Venusian Issues

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Better Meetings in Less Time

Better Meetings in Less Time

Stuart R. Levine
Stuart Levine & Associates LLC

eetings can be big time wasters. Whether it's a meeting of family members, work colleagues or a volunteer group, here's how to get more out of a meeting in less time...
Define an end time. Setting a firm end time keeps a meeting on track. When the pace lags, remind those present how much time is left. "Let's move along -- we have only 30 minutes left."
If you're not in charge of the meeting, tell the person who is in charge that you have to leave at a certain time and then alert him/her when you have, say, 30 minutes left.
Match the message to the audience. Don't explain things the way you would want them explained -- explain them the way your listeners need to hear them. Consider your audience's priorities, level of expertise and familiarity with industry jargon before you speak.
Example: A client probably doesn't want a long-winded explanation about why his delivery is late -- he just wants to know when his order will arrive. Add the explanation only if one is requested.
Forget consensus. If you wait for everyone in a group to agree on a course of action, you might be waiting forever. Before you ask for opinions, explain how the decision will be made. Will you move forward when there's a majority? Or will you consider all input but pick whatever direction you think best?
Opt out when you're not needed. Does a two-hour meeting involve you only peripherally? Ask another participant to call you when you're needed. In the meantime, do something more productive nearby.
Use a story to illustrate a point. Busy people often omit anecdotes to speed things along, but most listeners understand and remember stories better than they do instructions, facts or figures. Just make sure the story is engrossing, focused and relevant.
A good time to use a story is to show a human face when you are presenting a lot of data.
Example: If you are explaining the importance of quality outcomes in a hospital setting, it would be helpful to tell the story of a specific patient who benefited from increased quality of care.
Say "I got it" when you've heard enough. If you ask a question, as soon as you understand the answer, tell the speaker "Thanks, I got it," so he/she knows to move on. Ask those you deal with regularly to do the same with you. This saves time and keeps everyone's mind sharp. When we sit through explanations of things we already understand, we tune out and lose our mental edge.
Don't get bogged down in details when negotiating. One of the secrets of negotiation is to know when to stop. Unless you're negotiating an international peace treaty, once you get past the two or three most important issues, the rest is just details that can be worked out at a different time. If you continue to debate these minor points, you'll waste time -- and you might put big issues at risk for the sake of small ones.
Debrief yourself after meetings, presentations and events. Your personal two-to-five-minute debriefing session immediately after a meeting can save hours later. While events are still fresh in your mind, ask yourself...
What did I/we do right?
What did I/we do wrong?
What's the next step I/we need to take? Schedule another meeting? Send a memo? Do a particular task?
Have a good day, be well and take care
" a simple natural lifestyle and a chuckle a day keeps the doctor away'

- additional interactive resources are at our Back to Eden site-

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Monday, May 11, 2009

spring tips

Dr. Rubman notes that sexual concerns may also be a sign of problems elsewhere in the body. For instance, erectile dysfunction is often one of the earliest signs of cardiovascular disease in men. And for both genders, problems in the large intestine or urinary tract may end up disturbing sexual function. (We recently covered this connection from a male point of view inDaily Health News, January 5, 2009... from a women's perspective, Daily Health News, February 2, 2009.)

HOW TO GET A MORE SATISFYING SEX LIFE

Among the strategies Dr. Rubman recommends:

Quell inflammation. Imbalances in the pelvic-abdominal region may be related to inflammatory disturbances that disrupt microbial colonies in the genital-urinary and lower gastrointestinal tracts. To correct this imbalance and restore digestive and immune health, which in turn support sexuality, Dr. Rubman prescribes probiotics such asLactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Also helpful to this end is to cut back on sugar, white breads, dairy products, trans fats and fried foods... eat protein at every meal ... and two or three times a week enjoy cold-water fish such as salmon or tuna, rich in omega-3 fatty acids. A good over-the-counter option is Nordic Naturals (www.nordicnaturals.com). Dr. Rubman often prescribes PharMax Finest Pure Fish Oil (www.pharmaxllc.com) to his patients.

Ease vaginal dryness or thinning. Dr. Rubman prescribes a variety of topical low-dose bioidentical hormonal products, botanical extracts and supplements.

