One of the things I most often deal with in organizing is paper clutter. People have enormous amounts of paper and no organized way to put it away. So, to get a start on eliminating the countertop clutter, try these steps to make filing less painful.
Go through your files and papers now and toss out everything that is old and unnecessary. Only keep your current year's files in the cabinet.
Decide what you will keep in your file cabinet. (Personal or business files)
There are a few different ways to organize your files.
Do you work for your money or does your money work for you?Are you too busy keeping up with the Joneses and going broke, or are you living within your means? Do you have too much debt?According to the Federal Reserve, the median U.S. household income is $43,200 and the typical family's credit card balance is about 5% of their annual income.Five percent of YOUR hard earned money is going to creditors instead of to you!Wouldn’t you like to get it back?Here are some tips to get you on...
It's that time of year again. We set our resolutions in place and begin attacking our problem areas like there's no tomorrow. We dream big. We're revitalized. We believe we can conquer the world. Unfortunately, the reality is that some time passes and we face some setbacks that discourage us and throw us off track leaving us feeling defeated so we give up. Let's resolve to not be defeated in 2008. We will press on toward our goals, whatever they may be.
First, set your goal, no matter how big it is and write it down. For the sake of...
On the first day of Christmas my organizer said to me, "Make sure you mail your Christmas cards out."
On the second day of Christmas my organizer said to me, "Decorate your home."
On the third day of Christmas my organizer said to me, "Finish gift shopping." Beat the last minute shoppers by getting your shopping done early. It's less frustrating.
On the fourth day of Christmas my organizer said to me, "Wrap all your presents." Mail out the ones that need to get mailed so they will arrive in time for Christmas.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. If you're the host of the Thanksgiving dinner this year, why not take a little stress of yourself by following these five quick Turkey-day tips.
1. Find out exactly how many people are coming and plan out where you are going to seat everyone so you are sure you'll have enough room and enough food.
2. Plan what is going to be on the menu. Go through your pantry and cupboards and find out what you have and what you're going to need. Also, see if any of your guests are willing to bring...
It's the beginning of October and you know what that means...Christmas decorations should be appearing in Supercenters everywhere any day now! Is it just me or does anyone else notice that each year they appear earlier and earlier? Isn't there a holiday called "Thanksgiving" somewhere in between? Halloween decorations were out in mid-September. I know that because I had to explain to my five year old daughter that she didn't need a costume right then because Halloween wasn't for another month and a half.
I suppose we should be thankful for the early reminders our favorite stores give us...
Labor Day not only represents a day of rest for the working man, but also reminds us that the fun days of summer...are over. Our children go back to school and our schedules, which were full of fun things to do, are now filled with running here, there and everywhere just to keep up. Everyone, including your children, could use some help getting the craziness into some kind of daily plan. Here are some suggestions to help your children make a not-quite-so-hectic return to the busyness of fall.
Parents, the first tip is to get a daily planner for your...
Whether you live in an apartment or own your home, sometimes it just doesn't feel like you have enough space.
Papers clutter what used to be the kitchen table, exercise equipment holds the piles of clothes you can't fit in your closet, cupboards are filled with containers with no lids or lids with no containers, and spare rooms become the dumping ground for anything and everything.
Space seems to elude us no matter how big our place is. The culprit is not always the square footage, but rather the quantity of "stuff" we try to squeeze into it.
Are you still burdened with clutter, late bills, no money and lots of stress? This month, we celebrated our national Independence Day. Don't you think it's time to start the process of your personal independence? Millions of people are weighed down by the physical and financial clutter in their lives. Lack of goals and plans to attain them are things that hold you back from making your dreams come true. Just as our country broke away from the oppression of Great Britain, you can break away from the oppression of your unorganized circumstances.
Summer is nearly here and many folks will be heading out for vacations.So, I thought maybe some tips for traveling would be in order.Whether you’re traveling near or far, these tips will help you relax where ever you are.Bad poetry there, I know.I’ll just stick to the tips.
First of all, make sure the trip is actually in your budget.There’s no real relaxing going on when you have the debt of a vacation looming over your head.Plan where you’re going around the money you...
The following questions are ones I've been asked a lot. Perhaps they will help you on your way to organized living!
