***Free and Open to the Public***

On November 15 celebrate America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized holiday dedicated to promoting recycling. NC State University will host a free paper shredding and electronic recycling drive for you to safely and securely recycle electronics or shred confidential paper files.

Free Paper Shredding and Electronics Recycling Drive
Date: Thursday, November 15th
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: NCSU Centennial Campus (at the corner of Partners Way and Main Campus Drive)
Address: 830 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606

Recyclable electronics include anything with a cord, plus other electronic items:
• Computers – CPU, laptops, mainframes
• CDs/DVDs (with cases)
• Rechargeable batteries
• Televisions (Nominal recycling fee of $5 per small TV, $10 per large TV)
• Please use Surplus for all state purchased electronics

Shredding includes:
• Mixed paper (should be removed from binders, binder clips and rubber bands)
• Light cardboard
• Sensitive documents only**
**Recycle junk mail, newspaper and magazines through your home recycling program.

More event information: go.ncsu.edu/ard

Business or personal email….it doesn’t matter; there’s always just too much of it. Short of hiring a personal assistant, what can you do? Try these tips to keep you from drowning in email and wasting time bogged down trying to manage your inbox…

1. Get a Spam filter. Lots of companies like MacAffee, Barracuda Networks, and these companies offer software that blocks unwanted emails to leave you with a streamlined inbox.

2. Set up email rules. Emily Parks, owner of Organize for Success recommends putting your email software to work for you by setting up filtering “rules” that allow you to sort by person, subject, importance, keywords and move incoming emails directly into the trash or email subfolders so they avoid hitting your inbox altogether. Here are some instructions on how to set up email rules:

For PC users using Outlook: http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000781.htm
For PC users using Google/Gmail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtaniuBpF6g
For Mac users:
http://www.hosting.com/support/email/create-email-filters-in-mac-os-x-mail–
http://think.stedwards.edu/computerhelp/macmailrulesandfiltering

3. Use an email filtering service. There are companies out there like Sanebox.com and AwayFind.com who, for a nominal fee, will filter, sort, and aggregate your emails so your inbox only receives the truly important ones. They claim you could save about 100 hours a year, and one of my business clients had this to say:

“Sanebox is well worth the low monthly price. I’ve got both my business and personal email accounts on it for about $7/mo. It has been very helpful in cutting down my email clutter so I can focus on the important/urgent ones and get back to the others later. Definitely worth recommending for most casual to medium volume email users. The “aggregation and prioritization” being done for me automatically is extremely productive and Sanebox has been worth it so far.

The only downside is that Sanebox ONLY prioritizes based on sender’s email address… so once you delegate an email from someone as not urgent/not important, it will ALWAYS file any emails from that sender that way. There is no way to prioritize or separate based on subject or any other factors other than sender’s address.

AwayFind.com appears to be much more advanced…and is also a bit pricier.”

Paperwork is a big problem for many people and no one likes to file. And did you know that, in general, people only need to keep 20% of the paperwork they have? Paper can be manageable if you know what to keep and for how long. Just ask yourself these questions:

• Am I legally required to keep it? (i.e., vital records, tax documents)
• If so, for how long?
• Will I actually use it/refer to it/need it?
• Is the information still current?
• Can it easily be replicated if needed again (i.e. found on the web)?
• Is it a duplicate?
• What’s the worst that can happen if I toss it?

Now that you’ve decided if something’s worth keeping, here are some guidelines for how long to keep it:

• Permanently: Vital records including birth/death/marriage/divorce certificates, wills, military records, passports & social security cards should be kept in a safe deposit box. Diplomas, very special memoribilia, medical records (not bills) can be kept at home permanently.
• As long as you own it, then shred: Car title, house deeds, owner’s manuals, warranty receipts, household inventory list, stock certificates (in a safe deposit box)
• 7 years, then shred: Tax returns
• Until the next one comes (generally quarterly or annually), then shred: Investment statements, Insurance agreements & in-network directories, Social Security statements, school schedules
• 1 month: Monthly bills (unless it’s a tax deduction, then 7 years), receipts (once you’ve reconciled), magazines, coupons (until they expire), event announcements (once they pass)
• Daily/weekly: To Do lists, handwritten notes that are out of date, contact info (this should get entered into your address book whether paper or electronic), newsletters
• Never: Junk Mail, flyers, magazines you won’t read, coupons you won’t use, invitations for events you won’t go to. Toss these in the outdoor trash so they never enter your home.

TIP: Most banks have electronic statements and many now keep 3-6 years worth in archives so you don’t need to keep the paper bank statements once you’ve signed up. Also, investment companies can send electronic statements & you can sign up to view statements & prospectuses online so you can shred or toss these as well.

Now go blast through those piles and enjoy a clean desk!

Did you know that, in the U.S. alone, over 3.7 million trees are killed each year just to make receipts? Want to be eco-friendly and organized at the same time? We can help get your receipts and business cards scanned, categorized, and online for easy access.

