Ruth Soukup's Blog, page 97

Thrifty Thursday {Week 84}

Happy Thursday!  I hope you are all having a fantastic week.  Can you believe October is already almost behind us?  Where did the month go?  My girls are really looking forward to trick-or-treating tomorrow night.  This is their first year choosing something “scary” for their costume which made this mama very happy!  I was getting a little tired of princesses, fairies, and mermaids!  You can get a sneak peek of their dramatic costumes on Instagram!

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

 
1. Retired by 40 { The ONE THING That Saves me $1,400/yr }
2. The Budget Mama { The Half Payment Method }

3. Modern Mrs. Darcy { Book Page Pumpkin }

4. Snail Pace Transformations {10 Apps Thrifty People Use to Save & Earn Money}

5. Mums Make Lists { 100 Simple Homemade Gifts }

6. Budget Loving Military Wife {10 Steps to STOP Living Paycheck to Paycheck}

7. The Latina Homemaker { Living on One Income-Taking Action }
8. Coupon Karma { 15 Ways to Save Over $500 by Christmas }
9. Pulling Curls { October Meal Plan }
10. MBA SAHM {10 Reasons to STOP Breastfeeding}
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize, and the expanded 2nd edition is now available in paperback!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Address Book (Day 29)

Day 29: Address Book

In this digital era, many of us rely on our Google contacts, iPhone and Facebook to maintain our address book. With a simple click of a button or search we can have access to all the information—it’s portable, it’s easy to update, and it’s right in our phones.

Unfortunately, unlike the paper address books of yesterday, having several contact lists mean that we often don’t have all of the information stored in the same place. Facebook might alert you to birthdays, but there are those who are not on Facebook or don’t share birthdays on social media. Google Contacts often maintains email addresses and updates, but may not have phone numbers. If you sync your contact list with your smart phone, you may then have some phone numbers, some email addresses, some birthdays and almost no one’s street address.

The joy of sending and receiving mail is a tradition that should not be undervalued or lost. Despite the admonition to cut back on paper, sending a birthday card, thank you note or other message in the mail is still a very thoughtful gesture. It is vital to have an address book in order to do so.

I personally prefer to store all my contacts and addresses in an Excel spreadsheet. My husband and I usually update it once a year, as we prepare to send out our Christmas cards. However, if you prefer a paper address book, take an afternoon to copy the information into the book, and update it just as frequently.

A well-maintained address book can literally be your lifeline when you need to reach out to someone. Just a little time to complete it can be extremely valuable in the long run. Don’t be afraid to declutter and eliminate old contacts from your address book as well. Focus on maintaining fewer acquaintances but more genuine friendships.

 Objective: An updated and accessible address book that you maintain with complete contact information and birthdates.

Assess the current situation: Where do you currently keep all your contact information? What is your preferred and most easily accessed method? Do you regularly send Christmas cards or have a big event coming up that will require invitations?

 

{Get Day 29 De-cluttering Checklist here}

Assignment:

 1. Gather your contacts. Collect all of your current contact information from your various sources, such as Outlook, Google, Facebook, stacks of business cards, and paper address book.

 2. Merge your lists. Transcribe or transfer all contact information to one source, such as an Excel spreadsheet, saving frequently.

 3. Update. Make a list of addresses that need research or additional contact information that needs to be updated. Include birthdays, anniversaries and important milestones.

 4. Reach out. Use this opportunity to reach out to some of those you’ve lost contact with and research their information.

 5. Maintain. Commit to updating the information regularly.

 

Check out the Customized DIY Address Book at WordLabel.com

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Control Center (Day 28)

Day 28: Control Center

Your family control or command center is the area where you track all your family happenings and post your weekly plan for your household.  It is an invaluable tool for organizing yourself, your meals, your finances and the general running of your home–a physical dashboard to driving your life. If you don’t yet have a control center, today is the day you will implement one!