Q. What does one do when she wants to get organized, but no one else in the house does?
A. First, make things easy to put away. If the people in your household have to make too much of an effort to put things away, they won't bother. Being nagged becomes the less painless option, and, therefore, more appealing. Put your items in logical places in easily accessible containers. Labeling helps, too. If they can read, they can...
Do you like your kitchen? According to contractors.com, the kitchen one of the most remodeled rooms in the home. There are a few reasons for that. One is that we lack space. Kitchen counters and cupboards seem to collect clutter faster than anything. Another is that we want more updated appliances and a more modern look. And, for people who are selling their home, a nice kitchen is a huge selling point.
If you're feeling like your kitchen lacks the space and pizzazz you're craving, try these tips to make the hub of your home more organized and user friendly....
It seems like we just celebrated the New Year and already it's February. Where does the time go? I know January was a blur for me. There have been many things to do and many things to think about. Sometimes, it seems there are just not enough hours in a day or days in a week. Do you find you're having trouble finding time to do everything you need to do? Like you run around all day long doing things, but at the end of the day haven't accomplished much? There are 168 hours in a week. Here are...
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Nat'l "Get Organized" Month
January 13, 2007
Happy New Year! As always, people around the world start out the new year with high hopes, great ideas and new resolutions that will help make their dreams come true. It's as though there is a lifetime between December 31st and January 1st where our possibilities seem endless, our goals seem completely attainable and we feel unstoppable. We're inspired, hopeful, enthusiastic and convinced everything will be different this year.
Some people reach their goals by the end of the year while some make it until January 2nd. What's the difference between these people? Likely,...
Whether you work in or out of the home, your office should be a place where you feel productive and where ideas can flow freely. Here are some tips that will help make your work day more efficient and fruitful.
At the end of every day, make sure your desk is cleaned off. There's nothing more discouraging than walking in to your office on Monday morning just to see the piles of stuff you didn't finish scattered everywhere.
Keep pens, pencils (two or three) and a notepad near your phone so you can always take notes as you converse. It's...
I suppose everyone procrastinates to some degree. We all have things we dread doing and will put off until we feel like doing them, or until it becomes necessary to do them. That's why procrastination is one of the major causes of clutter in our lives. You get mail and don't feel like going through it, so you throw it in your "I'll do that later" pile. You don't feel like talking on the phone when it rings, so you ignore it and claim you'll "call back later." Paying bills, cleaning the bathroom, folding the laundry, and going to get...
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Fall Organizing Tips
October 13, 2006
So, at last summer has come to an end and the task of preparing for the long, cold winter is upon us. Yes, it's true. We SHOULD have three months of autumn to prepare, but here in the Great North Woods, we know better. There is about a month, maybe a month and a half before the first snow could visit our doorsteps. Are you ready for it?
Here are some ideas to take advantage of the fall month(s) to prepare for winter:
¨ Go through your summer clothes and keep only what you think you'll use again next...
"Budget" can be a scary word for some people. It's scary for many reasons. It sounds cold and strict, like you don't have the freedom to do what you want with your money. It sounds like you need to be a meticulous person, a bit of a penny-pincher, just to have one. They seem time consuming and boring and most people have never learned how to create one. If you look the word budget up in the dictionary, though, you'd find that it isn't so scary. Webster's dictionary says it is "an estimate of future income and outgo." It's just...
It's time to pay the bills. Do you know where your bills are?? Most people I know have no system for paying bills. After making the trip to the mailbox, the mail gets tossed on the counter in the pile you'll "get to later." Then, you have company coming, so you move the pile to a more discreet location "for now" and next thing you know, you have a $35 late fee for that credit card you didn't pay on time, you're threatened that your electricity will be shut off and your car is being repossessed. If that sounds familiar..uh-oh! ...
The day has come.You finally realize that your home is an utter mess and you just can’t take it for another day.As you stand and scope the chaos that surrounds you, deep fear begins to set in.“Where in the world do I start?”So, you pick a random room and begin sorting through some stuff, finding old treasures you lost long a go.It feels like Christmas as you uncover the memories and trinkets that lie beneath the piles.But, by the end of the day, you look around and see...[More]0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
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