Staying Sane - tips to keep you going in a crazy world.

My name is Jordan, and I am a workaholic. I am 22 years old, I work 2 full time jobs, and am in college. Life is crazy, and time is limited, but this is how I have kept it under control.

1. Manage your time: Take an hour or 2 to look at your time commitments for the week and month. Every Monday, I sit down, open Outlook Calendar and plan my week. I first create broad categories. So I block out the time for my 2 jobs and school. Within those blocks I created sub-sections for the meetings I have planned. Then I block out any time I know I'll need to work on projects. Next I block out time for social engagements I have scheduled. Don't forget to schedule in time for commuting if you are traveling. Then set up some "buffer" time between meetings/projects so you don't fall behind when something "urgent" pops up. (In my field, something urgent always pops up) This in it self will make life run much smoother, I carry my smart phone with me all the time so I know when I have time to goof off and when I need to be headed to a meeting.
   
   
2. Find something that relaxes you: Find something that you know will relax you when things get tough. For me, its music. I know that when I'm getting stressed out, or when I'm falling way behind schedule and am starting to worry my self I can pop in my ear phones and play some music and it will calm me down. Be stressed is bad for efficiency. You don't think clear and you waste time because you make more mistakes. So find something that you can do in your office (or close by) and do that when you get stressed. for some its meditation, others its taking a short walk. Find what suites you.
   
   
3. Eat Right: I have a horrible habit of eating out a lot. I'm always running around and its just so much easier than to worry about carrying a lunch. But fast food and junk food slow you down. When I pack my lunch and bring nice healthy snacks I function better, I don't feel sluggish, and am in the mood to just keep working. You wouldn't put "regular" gas in your Ferrari would you? Of course not, so be sure you are filling yourself with "premium"
   
   
4. Exercise: After a long stressful day, I'm usually exhausted. But going to lift weights helps me relieve that stress, and usually energizes me. Working out gives you more energy, and has been proven to make people happier. Exercising on a regular basis also provides some stability in your schedule so it helps you relax because its a little more control over your life.
   
   
5. Be Social:Hang out with friends, go on dates (this includes people who are married or have a girlfriend/boyfriend.) After working so much, your friends, family and significant others miss you and probably would love some time with you. MAKE time for them. Its relaxing and great for your self-esteem.
   
   
6. Make Time for Yourself: Make some time for yourself. Take this time to do what ever you want, take a nap, go fishing, read a book. It doesn't matter. Just don't work. This will help you center yourself and disconnect from everything for a little bit.
   
   
7. Get Some Sleep: You need sleep. Period. I don't believe that everyone needs 8 hours of sleep (I know I don't) so sleep as much as you need to. I like to sleep for around 5 hours a night, and take an hour nap during the day (when I have time). At times I only get around 3 hours a sleep a night, and this is OK for a week or so, but after that I need to recharge some and go back to getting my 5 or 6 hours. Find a sleep patter that suites you, then stick with it. Your body likes stability and routine, it makes life easier.
   
   

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Mint.com: Great concept, bad execution.

There is a new service out that allows you the convenience of only having to visit a single place to view all of your financial data. You can see the balanced of all of your credit cards, see how much money you have in each of your banking accounts, and schedule reminders so you don't make any payments late. It sounds like a wonderful tool. Heck, they even claim to be secure! Lets take a look at their "How we keep you safe" section and determine just how secure they are.

From Mint.com (text in red are my comments)

"Mint works quite literally every day to make your data secure. Here's how:"

• All data storage is encrypted. Not only are our hard-drives encrypted, our servers are in a secure facility protected by biometrics palm scanners and 24/7 security guards.
  
  I have worked with and visited several of these types of secure facilities. And yes, they do have palm scanners and 24/7 security. The problem is all the server racks are in a open area, in little lockers secured by combination locks. So as long as you are a customer of the facility, you have physical access to the lockers that have the servers. Breaking into a combo lock isnt all that difficult, and neither is becoming a customer of these facilities.
  
  
• SSL prevents eavesdropping. Communication between your browser and Mint occurs using 128-bit SSL, the highest industry standard. This prevents hackers from being able to listen-in on or "tap" a conversation. Data is delivered to you and you alone.
  
  This is misleading. It does not prevent "hackers" from listening in on the conversation. What it does is make the data they collect look like garble because it needs to run through the encryption algorithms.
  
