So get out the rubber gloves to get your finances in order?
Yes! For starters, according to the research firm Tower Group, over $40 billion in gift cards went unused from 2005 through 2011. Those unused gift cards are cash collecting dust in your junk drawer. Sell them on the secondary market online for about 80% of their value.
Disorganization breeds waste. How many times have you searched for something you KNOW you have only to just go buy a new one in frustration? Duplicates are an unnecessary expense. If things are at your fingertips, that’s not going to happen.
Also, every time you make another unnecessary trip to a store, you’ve created an opportunity for impulse spending. And once you’re organized, you’ll find you really don’t want to buy something new if you don’t have a place and a genuine need for it.
What’s the action plan?
First, You need to cut the clutter. I’m talking about your closet AND your desk.
In the closet, get rid things you don’t wear. Either sell them on eBay or have a garage sale or donate them and save the receipt for taxes. Any way you slice it, that stuff is found money.
When it comes to your desk, we are inundated with SO much paper every day that if you don’t set a method to the madness, you don’t have a fighting chance. Misplaced bills mean added charges and fees, overlooked notices, raised interest rates and debt. Establishing a system of order is critical.
How do you do that?
Gather your bills. If you deem all your monthly expenses worthy, see that you’re getting the most for your money. Call your cable company, cell service provider, even your insurance agent to ensure you are getting the best plan available or to negotiate a lower rate. Get some file folders and start sifting through that mountain of paper, grouping by category and tossing what you don’t need. Then be disciplined about sticking to your system so you don’t find yourself buried again.
Once you’re finished with your closets and your desk, we’re back to the refrigerator, which hopefully isn’t doubling as your retirement savings account. According to the EPA, Americans produce over 33 million tons of food waste every year. We could cut this tremendously if people made weekly meal plans and shopping lists—and everyone would save money.
Organization is money in the BANK (not the refrigerator!) Getting started is the hardest part, but just go drawer by drawer, room by room.
Get Organized! was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