Little Virgo is affiliated with Shoeboxed.com’s Receipt and Business Card Mail-In Program. You’ll receive a pre-paid envelope to stick your bundle of receipts and business cards into, then put in the mailbox! Your receipts and business cards will be scanned into your online account, automatically categorized, and sent back or recycled. You’ll also get a new envelope in the mail for your next batch of receipts and business cards. Think of it as NetFlix for your receipts!

Click here to sign up!

Choose one of our unlimited, monthly plans.
No long term contracts. Change your plan or cancel at any time.

All accounts come with:

• Unlimited Free Space
• Export to Quicken, Excel, PDF expense report, CSV
• Itemized tracking from receipts
• Spending charts and analytics
• An email address for online shopping

	Business $49.95/month Annual plans get 2 months free!	Classic $29.95/month Annual plans get 2 months free!	Lite $9.95/month Annual plans get 2 months free!
Receipts & Business Cards Scanned	500/mo	150/mo	50/mo
Free Catch-Up Scanning	1000 Receipts (with annual plan)	500 Receipts (with annual plan)	250 Receipts (with annual plan)
Turnaround Time	1-2 days	2-3 days	3-5 days
Use our Prepaid Envelopes	Yes	Yes	No
Receipts You Upload	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Email Receipts	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Backup CDs	Included, Quarterly	Optional	Optional

How long does it take to process the receipts and business cards I mail in?

Never more than two business days after receiving your envelope, unless your receipts are heavily wrinkled, folded or contain staples.

Can I download my receipts and business cards?

Yes, you can download your receipts to PDF (with receipt images), Excel, Quicken, and CSV formats. You can also download your business card contacts to CSV, which you can import to many places, including Outlook, Salesforce, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Apple Address Book, Act!, LinkedIn, and many other programs and websites that organize contact information.

Are my receipts secure?

Yes. Even though most receipts, by law, do not contain social security numbers or credit card numbers, we take security very seriously. Shoeboxed.com uses the same data encryption technology as major banks: 128-bit SSL. Online security and privacy are actively monitored by leading experts such as TrustE, McAfee and Thawte. We log all visits to the site and we maintain regular backups of all the data we store and backups are housed in a secure location. The physical receipts are kept under lock and key in a secured facility. All Shoeboxed employees must also pass criminal background checks.

Who is this service for?

The majority of our customers use Shoeboxed to track their personal expenses or expenses for their small business. Many of our customers are frequent business travelers too.

Why do people use Shoeboxed?

The number one use of Shoeboxed is to track paper receipts. Not only do our customers want to track their spending, they also want secure backups of their receipts. If you’ve ever lost a receipt, you know that Shoeboxed can help with book-keeping, tax returns, warranties and insurance claims.

Do I still have access to my receipts and business cards if I cancel my account?

If you cancel your Lite, Classic, or Business account you will still have access to the Shoeboxed.com tools and to your old receipts. If your account is canceled, we will not scan or process any new receipts for you.

It’s not your fault if you feel frustrated by filing! Most filing systems take too much time to file, hide the papers you often need, and require unnecessary maintenance. It’s no wonder many of us resort to paper piles! The problem is not with you; it’s the filing system you’re using. The solution is to eliminate all file maintenance, reduce your file time dramatically, and accelerate retrieval of papers needed for routine tasks.

My favorite filing system can be used for both personal and business and is called the FreedomFiler™.

FreedomFiler™ provides state-of-the-art, maintenance-free paper organizing solutions for the home and office. FreedomFiler™ is the first system to eliminate the need for conscientious purging entirely – and hence a quantum leap in simplicity and efficiency is achieved. FreedomFiler’s patent pending process guarantees that outdated documents are automatically replaced at the time of filing new ones. As a result, purging requires no conscious effort on the part of the user. There is never a need to set aside time for cleaning out files or to look up documents in a retention schedule.

Some of the Benefits:

• Free yourself from cleaning out your filing cabinet, for the rest of your life!
• Color-coded tab system is attractive and makes filing easy
• Eliminate the need to set up new folders and re-label files each year
• Have all your documents immediately available at tax time, year after year!
• Finish routine filing in 5 seconds or less!
• Instantly locate receipts for taxes, vendor disputes, audits, returns, and for resale
• Always have your current policies, agreements, legal and administrative files at your fingertips
• Keep a centralized place for family and property records
• Never have to decide when to throw away old papers!
• Ideal for any single person, family, or home business

Gorgeous ready-made system comes pre-assembled! Begin filing your papers immediately and start transfering files from your previous system whenever you’re ready. The starting system has common tab labels that are useful for nearly all household and small business needs. The system can be modified and expanded using the pre-printed label sheets provided with your kit. Extra folders and blank label sheets are provided for printing custom labels. Packages include attractive hanging file folders, a file holder, instructions, and plenty of additional labels, folders, and tabs in case you need to expand the system provided.

A pre-assembled Freedom Filer Quick Start set, with the 60 most commonly used labels already affixed to hanging files and stored in an attractive filing box. The set includes extra labels and file folders so you can customize it for your specific needs.