Relax and take a deep breath -- literally. Dr. Rubman suggests making a habit of consciously breathing deeply at every available opportunity -- when waiting for the light to change, when you ride the elevator, each time you sit at your desk -- whatever pattern works for you. Excess anxiety raises blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and impedes the body's ability to manufacture the estrogen and testosterone which are vital to sexual response. Dr. Rubman's favorite breathing technique is the meditative deep breathing exercises of pranayama yoga, which fuel your natural balance, energy and sexuality. Read more about these techniques at Yoga Point (www.yogapoint.com) and Pranayama -- The Art of Yoga Breathing (www.abc-of-yoga.com).

Exercise. Regular workouts not only clear your mind and improve your mood, they make you feel better about your body -- often a libido boost. Aerobic activity such as brisk walking, biking or dancing also increases blood flow to organs, including the sexual ones.

Practice Kegel exercises. To enhance pelvic muscle control and thus sexual satisfaction, Dr. Rubman recommends daily Kegel exercises for both men and women. Learn to locate and isolate pubococcygeus (PC) muscles by interrupting urine flow next time you go to the bathroom. Next, three or four times a day, strengthen your PC muscles by alternately clenching and releasing them for five to 10 seconds at a time. Learn how to perfect your Kegel technique at www.mayoclinic.com.

Date your partner. Use novelty to break up humdrum routines. For instance, steal away for a romantic weekend or fashion your own "stay-vacation" at home. Take a long walk together in the park or on the beach, buy lavender oil for a shared bath, light an aromatherapy candle, enjoy a leisurely dinner (make sure to go light on the sleep-inducing carbs) and see what happens. Read about romantic recipes to "feed the soul" at www.theromantic.com.

Yohimbe bark extract. In cases of specific sexual dysfunction, Dr. Rubman prescribes an extract of the botanical medicine yohimbe, derived from the bark of an evergreen tree in West Africa. This medicine can be taken by either men or women to stimulate desire. Dr. Rubman prescribes it in drop form, available from Scientific Botanicals. (Note: If you have high blood pressure, kidney problems or a psychiatric disorder, do not use yohimbe.)

In the long run, making adjustments toward a healthier lifestyle -- fitting in more exercise, eating healthier foods, spending more time with your partner and less time at the office -- will do a lot more for your sex life than taking a pill. That way, says Dr. Rubman, when the moment is right, you'll be ready.

Source(s):

Andrew L. Rubman, ND, director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut.

Have a good day, be well and take care
" a simple natural lifestyle and a chuckle a day keeps the doctor away'

- additional interactive resources are at our Back to Eden site-

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Wednesday, May 06, 2009

letting go and true love

True love is like quick-silver," said Ann Landers, "if you hold it in the palm of your hand, it will remain. If you try to grasp it, it will slip through your fingers." Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said, "Whoever will save his life will lose it: and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it."

Some parents never let go of their children even when they are adults. Out of their own insecurity they cling to their offspring and smother them. In so doing they drive them away and the thing they need the most—love—they lose. As the saying goes, "If you love someone, let them go; if they come back to you, then they are truly yours. If they don't, they never were."

In other words, when we cling to life to live for ourselves or cling to someone else for our own sake out of our own need, we lose what we need the most—love. This is because we have mistaken need for love. Only as we let go of clinging are we free to love and live life to the full.

When we do this and truly love, we give love without strings attached. In so doing we receive more love to give.

--

backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Friday, May 01, 2009

HEALTH CARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

You may have noticed the emergence of some unique kinds of medical practices over the past few years -- for instance, concierge practices, micropractices and, most recently, online medical services. I thought it might be helpful to review some of these new business models for medical practices, in order to examine the pluses and minuses for each. I spoke with Jessie Gruman, PhD, founder and president of the Center for Advancing Health, an independent, non-profit Washington-based policy institute, for her insights.

First and foremost, Dr. Gruman stressed how important it is for consumers to understand what kind of care they actually will receive from each type of service -- what you are buying and what the limits are. She urges patients to read the fine print and ask plenty of questions. Apart and aside from the quality of care, make sure you are clear on such practical matters as...

Whether or not the practice accepts your insurance.

The qualifications, training and hospital affiliations of the physicians and other health professionals.

The amount of the annual fee, if any, and what it does and does not cover.

The contractual obligations of the doctor and the practice -- for example, your doctor's role if you are diagnosed with a serious illness.

The hospital with which the doctor is affiliated and whether your insurance is accepted there.

What happens if your physician leaves the practice before your contract expires.

The process to follow if you have a complaint about care or services.

