Being Organized Can Help You Save Money

By Wendy M. Salmon

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In today’s economy, the last thing you need to do is spend money on items you don’t need. When clutter is reduced in a home or office, you can more easily find what you own. When people can’t find an item they know they have, they tend to throw up their hands in despair and immediately run out to buy a replacement item as they don’t have the time or effort to look for the old one.

A 2004 study highlighted in Newsweek reported that Americans waste 55 minutes a day, roughly 12 weeks a year, looking for items they own but cannot find.

As a professional organizer, I’ve seen clients purchase items, such as extension cords or measuring cups, when they couldn’t find the ones they already owned. Often they have uncovered these items which are sometimes still in the original store bags with receipts that can be returned for a full refund.

Other people have difficulty keeping track of gift cards or gift certificates. While sorting through paperwork for one client, we found several gift cards he thought he had lost. When he went online to check the balance of each, the total was more than $90. Oftentimes people find money they’ve kept in envelopes for weekly purchases or uncashed checks which are about to expire. It’s a good idea to handle your mail daily, immediately toss papers you don’t need and keep the rest in a central location for easy retrieval.

Sometimes we have organizing and storage tools available but because they are not being used correctly, we end up spending money instead of recycling previously used ones.

One small business owner purchased binders for every new project he acquired. However, he already had more than three dozen inactive/closed projects still in perfectly usable binders. Once the old projects were removed and filed in banker’s boxes and the almost new binders were recycled for his new active accounts, he saved more than $300.

Many times homeowners make the mistake of purchasing all types of organizing baskets, bins and accessories only to discover after their things were sorted, they could swap out storage containers they already owned. In some cases, people discard or donate so much stuff, there is no need to buy more organizing products and they may already have several empty containers to use for future needs.

By keeping track of your bills, and paying them on time, you can save a significant amount of money as finance charges and late fees can range from $1 to more than $35 per month. Setting up online bill paying and automatic bank account deductions can make financial organization painless, save money and protect your credit rating.

When clearing out your space, you may sometimes uncover items that you no longer need and cannot return to the store but are valuable to someone else. Online services such as eBay and Craigslist are two ways to sell your items for fast cash. Consignment stores are another way to sell perfectly good clothing if you choose not to donate your items. Selling your items this way is usually quicker and results in more money than taking the time to have a garage sale.