List Making 101

We'll lighten up the advice column this week with a short and sweet way to enhance your sense of accomplishment. Nothing gives a person a better feeling of self worth than a completed list of tasks. You're free and open to the rest of the world once these tasks are all finished, or like many of us you move on to the next list. If you feel like there are too many things to do around your house, just put them all down on paper, split them up, and get cracking. I like to make lists of things to get accomplished over the weekend, things we need at the grocery store, or even potential christmas gifts. I'm telling you my friends, if you want to feel a lot less stress during the holiday season or even birthdays; start an excel sheet with the names of all the people you have to buy for and put down potential gifts whenever you see/think of them. Financially, you could make a list of how to invest your money step-by-step so you can eventually meet your goals. The best list of all is by far the budget. Your family is like a miniature private business. All businesses have budgets, so why not you? We list all of our basic monthly bills like loans, credit cards, and utilities, then we have allowances for housewares, gas, groceries, restaurants, and personal expenses. Don't forget things like doctors, car repairs, and birthdays as well. I would say that long term lists can also prove effective such as house repairs to do over a five year period or things you want to accomplish over a period of time.

A caveat to the list making strategy is utilizing calendars. These two go hand in hand for me. How does Pete always know when tickets go on sale or concerts are happening...I put it on my desktop calendar. I do double time with the large print calendar on my actual desktop and all my necessary info loaded on my outlook calendar. Feel free to set yourself random reminders at the end of the workday. You can thank me later for your improved memory and efficiency. These two small suggestions will prove to be easier than you think and soon you'll see how much more free time you have when you're always on task.

Ode to Nader

Speaking of being on task and more efficient, you can certainly speed up your housework with a Dyson ball vacuum. This thing makes the job so much easier because of how light it is, the suction power, and the speed around corners. In addition to these factors, the nozzle attachment folds right into the handle for easy extension. It comes with a brush attachement for all sorts of random areas, and a furniture attachment with a soft bristle. I'm not much for housework myself, but if you need to keep your house clean and can't afford a Kirby...this bad boy might just suit you. Side note: unless you own a home and are married, do not go out and buy a vacuum that equals your monthly rent. That is what gift registration is for when you do get married. If you don't actually own your space, you don't need this level of vacuum to take care of it. For those of you that fall under this category, go get yourself a wet/dry vac at the hardware store for anything life might throw at you.