Being Organized Puts More Money in Your Pocket
Being organized puts more money in your pocket.
Millions of Americans vow to be better organized. But did you know that being more organized can save you money? Yes indeed! Follow these tips below showing being organized puts more money in your pocket:
Organized finances.
Get your financial papers and systems organized. You will then be able to quickly assess your budget, track your spending and see where to cut corners if needed. It will be easier to access all the details of your accounts and finances. Knowledge is power and when your financial life is accessible and trackable, it usually results in more savings. An added bonus — you won’t have as many missed tax deductions due to your improved financial record-keeping systems.
Effective bill-paying system.
Imagine — no late or overdraft fees, your credit score goes up, and your interest rates go down. Sound like a dream? It is a reality for those that have an effective, and on-time bill-paying system. By keeping track of your bills, and paying them on time, you can save a significant amount of money as finance charges and late fees can range from $1 to more than $35 per month. Setting up online bill paying and automatic bank account deductions can make financial organizations painless, save you, money, and protect your credit rating.
Donations = tax deductions.
When clearing out your space, you may sometimes uncover items that you no longer need and cannot return to the store but are valuable to someone else. Charities need your excess stuff and you get a tax deduction.
Unwanted clutter for sale.
You can sell your unwanted items (online, locally, or through consignment) and cash in! Online services such as eBay and Craigslist are two ways to sell your items for fast cash. Consignment stores are another way to sell perfectly good clothing if you choose not to donate your items. Selling your items this way is usually quicker (and far easier) and results in more money than taking the time to have a garage sale.
No more duplicates.
Many disorganized people buy duplicates or items in bulk that become obsolete due to expiration, failure to store correctly, etc. Clearing clutter allows you to see what you have and then you don’t need to overbuy. Spending money you didn’t need to is a big money waster.
Organized meal planning and shopping.
By knowing what is in the refrigerator and cupboards of your kitchen, you won’t be over-buying and having food going to waste. Also, making a shopping list and planning out your menus in advance helps. An added bonus is that eating at home more frequently is less expensive than eating out.
Home and car maintenance.
Keep on top of home repairs and car maintenance. If you take better care of the things you own, they will break down less frequently. Some examples include servicing your heating and air conditioning systems at home, changing the oil in your car, etc.
Don’t wait until the last minute.
Avoid paying a premium for things at the last minute because you are up against a deadline. Some ways to avoid late fees are to record due dates in a daily planner, sign up for email at the library to receive notices of overdue books before they incur a fine, buy gifts in advance, and book travel plans early. Also, you can save money by using your coupons, store credits, and gift cards before they expire, and sending in rebates on time.
Being More Organized puts more money in your pocket. Millions of Americans vow to be better organized. But did you know that being more organized can save you money? Share on XThese tips are just a few ways that being organized can save you money. Who wouldn’t want to put some more money in his or her pocket in this “new economy”? So get organized, and reap the benefits financially.
© 2011 Lisa Montanaro of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC
Copyright 2011. Copyright Lisa Montanaro, “The Solutions Expert,” is the Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002. Organizing Solutions, LLC offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly “DECIDE™ to be Organized” e-zine for the general public. She also publishes the “Next Level Business Success” e-zine for professional organizers and entrepreneurs. Subscribe today at www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com. Lisa also publishes the DECIDE™ to be Organized blog at www.DecideToBeOrganized.com. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
[…] Being Organized Puts More Money In Your Pocket via Basic Organization {Organize your finances. Find an effective bill paying system. Make sure you no longer deal with duplicates, and DON’T wait until the last minute! Loved this blog post!} […]
There are so many benefits to being organized, and in this day and age, this one is a big deal! With everything costing more, it helps to squeeze the most we can out of every penny. I hate wasting food, so I really see the benefit of good meal planning and shopping. Prices at the grocery store are crazy now, right?
Oh my gosh yes, Seana! Grocery items are constantly going up! Time to save any way we can.
Such great financial organizing tips from Lisa Montanaro! We often talk about how getting organized can save you time and money. I love the specific areas and examples about how to do that. Getting any one of these under control not only will save you money, but it will reduce your stress. So smart.
Reducing stress is key. Thanks, Linda.
This is a good article to use to show clients that being organized has benefits more than storing things in labelled containers. Some people can’t see the benefits of establishing habits that help to get all these done on time. Talking about money can be a good motivator to learn new skills.
I agree. Thanks Julie.
I didn’t even realize until the end that this was a guest post from 2011, and it just goes to show you how solid the advice is that it’s all just as pertinent now as it was then. For me, the aspect not waiting until the last minute, and the fact that if you’ve got duplicates, you’ve probably got triplicates, and if you’ve got triplicates, you probably don’t know where ANYthing is, both mean you’re spending more than you have to. Thanks for bumping this up for our attention!
Thank you for the great post! Lots of very useful tips. No more duplicates is a big one. I hate it when I need something and know I have one somewhere but can’t find it so have to go out and buy another. You can be sure that I find it after buying a new one though! Haha!
Of course. It’s the way the world works. Having homes for everything makes this happen less.