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If your New Year’s resolution has to do with getting organized, The Budget Diet has a plan for you!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a fairy waved her wand, & our lives were organized?
I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s just not going to happen!
So, The Budget Diet girl would like to offer you the next best thing…I’ll help you organize your life in 10 short days, so you can save both time and money!
Day 1:
Family Notebook: Create a notebook with a divider for each school or organization that your children are involved in. This is a great “one stop shop” for phone lists, schedules and rosters for those many activities! Use the back pocket to keep invitations or flyers for upcoming events. Use the front pocket for school directories. Keep the notebook in the drawer with your phone books and make sure your family knows where this important “resource” is!
Day 2:
Calendar Clutch: Keep a calendar or planner with you at all times and make sure your children know where it is, so they can check it! This will save you the time of having to tell someone, “I’ll check my calendar and get back with you.” I’m an old-fashioned paper calendar in the purse kind of girl, but electronic calendars are great. Use what works for you, but the important part is: use it! Use it to plan ahead, use it to make your to-do list, use it to save time and money!
Day 3:
Mail Mess: When mail or school papers arrive use this rule and avoid piles: do it, dump it or delegate it. Example: bills go in the bill paying file, write down dates from school flyers on your calendar, put the junk mail in the recycler.
Day 4:
E-Junk: Speaking of junk mail, in this internet era we are always giving out our e-mail address which seems to generate more and more junk in our inbox. Solution: get a free hotmail, g-mail or y-mail account and use this one exclusively for giving out to stores, etc. You’ll only need to check this e-mail for purchase confirmations or an e-coupon they may send.
Day 5:
De-clutter and stop telemarketers!
- Stop junk mail (free): http://www.DMAchoice.org
- Stop credit card offers (free): http://www.OptOutPrescreen.com
- Stop catalogs (free): http://www.CatalogChoice.org
– Stop telemarketers – register your phone number and cell phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry and enjoy the peace and quiet (free): www.DoNotCall.gov
Day 6:
Medical Forms: Get your child’s physical done every year around their birthday instead of rushing to make an appointment right before the school or camp form is due. As long as a child has had a physical within the year, you can drop off any form, and the doctor will sign it.
Day 7:
Plan ahead: It’s the beginning of the month, time to check the calendar for birthdays, anniversaries or other events that you might need to buy a gift for.
Day 8:
Great Ideas: Start idea files, and whenever you see a great idea…to the file it goes! Then when you’re ready to start a project you’ll have an instant resource. Suggested idea files:
- Decorating
- Halloween
- Christmas
- Birthday Party Ideas
- Gift Ideas
– Travel
– Recipes
Day 9:
Artwork overload: look for inexpensive frames on sale at Michael’s (usually $5) and decorate a hallway or a laundry room with your child’s artwork. Of course, this will be a gallery with rotating artwork!
Day 10:
Clean Out: Make a plan to tackle 1 room, closet or bookshelf each month (or week) and make 4 piles: throw out, recycle, donate, sell. Remember, if you haven’t used it or worn it in the past year…it’s time to get rid of it! Get the entire family involved and use the money you make for a family vacation! Places to sell: garage sale, ebay, consignment shop, craigslist, Half Price books,
Remember:
Time is money, so organize your life & save time and money!
What are you waiting for…get organized TODAY, or feel free to wait until the New Year!
Related posts:
- Get Organized This School Year!
- Help! My Inbox Is Full Of Junk
- Personal Planner – July
- De-Clutter & Be Green!
- Clean Out & Make Money!
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great suggestions — always inspiring!
Great post! I sooooooo need to get organised. Especially like the art gallery idea … I only have one child at school but she just loves colouring and drawing and we really need a space to display her artistic endeavours!
You make it sound so easy!! Now I just need to follow your advice!
Good, good, good. I made a family notebook a year ago. Now it’s buried under a pile of papers. Must repent!
Thanks for the suggestions. I’m always looking for ways to become more organized!
Such good advice! Stumbled!
Great tips! I’m always trying to de-clutter and stay organized. Keeping a calendar helps a lot!
I can’t tell you how much I needed this post! Now to find the time to actually get organized… but I know it will save me the time in the long run, right?
Just take it one day at a time! Other than #10…they won’t take long, and you’ll save time in the long run!!!!
I love your ideas and how you broke them up into bite-sized projects. Thanks!
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