Get Organized Month - How to Save Money by Being Organized

     

Did you know that you can actually save money by being organized? Never thought about it before? Here's how:

- A U.S. News & World Report study found that that Americans spend roughly a year of their lives looking for lost items at home or at work - that's a lot of wasted time which equals wasted money.

- When you're organized, you know what you have and you don't buy things you already have.

- When you're organized, you are aware of the food in your fridge and you use it up before it spoils.

- When you're organized, you plan errands, saving both gas money and your time, which is also worth money.

- When you're organized, you are able to take advantage of opportunities that come your way that either save money or make money for you.

- When you're organized, you know where your bills are, and you pay them on time, saving late fees or reconnection charges.

- When you're organized you service your car and other appliances, saving costly repair bills or replacement costs.

- When you're organized, you have necessities on hand, preventing last minute trips - costing both time and money (especially if you go to the convenience store).

- When you're organized, you plan meals, saving costly take-out meals or eating out. For the price of four combo meals at a fast-food restaurant, you could be eating steak or salmon, neither of which are time-consuming to prepare!

- When you're organized, you pack a lunch instead of eating out. Spending only $5 a day for 20 work days equals $100.

- When you're organized, you keep track of your bank account, saving expensive overdrawn fees.

- When you're organized, you write down business mileage and charitable contributions, saving money on taxes.

Want to get started? Start small. Determine the area that is costing you the most money. Organize that area and move on to another area. Reward youself when you make progress! Give yourself credit for small steps forward!!


More on saving money by being organized: 

Five Tips on Being Eco-Friendly and Saving Money at the Same Time

Six Ways to Save Money on Food by Planning Ahead

Organizing Your Time Can Cut Costs

   
Source: previous post on 1-2-3 ... Get Organized.

      

Announcing: Organize Your Kitchen in 3 Weeks!

   
Do you find yourself eating out more often because your kitchen is a disaster?

Is it hard to find anything you need?

Do you spend more time figuring out where things are than actually cooking?

Do you find that mealtimes are stressful and tense?

Why is an organized kitchen worthwhile?

You will finally be able to find what you need, when you need it.

You will find yourself and your family eating healthier. Home-cooked meals, even the same meal as a restaurant, usually contain less calories and fat.

Family dinners can become a time for building relationships instead of tension.

Eating family dinners at least five times a week drastically lowers a teen’s chance of smoking, drinking, and using drugs according to the CASA report. “While substance abuse can strike any family, regardless of ethnicity, affluence, age, or gender, the parental engagement fostered at the dinner table can be a simple, effective tool to help prevent [it],” says Elizabeth Planet, one of the report’s researchers, and the center’s vice president and director of special projects.

Take a step today to reduce the stress in your life!  A few days of work can save you time and energy and make cooking more enjoyable for the rest of your life!

You will receive an email each day for 3 weeks, enabling you to organize your kitchen in that time. How refreshing to have clean and clear surfaces, organized cabinets and a pleasant environment in which to cook! Click here for more information on Organize Your Kitchen in 3 Weeks. 


More on Organize Your Life in 3 Weeks:
Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks
Rethink Your Life in 3 Weeks
    

Announcing: Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks!

    

How does clutter affect us? 

 

According to a poll, over a third of readers avoid going home because of the overwhelming mess and don’t know where to begin cleaning and decluttering. (In contrast, less than 10 percent say their homes are clutter-free.)  Clutter can drain us of our time and money and create additional stress in our lives.

Time: Do you spend extra time looking for lost items such as keys, money, shoes, tools, etc.?

Money: Have you accrued late fees due to losing/misplacing bills, statements, etc.?  Have you spent money replacing items that have been misplaced or lost because it takes less time than trying to find it?

Stress: Have you avoided having friends over because of the state of your home?   Have you wanted to start a hobby, like scrap-booking or an exercise regiment but can’t find the space?  Do you walk through your house and think about all that you need to do, instead of being able to relax and rest?

We can help you get rid of your clutter in an easy step-by-step process.

We will send you an “easily do-able” pdf checklist (and explanation) each day.  Many organizing books bog you down and overwhelm you even before you start.  Once you finish decluttering one room, you can use this method on all other rooms in your home that need to be decluttered.

Take a step today to reduce the stress in your life!  Save time and money and have a home that you can relax and entertain in. Click here for more information.


More on Organize Your Life in 3 Weeks:
Rethink Your Life in 3 Weeks
Organize Your Kitchen in 3 Weeks 

Announcing: Rethink Your Life in 3 Weeks!

      

Are you ready for a change?

Are you going through life with little passion and enjoyment?

Are you passionate about a subject or a cause but have little time to devote to it?

Are you working in your strengths or weaknesses?

Are you doing what you love?

