Always ask yourself...
1. Where will I put it?
2. How will I find it?
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Missouri University: Business and I.T. Skills
http://hrs.missouri.edu/training/all-employees/adult-education-classes/business-and-it-skills.php
Focused, Organized, and Productive
Instructor: Sheryl Ruedebusch
Columbia Area Career Center
Getting and staying organized is no longer a luxury...it's a matter of survival! Join Sheryl and learn from her 20 plus years of experience in continuing education in the field of Professional Organization. She will empower and energize you to get more organized and joyfully productive. Fee includes workbook and supplies needed to implement Sheryl's proven strategies. Ask about adapting this class into a corporate training for your large or small business. (3 Hours)
Focused, Organized, and Productive
Instructor: Sheryl Ruedebusch
Columbia Area Career Center
Getting and staying organized is no longer a luxury...it's a matter of survival! Join Sheryl and learn from her 20 plus years of experience in continuing education in the field of Professional Organization. She will empower and energize you to get more organized and joyfully productive. Fee includes workbook and supplies needed to implement Sheryl's proven strategies. Ask about adapting this class into a corporate training for your large or small business. (3 Hours)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Smart Strategies Help Savvy Shoppers Come Out on Top
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/nov/27/smart-strategies-help-savvy-shoppers-come-out-on/
Even those who find shopping to be an enjoyable pastime can find
themselves in a retail-induced funk as they work on finishing (or, ahem,
starting) their holiday shopping.
Sheryl Ruedebusch, a local professional organizer, said good planning saves time, money and, perhaps most importantly, your sanity.
“Stress is a primitive guiding system, fight or flight. We get angry or run away from it. That is the reason we want to set up a system, so that we can approach the holidays with less stress and make more intelligent decisions,” Ruedebusch said.
Part of intelligent decision making starts with a smart budget.
According to The Bank of Missouri, you should take your current savings, income and other expenses when coming up with your budget.
Noreen Perrotta, finance editor at Consumer Reports, said to also examine what you spent last year.
“It’s probably a good idea to review what you spent last year and how
you spent it, see how that compares with your list this year. If you
had additional people, you’re going to spend more. It wouldn’t be
realistic to think you could spend the same amount and buy for more
people unless you really charge for bargains or scale back what you
spend per person,” Perrotta said.
Perrotta said to include some space in your budget for unplanned-for expenses, such as new lights for the tree or a bottle of wine to take to a party you are invited to.
“We suggest you add 10 percent to your budget for the things you’re not remembering as you are setting it up,” Perrotta said.
After the budget has been established, Ruedebusch likes to make a spreadsheet to plan and manage her shopping list.
In the first column, “list all the people you think you need to purchase a gift for,” Ruedebusch said. “In the second column, look at spreading out the dollar amounts. In the third column, write ideas for those various people. … Leave a fourth column for you to actually check off when those things are done.”
Ruedebusch likes to leave space in that fourth column to jot down additional ideas that might come to mind later.
To get ideas, Ruedebusch said to start skimming the inserts in the newspaper.
“See what is on sale out there and get an idea of what” marketers “think people are doing,” Ruedebusch said.
These inserts also are a good place to compare prices and decide where to shop. Additionally, some smartphone apps make on-the-go comparing easier. The Shop Savvy app, for instance, allows you to scan barcodes using your phone’s camera and pull up not only the price of the item in the store you’re visiting, but prices from other stores as well as online retailers.
As you go, pay attention to how you’re paying for your purchases. As Consumer Reports points out, you’re less likely to go over budget if you use cash or your debit card, and if you use cash you might be able to negotiate a discount because the store won’t be charged a transaction fee for running a card. Still, credit cards offer the best protection against fraudulent charges on a lost or stolen card, according to Consumer Reports.
The Bank of Missouri recommends saving receipts and adding them up at the end of the week to evaluate where you are in your budget — according to Consumer Reports, shoppers responding to their annual holiday survey went an average of 16 percent over budget in 2009.