Your control center should start with a magnetic whiteboard or chalkboard, as well as a bulletin board and a calendar.   It should provide an at-a-glance view of your month, containing important scheduling and to-do items, including cleaning, organizing, meals, jobs and social obligations. For parents, it can help you remember piano lessons, soccer practice and gymnastics—and that on Thursday you are taking a meal to the neighbors with a new baby, so on Tuesday you need to remember to pick up supplies at the grocery store. Your control center is what will keep you on task. It will save you trips to the store, ensure you don’t forget a birthday gift, and it will ease your mind so you don’t have to worry about that “thing” hanging over you.

Your meal plan and ongoing grocery list should also be kept in your control center in order to avoid stress the stress of wondering what to make for dinner or not knowing if you have the ingredients on hand. Additionally, your control center should be the place you keep important phone numbers and instructions for babysitters or other household helpers.

While it does take some effort to get a control center set up and operational, it is not too difficult to maintain. The first of the month (or a few days before) is usually a good time to designate as your monthly Control Center Set-Up Day. Take a few hours and organize the Control Center. Make notes throughout the month of what works for you and change as needed.

 Objective: A functional Family Control Center where you can organize a month’s worth of cleaning, household tasks, meals, important events and social obligations.

Assess the current situation: How many members are in your household and who will use the Control Center? What room or task can you focus on each day? What major social obligations, visitors and events do you have in the next month? What are the important phone numbers you need to have at your fingertips and leave for the babysitter? What are your family’s favorite meals and basic ingredients?

 

{Get Day 28 De-cluttering Checklist here}

Assignment:

 1. Gather your essentials. To create your control center you will need a magnetic clips, whiteboard or chalkboard, a bulletin board, magnetic clips, a calendar, and chalk or dry-erase markers.

2. Create your control center. Hang control center essentials in a central location in your home so that it is easy and convenient for all family members to reference it on a daily basis.

3. Identify your players. Make a list of each household member and assign them a color on the board.

 4. Plan meals. Make a list of your family’s favorite meals and basic ingredients for those meals. Calendar the meals on the chart.

 5. Create a cleaning schedule. Use the tools found at www.LivingWellSpendingLess.com/cleaningschedule to create a cleaning schedule that works for you and your family. Plan a speed cleaning session for each day, or assign each room or area of your house to a different day, and add it to your calendar. Plan 15-20 minutes per day to start, if an hour seems too overwhelming at first.

 6. Fill in the calendar. In the appropriate colors for each family member, add social obligations, extracurricular activities, appointments, tests, etc. Hang chalk or markers on or near the board, so it can be updated as needed.

 7. Create a contact sheet. Gather and list important phone numbers and notes, and post them on the board.

 

1.Midful Mornings Control (ContainerStore.com)
2. Cozy Corner Command Center (RealSimple.com)
3. Wall of Duty (RealSimple.com)
4. Family Command Center (BHG.com)
5. Daily System Solutions (PotteryBarn.com)

 

An InLinkz Link-up

 

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The Ultimate Crafter’s Dream Giveaway

The holiday season is fast approaching and we want the celebrations to start TODAY!!!! We’ve partnered with 9 of our favorite blogging friends on Google+ to bring you an AMAZING giveaway- take a look at this:

 

One LUCKY Reader Will Win the ULTIMATE creative package of craft goodies!

If you don’t have your hands on the new Cricut Explore, you are missing out! This machine is a design-and-cut system that makes amazing DIY and craft projects. Our friends at Cricut are going to give one lucky person a Cricut Explore AND the accessories, tools, mats, and materials you need to get started!

And if that weren’t enough, the winner will also receive a HUGE a selection of Plaid products including: Mod Podge formulas, Mod Podge tools and accessories, decoupage papers, Mod Molds and Melts, Collage Clay, FolkArt paints, FolkArt stencils, FolkArt tools, Martha Stewart paints, Martha Stewart glass paints, Martha Stewart stencils and adhesive stencils, Martha Stewart adhesive silkscreens, Martha Stewart gold leafing tools and accessories, and much more!

