Ask a Manager

And now a word from a sponsor… If you’re planning to give holiday gifts to colleagues this month and you’re stumped on what to get them, Staples has loads of fun and affordable options that you should consider! You might think of Staples as your go-to place for office supplies, but they have great gifts […]

And now a word from a sponsor… If you’re in the midst of holiday shopping – or, uh, haven’t started it yet but need to – I’m excited to tell you about RetailMeNot. RetailMeNot is a deals site that offers discounts – often major ones – from loads of popular online shopping destinations. They have […]

And now a word from a sponsor… I love massages. I’m obsessed with them. And while I didn’t think anything could make me want to go back to working in an office ever again, Soothe at Work has tempted me. Soothe is the #1 in-office massage company in the world, with over 9,000 massage therapists […]

And now a word from a sponsor… I sit ALL THE TIME, y’all. Partly it’s because I work too much, but part of it is also that the things I enjoy doing most, like reading, are also totally sedentary. So I’ve long been intrigued by the idea of a standing desk, which is why I […]

And now a word from a sponsor… When I started Ask a Manager back in 2007, I really had no idea what I was doing as far as creating and maintaining a website. I’d run one previously with very, very remedial HTML (if you remember Geocities, it looked a lot like that monstrosity). I was […]

Years ago, I used to do occasional round-ups of things I like. It’s been ages since the last one, so here we go. 1. This blanket. This is like fur, except it’s not actual fur. It’s ridiculously soft and cozy, and when you bundle up in it, you will immediately feel a profound inner peace descend upon […]

And now a word from a sponsor… I’m a big believer that you shouldn’t go out on Valentine’s Day – restaurants tend to be overcrowded and you can have a much more romantic evening if you stay at home. Of course, I also think that the height of romance is lounging on the couch together […]

And now a break to talk about a sponsor… If you’re like a lot of people, you get a life insurance benefit through your employer. If you’re like a lot of people, you haven’t thought about it much beyond that. But often, the amount of life insurance that your employer provides wouldn’t be enough to […]

And now a break to talk about a sponsor… I like to cook and I love to eat, but I hate, hate, hate figuring out what to make for dinner night after night after night. I’ve long felt that if I can’t have a live-in chef on hand to cook me meals to order (which […]

And now a break to talk about a sponsor… There can be huge perks to being a full-time independent contractor: You set your own schedule. You decide what work you do and don’t want to do. You often make more money – and in some cases can really blow off the ceiling of your potential […]