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In-Depth Topics

This file contains some more in-depth topics about MakeLifeEasy.

The Life Cycle of a Need
The Life Cycle of an Asset
Standardizing Your Folders
Entering Product Size - In Depth

The Life Cycle of a Need

Needs have a life cycle of sorts: For many needs, you think about it for a while before you actually commit to it, then you have the need for a while, then it goes away. The time span could range from days to decades. Here are the states of a need managed by MakeLifeEasy.

Here are the states in the Need life cycle. A need roughly goes through these states in order, though not all states are used for each need:

Reviewing - You're thinking that you might have the need in the future. For example, you'd like to put it on your shopping list so that you remember it, and/or so that you can check out what exists in the stores to cover the need, or you'd like to receive more information from sellers about products and services that cover the need.
Active - You currently have the need, and it must be covered by (a) product(s) and/or service(s).
Paused (proposed) - You did have the need but you have suspended it for now. It may return or you may never have the need again. When you set a need to the paused state, any assets you have that currently cover the need will also be set to the paused state.
Inactive - You no longer have the need. When you set a need to the inactive state, any active (or pending active) assets you have that cover the need will be set to the paused state. These assets are available for sale or other disposal, or to cover a different need.

The Life Cycle of an Asset

Assets have a definite life cycle. They move through "states": they are acquired, holding (waiting to be used), active (in use), and done (used up, worn out, expired, or otherwise inactivated). This topic describes an Overview of asset states and flows, Asset States, Flows, and Changing Your Automatic Flow Options.

Overview

This diagram shows how assets flow through their states in MakeLifeEasy. In the diagram, the ovals are states of the asset, and the arrows are flows between the states. MakeLifeEasy flows your assets through these states automatically unless you choose (in your Options) to do it manually:

How Assets Flow in MakeLifeEasy

Asset States

Here are the states in the Asset life cycle. An asset goes through these states in order, more or less, though not all states are used for each asset:

Holding (sometimes called "On Hold") - The asset has been acquired but is not yet in use. However, it is expiring.

Active - The asset is currently being used. It's being depleted/used up (if it's a supply) or wearing out (if it's apparel) and it's expiring. The amount left may be negative; see the note below.

"Active?" (also called "Pending Active") - (NOTE: This state is currently not used. MakeLifeEasy sets these assets to Active instead.) MakeLifeEasy has automatically placed the asset in this state because it thinks you started using it. If MakeLifeEasy did this too soon, you can set it back to Holding. Or, if you check this asset (e.g. update its amount left) and save the results, MakeLifeEasy will set it to the Active state. If you set the amount left to 0, MakeLifeEasy will set it to the Done state.

(Optional) Paused - You were using the asset but you've temporarily stopped using it. MakeLifeEasy won't continue to use up or wear out "Paused" assets, but they will continue to expire. You can re-activate it when you're ready.
Inactive - The asset is no longer able to cover its need, either since (a) it's depleted (used up), worn out, or expired, or (c) you manually inactivated it.

"Inactive?" (also called "Pending Inactive") - (NOTE: This state is currently not used. MakeLifeEasy sets these assets to Done instead, UNLESS there's no other asset to activate to cover the same need.) MakeLifeEasy has automatically inactivated the asset because it thinks it is depleted, worn out, or expired. MakeLifeEasy will move the asset into this state if it is depleted AND there is another on-hold asset (covering the same need) that can be activated to replace it. Otherwise, the asset will remain Active and accumulate a negative amount (see the note below). This asset will continue to show up on lists that show active assets. When you check this asset (e.g. update its amount left), MakeLifeEasy will set it to Active (if there is some remaining) or Done (if there's none remaining).
(Coming soon) To be Disposed - The asset has some value and is ready to be disposed of. It should automatically be advertised for sale.
(Coming soon) Disposed - You no longer own the asset. It was discarded, sold, donated, or otherwise disposed of.

Notes on Asset States

An "Active" asset can have a negative amount left and days left. This can occur when an asset was fully depleted in the past, but there is no other asset for MakeLifeEasy to activate (see below). Although these negative values don't make sense in the real world, they help to indicate that something is either incorrect or missing in the MakeLifeEasy database. For example, if you have -5 (minus five) days left of shampoo, either:

(a) your usage rate is off (so you should update it),

(b) you finished that asset and have started on a new one but the new one is not entered in MakeLifeEasy (so you should enter it, and deactivate the existing one),

(c) you no longer have a need for shampoo (so you should inactivate or delete the need).

