How to get organized in 15 minutes or less
Part of being a financially savvy is having order in your everyday life. You can’t expect to keep a budget without keeping track of bills, receipts, checking, saving and investment accounts. Reducing the chaos and implementing organization – whether it’s keeping your wallet clean and rid of old and irrelevant receipts or having your closet organized according to color, will help your overall quality of life. Below are 4 easy tips to help get you organized in 15 minutes or less.
1. Buy closet accessories — By organizing your closet, you will be able to see that what wardrobe options you have which may lead to less clothes shopping and less credit card debt. I know I am guilty of feeling like I have ‘nothing to wear’ because all my clothes are buried and hidden in the back of my closet. Simply measure your closet, write down those measurements and put it in your wallet. The next time you run errands, stop by your local Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot or IKEA and pick up some closet organizing accessories.
2. Tidy up your wallet–Make sure your wallet has enough compartments to keep your money, change, credit cards and receipts stored in an organized manner. If it doesn’t, head over to your local department store and get a bigger or better wallet. Having a zipped wallet also makes it harder for thieves to steal from you and land you in an identity theft situation.
3. Organize your kitchen and refrigerator — Collect your plastic wrap, aluminum foil, sandwich bags and wax paper and store them in the same drawer; make a grocery list and post it on the fridge so the next time you go to the grocery store, you will be focused on what you need to buy and not spend money frivolously on items you really don’t need. Organize your coupons by getting a folder solely dedicated to coupons! Finally, Check expiration dates in your fridge! Toss whatever is past due – this will eliminate clutter and enable you to know what you may not want to waste money on again in the future.
4. Tidy up your living room – Sit on your couch and scope out the room – put any clutter or distracting piles of unneeded stuff in a box and either toss it, sell it on eBay or at garage sale, or give it to a local charity. Label and organize your movie collection – this will prevent you from losing or misplacing any movies and therefore reduce you ordering and paying for that same movie again. Keep all remotes in one designated area. If lost, remotes can cost you up to $100. Get the most of your movie subscriptions by making of list of movies you want to see in the upcoming days and order accordingly. You may find that you don’t really need that Netflix or HBO subscription and you can make do with $1.00 REDBOX or Blockbuster rentals. You may be able to save yourself $10+ per month.