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.”

Enter a password in the text box to have the Password Checker help determine its strength as you type.

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 lke the one above.

One good thing to come out of this economic downturn is that since more people are looking for ways to save, hot coupon sites & smartphone apps have popped up all over the place. Here are a few of my faves:

FOR EVENTS:

• Groupon.com & Twongo.com: Each day they feature something cool to do in Raleigh/Durham for around 50% off. Deals for Adventure Landing, horseback riding, restaurants, cleaning services, smoothies, mani/pedis — you name it!
• CouponDivas.com: Has grocery coupons, but I like it because it lists where Kids Eat Free!

FOR STUFF:

• RetailMeNot.com: Reliable coupon codes for online checkouts as well as printable coupons for food, apparel, drug store, etc.
• Dealcatcher.com: Deals on electronics, computers, household, clothing, games, etc. Can browse by your favorite stores like Best Buy, NewEgg, Apple, etc.

FOR GROCERIES:

• Coupons.com: Printable manufacturer’s coupons that can be used in any grocery store.

PHONE APPS:

• Pic2Shop & RedLaser: Scan a barcode on an item and see if it’s cheaper elsewhere.
• Cardstar: You’ve heard me talk about them before — put all your club card numbers into the app and cashiers can scan the barcode from your phone — you never have to carry a keyring mess again!
• CouponClipper.com: Multiple coupon offers per store or restaurant on lots of categories including food, retail, entertainment, automotive, services, beauty. Pick the coupon that gives you the best deal and the cashier can scan the barcode right off your phone!

KARA’S SHOPPING & COUPON TIPS:

• When coupons or gift cards come in the mail, immediately tear them out and put in your wallet. Or keep an envelope or small accordian file in your car so they travel with you — place them with your keys so you don’t forget to transfer them to your car next time you head out.
• Do the math. Even though you may have a coupon for a brand item, still compare the sale & generic priced items first because they may come out cheaper, even on double-coupon days.
• Ask if your store still gives a discount for buying a single item, even if it’s a bulk deal like 3/$10.
• Be careful of buying in bulk: check the price per unit now listed in the upper corner of the shelf labels to see if the bulk price is really less expensive. (Or try this iPhone app called CompareMe which will do the math for you!) Overbuying may not be cheaper in the long run and can create clutter. When is it ok to stock up? If the item’s on sale and it’s something you purchase weekly, but picture where it will live when you get it home and only stock as many as your space can hold.
• Avoid overbuying & impulse shopping by reviewing what’s in your cart before you checkout. Do you really need 3 kinds of snack chips this week or can you wait on some till next week’s trip?

So shop till you drop but save time & money doing it!

If you’ve ever opened the door of your fridge and said, “Ew, what WAS that?” then you might want to keep reading.

Everyone hates wasting food. It’s money down the drain and a disappointment when you’re looking forward to eating something only to find it’s now a slimy mess in the fruit drawer.

So check out www.stilltasty.com or download their iPhone app. It’ll tell you all you need to know about shelf life and food safety like how to best store fruit, how long thawed meat will stay safe, how long things will last in the freezer, and the truth about expiration dates.

And when you’re storing food, don’t forget to label what you’ve put in the fridge or freezer:

• Which labels? Post-It notes with all over sticky backs or basic white mailing labels are great for both bags & containers. They’re cheap and come off easy. Keep them stuck to the side of the fridge with a magnet so they’re right where you need them.

• What to put on the label? On the label, write what the food is and the date you stored it. Go one step further and write the projected expiration date so it’s a no-brainer at clean out time.

• Where to store it? Store your newest containers at the back of the fridge and move existing ones forward so they get used first.

• Keep it clean. Clean out your fridge right before you shop for groceries. It’ll be its emptiest and will give you a chance to see what you already have so you don’t repurchase. It’s also a great time to quickly wipe down the shelves & drawers.

To make the most of your leftovers and to prevent wasteful shopping, try these sites for a little help with meal planning:

• Lowes Foods to go: www.lowestogo.com – purchase groceries online and someone at the store shops for you and you pick up in designated zone. Can repeat common shopping items.
• The USDA has a wonderful resource with shopping & food safety tips, planned meals, and shopping lists.
• www.bigoven.com – $29.95/mo for recipe software or searchable database, calculate nutritional values, has calendar for meal planning.
• www.mealsmatter.org – cost is free and focuses on healthy eating and recipes
• www.sparkpeople.com – great for dieting & fitness meal planning!

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.

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

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.

Here’s a terrific article with 100 websites and apps you can use to manage your time. It includes things like calendars, notetaking, to-do lists, keyboard shortcuts, time management tracking tools, presentations, and even tools to organize your thoughts and ideas. Enjoy!

Great article on MSN about recycling batteries.

And here’s a quick summary from the Environmental Health & Safety Online about how to dispose of specific batteries: