I’m about to tell you something that’s going to blow your mind so, hold on to your hat. Here goes:
Being well-organized saves you money.
Yep, that’s right!
Have you ever been slapped with a late fee because you paid a bill after its due date? Are you sick of buying replacements for items you lost only to have them surface later? How much food have you thrown out because you forgot it at the back of the fridge?
If you said yes to any of those questions, then you have been losing out on your hard-earned cash. It’s time to put a stop to all of that.
There are some simple things you can start doing right now to be more organized. Over time, these will become habits and you’ll be rewarded with less stress and more savings in the bank.
It’s time to say goodbye to disorganization.
7 Ways To Be Well-Organized
Meal Planning
I constantly preach about the benefits of meal planning mainly because I know first-hand how well it works.
A few years ago, I was blowing through my money each month and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. I finally started tracking my expenses and realized just how much I was spending on food.
Not only was I buying meals frequently, I was also purchasing groceries and then throwing them out because I didn’t use them. It was such a waste! Once I had come to the realization that I was literally dumping my cash in the trash (ha ha, “cash in the trash” rhymes), I put an end to it.
How?
By meal planning.
Each week, I would decide what I was going to cook and then wrote a shopping list based on that. I started seeing the savings every month and I was also eating a whole lot healthier than I was before.
Shopping Lists
I touched on this point already but writing shopping lists is actually a great way to save money. The funny thing is many people don’t do it.
When I talk about shopping lists, I’m not just talking about what you need from the supermarket, I’m referring to just about anything you’re going to purchase.
Lists keep you focused. Let’s be honest—how many times have you gone to the supermarket and left with a ton of snacks but no actual food?
Oh, come on… I can’t be the only one who has done that!
Anyway, write lists for everything including clothing you need and even gifts you want to buy. Once you have your list, stick to it! Don’t let wandering eyes and excellent retail marketing get you into trouble.
Pantry and Freezer Inventory
If you want to be well-organized and save money, you need to start keeping track of what’s inside your pantry and freezer. Those places can be black holes for food. It’s hard to remember what’s in there.
Create an inventory for each making sure to write the item name, quantity and expiration date.
When stocking your pantry and freezer, pack items so you’ll grab the older stuff first. In the pantry, this may mean putting new purchases at the back of the shelf and in the freezer, you should stack old items on top. This way, you’ll use up food before it expires and you won’t be wasting anything.
Create a Budget
I feel like “budget” is a dirty word for some people. They associate it with being deprived but that’s not necessarily true.
Budgeting is actually a great way to get everything you want out of life. If you want to travel, creating a financial plan will help you ensure you can afford to take that trip when the time comes.
Of course, if you’ve been living above your means and are in debt, a budget might mean limiting the luxuries you enjoy. In that case, think of the budget as a way to eventually live the life you want—one that’s free from the constraints of loan payments.
The long and short of it is that a budget helps you to be in control of your money instead of it just slipping away.
Organize Bills
Organizing your bills means you’ll no longer misplace them or forget to pay them.
Pick a spot in your home and place all incoming bills to be paid there. When you need them, you’ll know exactly where they all are.
Create a calendar to track the due dates for payments and schedule a time to pay them. If you always do this at the same time every month, it will become habit.
Even if you opt for digital bills to cut down on paper clutter, this process still works. Check out this post for more tips on how to organize your household bills.
Organize Coupons
The use of coupons is such a simple concept. You hand over a little piece of paper in order to receive a discount off your purchase.
Then, why is it that you never have them around when you need them most or worse yet, you forget about them and they expire?
This is largely due to the fact that you weren’t well-organized. Keep your coupons all in one handy organizer and store that in your purse or car. That way, they’ll always be on hand when you go shopping.
Also, don’t just shove coupons into your folder all willy-nilly. Put the ones that will soon expire up front. As soon as you open up your folder, you’ll be reminded to use them.
Be Mindful
It’s amazing how much stuff you can accumulate over time. Every once in a while, you should go through room-by-room and declutter.
This process forces you to be aware of things you don’t really use or even need. Get rid of anything that’s broken and you don’t use or love. Sell items that are still in good condition either via a garage sale or online. This can definitely help you to recoup some of the money you spent.
In the future, be mindful of what you bring into your home. Use the One-In, One-Out rule where you must get rid of an item similar to one you just bought.
Maintain Your House and Car
Your home and car are probably your most expensive assets. So, I bet you’re taking really good care of them, right?
If those crickets I’m hearing is an indication of the contrary, then you better get started.
Regular maintenance is the best way to avoid costly repairs. If you don’t have an emergency fund saved that can cover those costs, then you’ll find yourself in hot water.
Create a monthly home maintenance plan and schedule car servicing at the times recommended by the manufacturer or dealer. You won’t be sorry that you did.
Printables to Keep You Organized
Instead of creating your own printables, grab my Home Management Printables Bundle for just $7—a savings of 85%!
The Home Management Bundle is a collection of 16 fill-in-the-blanks printables that you can use to:
- Plan meals and create shopping lists
- Create food inventories to eliminate wastage
- Track bills so you never miss a payment
- Easily maintain your home and car
- And much more!
Only the first 50 lucky people will enjoy this much value at this special price. Don’t miss out, get your Home Management Printables Bundle for just $7 now!
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