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Confessions: I Need Over-Committers Anonymous

Posted in: Confessions, Susan Solutions
February 21, 2012 with 0 Comments

Are there seven steps to give up over-committing your time?

I have been a chronic over-committer from birth.  It has been a problem that has severely stressed my marriage on many levels.  I have a hard time saying “no” because I always feel like I should help.

Recently, we were in an Espresso Minute brainstorm meeting and Nancy (our main writer) brought up over-committing as a topic for an email idea.  The gist of her solution to over committing was to alleviate the immediate pressure and guilt by delaying the opportunity until you have time for it.

In other words your answer is “Not now”.

Sure enough within a week I was asked to be on the board of an organization that I love, contribute to and have benefited from.

I was flattered, intrigued and then overwhelmed all in one second standing right before the director’s hopeful eyes.   And then Nancy’s solution sprang to my mind. I cheerfully explained that I could not serve right now but would consider it again in the Fall after my house renovation and book were complete.

He was great with that.  I walked away feeling totally devoid of guilt and empowered by the fact that I had maintained control of my life…for once!

Of course, I must caution that you should not delay something you don’t ever intend to commit to.  Then again, if they move on and don’t need you anymore that can be a good thing, too!

Control Your Family’s Clutter

Posted in: Around the House, Susan on TV, Susan Solutions
January 20, 2012 with 1 Comment

 

Try this great game and how it can help teach your family to control the clutter in your home!

Get Clutter Jail here

3 R’s of Discipline

Posted in: Parenting, Susan on TV, Susan Solutions
December 23, 2011 with 0 Comments

Discipline is a constant in parenting; here are three steps to help make disciplining a little easier.

Saving Strategy To Fly Free

Posted in: Lessons I Learned, Susan Solutions
December 15, 2011 with 0 Comments

Every few years you have to reassess the deal options out there.  When our kids starting going to college we realized we needed a strategy to save on flights.  We have tried several credit cards and hands down the best is SouthWest.

Before you read any further please let me be clear about using credit.  Credit cards are very dangerous and require lots of discipline.  Many financial advisers recommend that you don’t use credit cards at all.  The SouthWest Visa works for us because we have three simple rules.

  1.  It must be paid off on time, in full.  We have never paid a finance charge.
  2. We do not ever buy what we cannot pay for in cash at the time of purchase.
  3. It is the only credit card we use.  So everything goes on one card and we do not lose track of how much we have spent.

To really rack up the points we put everything on this card that we can.  Some examples include – food, restaurants, appliances, car repairs, school tuitions, some bills like electric.  If they take visa we use the visa.   In return we earn free flights.

With SouthWest we earn a lot of flights because there are different point amounts depending on how early you book.  For the college kids we book early because we know ahead of time when they will have a break.

It has all really added up for us in a big way.

The Holiday Control Plan

Posted in: Lessons I Learned, Susan Holiday Solutions, Susan on TV, Susan Solutions
December 9, 2011 with 0 Comments

 

Here are some  great tools and ideas for parents to keep control of their time, money, and purpose this holiday season.

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