In our modern age, it seems that we just accumulate stuff, have endless things to do, too many people to keep in touch with, and just generally have too much going on in our lives. Here are five tips to deal with the sometimes maddening onslaught of life.
Soup up your email - Of today's modern email clients it seems that without exception Gmail offers you the most power. If you don't have a Gmail account I suggest you get one immediately, and set-up everything from your previous email to be forwarded to your new one. With Google Labs, the open testing ground for all kinds of Google's crazy feature and application ideas you can do some downright insane things with your email. You can set-up multiple inboxes, and super-stars -a detailed labelling system- which can help you micro-manage the urgency of every email you get. A quick search at http://lifehacker.com/ for Gmail will show a large number of results for various "gmail hacks". Make your email the hub for your internet life, not just an online mailbox.
Get storage - Consider investing in a small storage facility room to put some extra things in. The benefit is that things which are actually meant to be stored away WILL be stored away. For example, store seasonal items like winter decorations and sleds, and instead of them eventually becoming lost and confused together with all of the other things stored away in your attic, you'll know exactly where they are. Out of sight out of mind. http://www.storagedeluxe.com/ offers the cheapest rates that I've found for a facility, with good drop-off options.
The big book of everything - Ever forget your password to that one site you only thought you'd need to use once? Or your pin number for a bank account or two? You didn't write any of this down because you though it'd be "easy" to remember? Consider printing out the big book of everything, punching some holes in it and sticking it in a binder, or just keeping a digital copy. It's a book made to store all those essential little pieces of personal information that you will need at some point or another http://lifehacker.com/5319846/the-big-book-of-everything-organizes-important-personal-information
Google Calendar - Not going to lie, I love Google. Google Calendar is pretty straight-forward: You have a calendar on the internet, you fill in appointments, dates, and things to do. The great part is you can tell it to email or text you a reminder at a specific time so that you are bound to remember. Simple, but extremely effective.
A notepad - I know it's basic but keeping a notepad that can fit in your pocket will do wonders. Outline basic day-to-day schedules, goals, things that need to get put in their place. Set realistic goals. The feeling of being finished and the motivation it provides to try harder and do more is more important than setting lofty goals and failing to meet them.
This is only the start. Sites like lifehacker.com and 43folders.com will give you almost infinite resources to organize your life and enhance your creativity. Good luck!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Of College Students and Storage Facilities
As a college student you might be wondering what the hell you could possibly use a storage facility room for. Well my friends I am here to tell you if you give um a chance you could probably make your life a hell of a lot easier.
There are few things as miserable as the end of semester move-out rush. You realize that the four game systems you gradually moved to your dorm from home, the twenty posters, your book collection, tv, and the stop sign you found won't fit in your car. Even worse is the knowledge that even though you'll be packing your car to a dangerous brim -to the point where you can't even see over the stuff in your back seat- that in a matter of three months you'll just have to move this stuff back.
The solution my friends is simple. Get storage. Even better: Get storage with some friends. Between three people the cost of storage nose-dives and become a manageable expense. The thing is you can get away with only having a small 5x5 room, and given the large amount of vertical space you're given, fit quite a lot of stuff. The cheapest facilities I've found in my personal experience are http://www.storagedeluxe.com/ ones.
The most obviously manageable and easiest way to store your stuff is placing them in cardboard boxes and then more importantly: labeling them. Every bit of organization counts in the often chaotic, dishevelled life of the college student.
For God's sakes if there is one other thing that will make this process easier it's not waiting until the last minute to do it. I've had a terrible experience loading stuff into my facility an hour and a half after the dorms have closed, thankfully managing to get back in to get the rest of my stuff. It doesn't matter if you use a facility or not, pack most of your stuff way ahead of time.
There are few things as miserable as the end of semester move-out rush. You realize that the four game systems you gradually moved to your dorm from home, the twenty posters, your book collection, tv, and the stop sign you found won't fit in your car. Even worse is the knowledge that even though you'll be packing your car to a dangerous brim -to the point where you can't even see over the stuff in your back seat- that in a matter of three months you'll just have to move this stuff back.
The solution my friends is simple. Get storage. Even better: Get storage with some friends. Between three people the cost of storage nose-dives and become a manageable expense. The thing is you can get away with only having a small 5x5 room, and given the large amount of vertical space you're given, fit quite a lot of stuff. The cheapest facilities I've found in my personal experience are http://www.storagedeluxe.com/ ones.
The most obviously manageable and easiest way to store your stuff is placing them in cardboard boxes and then more importantly: labeling them. Every bit of organization counts in the often chaotic, dishevelled life of the college student.
For God's sakes if there is one other thing that will make this process easier it's not waiting until the last minute to do it. I've had a terrible experience loading stuff into my facility an hour and a half after the dorms have closed, thankfully managing to get back in to get the rest of my stuff. It doesn't matter if you use a facility or not, pack most of your stuff way ahead of time.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
5 Moving Preparation Tips
When it comes to a big life event like moving it's easy to freak out. The problem is once you freak out things just get worse and worse. Take a deep breath and think. With these tips you will be ready to move with little stress or worry.
