Passwords

Seems like we have passwords for everything these days!  And while this cartoon seems to have solved the problem, this is probably not the best recommendation for a password choice.

The best passwords are combinations of letters, numbers and special characters.  For example using favorite words, sports, zodiac sign, pet name:

successful = $ucc3$$fu1

football = f00+b@11

aries = @r!3$

cats = c@t$

boomerang = b00m3r@ng!

It does take getting a little used to typing these combinations. But by using stronger passwords, it makes your online accounts more challenging to hack.

Safe computing!

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

"But I might need that!"

I recently completed a major transition of a three person household.  They were moving 300 miles away to be closer to family.

While the discussions about moving had taken place over four years, they were finally ready to make the move. Once the decision was made, it was full steam ahead to get their belongings identified, sorted, packed and/or donated or pitched.  (They lived in their single family home for about 12 years.)

Thankfully the extended family was very involved in the sorting/packing process.  But throughout our time together, the phrase "But I might need that!" was heard...frequently.

Adults of the GI generation are hesitant to part with things. They are a product of the Depression Era where everything was used, nothing gone to waste and things were kept, "just in case".  (There was no need to spend hard earned money if you had whatever that thing was around.)

Do you have things you're keeping around???  Here's an article/list to ponder:

  "116 Things You Need To Recycle, Donate orThrow Away This Year".  

(From Business Insider by Emily Co.)

1.   The other side of a pair of lost earrings

2.     Scraps of wrapping paper

3.      Cards people have given you with no sentimental value

4.      Receipts you don't need

5.      Ticket stubs

6.      Socks with holes

7.      Old t-shirts

8.      Leftover change

9.      Dried flowers

10.   Magazines

11.    CDs

12.   Hair elastics that have lost stretchiness

13.   Hair accessories you don't use

14.   Shoes that don't fit or that you don't wear

15.   Extra photo prints

16.   Little knickknacks (designate a bowl and fill it)

17.   Kitchen things you don't use

18.   Cooking utensils you have two of

19.   Tired bras

20.   Scarves you never wear

21.   Clothes that don't fit

22.  Gifts you don't like

23.  Old towels

24.  Old makeup

25.  Old toiletries

26.  Old or unused hangers

27.  Expired or sample-sized toiletries

28.  Extra buttons

29.  Expired sauces

30.  Toys your pets don't play with

31.   Expired medication

32.  Dried-up nail polish

33.  Bills you don't need to keep

34.  Expired coupons

35.  Old paperwork

36.  DVDs you don't watch

37.  Snacks your pets don't eat

38.  Damaged clothing you can't mend

39.  Stained clothing you can't clean

40. Old prom dresses

41.   Scratched nonstick cookware

42.  Old underwear or swimwear that's losing its stretch

43.  Outdated electronics

44. Rusty jewelry

45.  Stockings with runs

46. Pens that don't work

47.  Clothing you've outgrown

48. Necklaces and bracelets with broken clasps

49. Cables and wires you don't use

50.  Worn-out sheets and bedding

51.   Empty or near-empty bottles of cleaning products

52.  Old mending buttons for clothing you no longer have

53.  Worn-out bath mats

54.  Broken electronics

55.  Purses you never use

56.  Flatware, plates, and glasses that don't match the rest of your collection, plus dingy children's plates you no longer use

57.  Old pillows

58.  Worn-out shoes

59.  Wedding invites

60. Save-the-dates

61.   Wedding favors you don't use

62.  Old wallets that you don't use

63.  Broken kitchen equipment

64. Spare furniture parts you don't need

65.  Furniture manuals

66. Boxes

67.  Unused vases

68. Extra tupperware you don't need

69. Old mail

70.  Junk mail

71.   Travel brochures

72.  Bobby pins

73.  Old crayons or art supplies, plus markers that have run out of ink

74.  Random containers and jars

75.  Unused stationary, stickers, and sticky notes

76.  Ripped denim

77.  Old artwork or old children's artwork

78.  Used and ripped envelopes

79.  Broken or old iphone cases

80. Old unused batteries

81.   Extra and unused coffee mugs

82.  Old spices

83.  Address labels for your old house

84. Wrinkled ribbon and bows for gift wrap

85.  Cards or gifts from exes

86. Frequent shopper cards you never use

87.  Matchbooks

88. Old shopping bags

89. Old calendars

90. Old folders

91.   Magnets

92.  Clothes that are outdated or from college

93.  Broken Christmas decorations

94. Christmas lights that don't work

95.  Frayed towels

96. Expired food

97.  Computer cords, firewire cord, etc. that you don't use

98. Old and outdated software

99. CDs for old computer programs

100.  Old cell phones

101.  Hand-me-downs that you're guilt-tripped into  keeping

102.   Freebie or promotional t-shirts you never wear

103.  Old fortune cookie fortunes

104.  Old bank statements

105.  Old planners

106. Delete email subscriptions from sites

107.  Delete emails you don't need

108.  Delete unwanted music from your iTunes

109.  Extra buttons that come with newly purchased clothes

110. Games that are missing pieces

111. Old schoolbooks you'll never use again

112. Papers you have backed up on the computer

113.Books you've already read and don't want to display

114. Cell phone covers you're over

115.Old manuals to electronics

116.  Cell phone accessories you don't use anymore

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

Prepared?

