An email reminder  or “people hack” to help you get the response your waiting on.

When your colleague, we’ll call him Steve, promises he’ll get something back to you on Monday via email,
all you need to say is “Thanks!”

However, it’s not what you say.  It’s when you say it.

Instead of replying right away, set the delivery date of the email to the due date of the item.
A short email delivered on Monday that says,

“Steve: Monday will be great. We’ll get this all wrapped up then. Thanks.”

would be just the nag-less nudge and reminder needed to get the item back to you.

I really like this because it a nice, unobtrusive way to remind Steve, that your counting on him to get back to you.  Often, being the bottle neck, I would react positively to this reminder.

This idea came from Email Overloaded, “Nagless Reminders-Get the Recipient to Respond on time and cut through their email overload“.

Email Overloaded and Claritude Software is moderated by Itzy Sabo. Claritud Software makes SpeedFiler. SpeedFiler for Outlook makes it easier to emails where it belongs in the first place.

How would you react to this reminder ?  Do you find it as appealing as I do ?

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Cool video showing SSI Shredder shredding a boat.

SSI Shredding Systems Inc.

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One of the first pre-ride check off items that riders learn in motorcycle training courses is to check the tire pressure. In realty most riders check pressure only occaisionally.

I know I did. I ride a 2003 Yamaha Midnight Star.

It simply was just to hard to get a good reading on tire pressure because the valve stems are hard to get to, and harder to get to with a motorcycle tire pressure gauge,  those darned spokes just get in the way.

Tire pressure is important:
Checking motorcycle tire pressure only occasionally is simply not smart. Not smart because, we ask more of motorcycle tires than car tires. Many factors such as load carried, horsepower and torque produced, all this being applied to a contact surface that is very small by comparison. It’s logical that motorcycle tires  work in a much more demanding environment. Therefore keeping the tire pressure correct is critical.

How often ?
Motorcycle tire manufacturers recommend checking pressure at least once a week. However, many motorcycle safety experts recommend checking tire pressure and tread wear every time you take your bike out.

Furthermore, these recommendations are usually dependent upon the weight of you and your passenger, as well as any cargo. For instance, some manufacturers advise adding 3 or 4 PSI when carrying a heavy load.

Know your vehicle weight and load, and follow the PSI recommendations specific to your motorcycle. Look in your motorcycle owner’s manual to find the right PSI (pounds per square inch) of air pressure for your tires. Some bike manufacturers also list this formation on the bike itself. Common locations include the swing arm, front fork tubes, inside the trunk,
and under the seat.

Tire manufactures also warn, never to inflate a tire beyond the maximum inflation, noted on the tire sidewall.

An Easy Solution
TireGard offers an easy solution that allows the constant monitoring of tire pressure with an easy to read digital display.

Additionally, the tempurature of the tires can be monitored as well. Easy to install, the sensors can be screwed directly onto the existing valve stems. TireGard also offers a anti theft option so that you investment is safe.

TireGard comes in three models

• A two wheel model for most bikes.
• A three wheel model for trikes.
• A trailer model for bikers that also pull trailers.

Tire Gard Benefits:

• Mmaximize tire performance.
• Maximize safety by eliminating riding on under-inflated tires.
• Increase motorcycle tire life with correct inflation.
• Maximize fuel efficiency by riding on correctly inflated tires.
• Maximize riding experience.

Easy installation:
Simply remove OEM valve caps and replace with the included valve cap sensors, turn on the handheld device and ride.

For more information, see the Install video.

Where to buy.  TirGard is available from many sources.  I was able to find it for about $160. Run this Google Search for TireGard to find TireGard at a reasonable price.

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Do not panic. This is not a problem.
No sa password ? No problem.
The builtin\administrators account has been removed ? No problem.
Cannot login to the SQL Server? No problem

The process to regain access is pretty straight forward.

1. Login to the server using a user that has local administrator privlidges on the server.
2. Shutdown all related SQL Server services.
3. Open a command window, start->Run -> cmd
4. Navigate to the directory containing sqlservr.exe. Find the binn directory.
5. Start the instance you want to log into, sqlservr.exe -m -s <instance name> , when this is executing you will see screen scroll and then stop. SQL Server is now running in single user mode.
6. Open another command window, start->Run -> cmd
7. Log into the SQL Server, sqlcmd -E
8. At the probmpt, run the following script

create login [builtin\administrators] from windows
go
exec sp_addsrvrolemember [builtin\administrators], [sysadmin]
go
shutdown
go

9. Start up your SQL Server and login.

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5 Awful Truths About Money,  Redeeming Riches.com,  Five awful truths that – although annoying – can actually do us some good if we remember these in our personal finance adventures.

How To Set Up LiveZilla And Earn Money By Selling Online PC Support,  Make Use of .com, A lot of people reading this website are technically-savvy and heroes when it comes to computer troubleshooting. In fact, many readers could earn a small fortune on the side just by offering online PC support and helping computer newbie’s work through very simple computer issues. As massive social networks like Facebook brings millions of brand new computer users online every year, more and more Internet travelers are going to need help with simple things like how to check their email online, how to access their Facebook accounts with their mobile phone, and thousands of other questions that most of us could answer in less than five minutes.

How to Connect to a SQL 2005 Server When You Are Completely Locked Out, Sql Server Central.com

Our Journey To Debt Freedom: Cresting The Hill,Frugal Dad.com, “We will have crested that hill. A hill that has taken us over two years of blood, sweat and tears (well, at least a lot of sweat and tears) to climb. And as the landscape opens up in front of us, our only regret is that we didn’t get on the roller coaster sooner.”

Google Wave App Available For The iPhone iSmashPhone.com,  The Google Wave App for the iPhone is now available for purchase on the Apple App Store. Available for 99 cents, the app does all the stuff that the browser version did, in addition to offering some extra capabilities.

50 + Scholarships for Space Studies, Out of the Cradle.net,  There’s a lot of money out there for space studies, and one thing you should realize from the following list is that you need to be creative in seeking out funding and learning opportunities. The real question is how much scholarship fundage can be brought into the space field through creative application.

Purdue’s ‘Hotseat’ Brings Twitter to the College Classroom, Switched.com,  Purdue University is testing a custom developed app called ‘Hotseat’ that allows for students to comment and ask questions in real-time, via Twitter, Facebook, text message, and a Web interface. The university is testing the application in two classes right now, and of the roughly 600 students taking those courses, 73-percent have used ‘Hotseat’ to ask questions, critique their professor, or vote for topics to be covered.

This post has a video of out the application works.
How to Avoid Hefty Financial Mistakes in College, Young Money.com,  Avoid the the added weight of money mistakes That can stay with you for a long time – and can be pretty hard to shed. They can also be easier to avoid with the help of some common sense and some added knowledge.

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1. Pay Off Credit Card Balances Every Month – $1,200 a year.
2. Dump Credit Cards That Charge Annual Fees – $200 a year.
3. Avoid Bank Service Charges – $132 a year.
4. Shop Around for the Best Cellular Phone Service – $720 a year.
5. Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions – $200 a year.

I am going to have to go though my expenses this year and see what I have spent on these categories. It’s like figuring out where the hole in my pocket is.

Read the entire article, “Five Easy Tips to Save You $1,500 a Year or More“, on freemoneyfinance.com

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Here is the way to send blog posts you read and like from Google Reader directly into Evernote.

Both of these posts explain the process very well.

Development on a Shoestring: Sending to Evernote from Google Reader

From Evernotes’ blog: How to Send Blog Posts from Google Reader to Evernote

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A prepaid credit card may sound like a way to keep from incurring unwanted debt. Many consumers and parents of college students look to these vehicles as a way to escape debt, but a August survey by Consumers Union,(the Consumer Reports publisher), points out that prepaid credit cards can be expensive and provide weak protection for the consumer.

HighFees
Lost or Stolen Protection
Building Credit Record
FDIC Protection
The survey results

High Fees:

• In an August survey of 18 prepaid cards, Consumers Union found that 17 issuers charged activation fees ranging from $3 for the Wal-Mart Money Card to $99.95 for the Millennium Advantage card.
• Fifteen issuers charged monthly fees ranging from $2.95 for the nFinanse card to $9.95 for the Rush Card. All 18 charged fees of $1.50 to $2.50 for ATM withdrawals.
• Seventeen charged fees of 50 cents to $1 for checking balances at ATMs….

Lost or Stolen protection:
When prepaid cards are lost or stolen and used by others to make fraudulent transactions, consumers are not protected by the same regulatory and statutory safeguards that enable other debit card users to recover their money.

Building Credit Record:
Some prepaid cards claim to provide consumers a way to build a credit record or include a credit line feature. However, Consumers Union found that the prepaid card issuers may report “credit building” activity to an alternative, less used credit reporting agency or may report only the payment of the card’s high monthly fees.

FDIC Protection
Finally, consumers with traditional bank accounts have peace of mind that their money will not be lost as long as their bank is FDIC insured. But consumers who use prepaid cards have no guarantee that they will be able to recover all their money in the event of a bank failure because the funds may not be insured by the FDIC.

The survey results
Read the full results of the survey here, “Consumers Union Report Finds Prepaid Cards Come With High Fees and Weak Protections For Consumers“, Consumers Union.org

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Consumers Union in any way and make this recommendation based on our experience. We have received no compensation for this opinion from Consumers Union or anyone else… It is of our own free will and choice.

If you have good experiences with a prepaid credit card, please share your comments with us.

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How to Create a public notebook using the Evernote Desk top or mobile client.

1. Create a public note book using the Evernote Desk top or mobile client.
2. Set it to be synchronized, so that it gets updated on your desktop and on the web.
3. Login to your Evernote web account.
4. Open the appropriate notebook
5. Click on the Sharing setup link.
6. Click on the notebook to share.
7. Set the sharing properties, Url, individuals who can modify the note, etc.
8. Publish or email the link to the notebook. Link to Steve Bergkamp’s Public Evernote Notebook.

If you have any idea or tips about using evernote public or shared notebooks, please add a comment.
Thanks
Steve B.

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I was inspired to write this based on a post I read recently, “7 tips for Money and Marriage”, by J.D. at Get Rich Slowly.   As a married person of almost twenty five years, it still amazes me that the marriage didn’t come with an instruction booklet.

I decided 7 tips weren’t enough, so I went on a research spree and found some more. I found ten sources the 25 pages of search results that had something uniqe to say on the subject.

What resulted was the following mashup that inspire changes.

• I recommend you follow the links, to the entire posts. You will find some very sound advice about money in marriage.
  • Marriage a financial union.
  • Share goals, experiences, feelings, find the common ground.
  • Invest in your marriage. Make the goal to spend time together every week. Invest in your marriage Do it daily.
  • Be honest, claim mistakes where necessary.
  • Use your gift of empathy to over come feelings of frustration with yourself or your partner.
  • Invest in your marriage. Make the goal to spend time together every week. Do it daily.  Repeated,  very important.
  • Step back, take a break when necessary.
  • Allow each other to act or react.
  • Establish an emergency fund. This doesn’t have to be giant. Set a goal of $1000, to $2000.
  • What to do when things get really really bad ?
  • How we talk with each other about money matters, matters. Remember both partners are on the same team, even if views, history, and fears are not the same.

If we could go back 24 years, knowing what we know now, I’m am quite sure my wife and I could have avoided some of the money issues if we had considered that our marriage while based in love, is also a financial union.

Article,The Key to Wedded Bliss, by Tara Siegel Bernard, The New York Times, September 2008, points this out plus reminded me, marriage for love is really kind of a new thing.

In fact, when it comes to finances, your marriage is likely to be your most valuable asset — or your largest liability.

Marrying for love is a relatively recent phenomenon. For centuries, marriages were arranged affairs, aligning families for economic or political purposes or simply pooling the resources of those scraping by.

Today, while most of us marry for romantic reasons, marriage at its core is still a financial union…

I don’t consciously consider our marriage a financial asset. But it is.  My wife and I married for love, and our love is the basis of our relationship. I think things will be better in the future, as we try to start looking at our asset with a new focus.

Keeping in line with Tara’s theme, J.D. from Get Rich Slowly, inspired me with the following tips.

7 Tips for Money and Marriage

• Talk and share goals. Communication is key. Kris and will take a brief vacation next month. Besides unwinding, we plan to discuss our goals for the future. It’s important for both partners to work together for the same purpose.
• Run a home like a business. In the forthcoming How to Be the Family CFO, Kim Snider writes that there are many similarities between managing a successful business and managing your personal finances. Your goal should be to run a profitable firm!
• Be supportive of careers. Help your partner pursue her dreams. When Kris quit teaching to become a scientist, I was ready to do whatever she needed to help her succeed. And when I decided to quit my job to blog full-time, Kris was my biggest supporter.
• Enjoy, but within reason. It’s okay to spend money to enjoy life (that’s what it’s for!), but don’t get caught up in the rat-race, and be sure to save for the future.
• Use a mediator. When you and your partner can’t agree on a financial decision, bring in third-party help. If you disagree about how to invest, for example, then see a financial planner.
• Maintain some independence. “Pooling resources is important,” writes Bernard, “but so is maintaining a degree of financial independence.” Many couples with joint finances also maintain separate allowances for each partner.
• Invest in your marriage. Spend time and money on your relationship. Bernard says to consider this “dollar-cost averaging your marriage”, which is a clever. When Kris and I get grumpy with each other, it’s almost always because we haven’t been doing things together as a couple.

I know these seven tips alone don’t keep us out of trouble. The following post, How to Stop Fighting With Your Spouse About Money , also by J.D. from Get Rich Slowly, can be helpful in working out differences.

Be a team: There is no “I” in “Team”
Between talking with people and listening to callers on The Dave Ramsey Show, I’m surprised by the number of married people who talk about their finances and converse as if their spouse doesn’t even exist

Develop a budget — together!
From personal experience, one cause of fights (or “fussing”, as we call it in the South) is one spouse spending what the other spouse considers too much money. This is generally a problem when the couple is already fairly tight on finances, or when one spouse is far more frugal than the other.

Establish an emergency fund
The most important thing you can do to keep your finances under control — and to avoid using credit cards and going into debt — is to establish an emergency fund. Nothing stresses a couple more than running out of money before all the bills are paid. Even worse is having the air conditioner or the car break down without money to get it fixed.

Agree to hold each other accountable
After we agree on the budget for the upcoming month, my wife and I do a pinky shake. Is this a little silly? Sure, but it works for us. Every time I am in the store and see some new shiny electronic gadget I want, that pinky shake reminds me of the commitment I made. That little shake makes me question if I need the item or not. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked out of a store empty-handed because of that little shake.

Get out of debt
Debt is a dark cloud that follows you constantly. Debt puts pressure on your finances, and ultimately on your marriage. Getting out of debt will give you financial freedom and peace of mind. If you are in debt, stop getting further in debt right now. If you have credit cards, shred them. Is your car payment way too high? Sell it and buy something you can afford. Is your mortgage beyond your means?

So how else can we avoid or over come problems with money in our marriage ? Mr Self Development at Mr SelfDevelopment.com, offers some explanations about this very topic in his article, Sex, Money, and Communication. To begin, he draws out some very important points about the women, money, and man dynamics here. These were provided by women. I didn’t recognize these points until now. At least not as clear as what your going to read below.

Money may not be that critical to men, but it’s certainly important to women (if they’re honest). Here are a few quotes to help put things in perspective:

• “Women go crazy, when a man’s broke and lazy”
• “Women get mean, when you ain’t got no green,” and
• “Your marriage will crash, when you ain’t got no cash.”
• “Loving without giving, just ain’t living”
• “Romance, without finance, doesn’t stand a chance.”

Money is the “oil” of your relationship, it keeps things running smoothly. Somebody’s probably thinking, “Money won’t give you a ‘good’ relationship,” but that’s not the purpose of money. The purpose of money is to solve problems, having your finances in-order will give you the ability to address many of life’s problems without having to deal with the “stress” of not having enough to take care of your needs

A husband and a wife on the same page can accomplish amazing things, but a house divided cannot stand. Decide to keep your finances in order; this will solve many unnecessary problems.

Bonus – The Honesty Game

Labor for open and honest communication; don’t let anything come between your communication, not your children, your friends, or misunderstandings. Your communication is the foundation that your relationship is built on. No house can stand without a foundation.

