Information Overload

With all of the electronic devices people use, in addition to books, newspapers, magazines, movies, advertisements, etc., it’s no surprise that adults feel that their attention is constantly diverted by something new.

Katy Reid wrote an informative, yet entertaining article called “May I Have My Attention, Please?” Although the information is relevant to all adults, people over 50 appear to have a greater challenge filtering distractions, due to normal aging changes.

Ms. Reid refers to the “attention crisis” we face and to Linda Stone, who came up with the term “continuous partial attention” to honestly describe what most of us refer to as multitasking.

Starting projects and not completing them, along with shifting between tasks, may increase people’s stress levels.

To counteract “information-fatigue syndrome,” you can work on changing your habits.

• Focus on just one thing
• Finish what you start
• Close your email program and turn off the alarm
• Give yourself permission to avoid the TV/radio/newspaper/internet for a specified period of time
• Spend some time in quiet reflection

You can read the entire article here http://www.aarp.org/technology/innovations/info-06-2010/my-attention-please.html and you can read more from Linda Stone at The Attention Project http://www.lindastone.net/

Just not at the same time. Please.

What’s your best suggestion for focusing your attention? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Information Overload

With all of the electronic devices people use, in addition to books, newspapers, magazines, movies, advertisements, etc., it’s no surprise that adults feel that their attention is constantly diverted by something new.

Katy Reid wrote an informative, yet entertaining article called “May I Have My Attention, Please?” Although the information is relevant to all adults, people over 50 appear to have a greater challenge filtering distractions, due to normal aging changes.

Ms. Reid refers to the “attention crisis” we face and to Linda Stone, who came up with the term “continuous partial attention” to honestly describe what most of us refer to as multitasking.

Starting projects and not completing them, along with shifting between tasks, may increase people’s stress levels.

To counteract “information-fatigue syndrome,” you can work on changing your habits.

• Focus on just one thing
• Finish what you start
• Close your email program and turn off the alarm
• Give yourself permission to avoid the TV/radio/newspaper/internet for a specified period of time
• Spend some time in quiet reflection

You can read the entire article here http://www.aarp.org/technology/innovations/info-06-2010/my-attention-please.html and you can read more from Linda Stone at The Attention Project http://www.lindastone.net/

Just not at the same time. Please.

What’s your best suggestion for focusing your attention? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Digital Kids

Teaching your children how to manage money isn’t easy. Do you give them an allowance? How much should you give? Do you require them to save? Do you have them pay for things you believe are non-essential?

There are lots of books, magazine articles and Web sites that can help you educate your kids. Most banks have programs meant to entice children to open a savings account. They often have brochures for young people that explain savings and compound interest; they also might offer information about checking accounts for teenagers. CBS money watch has a series of articles called “Money Skills for Your Kids” http://tinyurl.com/26h397z

If you want to give your kids an allowance, but don’t want to dole out cash, you can give them an electronic allowance. A free online system might work for you.

DigiBeanz allows parents to set up a list of chores or projects and assign a value to them. Kids can earn “DigiBeanz” and redeem them for items on Amazon.com. You can also reward kids for grades and for reading. http://www.digibeanz.com/

Zefty acts like a bank, allowing you to “direct deposit” to your child’s account but it doesn’t require any cash. Kids earn virtual money and when they want to cash in, they present a “ZeftyCheck” to Mom or Dad. http://zefty.com/

The PAYjr (from Bank Corp and Visa) has a large collection of articles and tips on using an online system. The Web site also offer a printable chore chart and online calendars to help you and your kids to track chores and their associated rewards. http://www.payjr.com/

 At some point, your kids will probably get a debit or credit card

Even very young children notice that you can pay for things with debit or credit cards. By the time they get to be teenagers, they are accustomed to using their parents’ cards. New federal guidelines make it more difficult for teenagers to get credit cards, so they avoid getting themselves into debt that will take years to pay off.

At some point, though, they will probably get a debit or credit card and they need to learn that they don’t have an endless supply of money. You can teach them how to manage money with a prepaid card.

You can set up a PayPal student account where you deposit money and your child gets a debit card. You and your child can decide how the money is going to be spent. Your child can check the balance and get alerts by cell phone. This is a good teaching tool, because when the balance hits 0, they can’t spend more. Bonus: You can set it up so that your kid can’t buy online. Be aware that there are fees if you don’t load the card directly from PayPal. http://tinyurl.com/2aeef7q

There are numerous other prepaid cards available, almost all of which come loaded with fees. While these cards can be excellent teaching tools, keep in mind how much they will cost you before you sign up.

What’s your best financial advice for kids? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Digital Kids

Teaching your children how to manage money isn’t easy. Do you give them an allowance? How much should you give? Do you require them to save? Do you have them pay for things you believe are non-essential?

There are lots of books, magazine articles and Web sites that can help you educate your kids. Most banks have programs meant to entice children to open a savings account. They often have brochures for young people that explain savings and compound interest; they also might offer information about checking accounts for teenagers. CBS money watch has a series of articles called “Money Skills for Your Kids” http://tinyurl.com/26h397z

If you want to give your kids an allowance, but don’t want to dole out cash, you can give them an electronic allowance. A free online system might work for you.