NEW MODELS OF MEDICAL CARE

Personalized/concierge practices are designed to give you extended and personalized care and greater access to your doctor -- including 24/7 pager/phone access and same day and longer appointments. Patients sign a contract and pay a monthly or an annual fee, typically in addition to other charges (i.e., your normal co-payments and deductibles). These fees are highly variable depending on the level and type of service, but generally do not cover specialist visits, laboratory tests, medical procedures, prescriptions, hospitalizations or emergency room visits. The leading company in the field, Florida-based network MDVIP (www.mdvip.com), has a typical annual fee of $1,500 per adult patient and an upper limit for practice size of 600 patients per physician. In upscale communities like New York City many doctors with a concierge practice charge twice that or more... luxe boutiques in places like Miami Beach and Beverly Hills may have fees that exceed $100,000 (and include extravagant perks). Critics charge that concierge medicine is exclusionary and elitist, since not everyone can afford it, but Dr. Gruman points out that our medical system is already multi-tiered. If you can afford it and believe you would benefit from this kind of certain, focused medical attention, it is worth exploring the options available to you locally, she said.

Medical home practices are a new model of primary care that also attempts to address the problems concierge care was developed to solve -- simplifying, centralizing and supervising what would otherwise be complicated, chaotic health care delivery. The concept was originally developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1967 as a way to coordinate children's medical records in a central location... the term is now more broadly applied to describe a health care setting that provides "accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective care."

A medical home provides both preventive and sick/urgent care, similar to a concierge practice but without the annual fee, explains Dr. Gruman. The goal is to offer patients an ongoing relationship with a personal primary care physician who knows you and your medical history, provides as many services as possible at a one-stop location and coordinates care with other physician specialists as necessary. This is a specialized niche at present -- primary care medical homes are a relatively new phenomenon, not widely available. Some medical home practices focus on people with one or more chronic conditions, while others are gaining popularity due to interest of large companies for their employees.

Micropractices describe medical offices committed to delivering patient care via a high-tech, low overhead model. Doctors may answer their own phones and give patients their cell phone number and e-mail address to expedite communication. One doctor does it all -- sometimes with the help of a nurse or other medical assistant and lots of technology, such as electronic medical records, automated billing, e-prescribing, e-mail reminders for appointments, lab tests and prescriptions and sometimes even online consultations for non-urgent concerns. Dr. Gruman says this type of practice may be a good choice for healthy, relatively young people who only have minor complaints, such as occasional colds or earaches -- but she believes older people, families with young children and those with one or more chronic health conditions are better served by a general practitioner, family doctor or pediatrician who can provide stability and continuity of care.

The "mobile medical practice" has roots in the time when doctors traveled by horse and buggy to visit patients in their homes. Such house calls have made a (small) comeback today, since Medicare increased allowable reimbursement for them in 1998. In many cases, there's no physical office at all -- doctors can run their business from a home office, utilizing a specially equipped vehicle to bring tools and technology to patients in their homes. Demand for this type of care is likely to rise as our population ages, and proponents say that in the long run, home care for this group will cost less than repeated visits to the emergency room, hospitalizations and nursing home care. One of the leading house-call medical practices in the US is Visiting Physicians (http://www.visitingphysicians.com/), which provides primary care through home visits in Michigan, Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Online or telemedicine medical services offer a variety of ways for patients to interact with physicians via the Internet -- these may or may not be covered by health insurance. One company, called American Well (at present available only in Hawaii), connects patients whose records are posted on Microsoft's Health Vault to physicians through [online video or chat or by telephone.] Doctors use the technology to provide follow-up care, referrals, advice or even to prescribe medication at a fee of $10 for a session for patients enrolled in Hawaii's Blue Cross Blue Shield, $45 for non-members. Other companies, including SwiftMD and TelaDoc, offer similar "telemedicine" programs in other states. Perhaps there is a role for this type of medical care, but Dr. Gruman cautions that little is known about the quality of care patients receive with this model.

Whatever type of health care delivery you choose, your goal should be to forge a strong and long-lasting relationship with a primary care practitioner you trust and respect and who has your interests at heart. Especially in this uncertain era, access to skilled, consistent and coordinated care is what's most important.

Note: Even in more traditional medical practices, an increasing number of doctors will provide an e-mail or phone consult to patients on a fee-for-service basis. Inquire about the fee and insurance arrangements before you commit.

Source(s):

Jessie Gruman, PhD, founder and president of the Center for Advancing Health, (www.cfah.org) an independent, non-profit Washington-based policy institute. Dr. Gruman is on the faculty of the School of Public Health and Health Services at The George Washington University and serves on the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education of the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Public Health Institute. She is author of AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You -- or Someone You Love -- a Devastating Diagnosis (Walker).

