Many of my clients have expressed a concern about tracking their expenses. They admit that it’s a task that rarely gets done and they end up scrambling at the end of the month to get their paperwork in order. We all know that the sooner we get our money back the better our cash flow will be. In this economy, we can’t be foolin around!

So try getmyexpense.com. It’s web based and the cost is minimal. You can create reports, upload your accounts from Quickbooks and print it all for your records. Since it’s web based you can enter expenses from anywhere, anytime. I am told by many that they forget to include an expense and have to remember to include it when they arrive back to the office. Web based means you can make updates as you think of them and save time and brain power. You can categorize your expenses by project or client and you can also have your assistant print reports if you are out of the office and expenses are due. You can even have your assistant enter them for you. This works great for Attorneys, Sales Associates, Small Businesses etc.

The New York TImes put out an article recently about how people are now glued to the TV because of this economic crisis. If you’re like me your watching the news now more than ever and your productivity has greatly decreased. Read this article and see how others are dealing with it.

A lot of my friends and family are asking me if my business is feeling the effects of the economy. What’s strange is, the answer is no. You would think there would be some slow down in request for getting organized, since most think of it as a luxury. The truth is if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense why business hasn’t slowed down.

As a nation I think we are beginning to slowly understand that we need to downsize everything in our lives. Bigger is no longer better. We are beginning to accept and be happy with what we already have. The extras are no longer as necessary as they used to be. Therefore, I am getting calls from people who want to optimize their lives. They want to learn to live with even less. Who better to help than a Professional Organizer.

I have said in the past, “the economic disaster we are in is somewhat of a blessing.” Not because people are losing their jobs and homes of course, but because we are forced to reevaluate our living conditions. We are seeing more clearly what is truly important and removing anything from our lives that is complicated. We are simplifying and we are actually happier.

Not only has my business not been effected, but I have to admit… it seems restaurants are bustling. My friends even agree, Friday nights we are still waiting for a table for an hour. I went to dinner at a very popular restaurant on a Monday evening and the place was booked. To me this coincides with exactly what I am saying. We are realizing what is truly important so we are spending more time with friends and family. Meeting out for dinner and enjoying their company.

So I wouldn’t necessarily consider this an economic disaster. I would call it… an economic enhancement.

This morning on the Today Show they talked about people who have downsized. Not because they are empty nesters but because they want to simplify. One woman moved from a 1500 square foot home into an 84 square foot home. She tossed a lot of what she had. She lived with one burner on the stove, no microwave, minimal clothing and was very happy.

I share this woman’s happiness. Recently my husband and I decided to simplify as well. We got rid of cable, sold a car, sold a motorcycle and exchanged it for a less expensive one, we’re selling/donating items we no longer need and we stopped shopping needlessly. We’re also doing what we can to pay off debt so we have less bills to pay. I have to say, it feels pretty good. We have less to worry about, less to clean, less to pay for. It gives you a new sense of freedom and control.

While meeting with a new client yesterday, she mentioned there was something so comforting about the thought of moving into her camper. I have no doubts she could be very happy there. She would have more time with her children, husband and family because she would spend less time managing her home, small business and the mountains of laundry her family has. Downsizing has it’s benefits for sure.

David Allen said it well when he said “If you have the executive discipline to know how to deal with input, technology is a huge boon.” In addition, I would say if you have patience for learning, technology can be your best friend. I like David Allen’s use of the word “input.” When my husband and I walk our dog we always laugh at our dogs excitement and jokingly say “iiiiinnnnnpuuut.” Our dog is so stimulated he can’t focus on any one thing. The same goes for us on a daily basis. So does technology save time? Read this article in Forbes and find out. I’ll bet the article doesn’t surprise you.