DigiBeanz allows parents to set up a list of chores or projects and assign a value to them. Kids can earn “DigiBeanz” and redeem them for items on Amazon.com. You can also reward kids for grades and for reading. http://www.digibeanz.com/

Zefty acts like a bank, allowing you to “direct deposit” to your child’s account but it doesn’t require any cash. Kids earn virtual money and when they want to cash in, they present a “ZeftyCheck” to Mom or Dad. http://zefty.com/

The PAYjr (from Bank Corp and Visa) has a large collection of articles and tips on using an online system. The Web site also offer a printable chore chart and online calendars to help you and your kids to track chores and their associated rewards. http://www.payjr.com/

 At some point, your kids will probably get a debit or credit card

Even very young children notice that you can pay for things with debit or credit cards. By the time they get to be teenagers, they are accustomed to using their parents’ cards. New federal guidelines make it more difficult for teenagers to get credit cards, so they avoid getting themselves into debt that will take years to pay off.

At some point, though, they will probably get a debit or credit card and they need to learn that they don’t have an endless supply of money. You can teach them how to manage money with a prepaid card.

You can set up a PayPal student account where you deposit money and your child gets a debit card. You and your child can decide how the money is going to be spent. Your child can check the balance and get alerts by cell phone. This is a good teaching tool, because when the balance hits 0, they can’t spend more. Bonus: You can set it up so that your kid can’t buy online. Be aware that there are fees if you don’t load the card directly from PayPal. http://tinyurl.com/2aeef7q

There are numerous other prepaid cards available, almost all of which come loaded with fees. While these cards can be excellent teaching tools, keep in mind how much they will cost you before you sign up.

What’s your best financial advice for kids? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

How to be a Real Cheapskate

In a recent online article called “20 Rules to Live by for Cheapskates” there were three notions that stood out for me. Consider the writers’ thoughts before you make any purchase.

Think about the real cost of what you buy. Sarah Gilbert suggests keeping in mind the environmental impact of the things you buy. She notes, "What's going to happen to it? And will this only last long enough to use a half dozen times before it ends up in the trash? Is all of this worth it? This usually keeps me from buying ... almost everything."

Don't buy what you can't use up. Jason Cochran suggests, "Don't keep subscribing to HBO if you only watch a movie a month. If you rarely haul yourself to your gym, figure out how to exercise at home. Don't splurge on a hotel room with a fantastic view if you're going to be out exploring all day. And don't buy food in bulk if you don't eat it up and it can spoil. If you spend only for the stuff you actually use, you'll be astounded how much fat can be trimmed from your budget."

Think before you buy. She recommends, "Pause before you buy anything and ask: Do I need it? Where will I put it? What happens if I do buy it? What happens if I don't?"

You can read all 20 rules here: www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/06/20-rules-to-live-by-for-cheapskates

You don’t have to be a cheapskate to be smart about money. What’s your favorite way to save money? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie
And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

How to be a Real Cheapskate

In a recent online article called “20 Rules to Live by for Cheapskates” there were three notions that stood out for me. Consider the writers’ thoughts before you make any purchase.

Think about the real cost of what you buy. Sarah Gilbert suggests keeping in mind the environmental impact of the things you buy. She notes, "What's going to happen to it? And will this only last long enough to use a half dozen times before it ends up in the trash? Is all of this worth it? This usually keeps me from buying ... almost everything."

Don't buy what you can't use up. Jason Cochran suggests, "Don't keep subscribing to HBO if you only watch a movie a month. If you rarely haul yourself to your gym, figure out how to exercise at home. Don't splurge on a hotel room with a fantastic view if you're going to be out exploring all day. And don't buy food in bulk if you don't eat it up and it can spoil. If you spend only for the stuff you actually use, you'll be astounded how much fat can be trimmed from your budget."

Think before you buy. She recommends, "Pause before you buy anything and ask: Do I need it? Where will I put it? What happens if I do buy it? What happens if I don't?"

You can read all 20 rules here: www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/06/20-rules-to-live-by-for-cheapskates

You don’t have to be a cheapskate to be smart about money. What’s your favorite way to save money? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie
And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Are you Ready?

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual event sponsored by the Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council. The purpose is to encourage you to prepare for emergencies at home, at work and in your community.

If you haven’t created an emergency plan for yourself and your family yet, consider doing it this week. You can find free resources online, from the federal government and your local municipality. The official Website for the event is http://www.ready.gov/ and it contains lists to help you come up with an emergency plan and create an emergency kit.

If you are concerned about storing three days’ worth of food, you can purchase individual packages of food, drinks, condiments and personal care products, along with complete kits at www.minimus.biz/default.aspx.

Do you have an emergency plan in place? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Are you Ready?

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual event sponsored by the Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council. The purpose is to encourage you to prepare for emergencies at home, at work and in your community.

If you haven’t created an emergency plan for yourself and your family yet, consider doing it this week. You can find free resources online, from the federal government and your local municipality. The official Website for the event is http://www.ready.gov/ and it contains lists to help you come up with an emergency plan and create an emergency kit.

If you are concerned about storing three days’ worth of food, you can purchase individual packages of food, drinks, condiments and personal care products, along with complete kits at www.minimus.biz/default.aspx.

Do you have an emergency plan in place? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!