The house divided concept has been known and appeared in the oldest writings we have, and of course, it rings true in regards to marriage. So what is the secret to keeping unified ? Communication and honesty of course. The next five tips come from 5 Tips: How to talk to your partner about money. by Gerri Willis, CNN Money.com.

1. No secrets. …

You should disclose as much as you can to each other, including your salary, debt load, student loans, inheritance, savings and credit status. Start by having small conversations on your leisure time. Don’t try to fit it in on the way to work or when you both come home and are exhausted.

To put a little sugar on top, talk about your money dreams too.

2. Put your own wealth aside.

By drawing lines based on who is ‘worth’ more, you’re bound to start an argument. You have to agree to work together, talk through things and not bully one another.

3. To combine or not to combine?

A third option is to have a joint account for some expenses (joint savings and living expenses) and separate accounts for individual spending money.

4. Remember, things change.

Five or 10 years into your marriage, your money concerns are likely to be different from those you had when you walked down the aisle. That’s why, in addition to monthly money meetings with your spouse to keep abreast of near-term financial issues, you should discuss your big money picture at least once a year

5. Discuss tough topics.

There are some topics that nobody likes to talk about but that need to be discussed, especially when children are involved. First and foremost, make sure you have a will. If you don’t make a will before your death, state law will determine who gets your property, or worse yet, even raise your children.

Communication is the key to everything in marriage, as in any relationship. Money matters in marriage are the most difficult thing we have to deal with most of the time. The Next set of tips comes from Lorna Jorgenson Wendt, How To Talk Money, Equality in Marriage Institute.

It’s More Than Numbers.
Communicating about finances isn’t just about exchanging numbers and calculating budgets. We all have personalities when it comes to money – our spending habits, our views on saving and fiscal planning, and sometimes even insecurities about our financial standing or history. Take this into account in your discussions about financial matters. A good offensive strategy to avoid conflicts with your money personalities is to spend some time talking about your experiences and philosophies

There is a Time and a Place…
Research has shown us that, for many couples, money is a big source of arguments and marital problems. It is important to acknowledge that finances can be tough to discuss so it is therefore necessary to try to avoid situations which will escalate the sensitivity of the subject. Make an effort to have discussions about your partnership’s finances at a time and place that offers minimal distractions and where you and your partner can be most relaxed.

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day…
It often takes time to develop the skills and understanding to communicate effectively about your partnership’s financial issues. Don’t be surprised if there are some arguments along the way and it takes time for the debates to transition into discussions. If things get too heated, give yourself permission to pause the conversation and bring it up when you are both calm and better prepared to tackle the issue in an efficient and effective manner.

I appreciate the point that it takes time,  maybe a life time to develop the skills to be a really good marriage partner when it come to money.  I also recognize that it’s okay to acknowledge that it is difficult.  It takes work to change.

More about communication about money in marrige comes from Managing Marriage and Money Problems by Heather Hatfield on Red Book.com The two points from this article that I liked have to do with thinking about how your partner might react, and giving them time to react.  She also points out, no matter how bleak things may seem, putting into your relationship is important, even if things are a little bumpy.

Every action has a reaction. “Understand that any action you take in marriage, including an action related to your finances, has an impact on your spouse,” says Harley. “If you’re not conscientious of the effect it has on the other person, you’re living independently — not married — and you need to reconnect.”

Invest in your marriage. “Spend 15 hours a week together, to give yourself dedicated time to connect, put any issues aside like money, and keep the romance alive,” says Harley.

Common ground is how marriage works. No matter how far apart we are on a topic, we keep trying  to find some common ground. I like how Tisa Tolar talked about this in Talking Marriage and Money on Ammercan Consumer News.

Disclaimer: We are not a marriage or money counsler in any way and make this recommendation based on our own experience. We have received no compensation for this recommendation from anyone… It is of our own free will and choice.

If you know of any writings on this topic, please comment, and let me know your thoughts.

Related posts:

1. Save Money Tips – 5 Tips to Save $1,500 a Year
2. Saving Money Using The Saved List Strategy
3. Overdraft Fees – Avoid them and save $38 Billion