Tales of the Organizationally Challenged

You probably know all about shopping smart to save money, but have you considered what you already have at home?

According to some that know me the best, I’m (at times) a bit of an organizational disaster. While this may (at times) be true, I have learned the value- both from a time management standpoint- and from a budgetary standpoint-  of organization.

Waste not, Want not

How do you know what you need unless you already know what you have on hand? This applies to your food shopping list- but also to clothing and household items as well.

You might be wasting money to purchase items that you actually have on hand- but either don’t know that they are there at all, or have simply forgotten about them.

Closet

I’ll admit it. I’ve been known to throw stuff in the closet, and jam it shut, Uncle Buck-style. This is a classic short-term organizational decision with longer-term detriment.

Pare your closets down. Remove seasonal clothing. Invest in hangers and shelving, so you can see your clothing and other items.

This is particularly important when it comes to kids clothing. I’m embarrassed to admit how many times I’ve thought I was clever by buying “the next size up”, only to find the item out of season, outgrown and with the price tags intact.

Yikes

Drawers

Do you have junk drawers? I do, for sure- and now that my kids are little bit older, they’ve discovered them for “holding tanks” for their unwanted treasures.

Clean your junk drawer out mercilessly. At my last round, I could have opened up an office supply store with all the supplies I found.

Consider investing in a drawer organizer. If that doesn’t appeal, break out the Ziploc bag (which I learned from my children’s teachers over the years- who seem to use Ziploc bags for everything).

Sort out coupons, school information, sports information, takeout menus etc. and put them in their own bag. The fact that these bags are clear helps you see immediately what you need and don’t need.

Commit to Purge

Hit those hidden spaces, like your basement or garage- which actually have another purpose beyond holding all of your stuff that you’re not using.

Make a pledge to clean and purge once a season- which lets you know what you have and what you need on a regular basis.

It will also help you feel better and more in control- of all aspects of your household.