NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

Toss the Antibacterial Cleansers - Triclosan found to be Toxic & Carcinogenic!

I don't buy anything with Triclosan in it. Here are lots more reasons to get rid of them.

From the Organic Bytes Newsletter

PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK:
ANTIBACTERIAL HAND CLEANSERS
A new study published on the Environmental Science & Technology research website found  that triclosan, a widely used ingredient in antibacterial hand sterilization products, combines with chlorine in tap water to make the toxin chloroform. The researchers found that people using these products would be exposed to chloroform levels 40 percent higher than that found in tap water. Chloroform is a toxic chemical and a probable carcinogen. Previous studies have shown that the overuse of antibacterial soaps produces "super bacteria" that are able to survive exposure to antibacterial products. It is recommended that such products be used on limited and minimal levels.
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4535.cfm

Choice Quotes from the article:

This 2005 study led to the removal of all triclosan-containing products from the British chain Marks & Spencer, as well as all triclosan-containing toothpaste from stores in China.

Triclosan decomposes into chlorine byproducts in as little as one minute when exposed to chlorinated water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature commonly reached in household use. This led the researchers to question whether triclosan-containing soaps even provide the purported anti-bacterial benefit.

Here's to good old fashion soap & water!  : )

Overcoming Hoarding Tendencies with Dr. Randy Frost & Sandra Felton

Check this out as soon as you can! 

For a limited time, you can listen FREE to  Dr. Randy Frost, leading expert on hoarding, discussing his new book on hoarding, Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding with Sandra Felton, Founder of Messies Anonymous.  www.messies.com

Check it out soon!  This unedited interview is time sensitive and will be removed for editing in the future.

NOTE: There were quite a few technical difficulties so I recommend starting at the 11:50 minute timeframe to hear Sandra's story of overcoming her challenges in letting go of clutter.  Dr. Frost's section starts 19 minutes into the teleclass.

Dr. Frost discusses the psychological aspects of hoarding and some strategies for overcoming them. His insights into the reasons why people keep things and  how painful making the decision to let go of things is for people makes this really worth listening to!

http://messies.com/journal/2007/02/19/face_your_hoarding_tendencies_1/

Part two of this series about hoarding, Specific strategies for
Overcoming Hoarding Clutter, will follow in the near future.

Following is Sandra's list of support groups she runs for various special needs and interests in organizing and decluttering.

How to Organize & Take Charge of the Paper In Your Life

Taking Charge of Your Paper!

“I hate being a grown-up. Having to learn things
I didn’t want to know really pisses me off.”

- Overheard by Barbara Scher,
author of “I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was”

Managing paper is a challenge for many people.  A lot of people resist managing their paper and creating filing systems because it seems too boring, too stuffy, too reminiscent of being bureaucratic, or just too grown up!  But getting a grip on the paper in your life is a necessity if you want to become truly successful.  If you are drowning in paper, and can’t find important papers when you need them, it’s hard to feel the confidence you need to go after what you want in life.  So taking charge of your paper at work and at home is a great way to build your confidence and prepare to succeed!

Here are some tips to get started!

If you have papers scattered all over your desk and office, take a few  minutes to pick them all up and put them in one basket or pile. 

Sort your piles one at a time.  As you hold each paper, ask yourself, “What is my next action with this?” Make a note of it on the paper or on a post-it note you attach to the paper. If an action is time driven, make a note in your calendar or follow-up system including where to find the paper you need.   If not time driven, put the action on a to-do list.   

Categorize as you sort.  You can sort actionable paper into categories such as Pay, Call, Email, Enter in Computer, Shred, Errands, Decide, Buy, Look up on Web, File, Get My Money Back, etc.  Whatever makes sense to you.   Just don’t get too granular – you don’t want a separate file for every piece of paper.  If you get stuck on categories, start with just a few categories like:

o Read
o Act / Follow-Up (Personal & work can be split up)
o Decide
o File

Every paper you have will fit into one of these categories.  Later, if you find you have a bunch of papers that say "Call" on them – split them out into their own pile. 

Create a vertical hanging filing system to get paper you don’t use frequently off your desk.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  If you don’t want to take the time to use little plastic tabs to label your files, you can use super sticky post-it notes instead! 