Avoid the store credit card. Many stores will offer you a one-time savings for opening a store credit card. Consumer Reports points out that often these have a high interest rate — 20 percent or higher — so to avoid them unless you can pay off the balance in one chunk.
Don’t bother with the extended warranty. “Most products don’t break down within the warranty period. A defective product will break down within the warranty. Most will last for a reasonable amount of time and what you pay for the warranty will be more than or the same as what the repair will cost, and given the rapid obsolescence of most products, people are looking to upgrade anyway by the time something breaks down,” Perrotta said.
Still, Consumer Reports points out that a plan that extends technical support and repairs might work for someone who isn’t tech savvy. Also, a plan for theft or accidental damage for laptop, netbook or tablet might be a good idea.
The gift card is not a great go-to gift. Consumer Reports surveys show that a quarter of people who received a gift card still hadn’t used it 10 months later. Some gift cards have extra fees.
Double check the store’s return policy. According to Consumer Reports, most stores give you 90 days to return an item, though some items such as electronics, software and DVDs have a shorter window of time. Additionally, some stores charge restocking fees, sometimes as high as 15 percent of the product’s cost.
Shop online. “It’s easier. You don’t spend any gas
on it. You’re less likely to be distracted by the beautiful ornament
display where you’re going to buy something for yourself. If you get
hungry, you just go to the kitchen and get yourself a snack. You don’t
have to go to the food court and drop several bucks,” Perrotta said.
Additionally, many companies offer free shipping during the holidays.
“There’s also free shipping day, which is Dec. 16. Online retailers will agree to ship for free with delivery guaranteed by Christmas Eve. To check for participating merchants, visit Freeshippingday.com.
Sheryl Ruedebusch, a local professional organizer, said good planning saves time, money and, perhaps most importantly, your sanity.
“Stress is a primitive guiding system, fight or flight. We get angry or run away from it. That is the reason we want to set up a system, so that we can approach the holidays with less stress and make more intelligent decisions,” Ruedebusch said.
Part of intelligent decision making starts with a smart budget.
According to The Bank of Missouri, you should take your current savings, income and other expenses when coming up with your budget.
Noreen Perrotta, finance editor at Consumer Reports, said to also examine what you spent last year.
Perrotta said to include some space in your budget for unplanned-for expenses, such as new lights for the tree or a bottle of wine to take to a party you are invited to.
“We suggest you add 10 percent to your budget for the things you’re not remembering as you are setting it up,” Perrotta said.
After the budget has been established, Ruedebusch likes to make a spreadsheet to plan and manage her shopping list.
In the first column, “list all the people you think you need to purchase a gift for,” Ruedebusch said. “In the second column, look at spreading out the dollar amounts. In the third column, write ideas for those various people. … Leave a fourth column for you to actually check off when those things are done.”
Ruedebusch likes to leave space in that fourth column to jot down additional ideas that might come to mind later.
To get ideas, Ruedebusch said to start skimming the inserts in the newspaper.
“See what is on sale out there and get an idea of what” marketers “think people are doing,” Ruedebusch said.
These inserts also are a good place to compare prices and decide where to shop. Additionally, some smartphone apps make on-the-go comparing easier. The Shop Savvy app, for instance, allows you to scan barcodes using your phone’s camera and pull up not only the price of the item in the store you’re visiting, but prices from other stores as well as online retailers.
As you go, pay attention to how you’re paying for your purchases. As Consumer Reports points out, you’re less likely to go over budget if you use cash or your debit card, and if you use cash you might be able to negotiate a discount because the store won’t be charged a transaction fee for running a card. Still, credit cards offer the best protection against fraudulent charges on a lost or stolen card, according to Consumer Reports.
The Bank of Missouri recommends saving receipts and adding them up at the end of the week to evaluate where you are in your budget — according to Consumer Reports, shoppers responding to their annual holiday survey went an average of 16 percent over budget in 2009.