Receive an email each day for three weeks to help you align your passions, priorities and gifts with your schedule. A perfect way to start out the new year!

Start realizing your physical, scholastic, social, spiritual, financial and mental goals. Whether you are just starting out in the “real world” or wanting to refocus the direction of your life, these 3 weeks will help you Rethink Your Life!


More on Organize Your Life in 3 Weeks:
Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks
Organize Your Kitchen in 3 Weeks

        

Get Organized Month - Organizing Your Jewelry

    
I get up at a ridiculous hour, and don't want to stumble around in the dark looking for jewelry, waking up my husband. I had gradually moved much of my jewelry piece by piece into the bathroom from my organized system in the dresser drawer in my bedroom. I'm embarrassed to say, this is what it eventually looked like!!

I needed another system, obviously! I looked at a bunch of jewelry organizers, but this one at Online Organizing appealed to me most of all.  

 

It hangs on my bathroom wall where I can find what I want with one glance. This organizer comes in three sizes. I chose the one that measures 12" x 19" and is supposed to hold 80 pairs of earrings. I cheated, though, and put a pair of earrings in each hole rather than one earring in each hole. 

The rack holds both post and hook earrings plus necklaces and bracelets. I organized according to colors to make it easier to find what I need. 

In my search for a jewelry organizer, I also came across one woman's creative solution for organizing her necklaces: a rake!

Have you found a jewelry organizer you love?

More on organizing jewelry:

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Jewelry

Jewelry Organizer from I'm an Organizing Junkie

Memories, Small Spaces and Double-Duty Storage

 

Recovering from the Holidays - Priorities Amidst Chaos

    
I fully intended to start blogging at the beginning of the week, but one of our foster daughters got suspended from school on Monday and ran away on Tuesday. Needless to say, my time and priorities have been chaotic.

I'm looking at our half-decorated tree while I write. The above-mentioned girl wanted to earn some money, so she had gathered all the Christmas decorations in a couple of locations for me. All I need to do is put them away and undecorate the tree and store the decorations and tree.

Because I've had to spend extra time dealing with our current situation, I've had to leave the Christmas decluttering for the moment. I've done the top priorities, and have had to postpone other things, even though they have been important, too.

I've divided my tasks into those which can be done while the girls are home and those which require more concentration. Consequently, the Christmas decorations will be done as I get a chance when I'm home with the girls.

Even though the house will be messy for a little while longer, I have to be content that I'm choosing the best use of my time. And other priorities will be done as I get a chance. 

Thankfully, our foster daughter was found on Wednesday. I'm not sure when or if she will return to our home. In the meantime, I will attempt to keep my top priorities in mind, and rest in the fact that that's the best I can do!


More on priorities amidst chaos:

Priorities and Perspective from a Ninety-Year-Old

Feeling Overwhelmed? Organize Your Priorities

Staying Organized in a Changing World

January - Get Organized Month

Here's a press release from the National Association of Professional Organizers about GO (Get Organized) month:

"Get Organized" is one of the Top 10 New Year's resolutions made by Americans year after year.  That's why seven years ago the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) declared January as GO (Get Organized) Month(SM).  Make 2011 the year you stick to your New Year's resolution to get your home or office organized. Contact a NAPO Professional Organizer in your area by visiting www.napo.net and searching their free directory, searchable by zip code, country and organizing service. 

Throughout the month of January, dozens of NAPO chapters and thousands of members will be hosting public events around the country, including, Ask-the-Organizer panels, Organize to Economize in the New Year workshops, Shred-and-Organize events, and much more! From Miami, FL, to Seattle, WA, a GO Month event is happening near you. Find one at www.napo.net. 

Did you know:

• Becoming more organized can help save time and money, increase productivity, enhance one's quality of life, and reduce stress?
• In its most recent survey, NAPO found that 96% of respondents felt that they could save at least some time each day if they were more organized at home
• 91% felt they could be more efficient at work if they were better organized
• 71% indicated their quality of life would improve with more organization

About NAPO: The premier national association dedicated to the field of organizing, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is The Organizing Authority®. Since forming in 1985 as a nonprofit professional educational association, NAPO has grown to nearly 4,200 members. NAPO is dedicated to serving its members through education, networking, industry resources, and promoting the profession to the public. For more information about NAPO and Get Organized Month(SM), visit www.napo.net or call NAPO at 856-380-6828. "

More about getting organized:

Rethinking Life

Organizing According to Your Right- or Left-Brain Dominance

Getting Organized for School 2010: Starting the Night Before

Merry Christmas!

    
Just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas! Things are ramping up around here, so I'm not sure how often I'll post over the holidays. One of our daughters arrived last night. 

Three of our four foster daughters will be with us through Christmas day - one is going home tomorrow to be with her family for a couple of days.