TIP: When you get an extra supply of file folders, don’t store them on a shelf or in a closet.  Dump the packaging and store the files in a file drawer so they are ready to use when you need them! 

Alternatives to Filing. Be Creative!  If you love your piles, or just can’t stand to have files in drawers, or if you hate the very sight of a file folder, you can still be organized!  Alternatives to files in drawers include:

BINDERS- If you really hate filing, try using binders with tabbed pockets to organize projects. Be sure to label your binders.

THE STEP FILE – Get a large sturdy step file sorter with 8 sections.   Use file folders in a favorite color.  Keep them all the same color for a neater look. Make sure you can write directly on the tab with a Sharpie and still read it. Yellow folders are great for this.

I recommend getting a very tall and sturdy step sorter like the one in the picture that supports your files well. This will make it much easier to take your files in and out easily. You won't use it if your files flop over! 

GIVE PILES A HOME - One client I worked with needed things to be out and visual and hated file folders. But her boss HATED messy offices.  So we created a system she had several 3 tier shelves on her wall and could create labeled piles! 

For another client, we created an area where she could keep her 4 - 5 piles for active projects on her credenza.  We used portfolios (all the same color) to lay on top of the pile and make it look neat. We also neatly labeled the spot on the credenza top for each pile with a post-it. So each pile had a home.  We also labeled the folder with a post-it. She had all the same piles, but everyone commented on how neat and organized her office looked, and she still got to have her piles the way she liked them!

Purge your project piles and files regularly!  Once a project is over, recycle or shred the paper you no longer need.  Create what I call a project closedown file or binder and keep only the most important papers such as the project plan, design, and deliverables. Filed inactive project paper in an archive – out of your way. Even better, recycle the paper and create a project closedown CD for your project files to put in the folder.  Clean the files off your computer if space on your hard drive is an issue.

Archival Files. Everyone needs a system to get paper that don't need to use, but must keep, out of their way.  I call this the archiving system.  It should be stored somewhere not in your immediate office (or at home not in your living  space.) If you use a file archive box at work, label it neatly and find an appropriate storage place for it in your company.  Don’t leave file boxes hanging around your office for weeks and months. It looks like you don’t care about finishing up the details or following up.

If you aren’t sure what paper you must archive or how your company wants it stored/disposed of, ask an executive assistant, HR rep or Facilities Management Representative. 

“I hate being a grown-up. Having to learn things
I didn’t want to know really pisses me off.”

- Overheard by Barbara Scher,
author of “I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was”

Managing paper is a challenge for many people.  A lot of people resist managing their paper and creating filing systems because it seems too boring, too stuffy, too reminiscent of being bureaucratic, or just too grown up!  But getting a grip on the paper in your life is a necessity if you want to become truly successful.  If you are drowning in paper, and can’t find important papers when you need them, it’s hard to feel the confidence you need to go after what you want in life.  So taking charge of your paper at work and at home is a great way to build your confidence and prepare to succeed!

Here are some tips to get started!

If you have papers scattered all over your desk and office, take a few  minutes to pick them all up and put them in one basket or pile. 

Sort your piles one at a time.  As you hold each paper, ask yourself, “What is my next action with this?” Make a note of it on the paper or on a post-it note you attach to the paper. If an action is time driven, make a note in your calendar or follow-up system including where to find the paper you need.   If not time driven, put the action on a to-do list.   

Categorize as you sort.  You can sort actionable paper into categories such as Pay, Call, Email, Enter in Computer, Shred, Errands, Decide, Buy, Look up on Web, File, Get My Money Back, etc.  Whatever makes sense to you.   Just don’t get too granular – you don’t want a separate file for every piece of paper.  If you get stuck on categories, start with just a few categories like:

o Read
o Act / Follow-Up (Personal & work can be split up)
o Decide
o File

Every paper you have will fit into one of these categories.  Later, if you find you have a bunch of papers that say "Call" on them – split them out into their own pile. 

Create a vertical hanging filing system to get paper you don’t use frequently off your desk.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  If you don’t want to take the time to use little plastic tabs to label your files, you can use super sticky post-it notes instead! 