Have a good day, be well and take care
" a simple natural lifestyle and a chuckle a day keeps the doctor away'

- additional interactive resources are at our Back to Eden site-

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

ProActive Rants: Tax Action: 22 Years of Pork

ProActive Rants: Tax Action: 22 Years of Pork Interesting and sad spending patterns why we need public oversight or athdog groups

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The ultimate guide to hiring today's best employees: The new rules of recruiting | poweredByProfit |

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Home office tips

good self improvement jogs from Diamond traders

Work From Home

Whether by choice or by default many of us are working from home these days. Many people however encounter difficulties as productivity and work often suffer; they get distracted by daily life or other people who believe they’re not doing anything important (otherwise you would be somewhere else…not home). If you are one of these people here are a few things you need to know to get your tasks done effectively and efficiently so you can get on with your life.

Create a home office: by doing this you are physically and mentally establishing an environment where you can get some real work done. One location where the activity that you carry out is work; you can reach your phone work on the computer find your stationary and supplies nothing will get in the way of your progress faster than rolling out of bed with your laptop to go and find the stapler in the kitchen to staple the files that are printing presently in your dining room.

Time Management: decide what time you are going to allot to work and work during those hours. While working at home allows you the freedom to work on your own time to much free reign might have you procrastinating and then struggling to get things done at the last minute. Make your self a schedule that works for you whether it’s a 4 day or 4 hour work week and stick to it. Minimize Distractions: TV’s, Video games, to loud music or other people can distract you from your work. If necessary work with out these distractions in or near your work space.

Get a second line: while this may be an additional cost initially it far out ways the costs of missing an important call because your teenager was in the midst of some juicy gossip. A phone line established for your business alone can keep your work separate from home life.

Dress for the office: while the allure of working in your pajamas might be all too tempting, dressing for work can you put you in a productive state of mind. Suit and tie is probably not necessary but business casual dress attire might put you in a working frame of mind.

Get out of the house: working at home and living at home can become tedious and de-motivating if you do not take time to get some fresh air and perspective. Do something out of the house daily in order the keep your mental health in check; take a garden lunch break or go for a walk around the neighborhood, it will revitalize your mind and get you ready to work some more.

Keep in contact: once in your house do not become a home body and loose contact with your social network, some face time with friends, family or colleagues will keep you healthy and probably help you live longer. Set boundaries: if you are working from home make sure people know that this is important and that your do not disturb sign or quiet time restrictions need to be respected. Also make boundaries for your self just because you work at home does not mean you have to take work home with you.

Make time for you and your family!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Use Your Mood to Improve the World

Good health can be both the cause and consequence of being happy. That's why two pioneering scientists wanted to see if they could actually measure how happiness works in groups. What they discovered took everyone by happy surprise -- the happiness of others, even those you don't know, has a direct influence on your happiness.

The coauthor of this novel study on happiness, James Fowler, PhD, told me how the research was done. First his team combed through the records of 5,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study, many of whom had identified one another as spouses, friends or neighbors. His team established a happiness baseline for these participants by checking their periodic answers to questions regarding their happiness over the past 20 years (1983 to 2003). Then they used a sophisticated statistical analysis tool to create a map of social connections among the initial 5,000 and other participants within the Framingham study. It showed how one person's happiness rippled like a network, creating a cascade of happiness that increased the likelihood of others being happy too.
They discovered that there were various degrees of influence depending on the degree of social connection and that it was quite predictable. For example, within your social network, the happiness of someone with whom you have frequent and regular personal contact, called an immediate social contact (for instance, your spouse or closest nearby friend), increases the likelihood of your happiness by an average of 15%. The happiness of a second-degree contact (for instance, your closest friend's spouse) increases your chances for happiness by 10%, while the happiness of a third-degree contact (your closest friend's friend's friend) increases it by 6%. In other words, your happiness is directly influenced by strangers.

MORE SPECIFIC LEARNINGS FROM THE HAPPINESS STUDY

Proximity is key. The closer your happy friends and family live to you, the greater the probability that their happiness will affect you. For example, the happiness of your next door neighbor is more influential than the happiness of a neighbor who lives down the street.

More social connections adds to your happiness. The bigger your social network of nearby happy friends and family, the greater the likelihood of your happiness.

Unhappy people cluster together in unhappy networks. As the saying goes, misery loves company.

