Published by Crystal November 6th, 2008
in Online organizing.
We got tired of running out of coffee all the time. Now we use Amazon’s “Subscribe & Save” feature to get Altura’s organic French roast ground coffee automatically shipped to our front door every two months.
This is definitely the most convenient way to get coffee, and it does actually save us money. The normal Amazon price for a 3-pack of Altura is $21.65, but when you use the Amazon’s Subscribe & Save feature, you get it for $18.40. Compare this to the price of organic ground coffee at Costco, which even in bulk is $.30 more expensive per ounce.
But something I wonder about is the environmental impact of ordering groceries online.
One environmental factor in our coffee purchase is the energy that went into developing the packaging (3 metal cans and a cardboard box from Amazon vs. 1 plastic pouch at Costco), and another factor is the carbon emissions (airplane and UPS truck for Amazon shipment vs. plane and truck to the warehouse and then me driving to Costco).
Anyone else have thoughts on ordering groceries online?
Published by Crystal October 28th, 2008
in Online organizing.
Yesterday’s article on Unclutterer.com highlighted the importance of keeping track of your previous addresses.
Having lived about a zillion places in the past 10 years, I keep track of all my former residences on a Backpack page called “Past Addresses”. With Backpack, I can reach all my important information (like Past Addresses!) from any computer - at work, at home, or on the road - and from my iPhone.
How does it work? Very simply. Once you are logged in, you make pages. On each page, you choose to start a list, add notes, or upload files. You can share your pages with other people, or just keep them to yourself.
Why I love Backpack. Backpack costs $7 per month for an individual account. That is CRAZY cheap considering all the use I get out of it! Backpack has saved me from many potentially complicated and stressful situations by providing information and files to me that I need in an organized, intuitive way. I could not live without it.
Have thoughts on this or other ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
In honor of the upcoming July 4th holiday, I thought I’d post another reason I use a Web site called Backpack to organize my whole life: the remarkable ability it gives you to store files and share important information with other people.
Here are just a few examples of the ways I use Backpack:
Storing important documents for safe-keeping. A fire might be able to burn down your house or filing cabinet, but it can’t destroy the whole Internet! With Backpack, the filing possibilities are endless. Simply scan and upload documents to the site as files. As an example, I store my a copy of passport and other important travel documents on Backpack in case (heaven forbid!) I lose them while traveling.
Sharing travel information with my family members (they get worried about me). I create a whole page for them called, for example: “Crystal’s trip to Nigeria”. I attach the flight itinerary and include the addresses and phone numbers of the hotels where I’ll be staying. I also include time zone information in case they want to call me. While overseas, I can access the page and update it if necessary - and even include a note about how I’m doing. My mom finds real comfort in the practical travel pages I make for her!
Managing doctor and dentist contact information, as well as listing locations of all my family members’ medical records. This one really comes in handy. Whenever I need to make appointment, call for results or transfer records, I have all the information at my fingertips. I can also share the page with my husband so he can view and access the info too.
Christmas gift and card list. Using the “Notes” function, I create a list of all the people I need to buy gifts for, as well as any gift ideas or notes to myself. (Example: “Anna likes comfy slippers, wears size 8 shoe”) A second list includes all the people I want to send cards to. I can keep these lists from year to year so I can continue to update and refine them.
Have more ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
Published by Crystal June 30th, 2008
in Online organizing.
Another reason I use a Web site called Backpack to organize my whole life is the ability to make simple and very useful daily task lists. I create a separate list for each day, all of which reside on one Backpack page entitled “Crystal’s To Do List”. When I get something done, I check it off. When I can’t finish the day’s tasks, I simply drag them to the following day.
How does it work? Very simply. Once you are logged in, you make pages. On each page, you choose to start a list, add notes, or upload files. You can share your pages with other people, or just keep them to yourself.
A few more reasons why Backpack is great:
- You can access Backpack pages from anywhere - at home, work or while traveling.
- I set Backpack to be one of my home pages, meaning it will open up automatically each time I launch the Internet and show me my next tasks. This is very handy.
- It has very good interface with the iPhone, if you have one of those.
- I LOVE ticking off those little check boxes in Backpack’s list function!
Have more ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
Next: Thursday will be Part 4 in this ongoing series on how to use Backpack to organize your whole life.
Published by Crystal June 29th, 2008
in Kitchen and Online organizing.
Meal planning, using Backpack’s “Writeboard” function, is just one of the many ways I use a Web site called Backpack to organize my whole life.
The solution: My husband and I are trying to eat dinner at home more frequently (to save money and eat healthier!). Of course, grocery shopping and meal planning take effort and organization. That is where our meal planning page on Backpack comes in handy. We collaborate using Backpack’s Writeboard feature, which is an online writing space that two or more people can share and edit.
How it works: I might decide to volunteer to cook Monday and Saturday evenings of the upcoming week. So I log in to Backpack from home on Sunday and note on the Writeboard what I plan to cook for those evenings. I also list what ingredients we’ll need to buy at the Farmer’s Market or grocery store. I can even include a link to the recipe, if applicable. He’ll do the same for his cooking days, say, while he’s at work the next day. We can also make note of who will go to the grocery store, and whose turn it is to clean up the kitchen each night.
The end result is a comprehensive meal plan for the whole week, including menu and shopping reminder list, which we can either print out or access from work, home or on an iPhone!
Here is an example to show you what our meal planning Writeboard on Backpack looks like:
Have more ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
Next: Tomorrow is Part III in a series on HOW to use Backpack to organize your whole life.
For the past two years, I have used a Web site called Backpack as my task list manager, collaboration tool, online filing system and much more.
How does it work? Very simply. Once you are logged in, you make pages. On each page, you choose to start a list, add notes, or upload files. You can share your pages with other people, or just keep them to yourself.
Why Backpack is so great:
- It substantially reduces the amount of time I spend digging for paper or hunting desperately for information.
- It is simple, easy to use and extremely intuitive, meaning you do not have to learn anything to be able to use it.
- Backpack simplifies the way you use task lists, and it is highly useful for filing and planning. Basically, you can organize your whole entire life with it.
- The index system for keeping track of all your pages makes Backpack like having your very own personal assistant.
Bottom line:
Backpack is like an undiscovered treasure. Folks have just not caught on yet. I recommend Backpack to anyone who wants simple, online organizing solutions.
Next:
Tomorrow I’ll post the first short article in a series about HOW to organize your whole life with Backpack!
