Monday, August 31, 2009

The lawn fertilizer rule of thumb

The lawn fertilizer rule of thumb. Lawn experts recommend applying fertilizer to your lawn in the spring and fall and throughout the summer. The healthy lawn rule of thumb says if you fertilize your lawn only one time each year, Labor Day is the best time.
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Sunday, August 30, 2009

The tuition rule of thumb

The tuition rule of thumb. A general rule of thumb for estimating tuition costs says if the overall inflation rate is 3%, the cost of college will double every ten to twelve years.
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Saturday, August 29, 2009

The curtain length rule of thumb

The curtain length rule of thumb. Curtains are window fashion that provide privacy, keep light out, and reduce drafts. A decorating rule of thumb for curtain length says the curtain should stop either just at the top of the windowsill or just at the bottom of the window frame.
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Friday, August 28, 2009

The tipping rule of thumb

The tipping rule of thumb. The general rule of thumb for tipping in a restaurant suggests the following: if the service was good and prompt, tip 15%. If the service was very good, leave 18% to 20%.
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Thursday, August 27, 2009

The affordability rule of thumb

The affordability rule of thumb. With freely available credit and debit terms, judging the affordability of a purchase is not as hard and fast as it once was. An affordability rule of thumb says if you have to ask how much it costs, you probably cannot afford it.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The book reader’s rule of thumb

The book reader’s rule of thumb. Books and movies are entertainment vehicles that tell a story in a very different way. A book reader’s rule of thumb for movies based on books says the more you enjoyed the novel, the less you will enjoy the movie.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The turnover rule of thumb

The turnover rule of thumb. Almost all companies experience some form of employee turnover. A human resources rule of thumb says an annual employee turnover greater than 10% is detrimental to a business.
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Monday, August 24, 2009

The technology spending rule of thumb

The technology spending rule of thumb. Most businesses invest in technology to increase productivity and efficiency. A rule of thumb for technology spending says a business will spend about 5% to 10% of their annual revenue in technology.
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Sunday, August 23, 2009

The demand rule of thumb

The demand rule of thumb. Andre Paul Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in 1947. A rule of thumb coined by Gide's says, "He who makes great demands on himself is naturally inclined to make great demands on others."
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Saturday, August 22, 2009

The delivery rule of thumb

The delivery rule of thumb. An old adage says, "No news is good news." A good rule of thumb for delivering news says the worse the news, the more effort should go into communicating it.
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Friday, August 21, 2009

The one-pound rule of thumb

The one-pound rule of thumb. You lose weight by burning calories. A nutrition rule of thumb says to lose one pound of fat you have to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume over a period of time.
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Thursday, August 20, 2009

The basketball rule of thumb

The basketball rule of thumb. An arced basketball has the best chance of scoring because it drops through the largest possible rim opening. A good rule of thumb for shooting says arc your shot 3 to 4 feet higher than the basket on a 15-foot shot. For closer in shots, use a 1 to 2 foot arc.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The 70/70 cigar rule of thumb

The 70/70 cigar rule of thumb. Storing a nice cigar in a plastic bag will not do. For maximum life, cigars must be stored in a humidor. A good rule of thumb is the 70/70 rule: 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity.
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Yogi Berra’s decision-making rule of thumb

Yogi Berra’s decision-making rule of thumb. Yogi Berra is perhaps the most quoted baseball personality of all time. Among other rules coined by Yogi, his rule of thumb for decision-making said, "When you get to a fork in the road, take it."
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Monday, August 17, 2009

The opportunity rule of thumb

The opportunity rule of thumb. American inventor Thomas Edison holds over 1,000 patents and is world famous for many inventions. A good rule of thumb coined by Edison says, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
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Sunday, August 16, 2009

The startup cost rule of thumb

The startup cost rule of thumb. Undercapitalization is one of the chief reasons why businesses fail. A business rule of thumb says it takes twice as long and twice the money to get a business off the ground as originally estimated.
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Saturday, August 15, 2009

The memory rule of thumb

The memory rule of thumb. Memory is the ability to remember experiences or learned information. A memory rule of thumb says the span of immediate human memory is around seven plus or minus two items.
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Friday, August 14, 2009

The decision maker’s rule of thumb

The decision maker’s rule of thumb. Sound decision-making is a key attribute of a successful leader. At times, there are critical moments when making a decision can be difficult, perplexing, and nerve-racking. A classic business rule of thumb says any decision is better than no decision.
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Thursday, August 13, 2009

The TV commercial rule of thumb

The TV commercial rule of thumb. Television commercials are one of the most effective methods of advertising to mass audiences. A sales and marketing rule of thumb says people will not remember a commercial until they see it at least three times.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The retro fashion rule of thumb

The retro fashion rule of thumb. Some clothing styles and trends make a comeback after years or even decades of dormancy. A fashion rule of thumb says if you lived the first incarnation of any clothing trend, you are too old to wear it the next time it comes around.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The productivity rule of thumb

The productivity rule of thumb. The average U.S. worker logs about 43 hours of work during a normal week. A business rule of thumb says a typical employee is productive for 6.5 hours out of a regular eight-hour day.
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Monday, August 10, 2009

The "good buy" rule of thumb

The "good buy" rule of thumb. A good real estate rule of thumb says a real estate investment is considered a "good buy" if it can be purchased at one hundred times the property's monthly rental value.
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Sunday, August 9, 2009

"Use it or lose it" rule of thumb

The "use it or lose it" rule of thumb. A good house cleaning rule of thumb says use it or lose it. If you have not used something within the last year, sell it, donate it, or pitch it out.
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Saturday, August 8, 2009

The boater’s 1/3 rule of thumb

The boater’s 1/3 rule of thumb. This rule of thumb says to use one-third of your boat's fuel to get to your destination, one-third to get back to port, and the last one-third as an emergency backup.
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Friday, August 7, 2009

The draft rule of thumb

The draft rule of thumb. Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in a home. A home maintenance rule of thumb says where you find spider webs you are likely to find a draft.
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Thursday, August 6, 2009

The horse racing rule of thumb

The horse racing rule of thumb. A long shot is a bet in which the chances of winning are slight but the possible winnings great. A horse racing rule of thumb says if there are too many favorites in a horse race, bet on the long shot.
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The 1/10,000 job search rule of thumb

The 1/10,000 job search rule of thumb. The more job experience you have, the longer the duration to find a new job. A career rule of thumb says a new job search takes about one month for every $10,000 of salary.
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The personal savings rule of thumb

The personal savings rule of thumb. The U.S. recorded a negative savings rate in 2005, the first time since the Great Depression. A personal finance rule of thumb says you should save at least 10% of your pretax income every year.
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Monday, August 3, 2009

The auto depreciation rule of thumb

The auto depreciation rule of thumb. Depreciation is the single biggest cost in the first five years of a car's life, far outpacing fuel and maintenance costs. A general rule of thumb says an auto loses 15% to 20% of its value each year.
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Sunday, August 2, 2009

The 1/3 college savings rule of thumb

The 1/3 college savings rule of thumb. A good financial planning rule of thumb for saving for college says save 1/3 of the expected college costs, pay 1/3 from current income and financial aid during college years, and borrow 1/3 using student loans.
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Saturday, August 1, 2009

The life insurance rule of thumb

The life insurance rule of thumb. There are several ways you can determine the appropriate level of life insurance. A good rule of thumb says if you have young kids or teenagers, you will need a life insurance policy that covers from six to ten times your total family income.
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