Organize Receipts with Shoeboxed.com

If you run a small business, keeping your receipts organized and accessible helps make tax time easier. And with estimated tax payments coming up soon, now is a good time to check out Shoeboxed.com, where you can mail-in or upload your receipts to organize them and get rid of clutter. The information can then be transferred to programs such as Excel, Quickbooks, Freshbooks, Evernote, Quicken, and CSV formats. If you scan and upload your receipts yourself, there is a free option. Or if you’d like to mail your receipts for scanning or use one of the mobile photo capture and upload options, there is a fee depending on how many receipts a month you upload. There is even an option to upload business cards.

To learn more or sign up for a free trial, check out ShoeBoxed.com.  Also check out ShoeBoxed’s blog for great articles on personal finance, taxes and more.

Avoid Registration to Read Online Materials with BegMeNot

Have you ever been sent a link to an article only to discover that you have register to read it? At BugMeNot you can access shared logins for thousands of web sites so that you can read the materials without divulging your personal information. The most popular sites include the NY Times, NY Post, Washington Post, and Youtube.

There are two ways to use BugMeNot. The first is:

1) When you get to a site requiring a registration, open another tab or browser and visit www.bugmenot.com

2) Copy and paste the URL of site you want to access into the URL box on the BugMeNot website.

3) Use one of the usernames and passwords provided to access the page you want to read.

The second option is the use the BugMeNot bookmarklet.

1) Drag the bookmarklet found on the BugMeNot FAQ page to your toolbar.

2) When you visit a site requiring a log in, click on the bookmarklet for login information.

BugMeNot is only for websites that offer free materials. Don’t try it on sites that require a fee.

Visit BugMeNot to learn more.

Text Appointments to Google Calendar

When it comes to managing my life, particularly if I’m way from my computer, if I can skip or speed up a step I’m more likely to stay on top of things. Google Calendar allows me to quickly add events through my phone through SMS.  I simply scroll to Google in my contact list and choose the option to send an SMS, type my appointment and hit send. Google texts back that the appointment was received. I also use it to send my self to-dos and notes that I don’t want to forget.

To set up the mobile option with Google Calendar:

1. Visit your Google Calendar online.
2. Click on the “Settings” option.
3. Click on “Mobile Set up”
4. Check to see if your Carrier is supported.
5. Enter your country and phone number, and then click “Send Verification Code”
6. You’ll receive a message back with a verification number. Enter that number in the “Verification Code” field on in the mobile settings on your calendar. (If you don’t receive the code, you can request it again through the Mobile Set up in the Settings.)
7. Click “Finish Set-up”.

To send a text of a new appointment:

1. Add Google Calendar’s SMS number to your contacts 48368
2. Send a text to the SMS number. Enter the appointment, date and time for example “Dinner 3/4 8pm” or “Soccer Saturday 10am”
3. Google Calendar will text back that it received the appointment.

Appointments I made through Text (SMS)

You can also have Google Calendar text your appointments to you. To receive the next item on your appointment schedule text “next” (without the quotes) to 48368.  Text “day” to get the day’s appointments or “nday” to get tomorrow’s schedule.

Grocery Lists and Meal Planning Made Easy

In my attempts to save money, meal planning and grocery shopping has become more complex. I’m clipping coupons, shopping multiple stores to get the best prices, and planning meals around what’s on sale. Being domestically and organizationally challenged, this new way of cooking and shopping has been difficult for me to manage.

But I’ve just come across a great new web and phone app that can make it easier. Ziplist offers lots of great features to create a shopping list and plan meals. The shopping list can be organized by aisle or store. It can be shared with other members of the family so that they can add items.

Not sure what to make for dinner? Ziplist has tons of recipes and with a single click all the ingredients can be added to your list. It will even show you items that you may already have at home so that they aren’t added to the list. And if you find a recipe on another website, you can save it to your Ziplist recipe box.

When you’re ready to shop, you can print out your list or access it by through your SmartPhone (iPhone app coming soon).

To learn more or to create your own list, visit Ziplist.

Give Your Mailbox a Makeover – Or How to Stop Junk Mail

Tired of unwanted mail cluttering up your mail box and your trash can? You can stop unwanted junk mail and catalogs by contacting the Direct Marketing Association. Visit DMAChoice.org where you can indicate what mail you’d like to receive and what mail you don’t. You can eliminate mail by category (credit offers, catalogs, magazines offers, etc) or by specific companies.

Give your mailbox a make over, visit DMAChoice.org