…. OH, and we decided we’re also going to throw in a $200 gift card to Michaels. You know, ’cause we’re cool like that.

**That’s just about $1,400 in Prizes**

CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?!

Before you enter, check out all our favorite blogger friends…

Click on the name of each site to check ‘em out…

Mod Podge Rocks- Mod Podge Rocks is a collection of tutorials and how-tos featuring the world’s greatest decoupage medium. Come visit Amy for tons of inspiration.
Somewhat Simple- Somewhat Simple is THE PLACE for creative inspiration. Get inspired by thousands of simple projects, recipes, crafts, and more!
Living Well, Spending Less- Living Well, Spending Less is all about the adventure of finding the Good Life on a budget… because a life well lived is not so much about what we have as who we are.
Kids Activities Blog - Kids Activities Blog is overflowing with fun crafts, art projects, games and activities for kids- most with contents from your kitchen junk drawer!
The Dating Divas -Each Monday, the Divas offer a fabulous date idea already completely planned out for your upcoming weekend. Throughout the rest of the week, they offer FREE flirty tips, tricks, tutorials, & darling printables to keep the romance alive and the sparks flying’.
The 36th Avenue - The 36th Avenue is your number one destination for easy DIY projects, free printables, adorable handmade gifts and holiday ideas, delicious recipes and everything EXTRAORDINARY!
Kara’s Party Ideas -Kara Allen is the party designer, author, dessert stylist & creator behind THE place for ALL things PARTY- KarasPartyIdeas.com. Kara’s Party Ideas holds millions of party ideas you can search, party recipes, a party supply shop, a fab party book, fun worldwide party workshops, an app & more!
One Good Thing by Jillee - One Good Thing by Jillee is dedicated to sharing one good thing a day that makes life a little more simple, affordable, wholesome, and joyful! Millions of people look to “Jillee” each month for tips on living a more frugal and healthy life. Learn how to enrich your life while conserving time, money, and resources.
Remodelaholic - If your goal is to make your house a home, then come to Remodelaholic.com. They will teach you the best ways to update your house and design and decorate your home on a budget. Go from builder grade to beautiful with their help.
Lil’ Luna - Lil’ Luna is the one-stop to find all things creative! Come on over to find inexpensive & unique crafts, DIY projects, recipes, gift ideas, and more for any occasion.

What are you WAITING for?

HURRY AND ENTER USING THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Craft Supplies (Day 27)

Day 27: Craft Supplies

Indulging your creative side can be both fun and relaxing. Crafting, painting, and even gardening and other such hobbies provide a welcome respite from daily life. Not only that, but they give an outlet for creativity, allowing us to learn and grow and to beautify the world around us.

Unfortunately the supplies used to undertake these creative hobbies can be small, easily scattered, hard to organize, strangely shaped and difficult to store. Some of us are craft addicts and tend to purchase truckloads of tools, supplies and items as we hone our skills at each new craft. It can be hard to part with craft supplies and tools because many are pricy and often there is some guilty or a “never say die” mentality, even when we’ve undertaken projects that we admittedly don’t love.

One of the key factors to organizing a craft area, whatever that space may be, is knowing when to say enough is enough. Perhaps you tried knitting, but have a half-made, lumpy scarf still on the needles, and 10 skeins of yarn in a basket. Perhaps you made Christmas ornaments two years ago and still have bags of pompoms and rickrack that you just can’t quite get rid of. Give yourself permission to let it go.

Reusable items can be donated to schools or afterschool programs. Other items, like fleece, can be cut into small “cage comforters” and donated to your local animal shelter. Think creatively about who might really get some use out of the abandoned items and pass them on!

Once you’ve let go, focus on the crafts that you truly love and feel good doing. Organize your supplies and let your creativity take off! You’ll be surprised at how free you will feel once you give yourself permission to create things you are proud of.

 Objective: Organized craft supplies that are frequently used with a storage solution.