TIP: When you get an extra supply of file folders, don’t store them on a shelf or in a closet.  Dump the packaging and store the files in a file drawer so they are ready to use when you need them! 

Alternatives to Filing. Be Creative!  If you love your piles, or just can’t stand to have files in drawers, or if you hate the very sight of a file folder, you can still be organized!  Alternatives to files in drawers include:

BINDERS- If you really hate filing, try using binders with tabbed pockets to organize projects. Be sure to label your binders.

THE STEP FILE – Get a large sturdy step file sorter with 8 sections.   Use file folders in a favorite color.  Keep them all the same color for a neater look. Make sure you can write directly on the tab with a Sharpie and still read it. Yellow folders are great for this.

I recommend getting a very tall and sturdy step sorter like the one in the picture that supports your files well. This will make it much easier to take your files in and out easily. You won't use it if your files flop over! 

GIVE PILES A HOME - One client I worked with needed things to be out and visual and hated file folders. But her boss HATED messy offices.  So we created a system she had several 3 tier shelves on her wall and could create labeled piles! 

For another client, we created an area where she could keep her 4 - 5 piles for active projects on her credenza.  We used portfolios (all the same color) to lay on top of the pile and make it look neat. We also neatly labeled the spot on the credenza top for each pile with a post-it. So each pile had a home.  We also labeled the folder with a post-it. She had all the same piles, but everyone commented on how neat and organized her office looked, and she still got to have her piles the way she liked them!

Purge your project piles and files regularly!  Once a project is over, recycle or shred the paper you no longer need.  Create what I call a project closedown file or binder and keep only the most important papers such as the project plan, design, and deliverables. Filed inactive project paper in an archive – out of your way. Even better, recycle the paper and create a project closedown CD for your project files to put in the folder.  Clean the files off your computer if space on your hard drive is an issue.

Archival Files. Everyone needs a system to get paper that don't need to use, but must keep, out of their way.  I call this the archiving system.  It should be stored somewhere not in your immediate office (or at home not in your living  space.) If you use a file archive box at work, label it neatly and find an appropriate storage place for it in your company.  Don’t leave file boxes hanging around your office for weeks and months. It looks like you don’t care about finishing up the details or following up.

If you aren’t sure what paper you must archive or how your company wants it stored/disposed of, ask an executive assistant, HR rep or Facilities Management Representative. 

A Balanced Review of "The Secret" Finds a Few Flaws and Summarizes 8 Great Lessons for Creating Our Own Best Life

  "The Secret" seems to be either loved or hated by most people.  But this review by Sarah Zeldman is extremely balanced.   If I wrote up all my thoughts on "The Secret" DVD, I could not have written a better review than hers.   (Reading Sarah's writings often feels like she is putting my thoughts into words perfectly. I have a soulmate living up there in Canada!)

The Flaws in "The Secret"

Sarah brings a balanced perspective and does an excellent job pointing out the flaws in the so-called "science" of the secret.  For example, "The Secret" is too materialistically focused and it makes achieving success sound way too simple and magical.   These are the flaws that turn people off.  These flaws are also why I don't wholeheartedly recommend the book or video to everyone and I personally would not pay to see it or own it.  But I do recommend at least exposing yourself to it if you can view it for free.

Like the people showcased in "The Secret", I do believe that you can manifest the life you want - once you get clear.  Unfortunately, that is another way "The Secret" is not very helpful.  It doesn't provide much guidance on how to get really clear about what you truly deeply need and want.

Like me, Sarah believes James Arthur Ray's  version “Think, Feel, Act.” is a much better description of how you make your dreams and goals a reality than “Ask, Believe, Receive.”  You must take action.  If you take the first steps towards your dreams - even if you don't know exactly how you will make it the rest of the way - that is a profound act of faith in yourself.  And Faith in yourself is absolutely essential.  You have to believe in yourself and trust yourself enough to be willing to learn as you go and to believe that even if you fail you will figure out the right thing to do next. 

The Best of "The Secret"

I really like that even while pointing the flaws in "The Secret", Sarah doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  She has extracted 8 great lessons found in "The Secret" about how we both "attract AND create" our own happiness and success.

Every single one of her 8 "best of" points is spot on. I would only add that our life's purpose & goals must include an element of service to others.  No matter how trivial it may seem. If we are too self-centered and only want things for ourselves - we will struggle to achieve them. 