Whether or not you were happy in the past and whether your social contacts are happy are more important predictors of happiness than your income, gender or education.

Happiness is more powerful than unhappiness. The happiness of a friend increases the probability of your happiness by 9%... while his unhappiness decreases the chances of your happiness by only 7%.

It's not fleeting. The impact of another's happiness on your happiness lasts about a year, on average, before fading.

HAPPINESS 2.0: ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS

Dr. Fowler and his coauthor Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH, are now looking at the question of whether happiness spreads the same way via the Internet, specifically using the Facebook network. They assumed that those who posted smiling pictures of themselves with smiling friends were happy. Since Facebook automatically tags or uploads your photos to those registered as your "friends," they were able to trace the paths of these happy pictures. They found that smiling friends had photos of other smiling friends and so on and so on. (People who didn't smile in their photos, didn't have photos with friends who smiled, who in turn also didn't have photos of smiling friends.) Again -- happiness begets happiness and the same goes for unhappiness. Next they'll study how contagious online happiness turns out to be.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE

Dr. Fowler himself has been moved by his findings. "I think our study shows that the best thing we can do for ourselves is to connect to friends and family," says Dr. Fowler. "I have been personally affected by the study --

Have a good day, be well and take care
" a simple natural lifestyle and a chuckle a day keeps the doctor away'

- additional interactive resources are at our Back to Eden site-

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

professional visiblity-useful advice

Five ways to increase your professional visibility

Jason Hiner: Being recognized in your field can make you more valuable in your current job and more marketable when you're looking for a new job. So, what are best tactics for raising your professional profile and maximizing your visibility and exposure?

I'm Jason Hiner, and today on Sanity Savers for Executives, I'll share several practical strategies that can help you increase your professional profile as an leader.

1. Speak to outside groups

Speaking engagements can give you credibility and increase your professional contacts. They can also build your own knowledge of your topic, because in researching and creating your talk, you will inevitably learn more about it.

Look for a topic you're familiar with and that will interest your audience. Avoid simply repeating facts. Focus on how your information can benefit the audience and what the takeaway will be.

When looking for groups you can speak to, consider industry and professional associations, local chambers of commerce, and service organizations. Your initial talks will probably need to be given free of charge. But as your reputation grows, you might be able to charge a fee.

One variant of speaking is to teach, perhaps at a local community college. However, keep in mind that those gigs usually involve a lot of preparation time and little pay.

2. Write for professional publications

Nothing beats seeing your name in the byline of a professional publication. As with speaking to groups, you should pick a topic you know well that will appeal to your peers, the readers. That means, of course, that you have to know the types of readers that a publication has.

Most publications will ask for a query letter or e-mail first. In it, you outline your proposed article and submit samples of your previous work to prove that you can write.

3. Serve as a source for news media

Reporters are always looking for subject matter experts to quote when writing a story. If they quote you in print or on the air, your reputation is enhanced. Once you identify a reporter, introduce yourself by phone or e-mail. If you call, start by asking whether the person is on deadline. If so, offer to call back. Such a question indicates that you re sensitive to the reporter s time.

If you're sending e-mail, include a biographical statement or resume if possible and stress why YOUR knowledge is important to the reporter s readers, viewers, or listeners. One caveat: Be careful about mentioning your company by name. Your employer might be upset if you appear to be speaking for the company rather than for yourself.

4. Moderate a panel discussion

Even if you aren't able to give a presentation at a conference, you still might be able to participate by moderating a panel discussion. The responsibilities will vary depending on the conference and the conference organizer. However, most moderators are responsible for making sure the discussion starts and ends on time and that all participants have a chance to speak. You'll also need to prepare some good questions beforehand. One quick tip: When taking questions from the audience, the moderator should always repeat the question so that the entire room (panelists and audience) can hear it.

5. Serve as board member or officer of a professional association

It's pretty easy to serve in one of these capacities because generally, no one wants to do it. The other officer and board positions are generally concerned with maintaining and increasing membership, for planning and finding speakers for meetings, and for handling various administrative tasks. Some positions require a little extra commitment. For example, if you're the treasurer, you'll be responsible for keeping track of money for the association, such as registration fees received for any conferences and expenses incurred for speakers and facilities. However, if you're willing to put in the time, this can be pretty rewarding, and it looks very good on your resume.