  
• Bank-level standards are used. This includes encryption, auditing, logging, backups, and safe-guarding data.
  
  "Bank-level Standards" sounds great right? unfortunately Ive worked with a bank or two and their standards aren't that high, especially smaller credit unions. But backups don't protect your data, neither does logging or auditing. Logging shows things after the fact (so they can trace what was done) backups just save a copy of your info to another place (FYI: most backup servers are less secure than the live ones, so they are a target for people looking to exploit a company)
  
  
• We hack our own site. Mint runs thousands of tests on its own software to ensure security. We scan our ports, test for SQL injection, and protect against cross-site scripting. We also update and patch our software all the time.
  
  Good, they do penetration testing. So assuming they have the best hackers in the world (they don't) and an army of them (they don't) they might find all the holes. (they wont)
  
  
• Mint uses industry standard secure account aggregation. Mint uses Yodlee to connect to your financial institutions. This is the same back-end aggregation system used by Bank of America, Fidelity, and Microsoft Money. Yodlee’s security practices have been audited by the NSA, Visa, Mastercard, and numerous major banks.
  
  They are using a secure back end, which is a good thing. I have nothing bad to say about this. Although, this assumes they have it configured properly (which I think is a good assumption) and the rest of the server is configured securely.
  
  
• Mint is independently verified secure. You don't have to take our word for it. Mint has been audited by Verisign, as following the industry security practices.
  
  It is good to know that they have out-side auditors looking at them, but even that doesn't guarantee the security, it helps, but companies like verisign can only test for flaws they know about. The good hackers look for flaws that people don't know about.
  

The main problem I have with Mint.com is that it's users are "putting all there eggs in a single basket". You are trusting a single company with all of your credit cards, all of your bank information, all of the user names/passwords for these accounts. Even if there security is flawless (which it wont be) this still has the potential for an employee of that "secure building" they leave there servers in walking out with a hard drive with all your data. Or one of Mint.com's employees taking it all. Online banking is a huge convenience, I do it, but if one of my accounts is compromised, then its just that one, its not all of them. The likely hood that my 3 banks, and my credit card companies all get hacked at the same time is next to nothing. But because Mint.com is this central point for all this information, they will be a target. And one little breach could mean all of your financial data is now in the hands of someone else. To top it all off, Mint.com is inherently less secure than most bank websites, because it needs to not only save your user name and password, it needs to then retransmit that info to different banks. So the normal 1-way hashes that have been the standard for password authentication wont work because they need to encrypt the data, then unencrypt it before sending it out. (yes they re-encrypt it before sending, but it still means that it is possible to get your real username/password)

Mint is offering a huge convenience (and a good product if you ignore the glaring security flaws), and it will get better. But is spending a little less time (heck even a lot less time) looking at your financial worth the risk of having all of that data stolen from a single location? I know I wont be using it.

UPDATE:
I'm glad to say I'm not the only one with these concerns. Check out nobosh.com's review

I'm also waiting on a reply from Mint.com directly to see if we can get some of this addressed. I will post any info I don't think is complete fluff here to keep folks updated.

I never heard back from them.

More info on their security and general practices can be found on the Mint.com Forums

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Should you buy an Extended Warranty?

Anyone who has shopped in an electronics store has almost certainly been offered an "Extended Warranty" or a "Extended Service Plan" of some sort. The salesmen will happily tell you all the wonderful benefits of these services ranging from protecting your shiny new computer if the screen breaks, to curing cancer! So what is the real deal behind the warranties?

First, lets just clarify that a company will almost NEVER do something just to benefit their customers. Companies are there to make money. That is not to say that the products they offer have no value, but you need to realize that they have more value to the company then they probably do to you. So lets talk about some of these services and just how much value they add to the product you just bought.

Typically there are 2 kinds of extended warranties. 1 is a replacement plan (usually for smaller items like mp3 players, printers, etc) and repair plans for this like laptops. Lets talk about the repair plans first.

Repair Plans:

Depending on the company you go to, the terms are going to be different for the repair plan you buy, but in general this is what they will cover:

• Defects in hardware
• Defects in labor
• Technical support for the product and all components included with it at the time of purchase

Thats it. Some more expensive ones will cover the following:

• Software support
• Accidental damage
• Physical damage to the screen (if it has one)
• In-home repair
• Replacement of consumables (like bulbs in projection TVs and Projectors)
  

For those things you pay about a third of the price of the product (some times more some times less)

So for an additional 30% you are given the assurance that your product will continue working for the life of your warranty, without the hassle of dealing with a manufacturer, and usually for longer than the manufacturer will support it. But is it worth it? The answer is maybe, but in most cases no.

