Instead, I think these are useful questions:

a) If you include time it takes to set up and mess with computer, will it actually speed up your work enough to save you time? If so, how much time per day, per week, per month, or per year? (For this question, you do have to decide what relevant time period is -- "per day," "per week," "per month," or "per year.") b) Multiply number of hours you just came up with by your hourly worth. Now you know how much computer is worth to you. So just compare how much computer is worth (to you) to actual selling price of computer.

Please don't say, "Well, sure, *you* can afford it!" I'm telling you kind of decision-making that got me to where I can afford it ... more than once.

And I'm not trying to get you to buy a computer. That's not point at all.

Apply same process to online marketing. For example "Is *net* profit from advertising with XYZ more or less than my hourly worth for time I spend creating and placing that advertising?" If answer is "yes," then do it even if you think you can't afford it. If answer is "no," then don't do it even if you do make net profit.

One last example:

It takes you an hour to clean something. A maid does it in an hour --or less!-- and better. Yet maid only charges [whatever] per hour, while you hourly worth is [such and such]. The maid *will* be less. Now, spend that hour earning more than maid charges!

Which reminds me ...

Step Two.

I suggest you limit number of categories you personally participate in to two: a) things you do to make money; and b) sleep, recreation, and things you enjoy, that make your life worth living.

(Ideally, "things you do to make money" should fall under "things you enjoy.")

Get rid of everything else!

4. If you are shopping for a computer, consider purchasing a notebook computer instead of a desktop PC. A notebook computer uses one-tenth energy of a desktop PC and can save from $40 $100 in energy cost per year, depending on usage.

5. Printers: Shopping for a printer? Consider energy costs associated with each kind. There are basically three types of printers dot matrix, laser and ink jet. While lasers are most popular because of their high quality, they draw an average of 80 to 100 watts or more when printing. Dot matrixes only use an average of 15-20 watts and ink jets, most energy efficient of all use only about 10 watts.

6. Copy Machine: If your copier doesn't come with "standby mode", (which shuts them down partially using 70% less energy), consider turning it off as much as possible. Also, faster your copy machine, more energy is required per copy.

7. Fax Machines: The cheapest way to fax documents is through a fax modem on your PC. You save on energy as well as cost of a paper fax machine. http://www.efax.com is a great place to get a free electronic fax account. You can receive faxes directly into your computer and view them as an email message.

With pending energy crunch, we can all do a little bit more to conserve. Imagine all money that can be saved by adopting just a few of these energy ideas.

I know I'm going to try harder. How about you?