Page 11 - MidWeek - March 29, 2023

During the height of the pandemic, I tried many food and grocery delivery apps. The options were amazing. It was easy to shop, add items to my cart, check out and have them delivered to my home. For me, it was like having an extra pair of hands, and it helped me stick to my grocery list. My husband, however, still preferred to venture into stores to hand pick his items.
On one occasion, we each bought a huge tub of margarine. I added it to make my cart minimum; he went into the store for something else, saw it on sale and picked it up. Blasphemy! That made me focus on grocery list apps so we wouldn’t duplicate our purchasing efforts. I tried both free and paid apps in my effort to better
organize my kitchen, stop food waste and hopefully save money.
Each app prompted me to input the entire inventory of my cupboard and refrigerator. Each product I entered was automatically included into a master household list. If I needed more of any item, I simply clicked to add it to the sharable shopping list. Through the process, I learned I have five bottles of cumin. I do not use cumin and don’t know what to use cumin for, but I have five bottles of it! I was thinking some of my past guests who cooked must have brought cumin to my house. But, I have a feeling I bought them for one-off recipes, and because I hardly ever use that spice, I must have thought I didn’t have it in the house and purchased it again.
March 29, 2023 MIDWEEK 11
PAULETTE ITO
SVP Marketing
Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union
No More Cumin! Paulette Ito
How many times do we think we need something, and then only after buying it find we do not need it after all? The same syndrome holds true for many scenarios. My aunt tried to make a doctor’s appointment only to find out she already scheduled one. A friend of mine thought she lost the password for her router, and after two days of authentication to reset it, she remembered where she had put it. Have you misplaced your Social Security card or birth certificate? Have you requested duplicates of important documents only to discover you already had them tucked away safely?
A mountain of scientific
research has affirmed the benefits of being organized, from less stress to better sleep and overall healthier lifestyles. A messy, disorganized life can cost you more than just inner peace. If you don’t have an organized system for filing bills and other important papers, you may end up wasting time, paying late fees and causing yourself needless stress. Remember, a little effort goes a long way. Spending just a few minutes each day to get organized will help make your life healthier and happier!
The “Get Your House in Order” campaign is all about helping Hawaii’s families become more
organized and better prepared for life’s many challenges. Those who have their houses in order will be well-positioned and more resilient for whatever comes their way. Having your important affairs taken care of enables you to live your best life. You will no longer have five bottles of cumin, because you will know exactly what you have and where it is!
Helping all Hawai‘i ‘ohana achieve their highest quality of life is the main goal of the “Get Your House in Order” campaign, while also reminding everyone of the importance of sound life-planning decisions.
There are four phases
of the “Get Your House in Order” campaign, with a new section of the Ho‘okele guidebook available from the HIFICU.com website each quarter. Ho‘okele parts 1.1 and 1.2 are already available. Download your copy and start completing your Ho‘okele booklet today.
For more information about the “Get Your House in Order” campaign, email GYHO@hificu.com. And tune in to KITV at 7 p.m. every Saturday to watch Yunji De Nies talk with local industry experts on how and why you should “get your house in order.”
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