For example, suppose you want a loving releationship.  If you only focus on what you want from the other person...you will struggle.  When you focus on becoming a more loving person and think about what you can do for others, you will then be able to "attract" more love into your life. 

Here are 4 of Sarah's 8 great points that summarize beautifully the best of "The Secret".

"*Get clear about what I want to achieve with my life.
* Be ready to act on “inspired ideas” or “opportunities” that come me.
* Reframe bad situations in a positive light.
* Be grateful for what I have every day."

Read Sarah's Full Review Here

RELATED CONTENT

Skeptics

Newsweek's skeptical article: Decoding the Secret

Skeptics Dictioanary - http://skepdic.com/lawofattraction.html

Believers

Oprah's segment on: Setting Intention, Paying Attention and Taking Action... 

James Ray, the Science of Success How to Attract Prosperity and Create Life Balance Through Proven Principles

Oprah's website on forgiveness

Dr. Michael Beckwith's  site

See The Oprah Segment on The Secret 

On Oprah's website: Oprah's first show about the Secret

On Oprah's website:  Oprah's followup show on "the Secret"

The Book:  the Secret

Related Posts I've Written On Success:

• How I Got Married for the First Time - over 40
  In 2005, I wrote about how I cleared clutter and made room for someone to be in my life.
• Clutter Clearing Pays Off Big Time!
• The Happiness Project - Now that's Neat Living!

REVIEW: QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007 - Including Tips on How to Set Up Your Chart of Accounts

UPDATED 3/19 - Added to end of post

QUICK TIP 1:  How to Pay Yourself and Still Be Able to Balance Your Checking Account and Have the Money Show Up as Income on Your Profit and Loss Reports

QUICK TIP 2:  How to Enter Credit Card Expenses and Payments so that They Don't Zero Out and Make it Seem as if Did Not Have Expenses
__________________________

REVIEW: QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007

I've always resisted using QuickBooks Financial Software because it seemed like overkill for my needs.  It has a lot of "extra" features like inventory, shipping label printing, employee and payroll tracking, business loans and fixed assets that a professional running a business solo with and a few contract assistants has no need for. But recently I discovered the QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007. 

Why I Switched From Excel

QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007 provides just what I need.  A simple accounting package that is just right for a self-employed individual who just needs to track income and expenses for their accountant or who does their own taxes.  Plus it's under $100.   It has just the right features to convince me to make the switch from using my own custom Excel spreadsheet to manage my business finances. I'm so glad I did because now I have many expanded reports and features.  For example, I can very easily:

• Keep track of client transactions and easily record details of what I did on each project - using the item and invoice function this is much easier than it was with an Excel spreadsheet.

• Record income and expenses into appropriate Schedule C categories (which I fully customized to my business needs).  This makes it really easy to prepare my own taxes.  (I did this using the Chart of Accounts and Sub-Accounts)  I can also get reports for any date range and any category showing a summary of all income and expense transactions.

Side Bar - Review of TurboTax Online for doing your own taxes

I used Turbotax Online this year...but next year I will try the desktop version - TurboTax Federal + State Home and Business 2006 Win/Mac or perhaps switch to H&R Block Taxcut 2006 Premium Federal + State + Efile.  They both get excellent reviews from many sources. 

I've used Turbox Online several years now and was very happy with it, but this year, I was very disappointed.  It was very slow (and I have enhanced hi-speed cable modem service!) They've also taken away a lot of the online help and constantly try to sell you a live tax advisor.)

More neat things QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007 lets me do...

Send Electronic Receipts to Clients via Email with a Single Click - I enter transactions into an invoice or "sales receipt" (which I have completely customized with my logo) and then with a single click it automatically generates a PDF Receipt and emails it to my client! I no longer have to take time to write out receipts while I'm at the client site. And they no longer have a paper version of the receipt floating around the house.  Less paper clutter!

Balance my Business Checking account - The Reconcile feature (under Reports / Accountant Reports) is soooo much easier to do than reconciling manually!  I just go in and check off that each item I've entered into Quick Books is on my statement and it does all the math for me.

