On a hot and sticky August afternoon, I arrived for my appointment as a volunteer Alzheimer’s research participant at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI) in Orangeburg, NY. I was going to participate in NKI’s Memory Education and Research Initiative (MERI) Program, a study begun in 2003 to provide both evaluations to members of the community and …
Twenty Ideas for 2020
Whether or not you make New Year’s Resolutions, here is a list of fresh ideas (not resolutions!) to inspire you as we enter a new year and new decade. Feel free to pick and choose the ones that appeal to you and edit them to better fit where you are right now. Please let Personal Money ManagerSM know if you …
The Big Picture and the Details
As a financial organizer / daily money manager, I keep both the big picture and the details in focus at all times. It’s a balancing act that’s essential to doing the job well. In a typical month-end client visit, I and my client open and review the bank statement. Using this as a jumping-off point, here’s how I zoom in …
Bring that Back-to-School Energy to Your Financial Organizing
Feel the energy and anticipation of the back-to-school season? After a long lazy summer, change is in the air! (And regular readers know that I enjoy any excuse to “hit the refresh button” when it comes to my specialty, financial organizing / daily money management). So what is it about autumn back-to-school time that can inspire your financial organizing? Here …
Paperwork Pointers from an Unexpected Source
You may remember that I’ve written about what I learned from my new kitten. Rosie Mittens has grown up beautifully. Now I’d like to share some paperwork pointers from another living thing in my house: my sourdough starter! This, too, informs both my personal life and my professional life as a financial organizer / daily money manager. Weekly fresh-baked bread …
Want to Get More Things Done? Try Procrastinating!
Can procrastination be good? An article by Adam Grant in The New York Times asserted that when facing creative challenges, procrastinating can actually yield better results. To illustrate, the writer tells of almost finishing an article but putting it aside. Then, before submitting it, he found new inspiration and ending up submitting a more interesting piece. Surprise! Procrastination is a …
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. I often start by tackling the big issues that are making life difficult for a client. Erratic bill-paying? I create a system so bills are scrutinized …
Paperwork Organizing Projects at Your Leisure
This blog was inspired by the longest day of the year (June 21st). While we are so used to being “crazy busy” and making the most of every minute, sometimes we have the leisure to do the opposite — to take our sweet time. But if you still can’t shake the desire to be productive, why not tackle a longer, …
My First 100 Days as Your Financial Organizer
I’m often asked what I do as a financial organizer / daily money manager. (Understand, first, that I am not a financial planner or advisor; I don’t work with your investments.) So what should you or a family member of yours expect from working with me? What is my role? In short: to gain, or re-gain, control of their financial …
“What Should I Do With All The Books?”
I grew up in a home full of books. My parents — avid collectors — took us to book fairs the way other kids are taken to the zoo. But my real education in the book world occurred when my mother moved into assisted living and eventually passed away, leaving thousands of books behind. I was left to figure out …
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