Assess the current situation: What craft activities do you really love to do? What items are you holding onto out of guilt? Who can use the items? What does your storage space look like? How can you effectively store the items and make a useful workspace?

 

{Get Day 27 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

 1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Sort and declutter. Gather all craft supplies. Sort them by type (adhesives, papers, fabric, cutting implements, etc.), and by project.

Keep only items that:

You have used for a project in the last year
You enjoy working with and feel good about
You have enough of, to be used for a solidified future project (not scraps)
Can fit within a designated craft/storage area

 Do not keep items that:

You are keeping out of guilt
Were used for a completed project and can’t be used for a concrete project in the future
Are damaged or will not be used in the future

 3. Let go! Purge all items that do not fit into the keep category or those that cannot be sorted and stored in the given space. Discard broken items and box or bag other items for donation.

 4. Clean your crafting area. Wipe down shelves, cupboards, and drawers. Sweep, vacuum, and clean glass surfaces.

 5. Create functional storage solutions for all your craft supplies. Look on Pinterest or other resources within your own hobby genre for creative storage solution ideas that fit the needs for your particular passion.

 6. Label everything! Take the time to clearly label bins and storage containers, using labels or even a Polaroid-type picture on the outside of each bin. Everything should have a designated place.

 

1. Deluxe Craft Center (ContainerStore.com)
2. The Perfect Craft Cabinet (BHG.com)
3. Kids Crafting Corner (ContainerStore.com)
4. Cute & Clever Craft Organizing (BHG.com)
5. Snappy Storage Solutions (GoodHouseKeeping.com)
 
 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Guest Room (Day 26)

Day 26: Guest Room

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a guest room, but nearly everyone is lucky enough to have guests! Whether it’s providing a couch for a friend in need or a room for a relative who’s coming to town, there are a few things that can be done to ensure your guest has a warm, safe, inviting space to make them feel right at home.

There are a few universal courtesies that all guests will appreciate. Integrating each into your guest room is a must and will really brighten their stay—plus, the care you take will ensure your hospitality won’t go unnoticed.

Even if you have an extra bedroom that is solely for guests, chances are a few other things migrate to that space as well. If your home is anything like mine, your guest room is also one of the only extra storage areas in the home! Many guest rooms, by necessity, become overflow centers for storage, bins of Christmas decorations, closets full of dance recital dresses and items that aren’t used often, but can’t quite be parted with just yet, either.

Take the time to truly consider this space and how you most want it to be used. If possible, move storage to the attic, basement and garage, or better yet, consider if the items are even needed at all. If the room serves a dual purpose, investing in a daybed, pullout couch or futon can help maximize the space. Keeping things organized and clean can ensure that your guests, when they arrive, aren’t tripping over your treadmill or fighting cat allergies during their stay.

 Objective: A welcoming space for guests that meets their needs and doesn’t “collect dust” when they are not there.

Assess the current situation: Do you have frequent guests? What purpose does the space serve when you do not have guests? How can you make the space inviting? Are things housed in the space that could be stored elsewhere?

 

{Get Day 26 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

 1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Assess the space and its current use. Remove all items that cannot be attractively stored in an organized manner.

 3. Sort, declutter, and store remaining items. Try to arrange any items that must be stored in this room to be as minimally invasive to guests as possible. Get rid of anything that is not absolutely essential, or anything you can bear to part with. After a nearly a month of decluttering, you should be getting pretty good at this job!