Our other daughter and her husband will fly in at midnight on Christmas day. Our time off starts the 26th, and we'll celebrate Christmas again with them. 

Our family leaves on January 1st. Our foster daughters come back on the 31st, so we should have a fun New Year's Eve!

I wish you a joyous Christmas and the best ever New Year!

Laundry Tips from Professional Organizers, Part 1

Recently, several professional organizers offered tips on doing laundry. I'll share some with you over the next few weeks.

This one is from Nora Silic:

"I'll wash and dry the laundry, but the kids (I have seven), fold it if they want to watch a DVD, and put it away when the movie is over.  

I keep a bin for unused hangers on the floor of their closets, so they don't have to search for empty hangers between hanging clothes.  That way, even if the little ones can't reach their shelf, they can still put the clothes on hangers for me, and I'll get them hung next time I'm passing through.

WARNING:  This has the potential to backfire.  All of a sudden, when there's several loads to fold, they'd rather read a book, color, play boardgames, practice piano -- anything but watch a movie, if it means folding clothes.  It's a risk I'm willing to take.

Something else I do to speed up the sorting process is put dots on the inside of collars and waistbands with a laundry marker.  One dot for the oldest girl or boy, two dots for the second oldest, etc.  It's much easier to count the dots than to figure out whose is whose by size.  That way, too, when an item is ready to be handed down, I just add a dot."

More on laundry:

Shaving a Few Minutes Off Laundry Time

Shaving a Few Minutes Off Laundry Time, Part 2

Vinegar - 10 Ways to Save Your Clothes! 

 

Time Management App for iPhone - Lucid Lists Free

     
The following article by Aurangzaib Qumbrani details a new app for iPhones - Lucid Lists Free - to help you stay organized.

"Lucid Lists Free, by Kembipro, is one of the best on-the-move time management applications

that I’ve ever used on my iPhone. I’m a college student, and it’s really hard to cope with a day full of tests and assignments. Thanks to this wonderful iPhone app, it’s simple and fast to plan your day ahead.

Lucid Lists Free is designed for those people who have a lot of things to do each day. This app is ready to remind you of almost anything, from calling your girlfriend to crucial office presentations.

Creating a to-do list for your day is easy and fun. The UI is clean and smooth. New tasks on the app are categorized as “Raw”. “Ripe” means that a task is ready, and if you miss something, that will be tagged as “Rotten”. So make sure you don’t miss any of them. The concept of the Raw, Ripe and Rotten, is very innovative, and I love it.

Download Lucid Lists Free for iPhone

Lucid Lists Free App for iPhone is absolutely free, and you really can’t afford to miss it. You can download this app via Apple’s App Store using this link!" [Download here]

===

About the Author: Aurangzaib Qumbrani authors MadXperts, a technology blog where he shares his personal interests on Apple, Google and Microsoft! He is a dedicated blogger, crazy tweeter, and a freelancer.


More on time management:
Three Steps to Time Management for the Working Mom
Three Steps to Time Management for the Single Mom
Three Steps to  Time Management fo the Stay-at-Home Mom

Wireless Printing - No Clutter, No Hassle

  
We recently purchased a Kodak ESP 5250 printer - I love it! Previously, in order to print from my laptop, I had to go downstairs to our office and connect to one of the printers there. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was a hassle, and I'd put off printing things because of it.


We set up the new printer to be used with the girls' computer on our first floor. And we installed it on all the computers in the house. 

With this wireless printer, any computer in our house can print from anywhere in the house without cords or hassle! So, people on different computers can be using the same printer at the same time without having to physically go to the printer. 


I love this so much, I doubt I'll ever go back to a printer that requires cords. Little things make me happy! :)



More on printers:

Ink for 1/3 the Cost? No Way!

A Follow Up to: Ink for 1/3 the Cost? No Way!

Three Steps to Organizing Your Office

     

Psychology Today: Beating Clutter in Less than 5 Minutes

      
 Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project offers ten tips for decluttering in Psychology Today's December 2 issue:

"Here are ten easy, quick tips that, if followed regularly, will help keep your clutter under control. And none of them takes more than five minutes – if that. I mostly follow these, and I'm a lot happier when I do.

1. Make your bed.

2. Get rid of the newspaper each night, even if you haven’t read it yet. Or am I the only one still reading a paper newspaper?

3. Follow the “one-minute rule” – push yourself to do any chore that takes less than one minute. Throw away the junk mail, put the peanut-butter jar back in the cabinet, close the cabinet door, put your dirty socks in the hamper, hang up your wet towel.

4. Identify a place or person to whom you can give things you no longer need – it’s much easier to get rid of unneeded stuff if you can envision someone else getting good use from them. Also, figure out a place to store those things until you hand them over. We have a special shelf for books that we’re taking to the Housing Works thrift store.