Get up to the minute "Profit and Loss" reports - This helps me know at a glance how my business is doing and what my actual "take home" income is.  It also:

• Makes it really easy to pay estimated taxes on time.
• Allows me to see income summaries for each of my lines of business, website development, coaching, teaching, business consulting, etc.

See which of my organizing services are most popular via the "Total Sales by Item" Report - By creating "Items" for each of my professional organizing services, it lets me see which of my organizing services are most popular. I not only can see the number of items, I can also see the total hours I spend by type of service.  This was achieved by setting up "items" such as: Organizing - Kitchen, Organizing - Garage and changing the quantity field to hours.

Easy to Use Visual Interface & FREE Trial

The home page screen has everything you need to do right there.   You can use the icons in the main window to navigate or use the text links in the left column. (shown, click to see the full size) You can also download a free trial from Intuit to really get the look and feel of how it works.

Good Built in Help and Support

Although it's VERY easy to use, and the built-in tutorials are excellent.  I don't want to mislead you into thinking it was super easy to set up.  You do need to be familiar with basic accounting and with the Schedule C to set this up by yourself.  If I had not had lots of accounting & financial management training when I worked for Arthur Andersen (the auditing and accounting firm which sadly barely exists now since the Enron Scandal) I'm pretty sure I could not have done this on my own.  It took quite a bit of tweaking and creative manipulating to set up and get it to do everything I wanted.  But it was worth it!

Excellent FREE Live Support

If you do not have accounting background, don't despair, you can still use QuickBooks Simple Start.  It comes with 90 days of FREE live support. I called in to verify that my "creative" accounting approaches to my dilemmas were the correct solutions. The person who helped me was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He was patient and answered all of my questions during a half hour call. His answers confirmed that I had done the right things plus he gave me a couple alternatives. (Whew!) But it might have saved me time if I'd called in immediately instead of figuring it out via trial and error.  : )

________________________________

QUICK TIP 1:  How to Pay Yourself and Still Be Able to Balance Your Checking Account and Have the Money Show Up as Income on Your Profit and Loss Reports

This is such a common need for self-employed people, I was really surprised they didn't have any built in help for this question.  Here's my solution.

The Problem. The problem was that when I recorded payments to myself in my QuickBooks business checking account register, I could only categorize it as an expense.  When I did that, it no longer showed up as income on my Profit and Loss Report. It also messed up my total expenses and tax accounting.

The Solution. What I did was create a fictional bank account called "Payments to Myself". Now when I write a check from my business checking account to myself, in QuickBooks I record the transaction as a "Transfer of Funds" from my business checking to my "Payments" account.  This allows me to be able to balance my business checking account by deducting the payments, but also still have an account that shows the money as income, not an expense.   

_____________________________

QUICK TIP 2:  How to Enter Credit Card Expenses and Payments so that They Don't Zero Out and Make it Seem as if Did Not Have Expenses

This is another common need for self-employed people, since most of us use credit cards and pay the bill with our business checking account. I was really surprised at this answer.

The Problem. The problem was that after I set up a register for each credit card, I began recording expenses and payments in the account - this causes my expenses to zero out!  They no longer showed up in my Profit and Loss Report!  But because I paid the credit card with my business checking, I had to record the payment somewhere or my checking account would not balance. (To further complicate things, I have two business credit card accounts. 

• One credit card gives me Amazon Rewards.  It also allows me to auto-pay the balance on the due date.  But I can only do that my personal checking account because that account has overdraft protection - unfortunately I can't put overdraft protection on the business checking account. I love being able to do this!
• My other business credit card gives me airline miles. I pay it with my business checking account. 

The Solution.  I pay the Amazon card with my personal account, so for that one, I simply don't record any payments! 

For the Miles account, I had to create another fictional bank account in my Chart of Accounts called "Credit Card Payments". Now when I write a check from my business checking account to pay the credit card, in QuickBooks I record the transaction as a "Transfer of Funds" from my business checking to my "Credit Card Payments" account. 

This allows me to balance my business checking account by deducting the credit card payments, and the expenses still show up as expenses on the Profit and Loss (P&L) Reports.  So, the tradeoff is that I can't actually balance the Credit Card register - I only record expenses and returned items there.  But that's okay.  I pay the balance in full every month so it doesn't affect anything.  It's more important to me that I make my checking account balance and get an accurate P&L report so I can pay my estimated taxes.   

