(& How to Avoid Them)

What’s your typical day like? Do you feel like you’re stuck on a treadmill going slightly too fast? Always wishing there were more hours in the day? How about your priorities – do you feel like they’re getting tended to, or are you always putting out fires, one step behind?

Mistake #:

1. Confusing a laundry list with a to-do list. There is a significant distinction between a laundry list and a to-do list. A laundry list is simply a running tab of all the things, important or not, that you would like to get done. A to-do list should only comprise those 4-5 tasks per day that are truly important.

2. Missing opportunities to batch similar tasks. When you approach your to-do list as series of individual tasks, you nearly always waste significant chunks of time. Tackling related tasks in one whack, whether they’re errands you need to run or phone calls you need to make, is the most efficient way from Point A to Point B.

3. Failing to Look Ahead. It’s easy to do when you’re spending all your energy just keeping your head above water. But sooner or later, those important but not urgent things you keep neglecting will demand your attention – and wreak havoc on your schedule.

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We're taking the plunge and couldn't be more excited. When we initially built our house, the payback period for installing solar energy was 13 years, a bit difficult to rationalize. But now, we are looking at a much more compelling payback period of five to six years!

There was actually quite a bit of research involved in evaluating the various solar energy options, including system size, type of system, and with which vendor to work. There are many companies are out there with lots of promises and quite variable pricing. We talked to 3 or 4 before making a final decision.

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When our children reached a certain age when they were ready for a bit of responsibility and desired some petty cash, my husband and I sat down to discuss our philosophies about allowance. It's very interesting how they can differ based upon a person's own experience as a child. We devised our own. We decided to give our children a certain amount of which 1/3 would be spending money, 1/3 would be for saving, and 1/3 would be set aside for charity. This worked wonderfully for a few years. And then, the system began to break down as our children grew and their cash needs did as well: movies, smoothies, nail polish, magazines, etc. The lines grew blurry between what should be paid for by allowance and what were our duties as parents.

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Always better to laugh than cry. A friend recently forwarded the joke below to us at RubbingNickels. We do not know to whom to give credit. Let us know if you have seen these before, or have any to add.

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BYOL the invitation said. How many times have you been invited to "Bring Your Own Lettuce"? It was a brilliant idea for a low cost pot luck party. If you have your own garden or fruit trees, you are often faced with the wonderful problem of having too many tomatoes, or too many beans, or too many apples at harvest time. So, our friend, had the foresight to plan ahead and organize a gathering for us all to share our bounties.

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I think everyone who knows me well is surprised how much I love raising chickens. I was probably the most reluctant member of my family, as my husband and children researched the types of chickens and coop designs. I kept wondering what we were getting ourselves into: how much money, how much mess, how much maintenance? But now I know, and I am thrilled that we went down this trendy path.

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Our small Northern California town has a little Art and Wine Festival each year. The streets close down to traffic and people come from all over to sample wine and look at the wonderful art. At the festival, there are a number of painters, sculptors and glass blowers who show off their pieces but the majority of the booths are crafty people who are trying to make a little money.

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For most of us, summer means at least one trip to the beach, lake or at least the community pool. Instead of spending upwards of $30 on an expensive pedicure, why don't you give a try to some of these great at-home pedicure products. When I do my pedi at home, I like to put on the food network or a baseball game, and listen along while I pamper my toes. Here's what the internet says about the best, inexpensive products for your "get ready for summer pedicure".

Remedy your "flip-flop" heel - If you have a little cracked heel syndrome, Sally Hansen has a great product for you. Try their Overnight Heel Repair Ointment for $8.99, available at Walgreens.com. It will transform your heels & calluses overnight and leave your feet baby soft and ready for a pedicure.

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Summer's here again and many of us are faced with the prospect of entertaining kids on a tight budget, with no money for camp or snazzy vacations. Creativity is the key to saving your sanity this summer as you act as camp counselor and cruise director for your family. I know the task seems daunting, especially for the families that are facing this financial reality for the first time and are used to nannies and lots of summer camps. But hang in there! We have some ideas for you from among the thousands of people blogging about this right now.

Take a family cycling adventure - This tip is from our friends at Better Homes and Garden online. It's good to have a mid-point destination like a park or other free activity so that everyone can rest and re-fuel.

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These days, there are hundreds of ways that you can start a Home-based Sales business. It may have started with Avon, Amway and Tupperware, but for stay-at-home Moms, this can still be the perfect way to feel like a professional while putting a little money in your pocket. I've done some research and have come up with two companies who seem to have high-quality merchandise and might provide good opportunities for our Rubbing Nickels followers.

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