(d) (special situations only) you finished that asset and have started on a new one but you've set MakeLifeEasy to not automatically activate holding assets (see below) (so you should activate it manually, and deactivate the existing one), or

In all these cases the negative value helps to indicate how long ago the issue started.

Flows

When an asset is in one state, MakeLifeEasy only allows you to change it to a different state that makes sense. For example, a "Holding" asset can't be changed directly to "Done", it must first be changed to "Active", then "Done". Also, once an asset is "Done" its state can't be changed. However, assets can be set back to "Holding" from most states.

Here are main flows. MakeLifeEasy will automatically flow your assets as indicated here:

Flow ID Name Description Automatic? Notes

A Hold Wait to use it N/a

B Activate Start using it Yes

C Activate Start using it Yes

D Pause Stop using it (temporarily) No: Do it manually if needed Optional

E Resume Re-start using it No: Do it manually if needed Optional

F Inactivate Use it up Yes. Set to "Done?" if there's no other asset to activate the cover the same need

G Dispose Sell it or discard it Yes, for supplies

Changing Your Automatic Flow Options

You can choose to perform some or all of your asset flows manually. Automatic flows should normally be used. You should only attempt to change these options in special situations. To change your options:

Go to the left-hand side menu in you main MakeLifeEasy browser.
Open the More >> Options page.
Go to the Asset Flow section.
Open help (press F2) to assist you in deciding how to set your options.
Check or uncheck your flow options as desired.
Press "OK: Save Changes".

Standardizing Your Folders

To be provided. Soon we'll show you how to keep your folders as standard as practical to maximize the benefits MakeLifeEasy can provide for you. For now, see need consistency.

Entering Product Size - In Depth

This topic describes in depth how to enter a product's size, including the options available, and provides several examples. The basics of entering a product's size are described in the Add New Asset ^< panel topic. Please review that topic before reading this topic.

Size Entry Examples & Alternatives

Here's an example using the Add New Asset panel to enter a new asset, focusing on the size data. The letters here correspond to the column headings in the table that follows:

Add New Asset panel showing sizing example #1

Often you have a choice of how to enter a product's size. Here are some sample assets and ways of providing their product size data, along with their usage rate data. The preferred method is in green (consider enlarging this window to make the table more readable):

The asset = total quantity of the product Count Size Entity Usage rate (A)*(B)
=Total
Entities

Product Name (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)¹ (F, G)² (H, I)

Bought: four 3-packs of Edge Shaving Gel 7 oz can
Need covered: Health & beauty >> Shaving cream

1. Edge Shaving Gel 7 oz can 4 3 pack 7 oz can(s) 0.5 oz 1 day 12

2. Edge Shaving Gel 7 oz can 4 3 pack 1 count can(s) 1 count 14 days 12

Bought: 4 bottles of Nature's Blend Vitamin C 100-tablet bottle, 500 mg tablets
Need covered: Health & beauty >> Vitamins >> Vitamin C

3. Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets 4 100 500 mg tablet(s) 1 g 1 day 400

4. Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets 4 100 1 count tablet(s) 2 count 1 day 400

5. Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets 4 1 (pack) 50 g bottle(s) 1 g 1 day 4

6. Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets 4 1 (pack) 1 count bottle(s) 1 count 50 days 4

Bought: 3 cans of Best Brand Ground Coffee 1.1 kg can
Need covered: Food >> Beverages >> Coffee

7. Best Brand Ground Coffee 1.1 kg can 3 1 (pack) 1.1 kg can(s) 44 g 1 day 3

8. Best Brand Ground Coffee 1.1 kg can 3 1 (pack) 1 count can(s) 1 count 25 days 3

Bought: four 3-pack L'eggs Support pantyhose
Need covered: Apparel, Women's >> Hosiery

9. L'eggs Support pantyhose 4 3 pack 1 count pair 1 count 20 days 12

Bought: 1 Sony RKM150 26" Color TV; Color TV
Need covered: Electronics >> TVs

10. Sony RKM150 26" Color TV 1 1 (pack) 1 count (not relevant for durables) 1

NOTES:

^1. An entity is the smallest "individually-wrapped" or "individually-formed" portion of a product (e.g. a can, bottle, capsule, etc.). The count of entities times the size of the entity equals the total size of the product.