____________________________________

If you use QuickBooks or are thinking about it, I hope these tips help you take charge of your own financial organizing!

Related posts:

• Neat Receipts Scanalizer Review

UPDATED 3/19 - Added to end of post

QUICK TIP 1:  How to Pay Yourself and Still Be Able to Balance Your Checking Account and Have the Money Show Up as Income on Your Profit and Loss Reports

QUICK TIP 2:  How to Enter Credit Card Expenses and Payments so that They Don't Zero Out and Make it Seem as if Did Not Have Expenses
__________________________

REVIEW: QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007

I've always resisted using QuickBooks Financial Software because it seemed like overkill for my needs.  It has a lot of "extra" features like inventory, shipping label printing, employee and payroll tracking, business loans and fixed assets that a professional running a business solo with and a few contract assistants has no need for. But recently I discovered the QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007. 

Why I Switched From Excel

QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007 provides just what I need.  A simple accounting package that is just right for a self-employed individual who just needs to track income and expenses for their accountant or who does their own taxes.  Plus it's under $100.   It has just the right features to convince me to make the switch from using my own custom Excel spreadsheet to manage my business finances. I'm so glad I did because now I have many expanded reports and features.  For example, I can very easily:

• Keep track of client transactions and easily record details of what I did on each project - using the item and invoice function this is much easier than it was with an Excel spreadsheet.

• Record income and expenses into appropriate Schedule C categories (which I fully customized to my business needs).  This makes it really easy to prepare my own taxes.  (I did this using the Chart of Accounts and Sub-Accounts)  I can also get reports for any date range and any category showing a summary of all income and expense transactions.

Side Bar - Review of TurboTax Online for doing your own taxes

I used Turbotax Online this year...but next year I will try the desktop version - TurboTax Federal + State Home and Business 2006 Win/Mac or perhaps switch to H&R Block Taxcut 2006 Premium Federal + State + Efile.  They both get excellent reviews from many sources. 

I've used Turbox Online several years now and was very happy with it, but this year, I was very disappointed.  It was very slow (and I have enhanced hi-speed cable modem service!) They've also taken away a lot of the online help and constantly try to sell you a live tax advisor.)

More neat things QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2007 lets me do...

Send Electronic Receipts to Clients via Email with a Single Click - I enter transactions into an invoice or "sales receipt" (which I have completely customized with my logo) and then with a single click it automatically generates a PDF Receipt and emails it to my client! I no longer have to take time to write out receipts while I'm at the client site. And they no longer have a paper version of the receipt floating around the house.  Less paper clutter!

Balance my Business Checking account - The Reconcile feature (under Reports / Accountant Reports) is soooo much easier to do than reconciling manually!  I just go in and check off that each item I've entered into Quick Books is on my statement and it does all the math for me.

Get up to the minute "Profit and Loss" reports - This helps me know at a glance how my business is doing and what my actual "take home" income is.  It also:

• Makes it really easy to pay estimated taxes on time.
• Allows me to see income summaries for each of my lines of business, website development, coaching, teaching, business consulting, etc.

See which of my organizing services are most popular via the "Total Sales by Item" Report - By creating "Items" for each of my professional organizing services, it lets me see which of my organizing services are most popular. I not only can see the number of items, I can also see the total hours I spend by type of service.  This was achieved by setting up "items" such as: Organizing - Kitchen, Organizing - Garage and changing the quantity field to hours.

Easy to Use Visual Interface & FREE Trial

The home page screen has everything you need to do right there.   You can use the icons in the main window to navigate or use the text links in the left column. (shown, click to see the full size) You can also download a free trial from Intuit to really get the look and feel of how it works.

Good Built in Help and Support

Although it's VERY easy to use, and the built-in tutorials are excellent.  I don't want to mislead you into thinking it was super easy to set up.  You do need to be familiar with basic accounting and with the Schedule C to set this up by yourself.  If I had not had lots of accounting & financial management training when I worked for Arthur Andersen (the auditing and accounting firm which sadly barely exists now since the Enron Scandal) I'm pretty sure I could not have done this on my own.  It took quite a bit of tweaking and creative manipulating to set up and get it to do everything I wanted.  But it was worth it!