• 75 gray hanging file folders (60 pre-assembled)
• 25 extra clear file tabs
• Stackable file box with lid
• 2 guide clips help show you where to file
• 200+ additional pre-printed labels for specific household and small business needs
• 400+ blank color-coded labels for handwriting or printing using any word processor
• 5 Indexed “How To” cards to keep handy with your filing system
• Quick Start Guide, Label Index, and Q&A Booklets

Please allow 3 weeks for processing before shipment.

If you would like a little assistance getting started, this package includes:

• A pre-assembled FreedomFiler™ Quick Start System
• A half-hour phone call before you get started filing to explain the principles of the system and demonstrate the customizing of labels
• A half-hour follow up phone call to answer any questions that arise

After purchasing, please contact us to set up your first phone call. Please allow 3 weeks for processing before shipment.

Here are some tips for creating strong passwords:

• Use 8 characters or more; 14 is ideal.
• Combine both upper and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols such as a period, @, #, and $
• Pick letters from a phrase that’s meaningful to you to create a “pass phrase.” (“Do you know the way to San Jose?” could be D!Y!KtwTSJ?)
• Select a unique password and not one that you are using for some other purpose, such as your PIN at the bank or your password to another system.
• Change your passwords every 72 days or less.
• Avoid sequences or repeated characters like “12345678,” “222222,” “abcdefg.”
• Avoid sending your password over email.
• Test the strength of your passwords with a password checker.

Need a place to store your passwords? If you like keeping things electronically, try the Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer. Prefer paper? The Internet Password Organizer Book is for you!

Need a centralized location to keep track of your usernames & passwords so they aren’t forgotten, lost, or stolen?

Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer
$14.95

Organize and protect your passwords with the Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer. This electronic file can be saved on your computer with password protection so only you can open it, and can be printed for travel or in case of emergency. No more keeping important information on scraps of paper which can be lost or stolen!

The electronic password organizer also comes with tips for creating secure passwords, and a link to our password strength checker. Works with Macs (MS Office 2003 and up) and PCs (Windows and Vista).

Please allow 2 business days for your item to be delivered via email.

And for “paper people” who don’t want to store their passwords electronically, this password book is a great way to organize passwords and home network info.
 

Password Organizer Book
$19.99

The quickest way to prevent clutter is to stop it at the door. Junk mail services like DMAchoice.org can help, and stopping at the recycling bin on your way in to toss any unwanted mail are a good start.

But once you step foot in the door, here are a few tips to create a “Drop Zone” to help keep items corralled so they don’t get strewn throughout your home as you walk in:

Before:

After:

1. Put a table, rolling cart, shelf or bench near the main door with baskets for: “Incoming” and “Outgoing.”
2. Create “Action Files” with an attractive file box and folders to pre-sort incoming mail into categories: Bills to Pay, To Do, To File, To Read, Contacts, and Coupons.
3. Look for multitaskers like a mirror with hooks on it to “check your look” and hang your keys and sunglasses.
4. Hang large hooks for purses, jackets, umbrellas, book bags, and dog leashes.
5. Shoes can get stored in large baskets, under a bench, or on stackable shoe shelves or cubbies.
6. Add a corkboard, whiteboard, calendar, or notepad by the door so family members can leave messages for each other. Have limited space for hanging? Try Idea Paint — it turns any surface into a whiteboard.
7. Install a purse rack or cap rack for multiple items.

Want help setting up your own “Drop Zone?” Contact us to set one up for you.

We all have our own ways to track our passwords, whether it’s by memory, on post-its, in a password book, or electronic password file. For some, it’s not to track them at all.

Well what happens to all those passwords when you or someone you love dies? All those email, bank, insurance & billpay accounts become inaccessible and companies won’t unlock those online accounts for anyone, even if you can prove you’re a relative.

One man was so frustrated after his Grandmother’s passing that he created Legacy Locker. It’s a website where people can securely store their usernames & passwords for a $300 one-time fee or small annual fee of $30/yr, then identify beneficiaries to essentially “will” the info to someone else in the event of their death. Users can also write letters they want passed on, and they describe their service as an “online safety deposit box”. Brilliant!

This would be great for estate planning, married couples, aging parents, and really anyone who wants to make sure their assests are taken care of.

Here’s a video clip from a news station in Boston if you’d like to learn more.

I had to write a blog about this product because my mind is absolutely REELING with possibilities for it, but Idea Paint is a great new product that turns any surface into a whiteboard! Think chalkboard paint, only better.

For about $99, you can cover a 25 sq ft area and the possibilities are endless – office & home office environments, restaurants, old chalkboards, storage containers, kid’s playroom walls, kindergartens, day care facilities, public libraries, hospitals, use it on doors, family “communication stations” and drop zones, furniture, dorm rooms, retail stores, artist studios, conference rooms, lobbies, artist studios, signage…..the list goes on. Apply some wall decals or stencils and get a funky and more decorative look like in this photo. Their new water-based product comes in 10 colors so you’re not tied to only white.

Just think of all the paper piles, scraps, post-it notes and backs of napkins that can be eliminated to keep spaces clear. Got a camera phone? Take a photo of your whiteboard notes so you can take the ideas with you.

Let me know if you try it out!