The truth is, the amount you pay for the warranty would cover most small repairs that may be needed once out of the manufacturers warranty. The times an extended warranty are really helpful are when you need expensive parts replaced, like the screen on the laptop or the bulb in a projector. These items in them selves cost more than the warranty usually doe so they are worth it. But for most desktop, they really aren't. Of course, if the assurance that down the line you wont have to pay more is something you want, this is may be something you want. In reality you should be thinking of these things like more of an insurance. Because thats what it really is, chances are you wont need it, and you should hope you don't need it, but without it, your going to be pissed that one day when you pay the $400 for a new screen.

Replacement Plans:

Replacement plans are a good deal in my opinion. I buy them on most of my gadgets. The great thing about a replacement plan is at the end of the term, you can make up some generic "intermittent" issue and have them replace your item with a new one. Most places will give you a credit in the amount of the item if they don't have it, so for the last several years I would buy replacements plans on my mp3 Player, when a new one that I liked came out id take it in say it was busted, get a credit for the amount I paid for the mp3 player then use it to buy the one I wanted. The wonderful thing about electronics is the price on them either drops, or their functionality goes up. So when I originally bought that 1 GB mp3 player for 200 bucks, I have eventually traded up for my iPod . Same thing for my PDAs, LCD monitors, and just about anything else that you can buy a replacement plan for. This is why I think replacement plans are worth it, as long as you remember to do that exchange.


But before you buy any plan (replacement or repair) be sure you know the terms and conditions. Unless a plan specifically says it covers physical or accidental damage, it will not cover it. Most plans do NOT cover you damaging the product or damage caused by misuse. Heck, most places will not do the repair if there are signs of misuse, even if it isn't the cause of the problem.

Example:
If you spill water or some other liquid on an electronic, it will usually cause some discoloration on the circuit board in side of it. Even if this spill did not cause the problem, the warranty will usually be void.

So be sure you know the terms and conditions. It really bothers me getting calls from people who have left the store I work for and then ask "what is this warranty I bought, what does it cover?" I just can't comprehend how someone spends several hundred dollars on something when they don't know what it is. Don't be that person.

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How to Buy electronics.

The art of scamming...errr selling

This is the reason people get ripped off in electronics stores. You have customers who walk in and don't know what it is they need, so they depend on the sales staff to tell them what they should get that will fit their needs. But instead, the sales person sells them what fits the sales persons needs, and there need to is meet a sales quota and make their commission.

I know what you are going to say. "But I asked the salesmen and they said they don't get commission". Now this was true...sort of. Stores like CompUSA don't have commission. What they do have are called Spiffs. A Spiff is a cash incentive in place to sell a particular item. The amount of a Spiff will vary from product to product and it is a way to get sales people to sell a particular item. For instance, I have seen TVs on clearance that the store is trying really hard to get rid of before the new model comes out. Because the urgency of trying to get them out the store, the management decides to attach a huge amount (I've seem Spiff's up to $100+) to encourage sales men to get rid of a particular product.

Warranties? you bet they have a Spiff attached. Typically the Spiff is about 10% of the cost of the warranty. Sign ups for digital services? Yup...they have them to. Some companies even offer a reoccurring Spiff on services that have a monthly fee associated with them. So as long as that customer is stays a customer, the sales men gets that Spiff each month.

Spiff's are a great incentive to sell a particular item, but so are threats. Retail companies due set quotas for their sales people. And when those quota's aren't reached, the employee get punished. Some frequent punishments are getting written up (stays on record and effects future raises), mandatory sales training (usually held nice and early on a Saturday or Sunday morning before the store opens), having to do stupid and kind of demeaning things (like wear a sand which sign, or a silly button or hat). So to avoid these punishments, sales people will do everything they can to make sales. On a slow day, they need big ticket items to hit their numbers, (You you have 5 customers and your quota is 5k they need to buy 1 k each. If you have 10 customers and your quota is 5k they only need to buy 500 worth of stuff).

