PHOENIX RISING

 Information and support for widows, widowers and others who grieve over the death of a loved one.

Do It Yourself    

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Most families divvy up the workload. Sometimes tasks are allocated by "men's work" versus "women's work". Even when there has been a lot of sharing, the fact is that surviving men, women, and children are often faced not knowing how to do something because they didn't have to. Unless you're wealthy enough to accord maids, accountants, etc. this information is for you.

How to...

bulletBalance your checkbook: If you want to make it easy on yourself (and you do), get online billing through your bank and download it into one of the popular personal finance software packages like Quicken. If you're faced with doing it the old-fashioned checkbook-and-calculator way, here's a step-by-step process: MsMoney.com - Banking Basics - How to Balance Your Checkbook.
bulletSew on a button: This is harder than it sounds (to do it right!). See How to sew on a button.
bulletChange the oil in your car: First, remember to check the oil every 3-4 fill-ups. If you want to save some money, here's how to change it as well: How to change the oil in your car.
bulletIron a shirt: Before you burn it, see How to iron a shirt.
bulletCook: There may be plenty of cookbooks in the house with lots of recipes - you want to know how to boil an egg! (For that see http://www.deliaonline.com/cookeryschool/howto/how_0000000003.asp)  Keep a loose-leaf binder of simple recipes - friends can help here. Cooking for one is also a problem. You might try Solo Suppers: Simple Delicious Meals to Cook for Yourself by Joyce Goldstein. When all else fails - order in Chinese.

 

Things not to do yourself:

bulletSettle the estate: Get a good lawyer. You'll save money (and a lot of pain and suffering) in the long run.
bulletFinancial planning: Everything's different now. You'll need to reassess insurance, retirement planning, and investments.
bulletElectrical work: You need to survive. Don't touch it.

 

 
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