5. Be very cautious about letting yourself “store” something. Storing something means you don’t intend to use it much. Other than holiday decorations and seasonal clothes, you should strive to “store” as little as possible.

6. Beware of freebies. Never accept anything free, unless you’re thrilled with it. A mug, a tote bag, a hand-me-down toy, the lamp from your mother-in-law -- if you don’t need it, don’t take it.

7. Get rid of things if they break. When I went through our apartment, I was astonished by how many things I’d kept even though they didn’t work.

8. Don’t keep any piece of paper unless you know that you actually need it. I have a friend who, for years, carefully filed away the stubs when she paid her gas bill. “Why?” I asked, mystified. “I have no idea,” she said. Along the same lines, don’t keep anything that would quickly become dated -- like travel information. Remember the internet! If you can easily find information online, you don’t need to keep a hard copy.

9. Hang up your coat. I have a lot of trouble with this one, so now I use a hook instead of a hanger.

10. Before you go to bed, take five minutes to do an “evening tidy-up.” Don’t tackle anything ambitious, but just stack up the magazines, put your shoes away, shove the chairs into place, etc. Just a few minutes of tidying can make your house look a lot better, and it’s a calming thing to do before going to sleep. Plus it makes the morning nicer."

More on Decluttering:
Three Steps to  Decluttering

Just Because You've Decluttered Doesn't Mean It's Going to Stay That Way

Get Organized Month 2009 - Family Five Minute Challenge

    

Apps for Keeping Droid Phones Organized

     
Following a couple of snow days and knee-deep snow, our foster daughters will return to school today. Lots of drifting and blowing snow. I'll try to post some pictures soon. Now on to our post for today ...
           

 If you have a droid phone, you might be interested in the article Steve Kovach has written for Business Insider, The 10 Best Android Apps For Keeping Your Phone Organized And Running Smoothly.

More on phones:

Driving - Not a Time to Multi-Task

More Proof That We Should Not Multitask While Driving

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Cell Phone Contact List

More Clutter-Free Ideas for Christmas

    
Our winter blizzard is in full swing here in northeast Ohio. We have at least 12 inches of snow, although it's hard to tell how much with the blowing and drifting. The storm doesn't end until Wednesday morning at 7 am. 

Thankfully, I have all my Christmas shopping done except for a couple of online gifts. If you still need some non-clutter ideas for Christmas gifts, the Savannah Morning News ran the following article on how to have a green Christmas:

"The director of the Office of Sustainability at Georgia Southern University suggests the notion of being environmentally conscious can be extended into 'green' giving at Christmas.

Lissa Leege says you just try to buy from companies that protect the environment, consider a product's waste output, and give experiences or items that can be reused or recycled.

Her top 10 gift ideas include:
1) Give experiences instead of "stuff" - concert tickets, a week of making dinner, a coupon booklet for backrubs - anything that reduces waste and clutter.

2) Consider "green" technology - a wireless reading device, such as a Kindle, or the new Sony Elm or a smart phone made from recycled plastic.

3) A canvas bag of personalized environmentally friendly items such as a travel mug, a reusable water bottle and an organic pillow case.

4) Couples can give their homes a 'green' treat - an inexpensive low flow showerhead; lights with automatic shut-off; a new, programmable thermostat; a scanner to cut back on clutter and manage bills/files electronically.

5) Give gifts built to last - sturdy wooden toys rather than cheap plastic that will break on Christmas morning.

6) Consider organic or recycled cotton clothing to avoid the intensive pesticides required for conventional cotton production.

7) Buy locally made products as much as possible to avoid transportation costs and emissions.

8) Plant a tree together.

9) Even fashion can be "green" - solar powered watches, earth-friendly lines of shoes, bags and other accessories.

10) Make a donation in his/her name to a favorite nonprofit organization."

More on having a green Christmas:

Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 8 - Give Memories, Not Clutter

Turn Holiday Clutter into Classroom Treasure

Repurposing Your Christmas Cards into a Year-Round Memory

     

 

Tools for Organizing Meals for New Moms, the Ill, or Potlucks

   
I discovered Take Them A Meal - an online resource for organizing meals for new moms, for the bereaved, and for the ill. Instead of making a bunch of phone calls or sending emails, everyone can go to the site, see who's bringing what and when, and sign up to participate.

In addition, they've launched Perfect Potluck, a similar site but for organizing potlucks. 

If you've ever had to coordinate meals for such events, you must check this out! It's simple to use, has a sample schedule, and eliminates all those headaches and phone calls/emails!

More time-saving tools:

Time Management Tip - Always Late? Start the Timer!

A Personalized Grocery List - Good Time Management

Piggy-Back Dinners