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Making Good Use of Your Computer
by Nikki Willhite
The price of computers has fallen, year by year. Still, for many they
are a major expense.
We want to use our computer as much as possible to get our money out of
them. Here are some ideas to make the most of your computer.
HOME and OFFICE
Finances - Use a program like Quicken to take control of your finances.
Keeping your finances on your computer saves time, and can also save
money. Using search features, you can easily track expenses, as well as
payments, which comes in very handy when there is a dispute over whether
you have made a payment. I keep over 5 years of transactions in mine. I
had one occasion when I had to go back 2 years to find record of a
payment, which would have been very difficult if my records were only on
paper.
Online Banking - Pay your bills online if it is free with your bank. If
it isn't, I would consider changing banks. Save time, save the cost of
stamps, and send money securely.
Investing and Money - If you invest money, either on your own or with an
employer, use your computer to monitor what is happening to it and make
appropriate changes. Become an informed investor.
Spreadsheets - Keep your family budget on a spreadsheet. Print out your
budget, and track your expenses monthly.
Organization - Keep all vital information, password protected, in an
organizer, like Lotus. Back it up with regularity. This includes all
Internet passwords, Bank Account Numbers as well as addresses and phone
numbers.
Word Processing - Use your word processor program for all
correspondence, journals, research notes, menu planning, and have the
advantage of being able to keep a copy if desired.
E-mail - Keep in touch with family and friends with e-mail. Again, this
saves time as well as money, and is much faster than snail mail. Invest
in a scanner and send pictures to family and friends.
HOBBIES AND CRAFTS
Greeting Cards - Make your own personalized greeting cards.
Hobby Information - Find instructions and free patterns on the Internet.
Calendars - Make your own calendars. Input information once, and it will
come up year after year. Never forget birthdays or ages again. Keep
track of all household events -everything from recycle day to payday.
Mailing Labels - Make your own return address mailing labels, as well as
labels for items you send on a regular basis. Use graphics to make them
special.
Gifts - Use your computer and printer to make gifts. Make calendars for
family members with birthdays and other family information. Make
personalized mailing labels for others, as well as greeting cards,
stationary, birthday charts, and coloring books. Print up articles,
patterns, etc. in subjects you know others are interested in, and put
them in a binder.
Pictures - Scan all your personal pictures, and put them on a CD. Make
copies for everyone in your family, and they will be saved for
generations.
ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATION
Education - Help your children with their homework, view tutorials, and
research papers and projects. Learn a language, learn to type, or earn a
degree.
Games - Play a favorite computer game. There are computer games for
everyone. My favorite is to play Backgammon against my computer.
Genealogy - Research your family tree on your computer. One of the
biggest resources is the LDS Family History site at: http://www.familysearch.org/.
There are also many research sites, such as ancestry.com. Use forums to
find other family members and share information and pictures.
Recipes - Keep your favorite recipes on computer, and easily share them
with others. Subscribe to newsgroups and have new recipes delivered to
your email daily. Use search engines to find recipes with ingredients
on-hand to save money.
The Internet - Read the news on your computer. Follow the weather and
television programming. Look up phone numbers. Collect clipart. Shop.
Bid on auctions. Sell at auctions. Invest. Learn how to save money.
Whatever your interest, you will find sites on the Internet that you
will enjoy.
Graphics - Collect graphics and use them in letters, mailing labels,
greeting cards, newsletters, etc.
Your computer is a valuable resource for your family. Use it well!
About the author
Nikki Willhite, mother of three, and anInterior Design Graduate, is the
editor of The Pennypincher E-zine and Tightwad Tidbits Daily. Visit her
at
www.allthingsfrugal.com.
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