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Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
Girl Scouts Decide To Make Cookie Cuts
The Girl Scouts are tightening their belts, just like everyone else. And this means cutting some of their cookie varieties. Relax–Thin Mints and Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) aren’t going anywhere! Neither are Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils, Lemon Chalet Cremes and Tagalongs (aka Peanut Butter Patties). But, it’s time to say goodbye to Dulce de Leche, Thank U Berry Munch, All Abouts, and Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip, none of which were pulling their weight, sales-wise.
From TIME Magazine’s Even Girl Scout Cookies Are Victims of the Recession:
“Our top five varieties make up 77% of cookie sales,” Amanda Hamaker, the manager of national product sales for the Girl Scouts, told the Wall Street Journal. “The others are yummy and fun, but they’re side dressing—leaving councils with an awful lot of alternate varieties left over.”
To be honest, I don’t think I had ever heard of Thank U Berry Munch, so I think I am going to get over the loss pretty quickly. How are you coping?
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Can You Imagine Life Without Credit Cards?
Courtesy of CNN Money's "The End of Credit Cards is Coming"
And not because you made a New Years resolution to lay off the plastic! According to this CNN Money article, “The End of Credit Cards is Coming,” those beloved plastic rectangles that never leave our wallets may be go the way of the vinyl record. Ask someone under 15 about a vinyl record and you’ll get a picture of just how obsolete (and forgotten) they have truly become…
And, no, we won’t all be using cold, hard cash (although Suze Orman would love that)–it’s the Smart Phone that is about to give your credit card a run for its money.
How often do you use your Smart Phone as a form of payment? Or maybe you haven’t made the switch. Either way, Blake Ellis reports that you might start choosing your phone over your credit card even more in 2011:
You can already use your iPhone, Droid or BlackBerry to buy a hotdog at the ballgame, buy your Starbucks latté, or give a friend a few bucks by Bumping phones. But by the end of the year you may not even think twice about reaching for your phone to pay at the register instead of fumbling for your credit card.
What do you think? Weird or awesome?
Decide How To Celebrate the 4th of July
Hi Simonites! Sorry for the brief hiatus from the blog–I have been busy focusing on my decision making tools. But, never fear, I haven’t forgotten my community. Enough about me, though. Back to you and your decisions!
Summer is well on it’s way, so hopefully you are all making the choice to enjoy yourselves and to find time to relax. And for those of you who either have trouble deciding to slow down or just don’t have the choice, there is always the reliable three-day weekend and national holiday to come to the rescue. And what better summer holiday is there in the U.S. than the Fourth of July? Fireworks, barbecues, family, friends…my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
To get you in the spirit, here are a few articles to help you decide how to spend this July 4th. Specifically, what to eat and drink, which fireworks to watch, and how to stay safe:
- America’s Best Fourth of July Fireworks Displays
- Fabulous July 4th Party: Simple, Stylish and Affordable
- KidsHealth.com Fireworks Safety
- Fourth of July Recipes, Menus, and Drinks from Epicurious.com
I will keep you posted on other helpful articles as I come across them. More soon!
Spring Cleaning, Part II: Decide To Get Your Finances Back On Track
Do you think you should get your finances straightened out, but are unsure where to start? In the spirit of spring cleaning (You all cleaned up your online profiles already, right?), here is a great resource for getting your finances back on track this spring. Decide to take a look at the seven tips listed in this CNN Money article:“7 Steps To Get Your Finances Back on Track.” The article goes into greater depth with specific tips and advice for how to square away your savings, your career path, etc. but most of all the author urges readers to adjust their expectations (of the economy, of themselves, of their careers, and so on) to ensure greater success in this reality, not the reality of the past. So, here’s to the present, Simonites–happy cleaning!
Spring Cleaning: Decide To Clean Up Your Online Image
Worried about how current and/or future employers will react if they decide to Google your name? Then perhaps you should roll up your sleeves and decide to do some spring cleaning–of your “digital dirt”. Whether this means attempting to remove the bad or adding more good, this Monster.com blog post, offers advice for how to do so. Have any of you had your online image come back to haunt you? Anyone successfully clean it up?
Decide How To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, gang! I hope you are wearing green, because there is always that one twerp in the office who will decide to pinch you. The big question is: How will you decide to celebrate?