1. Mail- Redirect vital mail to your new home: bills, magazines, things of that ilk. Your new homeowner really doesn't give two craps about your mail, and can't be expected to keep it.
2. Label- Clearly label all of your boxes with two bits of information: The content of each box and the order which you should open them in. When unpacking, you want to be able to find the books for the bookshelf, the silverware for the silverware drawer, and the sheets for the bed, exactly when you need them.
3. Storage- Consider investing in a storage unit. It might seem unnecessary but they will take care of bringing your stuff to the facility and back. http://www.storagedeluxe.com/ facilities provide free transportation for the first two hours from the facility on move-in day which might just be more than you need. Moving trucks can tend to be prohibitively expensive.
4. Layout- Draw a layout of your new house and the rooms before moving in. Label all furniture and major items that you will be putting in. When you move in every step of the process should practically be automatic.
5. New Area- Become acquainted with your new area before moving there. Learn where the grocery store is, the best delis, pizza places, eat out places, the laundry place and anything else of even minor importance.
These five things may all seem trivial or like common sense, but it's silly how often people don't seem to apply these things to their situation. If you keep them in mind, it'll make the change swift and painless.
1. Mail- Redirect vital mail to your new home: bills, magazines, things of that ilk. Your new homeowner really doesn't give two craps about your mail, and can't be expected to keep it.
2. Label- Clearly label all of your boxes with two bits of information: The content of each box and the order which you should open them in. When unpacking, you want to be able to find the books for the bookshelf, the silverware for the silverware drawer, and the sheets for the bed, exactly when you need them.
3. Storage- Consider investing in a storage unit. It might seem unnecessary but they will take care of bringing your stuff to the facility and back. http://www.storagedeluxe.com/ facilities provide free transportation for the first two hours from the facility on move-in day which might just be more than you need. Moving trucks can tend to be prohibitively expensive.
4. Layout- Draw a layout of your new house and the rooms before moving in. Label all furniture and major items that you will be putting in. When you move in every step of the process should practically be automatic.
5. New Area- Become acquainted with your new area before moving there. Learn where the grocery store is, the best delis, pizza places, eat out places, the laundry place and anything else of even minor importance.
These five things may all seem trivial or like common sense, but it's silly how often people don't seem to apply these things to their situation. If you keep them in mind, it'll make the change swift and painless.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Top 5 Sites for Photographers
You don't need a degree to have a career as a photographer. There is a big market for all kinds of freelance photography out there,
and this is just a few sites you can use to get yourself started.
1. Fotolia - It's a royalty-free stock photo site. You can make anywhere from 30-61% per download depending on your ranking which
stems from your total downloads. The downside is that you are put in a lower price bracket the less exclusive you make your photos,
so if you're using the other sites on the list you'll be making a little less from this one.
2. Gonogging - The site is more or less a freelancer's market. People can put up a request with a payment
and if other people are interested in it as well they can add money to the pool. For example, if a large amount of people
are looking for a certain photo and they have pooled their money up to $50 you can go ahead and submit a photo that meets their
guidelines and if it's approved you'll win the money. You can also put up your photos and set the price, with the additional options
of free, or pay as the buyer sees fit. The only money Gonogging will take is a few small service fees.
3. Shutterpoint - The site gives 85% back on your photos which is pretty damn good. In addition they give you an e-book
guide to marketable photography when you sign up along with a sub domain. Cool deal.
4. Shutterstock - They claim to be the "largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world." so one would think
they get quite a lot of traffic. They also have a "footage" component of the site if you're into video. You make 25 cents
per photo, and after you make a certain amount of money the amount per download increases.
5. iStockphoto - The cool thing about this site is that you can distribute more then just your photos: you can
put up your illustrations, flash, video or audio. If you're multi-disciplinarian it is definitely a good
site to look into. You only downside is that you only get 20% back from the files that get downloaded.
and this is just a few sites you can use to get yourself started.
1. Fotolia - It's a royalty-free stock photo site. You can make anywhere from 30-61% per download depending on your ranking which
stems from your total downloads. The downside is that you are put in a lower price bracket the less exclusive you make your photos,
so if you're using the other sites on the list you'll be making a little less from this one.
2. Gonogging - The site is more or less a freelancer's market. People can put up a request with a payment
and if other people are interested in it as well they can add money to the pool. For example, if a large amount of people
are looking for a certain photo and they have pooled their money up to $50 you can go ahead and submit a photo that meets their
guidelines and if it's approved you'll win the money. You can also put up your photos and set the price, with the additional options
of free, or pay as the buyer sees fit. The only money Gonogging will take is a few small service fees.
3. Shutterpoint - The site gives 85% back on your photos which is pretty damn good. In addition they give you an e-book
guide to marketable photography when you sign up along with a sub domain. Cool deal.
4. Shutterstock - They claim to be the "largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world." so one would think
they get quite a lot of traffic. They also have a "footage" component of the site if you're into video. You make 25 cents
per photo, and after you make a certain amount of money the amount per download increases.
5. iStockphoto - The cool thing about this site is that you can distribute more then just your photos: you can
put up your illustrations, flash, video or audio. If you're multi-disciplinarian it is definitely a good
site to look into. You only downside is that you only get 20% back from the files that get downloaded.
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