Where Does Your Clutter Collect?

I'd love to hear from my readers on this topic. I find that we all seem to have little piles of clutter on our desks or bedside tables. Where else does your clutter accumulate?

Social Security - Great Tips on When to Start Collecting

You have choices when it comes to collecting Social Security Benefits whether you're close to retirement or not. I recently read a great article from the Los Angeles Times and wanted to share some tips with you.

There are three different times in your life when you can begin to collect Social Security - age 62, 66 or 70. What age you pick can greatly influence the amount of Social Security you receive but there are other factors that can contribute to your decision as well.

The age your grandparents lived to and the age of your parents is one major contributing factor. Bruce Schobel, a Social Security expert, states that if your parents are living well into their 80's and 90's, choosing to wait until age 70 would be the better choice because you'll get more money each month - approximately 32% more than if you started collecting at age 62.

Starting your benefits at age 62 would come into play if you've had a major illness or your parents died at a younger age.

There are other factors that can influence your decision including whether you're single or married - married couples should claim benefits on the spouse who made the most money during their working years. Postponing your benefits can also increase the amount of your spouse's survivor benefits if the higher-earning spouse dies first.

Of course, the bottom line is that over a third of Social Security recipients claim their benefits at age 62 simply because they need the money - it is their primary source of income.

The Los Angeles Times article was written by Kathy M. Kristof of the Personal Finance, Business department. I give full credit for the contents of this article to her.

Something to Think About on November 4th

Real Simple's daily quote on Thursday really hit home with me and I'd like to share it with you:

The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Oven Repair - Revisited

Last week, I blogged on how I had broken the door on my oven and had gone online to Sears to make an appointment for a repairman to come and assess the damage. I waited 10 days for the repairman to come and when he did, he told me it would cost over $600 to fix the oven because it needed 8 hours of labor and the part alone would cost $165.

After that experience, I figured it might be cheaper to purchase a new oven since they were on sale that week at Sears for $720.

So, last Saturday I went to Sears and spoke to a saleswoman who told me the following:

1. The oven was not in stock in the store and she could not tell if me the hinge that broke on my oven had been replaced on the newer model with a better hinge;

2. The cost to deliver the oven would be an additional $65; and

3. The cost to install the oven by a separate appliance person would be another additional $189.

So, after adding all that together, I realized I would be paying over $1,000 for a new oven that only needed a new hinge on the door.

On Monday I called Frigidaire repair and was given the number of a local appliance repair company in the valley. When I called them, I was told they could come out the next day to assess the damage. Because I was working on Tuesday and Wednesday, I picked Thursday morning for the repairman's visit.




He arrived on time on Thursday morning and approached the repair in a completely different way than the Sears repairman. He went out to his truck, found the part and quoted me a repair price of $180 including the part ($53) and labor. The oven door hinge was installed and the entire job completed in less than one hour.



So, I need to refute my previous post touting Sears as an answer to appliance repair when you don't have an extended warranty on your appliance.

The small independent stores are still alive and well and ready to serve you.

Simple Closet Organizing Idea

I'm always recommending that my closet organizing clients try the backward hanger technique to determine what clothes they're actually wearing. The rule is to hang all the hangers backwards on the rod and, after wearing an article of clothing, hang that article back on the rod with the hanger facing the right way.

At the end of six to eight months, the clothing still hanging backwards on the rod are the clothes not being worn. This makes it easier to evaluate what to keep and what to donate from this select group of clothing.

So, I've decided to try this method myself for the next six months and see how I do. I'll let you know....

Learn to Say No - Make Yourself a Priority

Are we all taking on more than we can handle? Are we stressing ourselves out? I found this to be true when I was a parent volunteer at my daughter's elementary school a few years ago. I was the library parent volunteer, room parent, parent organization secretary and assistant chair of the silent auction.

When someone asked me to take on one more assignment, a good friend took me aside and gave me some of the best advice I'd ever gotten. "Just say no", he said. "No one will think any less of you, they'll find someone else, and you won't be taking on any more stress than you can handle".

I've taken that advice forward in my life and it has worked so well for me. So, thank you, dear friend.

Know your limits - know when enough is enough. Just say no when you feel you'll be taking on more than you can reasonably handle in your life. Take time out for you.

Oven Repair - Part Two

Well, the Sears repairman arrived at 11:30 and pronounced my oven dead on arrival. To fix it would require 8 hours of labor (dismantling and putting the entire inside back together) and parts for a total of over $633. I can get a new one for $700. Look for me at the store, shopping for wall ovens.

Not a happy camper .....