Avoid Unnecessary Hassle Time

Some things are a tedious pain in the butt. For instance, running out of prescription allergy medicine and having to go wait in line to renew it instead of doing it online or by mail because you threw away the box with the prescription number. Not having that magic number that is the key to resolving a situation can make a chore seem more than twice as big and could delay you for days.

This situation can be avoided.

In your contacts on your phone and/or in an email to yourself in a web-based email program like Gmail, note those sort of numbers that it would save you a ton of time to have later.

For example:
- prescription numbers
- your rental or homeowners insurance account number
- the phone number of an out-of-area friend or relation who could help you in case of a natural disaster
- your sizes and/or measurements (and those for others you often buy clothes for)
- membership numbers for things like the video rental shop, gym, discount cards for stores, frequent flyer clubs, etc. (and if they're in your phone, you don't have to carry all the dang cards around with you all the time)
- your landlord's and neighbor's phone number

Things you probably shouldn't list so as not to risk identity theft:
- social security number
- credit card numbers (though the contact numbers for lost cards are useful)

Comments

[Elkit]

I just did something similar a couple of days ago: I emptied the box of garbage bags into the bottom of the garbage bin. Then I thought about making sure I would easily remember which kind/size to buy, so I tore off the top of the box and stashed it underneath the extra bags in the garbage bin. So proud of myself. :-)

[Balfour]

I have an Rx that I regularly need to refill. When I'm a few days from needing a refill, I stop and place the order by phone right away. If I don't have time at the moment, I keep the bottle out in an obvious place and then make the call later when I have time. That way, I never have to keep track of the Rx number. I don't throw the bottle away until I've got the refill.

[mary hawkins]

Sometime after Katrina, the New York Times had an article about what to back up and scan for an emergencies. It recommended keeping a backup of everything on a little thumb drive that you keep in a safe deposit box or the like. I bought an extra and sent it to my mom for extra safekeeping...

[Rachel]

These are very good ideas. I thought you would be going in a different direction with that headline.
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I sometimes eat at popular local restaurants, or do other popular things. It would never occur to me to do these when everyone else is doing them. I dont know of anything I want to do that is worth standing in line for. I go to the restaurents at off hours, same with movies or whatever. HOWEVER, my friends dont think I am any fun. They also complain that I want to control things. OF COURSE I WANT TO CONTROL THINGS, especially how I spend my time and energy. So mostly I do these things alone, which is ok by me, but maybe I also need to find some different friends.

[Dinah]

I find I tend to have to try some of the popular things to figure out if they're just trendy and not my thing or if they're great and popular because I have lots in common with those other folks in line.