Three Office Supplies You Can Do Without (Thanks to Your Computer)

To be fair, there are a lot of office supplies you can now do without thanks to your computer. Pens, pencils, paper, etc. But here are three office supplies I see people using at work all the time. If you're the type of person who likes using the tactile objects - awesome! As someone more technologically included, I like to do as much as I can on the computer. So here are three office supplies that can be replaced with your computer.

1. Sticky notes

Not everyone knows this, but sticky notes come pre-installed on most modern versions of Windows. These are great for jotting little notes down, adding stuff you need to remember, and referencing information you use over and over again. I use this during the day to keep a tally of what I've done, and to remember quick things I need to do that I don't want to create an Outlook task for. I've introduced them to my coworkers too, who love them! Everyone has their own method for using them - much like the real-life version. You can also color code them.

2. Calculator

This is another thing that comes pre-installed on Windows computers. There's a normal version, and a scientific version. I like being able to use the number pad to do whatever math it is I need to do instead of pulling out a hand held calculator. Also, there's a "back" button and it shows you what you're calculating up top, so you don't have to guess if you hit plus or minus by accident.

3. Calendar

This year my work has given us each three (yes, three) calendars. And while I do like the pretty pictures, I don't really see the need to have even one. If you want to know today's date, just click on the time stamp in the right hand corner. Too lazy to do that? You can configure your computer to show you the date underneath the time, without having to click at all! As someone who works in finance and is typing the date all day long, this is quite useful.

But still, you probably use the calendar for scheduling things, right? If you click on the time stamp, a little calendar will pop up, which is useful for figuring things out like, "What is the date three Fridays from now?" But if you want more than that, there are a lot of great options! Most businesses us Outlook, which I love using. It's like a real calendar, except it's easier to move appointments, invite people to meetings, and it even reminds you when you have something coming up. So you don't have to keep reminding yourself of that meeting - it'll pop up on your computer! If you don't have that, Google has a great online calendar program too.

💗 Annette

4 years ago: Useful Technology - WhenisGood.net