 4. Prepare for guests. Set up guest room amenities so they’re all ready to go when your guests arrive.

A great guest room provides:

A comfortable, clean place to sleep with extra blankets/bedding (fold and store at the foot of the bed or in a closet)
An accessible outlet for a phone charger (and your Wi-Fi password)
A nightstand with a light and somewhere to hold a glass of water
Welcoming, clean décor and space to put a suitcase or bag
Freedom from allergen-triggers (Fido should sleep elsewhere), loud noises and bright lights
Access to a bathroom with a towel and basic amenities

 An outstanding guest room provides

A snack, fruit or nosh for the midnight-snacker
An extra toothbrush, hand lotion, face wipes and reading material (store in the nightstand)
Privacy and solace
Flowers, plants, candles and other welcoming touches

 

 

1. Clever Clean-Lined Room (WestElm.com)
2. Under The Bed Drawers (MarthaStewart.com)
3. Bedtime Bookshelf (BHG.com)
4. New Neutrals Guest Room ?(WestElm.com)
5. Space Smarts (BHG.com)
 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Weekend Wandering

Happy Sunday!   I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!  I attended the Allume conference this week but left early yesterday morning so that I could join my family for some fun Halloween festivities we had planned.  This was the first year our girls have chosen a “scary” costume so I wasn’t going to miss it for the world!  My husband and I sort-of dressed up too, but we went the clever/funny/last-minute route.  It cracked us up that all the young people at the party guessed right away, but all the “older” (my age) folks couldn’t get it.

Today I am looking forward to doing some freezer cooking and getting caught up on the Clutter Free Challenges I missed while I was out of town.  If you haven’t joined in yet, there are still a few days left in the month!  It is absolutely free to participate, and if you are a blogger you can join in the fun by blogging about it and linking up each day, or you can just follow along on Instagram and share your own successes using hashtag #LWSLClutterFree!

But now on to the good stuff.  Here is what I loved this week:

  *   *   *

First of all, nothing says fall like a warm bowl of hearty soup, and this Cheesy Potato and Broccoli Soup from This Silly Girl’s Life sounds like the perfect meal to please everyone in my house!

Of course this Cheesy Chicken & Vegetable Soup from Cozy Country Living looks pretty amazing as well!  Yum!

And speaking of fall recipes, there were a lot more yummy pumpkin recipes shared this week! This Easy and Yummy Pumpkin Butter  from Creative Home Keeper would make a great gift!

This Pumpkin Pie Crunch recipe from Spend With Pennies sounds so easy to make. YUM!!

This easy no cook Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from Confessions of an Overworked Mom not only sounds amazing but is also egg and gluten free. Love it!

Halloween is less then a week away! If you are looking for ideas on how to decorate your pumpkins.  Look no further. Shambray has 4 Quick and Easy Ways to Decorate Pumpkins.

These Spooky Soaps from Essentially Eclectic are so fun.  They would be great as non-candy party favors!

On the DIY front, this $10 DIY Wine Themed Chalkboard Frame from Starfish Cottage makes a great conversation piece!

The Seasoned Homemaker has 7 easy to follow detailed steps to help you create this DIY Ottoman Makeover.  So cute!

I love the idea of sending formal invites for holiday gatherings. Moritz Fine Designs has 3 Printable Thanksgiving Invitations for you to choose from and they’re FREE!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, Atkinson Drive has super simple tips on How to Prep Your Kitchen for the Holidays in 5 Easy Steps. These are great!

Looking to save money where ever you can? Creative Savings has 6 Genius Ways to Save Money on Makeup.  I might have to give tip 4 a try!

Stuff Parents Need shares One Simple Trick to Save Extra Money When Shopping Online.

Lastly, The Vintage Sheet dishes about 8 Thrift Shop Secrets she has uncovered over the years.

*   *   *

What did you love this week?

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Photographs (Day 25)

Day 25: Photographs

Believe it or not, but in the last six months, the number of photos taken by the human race has actually doubled. This is an amazing and staggering statistic. With the advent of social media and digital photography, it’s time to rethink how we archive and store our photos. The problem of yesterday—how to archive paper photos in acid-free storage—is nearly extinct. Now the problem becomes how to label and sort through files of photographs in a way that makes them accessible so they can be shared and enjoyed.

Paper photographs can, and should be, arranged chronologically and eventually scanned into digital files. Not only will this help keep them organized, but it can prevent tragedy from destroying valued memories. Storing photos in archival quality photo boxes (sorted by year) can help ensure that your family will enjoy them and that they are accessible for scrapbooking and other projects.