Salesmen also deal with sales policies that are drilled down their throat like "SWAT" (Sell What is Available Today) which basically means, screw the customer if we don't have what best suits their needs. And they have steps they MUST go through with every transaction. So don't get mad at the sales person who asks you if you want the warranty, they have to ask, or they get in trouble. They also have to ask you if you want a whole bunch of accessories. The company sends secret shoppers that come in and take notes on the sales person. They make sure the sales person takes each step, and does it right. If they miss a step, or the shopper doesn't think they did it well enough..they get written up.

So when your options are "help the customer get what they need" or "work on the weekend/get written up" and "make more money" which do you pick? typically it goes "make money" then "don't get in trouble" and finally "help customers get what they need"

Now don't get me wrong, there are some good sales people who really do want to help the customer. Most of these guys are older and plan on being at their jobs for a while. They also typically have a higher hourly pay or a salary to keep them a float when sales are slow. These are the guys you want helping you. They will make sure you are taken care of (in a good way) And these guys also to make a good steady amount of money because they get referrals from good customers and have repeat customers. They dont make the most amount of money though.

The guys you want to avoid at all cost are the ones there to just make cash, and to make it fast. They will say just about anything to get you out the door with the most product in the least amount of time. They want to "help" as many people in a day as possible and can be really pushy because each customer is a bit more money. They will tell you need the best of everything, I bet you didn't know you need that media center computer, with a 500GB hard drive 4 Gb of RAM, and Blu-Ray burner just to check email. Well this guy will make sure you know it. He will also tell you setting this thing up is really complex, and nearly impossible for some people (sure if that person is blind and has no arms), he will tell you its well worth the $100 to have some else to come do it.(he gets a Spiff if they do)

So how do you protect yourself?

It's easy.

1. First and foremost, do your research. Have an idea of what you want. Know what you plan on doing with your computer. If you know you are just going to be surfing the web and doing basic homework in word or excel, then you don't need all that great of a machine... think about it, both of those tasks can be done on a PDA. So figure out which software you want to use, go to their manufacturer's website and look at what the "system requirements" for that program are. That will give you a guideline for the kind of computer you need.
2. Once you know what it is you want, shop around. Check online, check advertisements, ask friends who have the equipment you want where they got it. Prices online tend to be lower than an in store price, this is because online stores have fewer staff and much lower overhead than a brick and mortar store, so they don't need to mark a product up so much to make a profit. So expect to pay more in a store, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look for the best deal.
3. Get the deal. Shopping for electronics requires a bit of strategy. There are certain times when you can get a good deal. For instance, shopping at the end of the sales period. Managers have quota's too so they want to make their numbers or they don't get their bonuses.
   
   However, don't go in an expect them to slash the price, and don't demand they do it. I have NEVER given a discount to someone who says "give me 10% off or I'm not buying it". With a request like that, I simply say "have a nice day" and walk off. I have given discounts or given free accessories to people being nice. I know what my sales numbers have to be, I know the margin on a product, and I know what I can discount. A really nice person buying a printer and a replacement plan for it? (yes replacement plans are a good deal Ill explain why in another post) I've given them the USB cable and knocked 10% off ink for them. Why? because ink is about 15% margin, and a USB cable is about 90% margin. So before I ring it out, I drop it to "cost" then take the remainder out of the price of the printer. For the ink, I just cut 10% off. My numbers are squared away and the transaction has no red flags for management to catch and ask me about. I'm not going to get yelled at just to give you a good deal, sorry, I don't care that much. So if I can give you a good deal, and its no skin off my back, then it will be done.

Its that simple, Know what you want, know the prices, and be nice. You will get a good deal from a good person.

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Welcome to our new home!

As some of you may know, we have moved to our new location here at Blogger. I moved from Wordpress becasue I didnt like the lack of flexability they had, and didn't like thier core code very much. Blogger gives users much more freedom to design their blogs and in the next few weeks I hope to do some "designing" to get ThinkSmarter looking a little better. Actually, I hope to get a friend of mine to do some designing since I have the artistic ability of a 3 year old (no really, I can barely color in the lines)

The other reason I moved to blogger was to help support Google. I love Google and all of their products, so why not use them! I moved my old posts over and will begin re-tagging them in the next few days. I'm bummed I couldnt bring over my comments to the posts becasue we had some really good ones and I like to keep those discussions alive, and available, but you win some you lose some. Well, I hope you all enjoy the blog.

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