Well, we are a few months into hurricane season.  Yes, we've had lots of rain in Florida lately, even a few brushes with some tropical storms.

And now a named tropical storm is heading in a westward direction.  We sit with our eyes glued to the TV, waiting for the next update from our favorite weather prognosticator.  Computer screens are filled with the latest spaghetti models of where Tropical Storm Isaac might be headed.  

Now would probably be a good idea to check your hurricane preparedness plan and those of elderly loved ones.  

Don't have one?

You might want to visit the American Red Cross's website for information on Disaster Preparedness Plan.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

"A pair and a spare"

While helping a client downsize for a move into a retirement community, I was reminded of something my maternal grandfather, Gramps, used to say:  

"Have a pair and a spare!"  

As the father of two girls (and subsequently 4 granddaughters), I'm pretty sure he was referring to boyfriends.  

Nowadays it seems this phrase applies to "stuff".  For example, big box stores and buying clubs have made it very convenient to buy 2-packs of things (crackers, cereal, cleaning products, toothpaste, etc.)  And while it may seem like it's cheaper, think about how much it's "costing" in your own shelf-space/closets/pantries/garages to store those extras.  

I understand there are folks who may not live convenient to shopping so they need to stock up "while they are in town".  Or the people with families so large they do their weekly shopping at those well-known bulk stores.  But for the rest, there's some kind of store (*mart, drug store, grocery) that is close enough.

Don't get me wrong....I enjoy visiting those big stores. (I just don't have need or storage for a jar of mayo the size of a compact car.)

Here's an interesting article to consider:  "You probably have too much stuff."

But, there is one thing I will ALWAYS have a pair and a spare of:

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

Four retirees visit a bar

FOUR RETIREES VISIT A BAR

Four old retired men are walking down a street in Yuma, Arizona. They turn a corner and see a sign that says, "Old Timers Bar - ALL drinks 10 cents."

They look at each other and then go in, thinking this is too good to be true.

The old bartender says in a voice that carries across the room, "Come on in and let me pour one for you!
What'll it be, gentlemen?"

There's a fully stocked bar, so each of the men orders a martini.

In no time the bartender serves up four iced martinis shaken, not stirred and says, "That'll be 10 cents each, please."

The four guys stare at the bartender for a moment, then at each other. They can't believe their good luck. They pay the 40 cents, finish their martinis, and order another round.

Again, four excellent martinis are produced, with the bartender again saying,"That's 40 cents, please."

They pay the 40 cents, but their curiosity gets the better of them. They've each had two martinis and haven't even spent a dollar yet.

Finally one of them says, "How can you afford to serve martinis as good as these for a dime apiece?"

"I'm a retired tailor from Phoenix ," the bartender says, "and I always wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the Lottery Jackpot for $125 million and decided to open this place. Every drink costs a dime. Wine, liquor, beer it's all the same."

"Wow! That's some story!" one of the men says.

As the four of them sip at their martinis, they can't help noticing seven other people at the end of the bar who don't have any drinks in front of them and haven't ordered anything the whole time they've been there.

Nodding at the seven at the end of the bar, one of the men asks the Bartender, "What's with them?"

The bartender says, "They're retired folks from Florida. They’re waiting for Happy Hour when drinks are half-price…”

Thanks, BDJ for passing along.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

"Oooohhhh, I'm telling.....she said the 'P' word!"

Many people cringe a bit when someone says a bad word, especially some of the four-letter variety.  (You know them, I won't repeat them.)  And there are some words where you don't even have to say the full word.  For example, the "F" word, the "C" word.  

For many, the "P" word is the worst of all!  I'll warn you now, I'm going to say it...

PLAN

If you have kids, you have to "plan" your day around their school schedule and after school activities.  If you work, perhaps you have to "plan" your route and daily activities.  You have to have a contingency "plan" when something doesn't go right.  And not everyone is a planner!  

But when it comes to fun things, we LIKE to plan!  We make travel plans.  We like to plan parties and events.  And there are plans when building or renovating a house.  

We talk about "planning for the future" with investments, estate plans, etc.  Do you have your plan in place?  Do you know where your birth certificate, social security card, will, living will, power of attorney, health care surrogate and power of attorney documents are?  Do the older adults in your life know where theirs are?

You may not have a full-blown, detail-by-detail plan in place for your future.  And we never know when we are going to get "the call".  But it's probably a good idea to have your important documents in a safe place so that when the time comes, someone will be able take care of things.

If you need help with preparing those important documents, contact us for recommendations.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

Slow decision-making can be costly!

"Slow and steady" may win the race, but taking too long to make decisions can be costly!

Older adults especially, have a difficult time making decisions.  Dealing with overwhelming emotions of leaving their home of many years, the health and care of a loved one, and all the details associated with a move can leave some "paralyzed".  

These delays in decision making can be costly - not only financially but also missed opportunities.

A family found a retirement community, close to relatives, that would welcome their unique situation.  But "it just wasn't the right time" and they did not commit when they had the opportunity.  

When the family got serious about looking for a place, they picked up where they left off, with the community that would welcome them.  Unfortunately, the retirement community had been sold!   And the new owners had different restrictions/requirements; thus the whole family would no longer be welcome.  

By working with A Stress-Less Transition, this family is back 

on track.  Through our network of researched resources, the family will have a new home very soon.  

Hopefully.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website.