Back-up those files

Nothing is worse than having a computer or phone die, well, maybe losing the data that it contained.  Data back-up is easy so save early and often.  Here are a few options for saving your data.

Use a USB drive.  For small amounts of data or data shared between computers a small USB drive can be just the thing.  The files can be copied to the drive and kept safe.

Save it online.  There are many online file storage services.  Dropbox, Box.net and Carbonite to name just a few.  Search for online file storage and you will find many to choose from, free and paid.  Services like Carbonite offer automatic back-up and can be accessed from anywhere.  This is a good feature if you want to back-up your files without worrying about it.

External hard drives.  Today's choices for external storage are small portable and relatively inexpensive.  They are a great choice for backing up all your data in one place and work well as an archive for photos, files and documents.

Burn it!  Another choice is to burn data to a CD or DVD.  This is great option for data archiving that is not likely to change or needs to be stored.  Photo albums on DVD can also be kept with scrapbooks or other documents.

Mulit-task with your Smartphone

We all have cellphones these days and many of us have smartphones that are multitasking mega machines.  With all this technology in your pocket you can use it to the fullest and replace many devices with one.  Here are a few of the ways I like to use mine.

Sync and save contacts.  Most phones have some ability to sync its contacts.  I have an android phone that automatically updates my Gmail contacts with the ones in my phone.  I can edit them from any computer or my phone and have the peace of mind that I am not losing a thing if I happen to lose my phone.

Calendar.  I would absolutely be lost without the calendar on my phone.  It is linked into Google calendar making it easy to access from anywhere.  I can enter items during appointments then edit or reschedule later from my desktop.  It the calendar that came with your phone isn't to your liking, looking for a different calendar app.

Download Applications.  Some apps are real workhorses and others are just fun.  Don't want to carry around a separate meal diary for you diet.  Download an app!  Apps help you greatly reduce the amount of things you carry with you.

Reduce your number of gadgets.  My smartphone and even the last few regular phones I have had have all been multi-taskers.  I avoid buying music players, gaming devices, calculators and watches.  I also know that I can have a flashlight, camera, level and much more in the palm of my hand.

Before adding gear to you bag see if you see if you can add an app to your phone and reduce the stuff you carry.  Of course, if you prefer a good 'ole paper planner and it works best for you, stick with it.  Technology is great when it works with you.

File it, Don't lose it in a pile.

As the mail and bills come in, piles of paper have a tendency to pile up when they aren't filed or thrown out quickly.  A filing system that works for you is an important part of keeping the piles at bay.  Try a few of these tips.

File by month rather than account or topic.  Statements that come monthly generally can be filed by the month and then tossed after two years.  Most statements, such as utilities, don't need their own files.  Too many files makes things complicated

Keep only the most recent copy of insurance policies and similar documents that only the most recent copy is valid.  Once the old document is expired it can be tossed.

Keep labels and categories simple.  Choose broader categories unless the file becomes too large.  It is easier to fine a file on car care rather than files for oil changes, maintenance, tires and others.

Choose labels that mean something to you and group items depending on how you think of them.  Is an oil change a regular bill to you or car maintenance?  File it with the category that make the most sense to you, then give it a label you will remember.

Happy filing!  If you need help getting started or setting up a system call 740-334-1928.

Your email, only simpler.

Email is both a necessary and, at times, overwhelming.  Here are a few easy tips can make it more manageable.

Set time aside for reading email rather than checking it all the time or not at all.  Checking it regularly and clearing out the junk will make it much easier to read without wasting time.

Delete ads and spam as soon as you get them.  You can greatly reduce the amount of email you have to read by scanning the senders and subject lines, then deleting anything that is not important to you in groups.  Read only the messages that you need or want to read.

Use filters to separate incoming messages into groups.  Filters can be set up to look for senders, keywords in subject lines, and filtering messages that come from groups can make it easier to identify, prioritize and read.  Once the messages are in their own folders you can decide when to read them.

Archive messages that you want to keep in folders.  Messages that you will need to access later can be saved in separate folders for easy access later.  Label the folders with names that will help you remember what is in them.  Periodically, clean out the folders so that you can find the emails that you really need.

Forward messages from other accounts all to one account.  If you have multiple email accounts, have them all forward into one email account for simplicity.  This way you can check all your email in one place.

In to the clouds, for your files

Are you using the cloud?  These days using internet storage for files is called cloud computing.  Basically, you use free or paid space on someone else's server to store files, photos, music or documents.  There are many reasons this type of storage may or may not be good for you.

Access from anywhere.  Files based on another server usually are accessible from any internet connection.  The most basic form of this is internet based email.  It lives on a server independent of a single computer or device.  This is one of my favorite since it does not limit my ability to check and respond to email.  I can use any computer, even my smartphone when I am on the go.