^2. For supply-type assets the usage rate units can also be given in "ENTITY(s)", if desired. For example, in 1., above, the equivalent usage rate would be .0714 entity (can); in 2., it would be 1 entity (can); in 3., it would be 2 entities (tablets), etc.

Summary

For durables and apparel, the size is always "1 count".

The best units to use for a supply-type asset's size are the actual units shown on the product (e.g. oz, floz, gm, yd, etc.).

A simpler alternative is to enter a size of "1 count" for supplies, just as you do for durables and apparel. However, your unit price statistics, buying advice and offers from sellers will be less useful.

More Examples

Here are more sample assets and ways of providing their size data. The preferred method is in green.

The asset = total quantity of the product Count Size Entity Usage rate (A)*(B)
=Total
Entities

Product Name (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)¹ (F, G)² (H, I)

Bought: 4 bottles of Nature's Blend Vitamin C crystals, 50 g bottle
Need covered: Health & beauty >> Vitamins >> Vitamin C

1. Nature's Blend Vitamin C crystals 50 g bottle 4 1 (pack) 50 g bottle(s) 1 g 1 day 4

2. Nature's Blend Vitamin C crystals 50 g bottle 4 1 (pack) 1 count bottle(s) .02 count 1 day 4

Bought 2 dispensers of Best Brand Fine Unwaxed Dental Floss 60 yd
Need covered: Health & Beauty >> Dental Floss

3. Best Brand Fine Unwaxed Dental Floss 60 yd 2 1 (pack) 60 yd dispen(ser) .5 yd 1 day 2

4. Best Brand Fine Unwaxed Dental Floss 60 yd 2 1 (pack) 1 count dispen(ser) 1 count 120 days 2

Bought: 1 carton Marlboro Lights cigarettes
Need covered: Other >> Tobacco >> Cigarettes

5. Marlboro lights (carton) 1 10 (pack) 20 count pack(s) 10 count 1 day 10

For more information, see the Add an Asset Page FAQs.

(This is a more advanced topic.)

Choosing a Product's Size Units

The best units to use for a supply-type product's size are the actual units shown on the product (e.g. oz, floz, mg, yd, sqft, etc.). This gives you the most flexibility for specifying usage rates, the easiest inventory counting, and the best unit price statistics for buying advice and offers from sellers. These are the entries shown in green in the table above.

For products that you always buy in only one size (e.g., soft drinks in 12 floz cans), you may be able to use a simpler alternative. That is to enter "1 count" for the supply's size, just as for a durable or apparel asset. This can simplify data entry for items you're entering manually. Entering a size of "1 count" may work okay for products that have standard sizes, like 12 floz soft drink cans, but it won't work well for products sold in many different size packages, like boxes of Tide. That's because when you do this, MakeLifeEasy won't know the actual size of the asset. For example, all your price history data will be summarized "per entity". You won't have good price comparisons, and sellers won't know how to make good offers since they don't know the sizes you like or the prices you pay.

There are other ways you could enter the data, but usually you'll want to use the first method.

Reviewing the Alternatives

How you enter the size depends on:

Usage rate units: What units you want to use to specify your usage rate, and
Unit price history: What units you want to use for your unit price history, and
Checking inventory: How you want to count entities if/when you check inventory, and
Data entry simplicity: How simple you need the data entry to be.

1. Usage rate units

This is a big factor in how you enter your size data: How you want to specify your usage rate, or how fast you use the asset up.

For example, for shaving gel, there's only one good way:

Use line 1 (in the table) if you want to specify your usage rate in oz (e.g. .5 oz per day) OR entities (1 can per month).
(Line 2 is not recommended, but it is possible, and allows very simple data entry)

For more information, see units and units compatibility.