Digital photography, on the other hand, can be a different beast to tame. One of the main tendencies is to hold on to too many files. While it can be hard to part with even one baby picture, hanging on to the not-so-great shots can make sorting and storing them a difficult chore.

Keep the photos that you deem good to excellent. Use an online service such as Picasa, Snapfish, iPhoto, Flickr or Photobucket. Organize the photos by year, month, and then event, such as “2014 May Jenny Birthday Party Cake.” It may seem like an arduous process, but adding a descriptor can really ensure that you will be able to easily find photos for later use. Commit to uploading photos once a month and the task will seem less daunting as you go. Many online services offer great printable gifts and beautiful keepsake photo books as well.

Objective: Organized files of both film and digital photography.

Assess the current situation: What is your current storage method? How can photos be organized? How can photos be digitally organized and archived?

{Get Day 25 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

1. Sort and declutter your printed photographs. Gather all your print photos and organize into piles by year.  Toss any that aren’t very good, then sort the rest into stackable acid-free photo boxes.

 2. Organize your digital photos. Using the following guidelines to sort and de-clutter:

Upload any photos that are on your phone or camera
Keep only the best photos
Organize onto an online photo storage program
Rename files in a logical manner by date and event
Scan, name and archive film photographs, starting with the oldest first

 

 

 

1. Take The Boring Out of Storing (ContainerStore.com)
2. Digital Device Display (CreativeHomeIdea.com)
3. Color Coded CD & DVD Display (ContainerStore.com)
4. Organize This & That ?(Ikea.com)
5. DIY Charging Dock Blueprint (MarthaStwewart.com)
 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Digital Data (Day 24)

Day 24: Digital Data

By now you should be used to the idea of digital scanning and document archiving. Like most people, you probably also have a number of files and archives already on your computer, such as digital photos, videos, and the like. Depending on your computer use and the amount of data you’ve stored, you may prefer to address digital clutter in one of several different ways.

For simplicity’s sake, we will start with basic digital organization. There are many cloud-based programs that can help store your files, depending on how tech-savvy you are and how much storage space you need. If you find yourself needing more storage than your basic home computer can offer, then it is time to start researching storage options; consider an external hard drive.

The average home computer user may simply need a solution to sort files in a way they can be quickly found when needed. It can be overwhelming, especially if you have simply “saved” items willy-nilly all over your desktop, in your My Documents folder, on a thumb drive, and/or in your email attachments. If you find yourself afraid to empty your “recycle bin” on your computer because you’ve used it as an archive system, you know you have a problem.

Think of your hard drive as a basic filing cabinet. Each user should have their own profile, or at minimum, their own folder. If you are concerned about how your children access your files and/or if privacy is a major concern, parents may want to install a safe browser, share a family login, and monitor and limit kids’ computer time.

 Objective: A digital data filing system that works for a family’s basic needs on a shared home computer.

Assess the current situation: How many people use your computer? Do you have a file folder for each user? How can those files be broken down in a way that is most useful to you? How can you sort and access digital data in a quick, non-overwhelming way?

{Get Day 24 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

 

Assignment:

 1. Make a plan. Write a list of all of the digital items you store on your computer. For example:

Bills to pay
Paid bills/invoices (consider sorting by vendor)
Monthly statements (consider sorting by vendor)
Photographs (sort by month)
Scanned photos/homework/artwork
Scanned receipts
Writing, journals, etc.
Home budget

 2. Create folders. Each user of a particular computer should have their own folder on the hard drive. Furthermore, you should create folders for each of the categories listed above, as well as any sub categories.   If you like to keep your folders on your desktop, consider installing a desktop background that can help you sort your folders. I love this free desktop background from Heather Moritz at Moritz Fine Designs: http://www.moritzfineblogdesigns.com/2013/08/clean-up-your-computer-desktop-simple-computer-organization/

 3. Sort your files. Drag files to the appropriate sorting folders, then drag folders into “My Documents” or whichever file you’ve designated as home base.