Accessible from multiple types of devices.  Files stored online are usually accessible from multiple type of devices.  You can access online calendars from your desktop and a smartphone or tablet PC.  Play music on your computer or ipod.  The device is your choice.

Go Mobile.  With the advances in mobile technology it is more important than ever to be able to access information from anywhere.  Google is doing a great job with their suite of online services that are all accessible with one login ID and they are all accessible from any internet connection.  They have a calendar, photo sharing, blogs and much, much more.  Their Android operating system makes all of it seamless.

Information is less likely to be lost in the event of a computer crash.  There are many online file storage services like, Carbonite, that allow you to back up your computers for a monthly fee. They can be set up automatically to perform periodic back-ups so that you never have to do it manually.

Files can be easily shared and edited by a group.  Dropbox and Box.net are just a few of the services that allow you to store files online and elect whether you share them.  Most of these services allow you to invite others to see and/or edit the files.  This is a great way for  a group to work on shared files and keep track of the newest version.

The downside of all this online accessibility is security.  You may want to limit the types of information that you store on the internet.  Would you want someone else to be able to look at your family photos?  Do the files you want to secure have sensitive financial or confidential information in the?  Depending on the type of information you are storing a good old fashioned external hard drive may be your best bet but for all the fun stuff, explore the cloud.

Simplify bill pay for less stress

Nobody likes to pay bills but the process of actually paying them doesn't have to be stressful.  Bill payment is probably one of the most procrastinated tasks that anyone has.  No one wants to send their hard earned money off any earlier than they have to.  Me neither!  Here are a few simply ways to keep track of the bills that you pay regularly and make sure that they are paid on time.

Keep the information for all bills together.  This is one of my favorite.  No matter what method you use, keeping all the information on your accounts together makes it easier to know if a bill has been paid and how to contact the company in case of a problem.  There is a monthly bill organizer from the office store that has pockets for each month and a place to log it all.  I use a spreadsheet for mine that also allows me to make calculations and look at costs over time.  You can also keep it as simple as writing your information on a piece of paper that you keep with your check book.  Remember to keep this information secure the same way you would any other financial information.

File bill statements together by the month.  Forget trying to create complicated filing systems that you can never remember.  File normal monthly bills together by the month.  Most of them only need to be keep for two years, so the Freedom Filer system is perfect.  They suggest having a folder for each month for two years.  One set is labeled even year and the other odd year.  You file by the month and when you come back to where you started you purge the folder at the beginning of the month so that you never have more than two years worth of filing.

Automate bill pay or pay online as much as you can.  The internet has made it easier than ever to pay bills.  You can have bills pay automatically or pay them online manually and even go paperless to avoid piles of mail and potential identity theft.  You may want to set up a checking account just for recurring accounts.  This will prevent unwanted overdrafts from checks and debits that occurs unknowingly together.   For bills that come in the mail, keep them together for easy access when you are ready to pay bills.  A folder at your desk or near the door or mail box works well for this.

Schedule bill due dates near the same time each month.  With bills due around the same time of the month you can pay them all at once.  If money is tight and you are willing to pay bills more often you can group them into weekly or bi-monthly groups.

What is your favorite way to keep track of accounts and bills that need to be paid?

Ah, vacation...are you packed and ready to go?

Summer if finally here.  The garden is planted, lawn care is well underway and it is time for some much deserved time off.  Are you ready or will you have to put in overtime just to get out the door?  Sometimes it feels easier to just stay home than go through all the prep and packing for a trip not to mention the worry that you will forget something.

Reduce anxiety by keeping a list of the things that you always need to do before taking a trip such as stopping the newspaper and holding the mail.  Keep contact information along with the to do items so that it is all in once convenient place.  You will be able to check off the items and avoid looking for lost numbers.  Think through the time that you will be gone.  What needs to be done or put on auto pilot?  Use this visualization to decide what to pack as well.  What will you be doing?  Where will you be going while on vacation?

Prep for the next trip when you return from the last one.  If you know that you will be traveling soon, keep travel toiletries and other travel only items together in your suitcase for the next trip.  This will reduce the need to search for each item all over again each item.  You can also keep a list of personal items that you normally take so that there is little chance to forget to pack them next time.

Relax.  Remember that most things can be purchased where ever you are going unless it is into the Australian Outback, and most of the things that we do before leaving are great to have done but the world will not end if they are forgotten.  I am always guilty of super cleaning the whole house, making sure that everything on my desk is done and up to date and nothing is out of place before I leave.  The result of this is being worn out and stressed out before I ever leave the house.  I now give myself permission to not have EVERYTHING done before I leave and start earlier so that more gets done before I go.

Enjoy your summer.  Life is short and should be enjoyed.  Take a well deserved trip with a little less stress getting ready.