My Only New Year's Resolution - Organize: it saves money - Simply Basics: by Donna Miller
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Simply Basics: by Donna Miller

My Only New Year's Resolution - Organize: it saves money

Whether you live in a small apartment or in a mansion on a one hundred acre spread of land, organizing is one of the top resolutions for the New Year for many people.  It usually comes in about third place in the list behind health related and financial related goals. It is my belief that if this were a more encompassing goal for the New Year, it would take a higher place in the list. I am not making a judgment, because I am in great need of taking my own advice on this for the umbrella of all my New Year’s resolutions. Since it is my number one goal for 2009, I want to share how I think it will be farther reaching into more of the unspoken resolutions. Being organized helps in so many areas! Organizing touches on all areas of our lives, but for the sake of this one entry, let's just focus on saving money. Look around. How much is out of place, over cluttered or just plain messy?  (Oh I hope you can't see into my office through this blog) When we are organized we:
  1. Save Time: When we can find things, we don't waste time hunting them. And for everyone from the homemaker to the CEO, time is money. Saving time now means using it for income or to spending time more wisely later (like with family or saving money in another area).
  2. Save Brain Power: When our minds are free of 'controllable' stresses, we can be more creative in ways to earn more income or become more creative to save the income. Disorganization is a number one stressor in daily life.
  3. Save on Duplicate Purchases: Have you ever bought something because you couldn't find what you just 'knew' you had one of those around somewhere? Then when going through a cluttered closet you find the first one? Isn't that fun?  Organizing will help avoid that duplicate purchase expense.
  4. Save on Grocery Bills: A planned menu and all ingredients in the house help us to eat at home more and keep tabs on the food expenses. Shopping by the sales and seasons is also an organizational issue. This again adds up to money saved, just because we organized it.
  5. Save on wear and tear: Upkeep of vehicles, appliances, smoke alarms and more can be organized for this year on the calendar. Check them and make sure to care for those 'less thought of ' items once in awhile. This organizational step can save money in the long run, but more importantly, it's for the safety of your family.

There are many more examples of what simple organizing can save us and they mostly translate to dollars in the end. So as soon as this blog is posted, my mass organization begins for 2009! 

Remember though, not to get overwhelmed if you are not the organizing type (which I am not always) but to take it a little at a time and only organize small areas at a time. Not many people who earn millions focus on the millions - but focus on that first dollar and adding it up makes the million.

The next blog will be on how being organized helps keep us healthy!So if you can pick only ONE New Year’s Resolution for 2009 – let it be GET ORGANIZED and watch how far this one reaches into our lives!Best Blessings!

Comments

 

pookie131 said:

Thanks for the inspiration!

January 1, 2009 2:20 PM
 

Anne Cross said:

Saving on duplicate purchases really rings true for me -- I tend to buy the same things over and over again (black turtleneck sweaters, shea butter moisturizer, small blank notebooks), but since I started organizing things this summer, I know what I have, so when I'm in a store I can remember that I already have PLENTY of some of those things. Great post! Good luck setting up your organization systems in 2009!

January 2, 2009 4:49 AM
 

timzagain said:

Thanks!  I'm one of the chronically disorganized, but I've been making an effort to conquer one chaos mountain at a time.  It's amazing how a few seemingly small adjustments have made a huge difference.

First, I started organizing the week's worth of youngest DD's school clothes on one of the closet organizer that can "stack" five hangers at a time.  Each day's uniform is ironed, socks and undies tucked in the pockets.  Saves time, money (no need to buy socks weekly!) and stress (no yelling and screaming about getting ready on time!)

Second, I have started menu planning, factoring in leftovers for the following day's lunches.  No stressing in the morning about what to pack for lunch.  No buying lunch because we were too rushed and disorganized to come up with a lunch idea and pack it!  No more cafeteria food!  More money in the wallet though - yippee!

I still have a long way to go to get my home organized but the small tastes of success have given me lots of encouragement to tackle the chaos in small steps!

Good luck with your organizing!

January 20, 2009 3:14 AM
 

timzagain said:

Thanks.  I'm also organizationally challenged with plans to get that rectified this year!  So far, we've been organizing our clothes in advance (I do youngest DD's uniforms for the week, including socks and undies)  Saves lots of time, saves money (I can actually find pairs of socks in the house!) and eliminates the morning drama.

We've also done some meal planning, including planned leftovers for lunches the next day!  Saves time & money and is far more healthful than the usual cafeteria food we'd have to buy!

My little successes have inspired me to tackle other disorganized aspects of our lives.  

Good luck with your organizing!

January 20, 2009 3:20 AM

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About Millers Grain House

Hi! I am Donna Miller – A Happy Wife, Home-school Parent of three Graduates, Author, Homesteader, Entrepreneur-http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store, Visual Kitchen Mentor-http://www.youtube.com/user/thewheatguy and Frugal Fanatic.


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