Stress
Beat customer-service blues
recommends a mind-blowingly simple strategy for getting better customer service if you’ve tried calling and not gotten the results you want: Call back. If it’s a huge organization, call back right away. If it’s a smaller shop, try a little later in the day. The idea is to get someone else on the phone — ideally someone a bit more knowledgeable about whatever your specific issue is. So if you think you’re barking up the wrong tree, cut your losses, say goodbye and try again later. It may save you time and headaches.
Money
Outsmart yourself
Personal finance blog getrichslowly.org featured a post last week called Sounds good already, doesn’t it? This is the gist: Many people who save well aren’t using discipline. They’re using systems. Maybe they’re automatic payments, maybe it’s a weekly family meeting, maybe it’s a site like . What have you set up that happens automatically? Your phone bill, maybe? Think of saving the same way — automatic, electronic and .
— Dave Burdick, The Denver Post