A few more money-saving tips:
Ask for a better price. According to a Consumer Reports survey, only 13 percent of electronics shoppers said they tried haggling in stores. These shoppers saved an average of $82 on their purchases.
“It’s probably a good idea to shop at less busy times if you want the opportunity to haggle. If you’re in a really crowded store, it’s hard to get somebody to talk to you and they might not want to get in a bidding war with you. Be polite. Make some suggestions why something should sell for less, like maybe you were researching the prices and you noticed a store down the road has something $10 less and you have proof of that,” Perrotta said.Avoid the store credit card. Many stores will offer you a one-time savings for opening a store credit card. Consumer Reports points out that often these have a high interest rate — 20 percent or higher — so to avoid them unless you can pay off the balance in one chunk.
Don’t bother with the extended warranty. “Most products don’t break down within the warranty period. A defective product will break down within the warranty. Most will last for a reasonable amount of time and what you pay for the warranty will be more than or the same as what the repair will cost, and given the rapid obsolescence of most products, people are looking to upgrade anyway by the time something breaks down,” Perrotta said.
Still, Consumer Reports points out that a plan that extends technical support and repairs might work for someone who isn’t tech savvy. Also, a plan for theft or accidental damage for laptop, netbook or tablet might be a good idea.
The gift card is not a great go-to gift. Consumer Reports surveys show that a quarter of people who received a gift card still hadn’t used it 10 months later. Some gift cards have extra fees.
Double check the store’s return policy. According to Consumer Reports, most stores give you 90 days to return an item, though some items such as electronics, software and DVDs have a shorter window of time. Additionally, some stores charge restocking fees, sometimes as high as 15 percent of the product’s cost.
Shop online. “It’s easier. You don’t spend any gas
on it. You’re less likely to be distracted by the beautiful ornament
display where you’re going to buy something for yourself. If you get
hungry, you just go to the kitchen and get yourself a snack. You don’t
have to go to the food court and drop several bucks,” Perrotta said.Additionally, many companies offer free shipping during the holidays.
“There’s also free shipping day, which is Dec. 16. Online retailers will agree to ship for free with delivery guaranteed by Christmas Eve. To check for participating merchants, visit Freeshippingday.com.
Reach Caroline Dohack at 573-815-1727 or e-mail cedohack@columbiatribune.com.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Food for Thought
My favorite definition of a chaotic or disorganized state of affairs is postponed decisions.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Food for Thought
If everything is a priority, then nothing is.
Prioritizing Factors to Consider
1. Impact
2. Time
3. Difficulty
4. Cost
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Three Easy Steps for Organizing the Office
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/mar/27/three-easy-steps-for-organizing-the-office/#
I was a little surprised when Cheri Ghan invited me to her house
to take pictures of her office for this week’s cover story. I would
never invite anybody to look at my office, let alone take pictures. It’s
like a war zone in there.
For a while, I was blaming the state of that room on the fact that it serves a number of purposes. It’s where I do my paperwork, store my exercise equipment and play my guitar. It’s also the guest suite.
Except for when I have friends staying over, my office remains a swirling abyss of notebooks, yoga mats and amp cords.
So when I started working on this week’s story on an ergonomic design for the office, I started to feel a little left out. How could I determine whether my chair is adjusted properly if I can’t find my chair in the first place?
Professional organizer Sheryl Ruedebusch has been sharing nuggets of orderly wisdom with me for a few months now. I always give her methods a go, but truthfully, I’m not good at maintaining new routines for more than a week. When I explained this to her, she told me it’s not uncommon to fall off the horse a few times.
“Success builds on success. You have to have some good feelings, some reachable goals,” she said.
In other words, I’m not going to run that marathon until I can do a 5K first.
And like a running coach can come up with an effective training regimen, Ruedebusch has a plan for taming chaos. She calls it the creating desired results model.
There are three steps involved.
