10 Ways Organizing Saves You Money

Here are 10 ways that cut to the chase on organizing and saving money. 

1.                  You won’t need to buy things you already have. You won’t have to run to Walgreens to buy your kids index cards or school supplies.

2.                  You find money in your pockets – lots of it! We found $15,000 in a bin of papers!  We have found some money in every home where I work. 

3.                  You get reverse income by donating and using itsdeductibleonline.com. Make a list of what you donate and create a spreadsheet.  Each time you donate usually adds up to $500 for tax deductions.

4.                  Your emotional and physical health improves so fewer doctors’ visits.  There are tons of allergens in paper piles, especially dust mites!

5.                  You prioritize saving money in keeping receipts in one place so you can review them, know what you spent money on, and know where you can spend less.

6.                  You clip coupons and save money every time you are at the grocery or drugstore. Some families spend only $20 on groceries a week with coupons.

7.                  You keep on top of home repair and other tasks. Prevent big expenditures by routine upkeep of your home and car.  Regular maintenance of your home and car mean you can make more money on the resale.

8.                  You save money on the utilities in your home.  Being organized about your laundry means consistently filling the tub, washing the dished regularly with a full load and saving on heating/cooling costs by setting the temp at a consistent level.

9.                  You keep your purchases to a minimum. Being organized means buying what you need, when you need it, rather than compulsive and chaotic shopping.

10.             Everyone knows saving time is saving money.  You can be more efficient and effective at everything you do by being organized!

Not sure how to start getting organized? To learn techniques, tools and tips to declutter, simplify and create organizing routines, visit www.professional-organizer.com or join me on Facebook at the business page Professional-Organizer.com,\.

 

Certified Professional Organizer and Family Manager Coach Ellen Delap is the owner of Professional-Organizer.com.  Since 2000, she has worked one on one with her clients in their home and offices streamlining their environment, creating effective strategies for an organized lifestyle and help prioritize organization in their daily routine.  She holds ADD and Chronic Disorganization certificates and specializes in working with ADD and ADHD adults and students.  Ellen has been featured at The Woodlands (Texas) Home and Garden Show, on ABC13 Houston, in the Houston Chronicle and is an Expert on The Clutter Diet, an online organizing resource. To learn more about her and her work,  visit www.professional-organizer.com, tweet her @TexasOrganizer or become a fan on her Facebook Fan Page Professional-Organizer.com. 

Organizing your Office by Ellen Delap owner of Professional-Organizer.com

Are you drowning in paper at work? Is your space littered with too many empty mugs or hand cream?  Do you feel disconnected, unproductive and disorganized? Do you feel it reflects on you professionally ?  Embrace your inner minimalist! 

Create a vision of who you are and your professional performance with the décor in your space.  Define what clarity looks like in your environment. Think of colors that are a reflection of your style.  Keep minimal personal photos and knick knacks.   Think through the books, the art, and even the awards you have placed in your office.  In creating this vision you can make a list of adjectives you want to embody as you change this space. 

Many companies have an existing record retention policy stating how long to keep paper records.  But sometimes we can create rules for what you will keep and how long you will keep it if it is a rough draft, old budgets, or even a former employees previous paper.   If you do keep the paper, decide if a notebook or file is a better location for you to find the information.   Know  what to keep and where to keep it! Create files for papers that are reference.   The only paper that is on your desk is something you use all the time. Other paper can be easily accessed in your desk file drawer or credenza.  Those files can be categorized by clients, administrative, financial and project.  This is easier to access than alphabetical and easier to maintain as well. 

Take time to maintain your minimalist style.  Start and end the day with routines that reflect this.   Bring your one mug to and from work in your professional looking bag.  End the day with picking up the paper and replacing it in your project slots.   Being decisive and definite about your style makes maintenance that much easier!

 What does your office say to you?

Certified Professional Organizer and Family Manager Coach Ellen Delap is the owner of Professional-Organizer.com.  Since 2000, she has worked one on one with her clients in their home and offices streamlining their environment, creating effective strategies for an organized lifestyle and help prioritize organization in their daily routine.  She holds ADD and Chronic Disorganization certificates and specializes in working with ADD and ADHD adults and students.  Ellen has been featured at The Woodlands Home and Garden Show, on ABC13 Houston, in the Houston Chronicle and regularly contributes to national blogs and publications. To learn more about her and her work,  visit www.professional-organizer.com, tweet her @TexasOrganizer or become a fan on her Facebook Fan Page Professional-Organizer.com.