Here are some ways to save money by being organized:
One of the reasons we hold onto paper is because we need or want to reference the information (on the paper) in the future. However, what happens when we can’t put our hands on a piece of paper quickly and easily? We waste time hunting and searching for that paper, or we attempt to find the information from another source. Is there really any need to save paper that we can’t find quickly and easily? No! So, what will help us find specific papers when we need them?
An organized paper storage system will help us locate what we want, when we need it, and help us remember where paper is stored. Creating an organized system can be quite an undertaking. The initial step in this undertaking is to have a paper storage container (ie. file cabinet) that holds alphabetical files that are labeled with file names. It is essential to customize the file names to reflect our specific, personal retention needs. The best way to do this is to create file names that uniquely describe what information is stored inside the file. This is much more efficient than using generic or standardized names. For example I use the file name “Kia Soul” instead of Auto, Car, or Vehicle.
Another example of a customized file that I have is my “Fashion File”. It holds all the girly things that I want to reference, look into, check out, or use. It contains 5 separate categories, hair, jewelry, nails, skincare, and wardrobe. The types of papers that I store in each category are as follows:
Hair – contact information for my current stylist, pictures of hair styles that I like, products I want to try
Jewelry – receipts of jewelry purchases, business cards for jewelry consultants, jewelry catalogs
Nail – business cards for local nail salons with times and directions
Skincare – business cards for skincare consultants, products I want to try, lists of chemical free products, skincare catalogs
Wardrobe – contact information for image consultants, tips for my body type, fashion styles I like
By establishing and using this unique file name, and other personalized file names, I have created an organized system that helps me remember where my papers belong and where I can find them when I need them. This approach could work for you. If you do use it please share with me what file names you use.
© June 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
Proud member of NAPO
Use a shower caddy to contain items that are collecting on your kitchen or bathroom counter top. One example is to store vitamins and daily medications in a caddy. When it’s time to clean the counter, all that is required is to pick up the caddy instead of all the individual bottles. This will save time and will speed up your cleaning process.
We all hold onto things for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons are valid and worthwhile. For example, I’m holding onto my Grandmother’s necklace, because it’s a beautiful piece of jewelry that I enjoy wearing, especially when I want to be reminded of her. Unfortunately, some reasons for holding onto things are not valid or worthwhile. For example, the only reason I’m holding onto my (never used) serving dishes is because they were a gift. When the reason for holding onto something is not valid or worthwhile, it could be a clutter excuse. Clutter Excuses provide us with reasons to hold onto something, so we don’t have to make the (potentially difficult) decision to get rid of it. I find that honesty is the best policy when it comes to making decisions. By honestly answering thought provoking questions regarding why we are holding on to something, we can truthfully evaluate it’s significance in our lives.
A common clutter excuse I hear is, “Someone gave, or bequeathed it to me.” I believe that a gift is meant to bring joy, and that no gift-giver wants their gift to be a burden. Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s a burden and time to let it go.
Another common clutter excuse I hear is, “It’s still good.” Not everything we part with is broken or unusable. It’s okay to get rid of items we don’t need, want, or use, even if they are still workable and usable. There are several options available to us when passing on items like this, and removing them provides us with a less cluttered space. Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to pass it along to someone else.
I don’t have any children of my own, so I don’t use this common clutter excuse, “I’m saving it to pass on to my children.” Have you uttered this excuse? If so, answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to stop saving and let it go.
It does take time to make decisions and get rid of stuff. Have you ever used time as an excuse? “I don’t have time to deal with it.” Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to make time.
As I mentioned before, we all hold onto things for a variety of reasons, but the best reasons are valid and worthwhile. I hope these questions help you conquer your clutter excuses and provide you with peace of mind.
© May 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All rights reserved
Proud member of NAPO
Store action papers, notes, and reminders in one location. Examples of action papers are, information that needs to entered into the computer, information that needs to be read and responded to, and contact information for someone who needs to be called. The product I use is a multi-pocket organizer that is divided into days of the week, and the location I use is an easy access vertical file holder by my desk. This gives me one place to store and retrieve action papers, notes, and reminders. It also helps me to organize and prioritize those actions.
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