Excellent FREE Live Support

If you do not have accounting background, don't despair, you can still use QuickBooks Simple Start.  It comes with 90 days of FREE live support. I called in to verify that my "creative" accounting approaches to my dilemmas were the correct solutions. The person who helped me was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He was patient and answered all of my questions during a half hour call. His answers confirmed that I had done the right things plus he gave me a couple alternatives. (Whew!) But it might have saved me time if I'd called in immediately instead of figuring it out via trial and error.  : )

________________________________

QUICK TIP 1:  How to Pay Yourself and Still Be Able to Balance Your Checking Account and Have the Money Show Up as Income on Your Profit and Loss Reports

This is such a common need for self-employed people, I was really surprised they didn't have any built in help for this question.  Here's my solution.

The Problem. The problem was that when I recorded payments to myself in my QuickBooks business checking account register, I could only categorize it as an expense.  When I did that, it no longer showed up as income on my Profit and Loss Report. It also messed up my total expenses and tax accounting.

The Solution. What I did was create a fictional bank account called "Payments to Myself". Now when I write a check from my business checking account to myself, in QuickBooks I record the transaction as a "Transfer of Funds" from my business checking to my "Payments" account.  This allows me to be able to balance my business checking account by deducting the payments, but also still have an account that shows the money as income, not an expense.   

_____________________________

QUICK TIP 2:  How to Enter Credit Card Expenses and Payments so that They Don't Zero Out and Make it Seem as if Did Not Have Expenses

This is another common need for self-employed people, since most of us use credit cards and pay the bill with our business checking account. I was really surprised at this answer.

The Problem. The problem was that after I set up a register for each credit card, I began recording expenses and payments in the account - this causes my expenses to zero out!  They no longer showed up in my Profit and Loss Report!  But because I paid the credit card with my business checking, I had to record the payment somewhere or my checking account would not balance. (To further complicate things, I have two business credit card accounts. 

• One credit card gives me Amazon Rewards.  It also allows me to auto-pay the balance on the due date.  But I can only do that my personal checking account because that account has overdraft protection - unfortunately I can't put overdraft protection on the business checking account. I love being able to do this!
• My other business credit card gives me airline miles. I pay it with my business checking account. 

The Solution.  I pay the Amazon card with my personal account, so for that one, I simply don't record any payments! 

For the Miles account, I had to create another fictional bank account in my Chart of Accounts called "Credit Card Payments". Now when I write a check from my business checking account to pay the credit card, in QuickBooks I record the transaction as a "Transfer of Funds" from my business checking to my "Credit Card Payments" account. 

This allows me to balance my business checking account by deducting the credit card payments, and the expenses still show up as expenses on the Profit and Loss (P&L) Reports.  So, the tradeoff is that I can't actually balance the Credit Card register - I only record expenses and returned items there.  But that's okay.  I pay the balance in full every month so it doesn't affect anything.  It's more important to me that I make my checking account balance and get an accurate P&L report so I can pay my estimated taxes.   

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If you use QuickBooks or are thinking about it, I hope these tips help you take charge of your own financial organizing!

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Unique Art Cabinet Lets You Quickly & Easily Create a Revolving Display of Kids' Art, Photos, or Any Paper You Wish to Display on Your Walls or Table Tops!!

This beautiful Art Cabinet  from Alsto's is a fantastic find!

This art cabinet instantly displays your child’s artwork or whatever you want to display. It holds up to 50 pages in one slim frame so it serves as an archive too.

Just lift the latch, open the door, and insert your pages. Close the glass-front door, and your artwork or photos are elegantly displayed, while the older pages are stored behind it.

Comes in a couple sizes:  8 1/2”x11” or 12”x18”

This is the easiest and best looking way yet that I've seen to preserve your children’s art. You can use it at home or in the office.  It can also be used to display your goals, affirmations, project schedules, or anything you want to protect and display.  Wouldn't this be a great gift for a new mom?

See similar products from DynamicFrames.com

Related Neat Living Posts:

How to Store Kid's Oversize Artwork

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