Table Of Content500 handy hints.indd 4 7/24/09 2:00:13 PM
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL
60189 USA. All rights reserved.
Verses marked nasb are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963,
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Verses marked tlb are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale
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Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota
500 Handy Hints for EvEry Husband
Copyright © 2006 by Bob Barnes
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, OR 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barnes, Bob, 1933–
500 handy hints for every husband / Bob Barnes.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7369-1731-5 (pbk.)
1. Husbands—Conduct of life. 2. Husbands—Religious life. 3. Marriage—Religious aspects—
Christianity. I. Title: Five hundred handy hints for every husband. II. Title.
BJ1601.B37 2006
646.70081—dc22 2005025435
all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording,
or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the
publisher.
Printed in the united states of america
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To all the husbands who need a little
help with organizing your personal lives. You
do a great job at your full-time profession,
but home responsibilities are a bit difficult
for you.
Step up to the plate, take a swing, and
hit the ball. Be encouraged with the skills you
can develop.
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Contents
Men—Take Charge!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
section one
developing Goals
1. Just How Organized Are You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1
2. Overcoming Stress at Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7
3. Hitting the Right Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5
4. Ready, Set, Go!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1
5. Yes—Maybe—No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5
6. Planning Your Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3
7. Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3
8. Working Your Plan with Your “To Do” List . . . . . . . . . . 6 9
9. Scheduling Your Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5
10. Projects Designed for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3
11. Putting Family Life Goals in Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9
section two
becoming organized
12. Saving Time by Being Effective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 7
13. Organizing Dressers and Closets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
14. What to Do with All that Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
15. Travel Tips with Safety in Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
16. Take Less Than You Think for Air Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . 133
17. The Five-Minute File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
18. The 80/20 Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
19. Setting Up a Desk and Work Area at Home . . . . . . . . . . 147
20. Buying a Home Computer and Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
21. The ABCs of Record Keeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
22. Organizing the Garage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
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section Three
resource savers for the organized
23. Cornerstones for Money Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
24. Secrets for Financial Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
25. Your Checkbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
26. Getting Out of Debt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
27. Wasted Water Can Be Expensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
28. Developing a Planning Guide for When You’re Gone . . . . 211
29. Getting Ready for the “For Sale” Sign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
30. Experiencing an Enjoyable Vacation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
section four
understanding How your Home Works
31. The Right Tool Makes the Difference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
32. Understanding the Basics of Your Home Systems . . . . . . 235
section five
organizing your inner Life
33. Developing a Strong Spiritual Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
34. Making Your Wife Your Best Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
35. Connecting with Your Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
36. Becoming a Great Dad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
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Men—Take Charge!
vuv
In the twenty-first century, the division of labor at home is a lot
different from when Emilie and I first started our marriage. Back then
husbands went off to work, made the money, took care of the outside of
the home, and the wives took care of the inside of the home, prepared
the meals, and took most of the responsibility to raise the children. She
was called a stay-at-home mom. But today things are different.
For many reasons moms are sometimes working outside of their
homes. And what used to be women’s work is now split between husband
and wife. Men now need more personal organization skills and helpful
hints for tackling their new responsibilities, spheres of influence, and
activities.
This book will help you establish those necessary home management
skills that will make your life easier and more harmonious. I don’t attempt
to address all areas of home skills, but you will find the basic information
you need to get started and be personally successful.
—Bob Barnes
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