my own business. Not only that, but if I accepted his offer I would be going in yet one more direction that really isn't the direction I want to go in. I want to be in the mountains someday not tethered to a brick store.
I knew it was one of those weeks last week when I conked out at 9:00pm right after dinner, in the middle of watching The Office and woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. It always happens that way. I keep my stress and worry bottled up inside until it can't help but force it's way out in the form of droopy eyes, irritability and pain.
If I've learned anything last week it was because I was able to at least keep my head above water long enough to see what the lesson is: That high above our worldly possessions, towering over our computers, Twitter accounts and designer clothes we have possession of ourselves...if we can keep it.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Tea, Opening Days & How to make a Million
Wow, I've been away for while, haven't I?
Oh, well...let's pick back up, shall we...
So, I'm reading this book called The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. I usually read sci-fi and fantasy but I was drawn into this book because the main character moves from 19th Century London to America and starts a tea shop. I'm in love with starting new businesses (I've started 4 myself). I was also intrigued by the historical backdrop (Jack the Ripper makes a cameo).
Yesterday I finished a chapter about the opening day of Fiona's (the main character) shop. She actually started her tea venture by reopening her drunk uncle's grocery store. It was a huge success and she attracted the eye of a millionaire named William McClane who gives her advice one night about growing her business:
Most of my business skills I have learned in the most unsuspecting places. I've learned that sometimes it's best to just use your first idea and get it done than it is to stay up all night finding the "perfect" idea. I learned that from the kids I teach at my after-school program, Entrepreneur Teens Rock. And from watching Mad Men, I've learned that advertising is more about what you are supposed to feel about a product than what a product really does or is. This makes a great show (my husband and I just finished a Mad Men marathon to catch up to the next season) but it doesn't really make for a feasible marketing plan for most small businesses. And from a card in the store I learned that you must "Bloom where you are planted".
That last quote, "Bloom where you are planted", pretty much sums up the passage from The Tea Rose. William McClane summed it up like this: "Use what you know to grow." It's really as simple as that. It's hard to come to terms with but really the only way to learn anything or to grow a business or finish a complex project is start with what you know. The same goes for writing a book or blogging. Part of the reason why I haven't been writing is because I didn't feel like I had a right to. I'm not well-known, I don't excel at anything, I haven't taken writing classes and more to the point I couldn't figure out how to get to my blogging goal, which is essentially to get more readers. Through the confusion I didn't realize that I can string words together into coherent sentences and I do know how to think. Those two skills are really all you need to start blogging. Then from there you use what you know and learn to grow and get you closer to your goal.
That's all for now. I'm working on turning the passage from The Tea Rose into a tool to help me and hopefully you figure out how to grow your business, project, or blogging or whatever you are working on, really.
See you tomorrow!
Oh, well...let's pick back up, shall we...
So, I'm reading this book called The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. I usually read sci-fi and fantasy but I was drawn into this book because the main character moves from 19th Century London to America and starts a tea shop. I'm in love with starting new businesses (I've started 4 myself). I was also intrigued by the historical backdrop (Jack the Ripper makes a cameo).
Yesterday I finished a chapter about the opening day of Fiona's (the main character) shop. She actually started her tea venture by reopening her drunk uncle's grocery store. It was a huge success and she attracted the eye of a millionaire named William McClane who gives her advice one night about growing her business:
"You know sweet pastries sell, so now try savories. Meat pies…chicken pies…those sorts of things. It’s a risk – you may not sell them – but it’s a calculated one. Odds are you will. Try a selection of good candy. If people are buying biscuits, chances are they’ll buy chocolate. What else? The asparagus sold out, right? I had the most delicious braised lettuces at Rector’s the other night. They were new, not full-grown. Maybe people who like fresh vegetables would buy those, too. Maybe not, but you should investigate every possibility. Anticipate every need. Be the first to give your customers what they want, even if they don’t yet know they want it."I have a feeling this might be the best business advice ever given. You know how I loath self help and what I loath even more is self help disguised as teaching someone how to start a business. Actually, it's not even billed as teaching you how to start a business. It's usually billed as "How to make a million dollars". But William's speech is the meat and potatoes of how to start a business. I've never met Carnegie or Rockefeller but I would stake the rest of my savings (granted it's not much) on the fact that they both would agree with the above business plan.
Most of my business skills I have learned in the most unsuspecting places. I've learned that sometimes it's best to just use your first idea and get it done than it is to stay up all night finding the "perfect" idea. I learned that from the kids I teach at my after-school program, Entrepreneur Teens Rock. And from watching Mad Men, I've learned that advertising is more about what you are supposed to feel about a product than what a product really does or is. This makes a great show (my husband and I just finished a Mad Men marathon to catch up to the next season) but it doesn't really make for a feasible marketing plan for most small businesses. And from a card in the store I learned that you must "Bloom where you are planted".
That last quote, "Bloom where you are planted", pretty much sums up the passage from The Tea Rose. William McClane summed it up like this: "Use what you know to grow." It's really as simple as that. It's hard to come to terms with but really the only way to learn anything or to grow a business or finish a complex project is start with what you know. The same goes for writing a book or blogging. Part of the reason why I haven't been writing is because I didn't feel like I had a right to. I'm not well-known, I don't excel at anything, I haven't taken writing classes and more to the point I couldn't figure out how to get to my blogging goal, which is essentially to get more readers. Through the confusion I didn't realize that I can string words together into coherent sentences and I do know how to think. Those two skills are really all you need to start blogging. Then from there you use what you know and learn to grow and get you closer to your goal.
That's all for now. I'm working on turning the passage from The Tea Rose into a tool to help me and hopefully you figure out how to grow your business, project, or blogging or whatever you are working on, really.
See you tomorrow!
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