 4. Protect your files. Consider a password storage program or app like LastPass or RoboForm to protect your passwords and data.

 5. Streamline your online data. Clear out any bookmarks in your browser you no longer use. Consider using a program or app like Feedly to manage your news, blogs and RSS feeds.

 6. Back up your files. Determine how you will access all your files in the event of an emergency. (If all your kid pictures live on your desktop computer, you need a backup system NOW. How would you feel if you lost all those precious memories?) Save files to an external hard drive or memory stick, or install an automatic digital backup program like Mozy.  It is also not a bad idea to back up your files in multiple locations. If you have a safe deposit box, copy your photos once a year onto a memory stick to store in your box.

 

1. Take The Boring Out of Storing (ContainerStore.com)
2. Digital Device Display (CreativeHomeIdea.com)
3. Color Coded CD & DVD Display (ContainerStore.com)
4. Organize This & That ?(Ikea.com)
5. DIY Charging Dock Blueprint (MarthaStwewart.com)
 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Bills & Paperwork (Day 23)

Day 23: Bills and Paperwork

Home office and desk areas can easily become number one clutter-catchers. With multiple family members congregating around a single home computer, this zone can quickly become the eye of a paper clutter hurricane. While we have already worked on creating workable systems for mail and children’s paperwork, it is also important to make sure your home has a functional system for all bills and additional paperwork that come through your door.

One important key to cutting down the clutter is having a strong filing system. If you can, let go of the need to have paper and tangible files. Scan and archive as much as you can and switch to online bill-paying to cut back on junk mail and paperwork. When mail arrives, open and sort it immediately, keeping a waste bin nearby so you can discard junk then and there. Use electronic subscriptions for magazines so you can read them from your tablet and cut back on even more paper.

It can be difficult to “let go” of paper. Scanning and archiving can take some getting used to. Once you start to cut back on paper, you will be amazed at how much freer and in control you feel.

Objective: A bill-pay, paperwork and filing system that keeps your home office clear of clutter and user-friendly.

Assess the current situation: How much space do you need for files? What can be shredded and discarded? How can you cut back on paper?

 

{Get Day 23 De-cluttering Checklist here}

Assignment:

 1. Sort and declutter. Gather the paperwork compiled from yesterday’s office organization plus any other paperwork still lying around the house in order to sort and declutter.

Sort into the following piles:

Can be resolved now
Junk/remove from list
Can be changed to online payment/statement now
Can be resolved in two weeks
Can be resolved in one month
Can be scanned and archived
Can be filed
Can be shredded

 Scan the following:

Paid invoices for one year (change as many as possible to online bill-pay)
Receipts for one year
Articles, clippings and inspirations
Medical receipts, claims and informational documents
Car repair info and receipts

File the following:

Taxes and correspondence with the IRS (save for seven years and then shred)
Legal claims and documents
Business licenses and legal documents, such as articles of incorporation
Social Security statements/cards, birth certificates, titles and licenses (store in a secure location, in a safe or safety deposit box)

 2. Switch to online bill pay. Contact all of the entities that send you a monthly bill and find out if they offer online bill pay. Insurance companies and investment firms almost always offer e-statements. Contact yours and switch.

3. Eliminate junk mail. If you didn’t do this already on Day Three, contact all junk mail senders and ask to be removed from their list. Discard junk mail immediately (before it ever hits your desk or any other surface in your home).

4. Bank online. If you don’t have it already, set up online banking and request electronic statements.

5. Shred and discard. Get rid of all items that are no longer relevant.

 

1. Paint-Can Bill Pay Center (MarthaStwewart.com)
2. Desktop Priority Station (ContainerStore.com)
3. Put your Walls to Work (BHG.com)
4. Family Command Center ?(RealSimple.Com)
5. Bills Front & Center (BHG.com)
 

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The post 31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Bills & Paperwork (Day 23) appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.