What You Can't Afford in This Economy

By Susan Stewart 

What you can't afford in this economy is to be DISORGANIZED. Here's why:

Buying duplicate items because you couldn't find what you needed or you didn't remember you had it in the first place wastes money.

Questions to ask:

Do you have more than 3 bags of pasta or spaghetti sauce in your pantry?
If your entire house were searched, would more than 3 staplers turn up?
When it comes time to get out the holiday decorations, are you unable to find them all and end up purchasing new ones each year?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be wasting money by purchasing things you do not need.

Food uses a bigger portion of the budget than is needed.

Questions to ask:

Does your lack of meal planning lead to eating out more than twice a week?
Do you often go out to eat simply because the kitchen is so cluttered that the thought of cooking is completely overwhelming?
When you grocery shop, do you shop without a list?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be spending more money on food than is necessary.

1 in 4 adults say they pay bills late (thus incurring late fees) because they lose them.

Questions to ask:

When a bill comes in the mail, do you have a consistent place to put it?
Do you have a schedule you follow for paying your bills?
Do you feel in control of the mail and have a system for dealing with it?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may be wasting money on late fees.

Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the Phoenix area. Perfectly Placed simplifies the domestic lives of women through organization. You can find out more about Susan and Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Stewart
 

Video Titled "Traditional Home: Get organized with Chris Plantan"

Organizing A More Productive Day

By Julie Riber 

The economy has put the world in a spin and many workers fear the loss of their job. The more productive you are at work, the less likely you will be picked when downsizing becomes the inevitable. Make sure you are the one your employer look to for high productivity.

To organize a productive day at work, you must first look at your week as a whole. Whether you work 8-5 Monday - Friday, or if you work a different schedule every day, you need to take time on the day before your work week starts. For many in the workforce today, that day is Sunday. I will use Sunday as my example, but you can use any day of the week. First, on Sunday evening, take a look at your schedule for the week and look at the days you are booked with meetings or appointments. Next, look at the days you have time not currently filled.

Schedule in time for projects you are working on and time for correspondence. Schedule time for your to do list and any other item you need to work on this week. Not only are you looking at your day schedule, you need to look at the evenings too. Many families spend time at practices and games, so scheduling after school appointments, to do list time and family time is tough.

Every day should have time in the morning and early afternoon scheduled to look and answer at e-mail. If you leave your e-mail open all day, you will get nothing else accomplished. If your are used to looking at e-mail all day long, this will be a tough habit to break, but it will improve your productivity.

If you return a number of phone calls on a daily basis, that time too, should be scheduled. Obviously, something can come up that will disrupt your scheduled day, but this will not happen everyday. Try to stick to your schedule as close as possible to be the most productive. If you can, mark out time for these on Outlook so others do not schedule you for a meeting during these times, do so.

If possible, close your door during times you need to really concentrate. If you work in an open office area, try to put a note on your cubicle to let everyone know you are busy, or try a conference room for some privacy if you are interrupted constantly during the day.

Organizing your week will allow you to remember the projects and items that must be completed that week and you will become much more productive.

Julie Riber is a professional organizer in the central Ohio area for over 5 years. She helps organize individuals spaces, time, and lives and she helps businesses streamline processes, increase productivity, and organize their spaces. She is a Golden Circle member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Immediate Past President of the Ohio Chapter of NAPO. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter with organizing tips. http://www.transformare.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Riber

Make the Most of Vertical Space

By Susan Stewart 

When working with small spaces, it is imperative to make use of vertical space. If you can't go out, you've got to go up! Choose a product that is attractive, and your organization is now doing double duty as wall decor. Here are 3 tips for making the most of vertical storage.

1. Pick the color intentionally, not spontaneously. Many people choose a product spontaneously because they like a color they see in the store. When they get home and realize it doesn't match the room they want to put it in, they become frustrated. A little planning can go a long way here. Think through where you will use it and choose your color accordingly.

2. Do not let pockets, baskets, or any container become a "catch all" or that is exactly what it will do. Containers that become "catch all's" are containers that gather dust. No one wants to sort through miscellaneous junk to find what they are looking for. Instead, give things a home and be consistent about placing that particular item (and only that particular item) in that spot. You can still use baskets or containers for these homes.

3. Too many sticky notes or things on a bulletin board or magnet board makes clutter. People tend to post notes as a reminder but when a board is covered with notes, the note doesn't get seen. Using a to do list for lists works better and easier to read. Use the board for morning reminders or motivating quotes.

Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the Phoenix area. Perfectly Placed specializes in bringing peace and order to busy families through organization. You can find out more about Susan and Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Stewart
 

Home Organization

Photo Credits: By Rubbermaid Products

Positive Advantages of Being Organized at Your Home or Office

People who have an organized home and office seem to be less stressed and more motivated in life. They are usually productive with their work. Business clients and associates may be impressed with the nice surroundings of your office. 

Organized individuals routinely store their items in the most appropriate places in their homes and they may put things back when they are done using them to keep things in order. This helps to keep the home or office tidy. When items are organized, they will be easy to find when needed. You may be more efficient when doing your household chores and you may save valuable time.

You could reward yourself and use this precious time on things you truly enjoy such as writing, walking, or spending time with friends and family. When your home is decluttered and organized, you may feel worry-free and confident when your friends come over to visit. 

The important thing is that you should have more time to focus and take good care of yourself and concentrate on a healthy environment and lifestyle. It takes dedicated time to routinely prepare nutritious meals everyday. You may be able to schedule some time for appropriate exercise or daily relaxation time, such as watching a good movie or listening to your favorite music.

It may be easier in general to focus and concentrate when you are organized. You can make specific short-term and long-term goals for your future plans. It is a good idea to periodically re-evaluate your goals and update your plans accordingly. Don't forget to write down your daily "To Do" list every evening in preparation for the next day. It is nice to be able to take great pride in your new organized way of life and everyday routine. 

You may possibly be able to save a little money once you are organized because you will realize exactly what items that you have at home when you go shopping. In summary, good organizational skills can lead to many positive benefits in life.

Declutter Your Dining Room and Kitchen Table

Many families are so busy these days. Often times, both parents may be working and children may have a variety of school responsibilities. People may begin to feel disorganized when their homes become cluttered. This type of situation can be stressful and interfere with our daily lives. Clutter can easily affect the function of a room in your home.

This is especially true for dining room and kitchen areas in many busy homes. Family members may have a habit of walking through the front door and placing some of the following common items on a dining room or kitchen table: mail, newspapers, handbags, car keys, bags of groceries from the store, school books, homework papers, and book bags. The dining room table is a likely spot where paperwork in general may collect, such as bills and coupons for the grocery store, etc.

One helpful solution is to have a designated container, or storage box for each individual family member with their name on it that would be located at a central location in your home. Possibly, you could set up a nicely organized area in the entrance area of your house, so each family member would have a temporary space that would be suitable to place some of their miscellaneous belongings. Maybe a nice bench with shelves or decorative baskets may come in handy to help hold book bags, umbrellas, or handbags. There are beautiful storage solutions, such as sturdy cloth boxes in different colors, a variety of wicker baskets, and even durable plastic containers.

If your children happen to have art or homework projects, you may also want to have special containers to keep their school supplies for their projects. You can label the containers. It may be a good organizing habit to encourage everyone to put away their supplies after they are done using them.

These things sound simple; however, if practiced on a regular basis they can help to keep the household going along on a smooth routine. When you become organized, you will save time and labor in the future while maintaining your home and keeping it tidy.

Some family members may routinely have different working schedules and after-school events. People often become so busy that they forget about the importance of sitting down all together as a family at least once a day for a nice family meal. If the dining room table happens to be cluttered the majority of the time, there won't be any room for the family members to gather around to eat, relax, and communicate during a meal.

I believe a better plan is to get into the habit of routinely keeping your dining room or kitchen table clean and free of all clutter. It may be a nice idea to place a pretty tablecloth on your table. After dinner is finished, you can make sure the table is clean and the dishes are done. If appropriate, some of the family members may share in the responsibility of setting the table and clean-up after the meal. This provides some special time together to share stories from the day and communicate in general.

If family members have snacks before bedtime, you can quickly straighten up the area once again. I have gotten into the habit of doing a quick walk through the rooms in my home in the evening to declutter anything that needs my attention. It is so much nicer to wake up to a clean kitchen and dining room area at breakfast time.

These may be sensible organizational tips for easy everyday clean-up; however, a few simple tips can help with maintaining an orderly home. Learning to organize your home may help you to save time in the future while doing your daily chores in the house.

When you sort through and organize your home, hopefully, you will find a good place to routinely keep most of the items in your house. As you become more organized, you will be pleasantly surprised about how easy it will become to find specific items in your home. As you declutter areas in your house and stay organized, you may feel less stressed in general and more productive with work.