Developing your professional image can make you more successful in your current role and help advance your career. These tips we discussed today can open the door to more professional opportunities by enabling you to build a positive -- and more prominent -- reputation. For additional tips, see Calvin Sun's article that this episode was based on: "10 tips for increasing your professional visibility and exposure."

--

Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
New Beginnings -23 Richards Ridgetown

backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

2009-04-13 helping yourself Tips from backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com

Financial fitness Back to financial basics Article By: Katherine Griggs *Money you don't really need to spend: 10 ways to simplify your life.* *Simplify your life by cutting out those needless extra expenses. Here are 10 ways to cut back on the money you don't need to spend.*	Yes or no
Number Ten: Pay in cash – this means you will always know exactly how much money you have. With credit cards, debt can add up quickly and you may not pay them off as fast as you would like to. When you pay in cash, it's also a great feeling because you know it's done and paid for and you won't have any bills piling up.
Number Nine: Don't get someone else to do it for you – stop paying extra to get things done for you when you can do them yourself. Instead of automatically taking your shirts to the dry cleaners, wash them by hand and hang them to dry.
Number Eight: Eat out less – Visit your local supermarket and pick up fresh ingredients to make homemade meals. You can also take your leftovers to work or have them the next day for dinner.
Number Seven: Shop with a purpose – Whether you're grocery shopping or attending to other errands, it's best to shop with a list. A list reminds you of your reason for shopping and to resist impulse items. It is also a good idea to plan your meals in advance, so that when you get to the store you know exactly what you need to make meals throughout the week. Try to avoid shopping when you're hungry.
Number Six: Get some fresh air – Walking is good for you, and it's cheaper than driving. If it's possible for you to hike or bike to your destination, do it.
Number Five: Keep your car longer- do you really need that brand new car? Maybe your old one will operate just fine for a few more years. If you maintain the car you have now, you may be able to put off buying a new one for quite awhile.
Number Four: Give up your car altogether - if you live in a city with well-equipped public transportation, chances are you might not even need a car. When you add up the expenses of car ownership including insurance, maintenance and parking, the costs may outweigh the benefits. Make a detailed list of what you actually need your car for. Try renting a car if you need it for a weekend away, or for the monthly trip to Costco you could take advantage of a car-sharing service such as a href="http://www.autoshare.com/" target="_blank">AutoShare or Zipcar.
Number Three: Find cheaper ways to entertain yourself - instead of going to the movie theatre, rent a movie, relax and make some popcorn. Movies in the comfort of your own home can be a great way to spend an evening. You can go even further and rent movies from your local library. All you need is a library card and you will have plenty of movies, books and CD's at your disposal.
Number Two: Limit the luxuries – do you really need over 500 channels? Most of the time when you order satellite or digital cable, you are paying for a lot of channels that you don't actually watch. You also pay more depending on the speed of internet you have. If you only use the computer to send emails and read online, you probably don't need the fastest service available.
Number One: Skip the little things – make your own coffee in the morning. Instead of spending $5 a day on gourmet coffee, take it with you from home. Make it a special treat to buy a coffee once a week from your favourite coffee shop.
bill tracking tools Billster – This is also a free, online budgeting tool. Billster is geared towards helping you organize your personal, as well as your shared expenses. Let's say that you decide to buy a joint gift for a co-worker or family member. This online program keeps track of who owes what and when. You can even keep track of reoccurring bills that you have each month, and set a reminder for yourself, so that you will not forget to pay them. With the bill tagging system you can categorize and group your bills to help keep track of where your money is going, and where it has gone. http://www.billster.net/ PearBudget – This very straightforward, easy to use budget program is downloaded directly to your computer through excel. It allows you to keep track of your expenses through the different categories, which allow you to keep track of exactly what you spend. When you have downloaded the program, it will automatically open and take you through how to fill it in correctly. It will take about 20 minutes to fill out all the necessary information, but will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. http://pearbudget.com/

Venusian Issues

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Better Meetings in Less Time

Monday, May 11, 2009

spring tips

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

letting go and true love

Monday, May 04, 2009

Fwd: Welcome to the latest issue of CARP Action Online!

Friday, May 01, 2009

HEALTH CARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Thursday, April 30, 2009

ProActive Rants: Tax Action: 22 Years of Pork

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The ultimate guide to hiring today's best employees: The new rules of recruiting | poweredByProfit |

Monday, April 20, 2009

Home office tips

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Use Your Mood to Improve the World

Thursday, April 16, 2009

professional visiblity-useful advice

Five ways to increase your professional visibility

Tuesday, April 14, 2009