Vitamins provide another good example:

Use line 3 (in the table) if you want to specify your usage rate in TABLET weight (e.g. 1 g per day).
Use line 4 if you want to specify your usage rate in TABLET count (e.g. 2 count per day).
(Line 5 is not recommended, but it is possible, and does allow price comparison by weight)
(Line 6 is not recommended, but it is possible, and allows very simple data entry)

2. Unit price statistics

MakeLifeEasy keeps track of what you've paid for your assets and provides useful buying advice based on that data. But you're going to get your unit price statistics in terms of the units you entered when adding the asset. Take the shaving gel as a simple example. You paid $22.36 for the whole asset.

If you entered data as in line 1, MakeLifeEasy can tell you that you paid $0.27 per ounce.
If you entered data as in line 2, MakeLifeEasy can ONLY tell you that you paid $1.86 per can. For products that come in different package (entity) sizes, the unit price comparisons may not be useful.

3. Checking inventory

If you're planning to track usage of this asset, the total count ((A)*(B)) is what you'll check when taking physical inventory (i.e. counting what you have left). The vitamins above are a good example of this:

Using line 3 or 4, your starting total count will be 400 (tablets), and you count down from 400 as you take inventory.
Using line 5 or 6, your starting total count will be 4 (bottles), and you count down from 4 as you take inventory.

If you prefer to count bottles, use method 5 or 6, and your starting total count will be 4 (bottles). If you prefer to count tablets, use method 3 or 4.

4. Data entry simplicity

If you need your manual data entry to be really simple, you can just enter "1 count" for (C) and (D), just as you would for a durable or apparel asset. This makes manual entry easy since you don't need to know the asset's size nor figure out how to enter it. The main drawbacks to this method are (1) your unit price statistics may not be very useful, (2) MakeLifeEasy's buying advice may not be as useful, and (3) the offers made by sellers may not be as relevant.

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Flow ID	Name	Description	Automatic?	Notes
A	Hold	Wait to use it	N/a
B	Activate	Start using it	Yes
C	Activate	Start using it	Yes
D	Pause	Stop using it (temporarily)	No: Do it manually if needed	Optional
E	Resume	Re-start using it	No: Do it manually if needed	Optional
F	Inactivate	Use it up	Yes. Set to "Done?" if there's no other asset to activate the cover the same need
G	Dispose	Sell it or discard it	Yes, for supplies

	The asset = total quantity of the product		Count	Size		Entity	Usage rate		(A)*(B) =Total Entities
	Product Name	(A)	(B)	(C)	(D)	(E)¹	(F, G)²	(H, I)	(A)*(B) =Total Entities
Bought: four 3-packs of Edge Shaving Gel 7 oz can Need covered: Health & beauty >> Shaving cream
1.	Edge Shaving Gel 7 oz can	4	3 pack	7	oz	can(s)	0.5 oz	1 day	12
2.	Edge Shaving Gel 7 oz can	4	3 pack	1	count	can(s)	1 count	14 days	12
Bought: 4 bottles of Nature's Blend Vitamin C 100-tablet bottle, 500 mg tablets Need covered: Health & beauty >> Vitamins >> Vitamin C
3.	Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets	4	100	500	mg	tablet(s)	1 g	1 day	400
4.	Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets	4	100	1	count	tablet(s)	2 count	1 day	400
5.	Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets	4	1 (pack)	50	g	bottle(s)	1 g	1 day	4
6.	Nature's Blend Vitamin C 500 mg tablets	4	1 (pack)	1	count	bottle(s)	1 count	50 days	4
Bought: 3 cans of Best Brand Ground Coffee 1.1 kg can Need covered: Food >> Beverages >> Coffee
7.	Best Brand Ground Coffee 1.1 kg can	3	1 (pack)	1.1	kg	can(s)	44 g	1 day	3
8.	Best Brand Ground Coffee 1.1 kg can	3	1 (pack)	1	count	can(s)	1 count	25 days	3
Bought: four 3-pack L'eggs Support pantyhose Need covered: Apparel, Women's >> Hosiery
9.	L'eggs Support pantyhose	4	3 pack	1	count	pair	1 count	20 days	12
Bought: 1 Sony RKM150 26" Color TV; Color TV Need covered: Electronics >> TVs
10.	Sony RKM150 26" Color TV	1	1 (pack)	1	count	(not relevant for durables)			1