I launched Personal Money Manager in 2008 with a presentation about organizing. If you live in New York’s Hudson Valley, you might have heard it! I used the proverbial junk drawer as my model for sharing organizing tips. But read on. Why a junk drawer? Everyone knows what it is and probably has one (or more). Organizing it is a …
4 Myth-Conceptions About Daily Money Managers
When it comes to my profession–daily money manager–there are several myths* (or, rather, myth-conceptions) ripe for busting. Unfortunately, these misunderstandings sometimes confuse colleagues, clients, and their families. And might stand in the way of their reaching out for assistance from a daily money manager. Let’s set the record straight on 4 misconceptions I encounter: 1) DMMs are money managers. The …
Bundle Up
A chill in the air makes us want to bundle up. And not just with blankets and quilts (though I do love quilts!). Bundling is a simple technique to start adopting a new habit. At Personal Money Manager™ I’m often asked how to develop new routines and good organizing habits to avoid clutter build-up and the confusion it …
Dad’s Clutter Game: How to Get Rid of Stuff
I remember Dad’s Clutter Game that he invented for my siblings and me when we were young. It was a good rainy-day activity that kept us busy and out of each other’s hair. And it seemed to satisfy his life-long crusade against clutter. How would we get rid of stuff? Dad would set each of us up with paper grocery …
5 Productivity Tricks
A client of Personal Money Manager recently told me, somewhat sheepishly: “I have to confess. Sometimes I have to trick myself into doing what needs to be done.” To which I responded: “No need to apologize! If it works, go for it!” In that spirit, here are some field-tested productivity tricks for “fooling” yourself into getting stuff done. (Click here …
Sometimes It’s the Little Things That Make a Difference
As financial organizer / daily money manager, my objective is to bring more ease and order — to make a difference — in my clients’ lives. I achieve this in a variety of ways. Where do I start? I often start by tackling the big issues that are making life difficult for a client. Erratic bill-paying? I create a system …
Finding Memories on the Back of an Envelope
Clients expect me, as a financial organizer / daily money manager, to be all business, forging ahead with one goal in mind: to work with them and conquer their paperwork clutter. But my work as a financial organizer is more nuanced. After all, I am working with people, not just paper! The key to success in my close-to-10-years in business …
Take Control of Your Desk! (Part 2)
Last time I shared some general ideas for organizing your desk: how to take a backhoe to the disaster area many call their paperwork “home.” Here, in Part 2, I want to dig down with ideas for the problem areas which might be getting in the way of being productive or denying you the satisfaction of having a clear workspace. …