Fresno, CA. (January 19, 2011): Here you are, two weeks into the New Year, and you have already stalled on your resolutions. You have all the best intentions, but your friend Mr. Procrastination seduces you in your weakest moments. He says to sleep in a little longer, eat the last doughnut, and who’s to know you spent an extra 30 minutes looking at cute cat videos online when you’re supposed to be working. Your resolve is weakening…already. Nerds on Call is here to get you back on track, we’ll be your New Year’s Resolution personal trainer, so to speak. Here are a few tips to help get you back on track! This is the year to get organized:
1. Online recipe and meal planning: You know you should eat at home more, for your budget and your health. But Chinese takeout beckons after a hard day, especially when you just can’t figure out what to cook. Let Kitchen Monki help you get meal times organized. Set up a free account at www.kitchenmonki.com to add and organize your own recipes, or search the Kitchen Monki database and add recipes to your collection. Use the “Your Queue” tool to map out a week or more of menus using the Meal Planner tool. You can even create shopping lists automatically and send them to your cell phone with Mobile Monki. No more standing in the produce aisle trying to mentally plan your menu, or throwing out that kale you thought for sure you’d get around to using, but didn’t.
2. Online grocery list management: If that sounds a little too intense for your needs, http://www.grocerywiz.com is great free tool for managing your grocery list. Easily set up an online grocery list management system or save the list of items you buy regularly and print and keep on the fridge so you just have to highlight or mark the item you need. Never forget milk again!
3. Business card reader apps: Use the camera on your smartphone to scan business cards and save the data directly into your contact list. Available from SHAPE Services for Blackberry ($10) and iPhone/iPod/iPad (for about $2), it’s called simply “Business Card Reader”. Android and iPhone users can use Google Goggles .http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles. for the same business card scan functionality, as well as innumerable other amazing things. You take pictures of objects and can then automatically search the web for them (to compare online prices, for example), translate text into English, or even identify landmarks. All for free!
4. Personal finance: If you are swimming in a sea of paper every time you try to balance your checkbook, NeatReceipts may be the key to getting your personal finances in order. It is a portable scanner and digital filing software package that identifies, extracts, and organizes the data from receipts, business cards, and documents you scan. Check it out at www.neatco.com. In addition to being able to export the data to Quicken, QuickBooks, TurboTax and searchable PDF formats, you can also export to CSV (comma separated value) format, which gives you flexibility to have many other programs read and recognize your data. Another bonus – you may just qualify to be your accountant’s “client of the year” next tax season.
Marketing Director, Shawna Bell has struggled with organization most of her professional life. “My desk at any given moment is covered in multi-colored post it notes, it’s chaos to find what I need in a hurry” Shawna made her resolution to get organized this year, “I struggle with it all the time, but with a few simple tools I finally feel like I am in control. ”
This is the Year to Get Organized…
If you have questions about these resources connect FREE with a NERD on our LIVE Chat @
www.callnerds.com or visit our blog www.callnerds.com/blog
About The Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer repair company that specializes in on-site and online service for homes and businesses. Andrea is the writer of a weekly column, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She prepares TV segments for and appears regularly on CBS, CW and FOX on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, More Good Day Portland, and CBS 13 News, offering viewers technology and lifestyle tips. See Andrea in action at callnerds.com/andrea/.
About Nerds On Call: Established in a spare room in Redding, Calif., in March 2004, Nerds On Call offers on-site computer and laptop repair services to consumers and businesses. Nerds On Call provides trouble-shooting for PCs and Macs, home and office networks, printers, iPods® and MP3 players, handheld devices and cell phones, home theaters and game systems, and virtually every other form of digital entertainment. In 2009, 2010, & 2011 the company was named to Inc. magazine’s list of 5000 fastest growing private companies. With 7 locations across California and Oregon, Nerds On Call serves more than 40,000 satisfied customers per year. For more information, visit callnerds.com or call 1-800-919-NERD.
