We launched the Pür Minerals – Pür Beauty Blog in August of this year and so far we have been getting some great traction with it. We have almost 100 articles posted and the amount of buzz in the blogosphere about Pür Minerals has shot up significantly since we launched it. If you have not seen it yet, check it out here
I recently talked about how to take back your mailbox from junk mail. Today’s post is to talk about how to do the same for your email!
I registered andrewknight.com back in 1998. Back then, SPAM was not the problem it is today. I had used my andrew at andrewknight address for years. I had given it out to hundreds of people and organizations and quietly over time it had started collecting a lot of spam.
At the end of 2005 I tried using some spam filters but found that I was missing some legitimate emails and I was still getting spam in my inbox. The solution? Create an e-mail alias system for all my e-mail. Here is how it works:
1) Create a new email address that you only give to friends and family. This is a painful step as you need to update your contacts but I found that people caught on quickly.
2) Keep your current e-mail on for about a month and then turn it off. This will force people to start using your new email.
3) Now to the alias part. For EVERY website or company that needs your email address create a unique email address to use. Currently I have over 350 of these!
The beauty of this system is that if an address ever starts getting spam on it you can simply turn off that email. You will also know who the culprit is so you can “plug the hole”. I did this recently with 2 of my emails that started getting SPAM on them. One was website at thisdomain.com and godaddy at thisdomain.com. Both were published on the web and the spammers picked up on them.
I have used this system for the past 3 years and I highly recommend it for taking back control of your inbox!
I started writing the 10 Foundations of Personal Finance last year and I am finally getting around to posting the final one!
If you have a spouse, partner, or significant other you have to be aligned on the first 9 foundations if you are going to be successful. Money disagreements are one of the biggest reasons for divorce and separation today. I have seen so many relationships where you have a saver and spender getting into constant disagreements over money.
Now I am not talking about having perfect alignment 100% of the time. There is always going to me some variances, but the key is that you share the same core beliefs on money and that you are aligned on your long term financial goals and the path to achieve them.
Previous: Foundation #9: Your retirement is YOUR responsibility
I wrote about Mint.com back in January and really liked what they had to offer. One of my biggest complaints was the lack of custom categories. Well they have fixed that now and you can easily add custom categories.
They have also added a very straightforward budgeting section that is so easy to use that you have no excuse for not having a budget! Enter in your budget numbers and then sit back and watch Mint allocate your spending over the month against your budget. This is a great option for people who don’t enjoy spending time in Excel.
In addition to the budgeting feature, they have added a very interesting trending tool. Not only does it let you look at your spending over time but you can compare your spending to others in your city or state. This is a really neat feature that can let you compare your spending habits to others and see where you stand.
Although these are both great features the real power of Mint still lies in its ability to categorize all your transactions. As long as the majority of your spending is on a debit or credit card you can get a great view of your finances with almost no effort. If you have not tried mint sign up at mint.com.
After a particularly bad junk mail day last week I decided I had had enough. It was time to take back my mailbox from the unscrupulous marketers. It would not be so bad if it were just a couple things a week but I estimate we get 50 pieces of junk mail a week! Here is what I am doing:
Hopefully these steps will have an impact. In addition to the environmental benefits, doing this will also help your finances. If you don’t get the shiny new catalogs you won’t be tempted to buy anything!