4 Ways Being Organized Saves You Time and Money
Have you ever been late because you couldn’t find your keys? Misplaced a library book and had to pay a fine? Bought a second can opener because you couldn’t find the one you already had? Learning how to get and stay organized is a key skill and can be easily adapted to suit individual needs. Even better, being organized in your everyday life actually saves you time and money. Here are a few of the reasons why.
Efficient and Stress-Free
If you keep your belongings organized, you don’t need to spend time looking for them when needed. This is especially handy in the case of important yet rarely used items, such as insurance or tax information.
The key to keeping things organized is to come up with a place to keep something (a “home” for each item) and stick to it. If you want to keep important mail in a desk drawer, make sure you keep all of your important mail in that drawer. Don’t be afraid of sorting your things too much. The more categories of things you come up with, the easier it will be to find exactly what you need when you need it.
As you sort your belongings into categories, notice if you have duplicates and consider discarding the extras to cut down on the total volume of “stuff” you have to organize.
Saves You from Buying New
Have you ever bought something because you couldn’t find the one at home that you were sure you had? Organization can keep you from buying items you already have, but you’ve forgotten about or lost in your household or workplace. You’re more likely to forget about a pack of rubber-bands you bought several months ago and never opened, than your car keys or your wallet. These types of purchases can end up costing you a significant amount of money for items that you already have.
Fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix. By cleaning and organizing the designated “junk” drawers in your home or office and organizing the items by category, you can easily find the item you’re looking for the next time you go searching. This avoids unnecessary purchases and impulsive buys at the store in the future. It’s a very flexible habit that you can apply to many parts of your daily routine.
Helps You Remember Important Details
It can be hard to keep track of every detail when you have a lot going on in your life. Sometimes, bills can get lost in the shuffle and go unpaid, or household maintenance gets overlooked. By keeping all of your activities organized, you can get them done in a more efficient manner, and you can make sure that every detail is taken care of.
Keep those bills all in one place. Note on the calendar when home maintenance is due. Schedule doctors’ and dentists’ appointments in advance and mark them on the calendar. Have a designated spot for your children to put papers they need signed. Have a “landing area” where you can drop your keys, bag, or wallet when you get home.
Saves Money on Shopping
There are lots of ways getting organized can help you save money at the shops. For example, if you plan out a menu for each month, you can buy many of your groceries in bulk, saving you time and frequent trips to the store. If you prepare a shopping list ahead of time, whether you’re going to Target, the grocery store, or the home improvement store, you can also look for coupons that offer savings on the things you plan to buy. When you’re shopping, stick to that list!
If your home is organized, you can buy household supplies like toilet paper when they’re on sale and store them for later use. Keeping essentials stocked and organized saves you the stress of running out to make a special trip for more. You can also plan out birthday or holiday gifts well ahead of time, so you can keep an eye out for a good deal on the perfect gift.
Upfront, it’s going to take a bit of effort, but organizing your home allows you to use your time more efficiently and to take full advantage of your finances. Not only that, but the more thought-out your budget or schedule is, the less you will worry about them. What can you organize today to start getting your life in order?