The first is to figure out exactly what it is you want out of a space. Exactly what functions are you going to perform?
“You have to have clarity and specificity in your vision,” Ruedebusch said.
From there, it’s time to make a current assessment. Where are you now in relation to where you want to be? What are you missing that’s going to get there?
Finally, it’s a matter of taking action and making it happen.
“Then you are in operation mode. In a perfect world, you bring out your music in a clean room where you can lose yourself in your music. You’re not distracted by the paperwork falling off the desk,” Ruedebusch said.
She added it’s always a good idea to go back and reassess your vision and situation.
“To keep it up, we have to have the maintenance of good habits,” Ruedebusch said.
So in short, I have to plan it, pick it up, put it away and repeat.
We’ll see how this goes.
Three easy steps for organizing the office
I was a little surprised when Cheri Ghan invited me to her house
to take pictures of her office for this week’s cover story. I would
never invite anybody to look at my office, let alone take pictures. It’s
like a war zone in there. For a while, I was blaming the state of that room on the fact that it serves a number of purposes. It’s where I do my paperwork, store my exercise equipment and play my guitar. It’s also the guest suite.
Except for when I have friends staying over, my office remains a swirling abyss of notebooks, yoga mats and amp cords.
So when I started working on this week’s story on an ergonomic design for the office, I started to feel a little left out. How could I determine whether my chair is adjusted properly if I can’t find my chair in the first place?
Professional organizer Sheryl Ruedebusch has been sharing nuggets of orderly wisdom with me for a few months now. I always give her methods a go, but truthfully, I’m not good at maintaining new routines for more than a week. When I explained this to her, she told me it’s not uncommon to fall off the horse a few times.
“Success builds on success. You have to have some good feelings, some reachable goals,” she said.
In other words, I’m not going to run that marathon until I can do a 5K first.
And like a running coach can come up with an effective training regimen, Ruedebusch has a plan for taming chaos. She calls it the creating desired results model.
There are three steps involved.
The first is to figure out exactly what it is you want out of a space. Exactly what functions are you going to perform?
“You have to have clarity and specificity in your vision,” Ruedebusch said.
From there, it’s time to make a current assessment. Where are you now in relation to where you want to be? What are you missing that’s going to get there?
Finally, it’s a matter of taking action and making it happen.
“Then you are in operation mode. In a perfect world, you bring out your music in a clean room where you can lose yourself in your music. You’re not distracted by the paperwork falling off the desk,” Ruedebusch said.
She added it’s always a good idea to go back and reassess your vision and situation.
“To keep it up, we have to have the maintenance of good habits,” Ruedebusch said.
So in short, I have to plan it, pick it up, put it away and repeat.
We’ll see how this goes.
Reach Caroline Dohack-McCrary at 573-815-1727 or e-mail cedohack@tribmail.com.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Profession & Community Education:Sign-Up Now for Sheryl's Class!
http://www.career-center.org/adult/images/catalog.pdf
Focused, Organized, and Joyfully Productive
Instructor: Sheryl Ruedebusch
Columbia Area Career Center
Getting and staying organized is no longer a luxury...it's a matter of survival! Join Sheryl and learn from her 20 plus years of experience in continuing education in the field of Professional Organization. She will empower and energize you to get more organized and joyfully productive. Fee includes workbook and supplies needed to implement Sheryl's proven strategies. Ask about adapting this class into a corporate training for your large or small business. (3 Hours)
Focused, Organized, and Joyfully Productive
Instructor: Sheryl Ruedebusch
Columbia Area Career Center
Getting and staying organized is no longer a luxury...it's a matter of survival! Join Sheryl and learn from her 20 plus years of experience in continuing education in the field of Professional Organization. She will empower and energize you to get more organized and joyfully productive. Fee includes workbook and supplies needed to implement Sheryl's proven strategies. Ask about adapting this class into a corporate training for your large or small business. (3 Hours)
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