If you decide to get into the holiday spirit and want some good, clean family fun, you should take a look at the advice in this “Geek Dad” article from Wired.com, 10 (Mostly) Sober Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Another list of ideas comes from the Washington Post, geared specifically toward college kids: “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” (very original title, I might add). If you are feeling a little more wild–and don’t mind being tired at work tomorrow, look to your local newspaper or newstations’s website to find out what’s going on in your neighborhood tonight. But, please, be safe!
Decide Whether To Tell Your Crush How You Feel
Ah, spring is in the air and more likely than not, if you’re single and looking for love, you’ve got a crush on someone. Merriam-Webster defines a crush as: “an intense and usually passing infatuation.” Whether it’s a coworker, friend, or neighbor, a crush is someone you have probably had your eye on for at least a little while. Depending on how discrete you have decided to be, your crush may or may not have any idea how you feel. And, let’s face it, they may or may not decide they like you in return. So, how to decide whether or not to tell your beloved how you feel? You’re in luck–I have a decision and advice for this: Should I tell him/her how I feel?
If you use the My Scores tool, as usual, you will get a chance to decide on your priorities. You can also get advice from my factors checklist. If you decide that your top priority is finding love, telling your crush may be worth the risk. Think of the possibilities! But if your top priority is avoiding rejection, you may decide that sharing your feelings is too risky for you. Imagine the humiliation! In addition to using the My Scores decision tool, I recommend that you try the Points of View tool, so that you can consider the best and worst case scenarios for each alternative. Assessing how you might feel if everything goes right or wrong will help you decide if you are ready to take a leap.
Good luck, Simonites! In my opinion, you are all very, very lovable!
Decide Where To Go (Or Stay) For Spring Break
For those of you lucky enough to still have a spring break (ah, the good old days), it’s not too late to decide to spend your spring break in a way that leaves you feeling relaxed and ready to take on the spring quarter/semester. Whether you decide to stay in town or get away, there are plenty of options to fit any budget and lifestyle.
If you decide you want to leave town this spring break (and haven’t already booked a trip), you should take a look at this Los Angeles Times article I found, Spring Break: Last-Minute Travel Deals For Students. The article lists lots of great spring break deals, as well as other websites you can decide to check out for more information and suggestions. SmarterTravel.com also has suggestions for Last-Minute Spring Break Getaways, although these aren’t necessarily targeted at student budgets.
If you decide to stay in town this spring break, either at school or in your hometown, there’s no reason you can’t still have a great time! Depending on where you live, you might want to decide to explore your town/city in ways you don’t get to during the busy semester. Visit TripAdvisor, Frommer’s, Lonely Planet, or another travel site to explore your area like a tourist. Or you may have a list of certain parks or museums you wish you had time to visit during the school year, but you are just too swamped to take advantage of them. Don’t forget to check your local paper for area festivals and events that go on during spring break, such as SXSW in Austin or Harvest of Hope in St. Augustine, Florida. For more music festivals in your area, check out Festival Outlook for a complete list of 2010 music festivals.
Whatever you decide to do, you should always make safety a top priority. Check out the CDC’s Spring Break Health and Safety Tips for information and resources that will help you stay safe, whether you are at home or away.
Decide How To Tackle Your Taxes
For those of you struggling to decide how to tackle your taxes, I took some time to research the latest articles that give advice to help you decide how prepare for April 15. From deciding to avoid common mistakes, advice about software and IRS protection, to deciding translating the lingo, here are some of the helpful articles that caught my eye:
- 10 Most Common Tax Mistakes, WalletPop.com
- Using Tax-Prep Software? Trust Results but Verify, NYTimes.com
- Don’t Pay For IRS Protection, CNNMoney.com
- 10 Tax Terms Translated Into English, msnbc.com
Decide To Make Your Temporary Position a Permanent One
Interested in making your temporary title a permanent one? Then decide to read this WSJ article for some advice on how to do so: “Making a Temporary Stint Stick.” Although the author decides to give advice mainly for people in interim management positions within their companies, I think anyone in a temporary position should decide to follow this advice. Have any of you decided to turn your temporary position into a permanent one? Has it worked? If so, what advice can you offer other Simonites?