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| Credit Answers > Debt-Management-Articles-2008 > Thrifty Organizational Ideas |
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Disorganization may cause additional stress in your life. It may also affect your finances. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), it costs an
average of $10 per square foot to store items in your home and disorganization may cause "crisis" purchases, which involves buying duplicates of misplaced or broken items and
last-minute shopping at premium prices. If your bills and mail are disorganized piles of paperwork, this could result in missed due dates and late fees.
Controlling your clutter does not always have to entail hiring a professional organizer or buying expensive bins and furniture. You may be able to use containers and objects that
you already have in your home if you follow some of the tips listed below. Keep in mind that as you begin to organize, you will more than likely come across things that you no
longer use. Try to sell them and make extra cash. This could be some extra cash that you put aside for your debt settlement.
Is that really trash? Your family may throw away many boxes and household items each week. Before you toss something, consider if it will help organize clutter. For example,
you could use empty cereal boxes to make magazine holders. Empty tissue boxes can also be a solution to hold all of those plastic grocery bags. Wash empty glass jars and cans and
use them to store a variety of small objects such as office supplies, craft beads, nails, or screws. Kids also can have fun decorating these types of objects. In addition to
saving money and organizing your home, reusing items can also help the environment. Using a tin can as a pen holder is better on your desk than in a landfill.
Be a multi-tasker!
Just because a product is normally used in a kitchen or bedroom does not mean it can not be used in other areas of the home. For example, use ice cube trays to organize
jewelry. Spare trash cans can be used as hampers or to store odd-shaped objects such as rolls of gift wrap. When choosing furniture, consider pieces that have multiple functions
and a lot of storage. Coffee tables with drawers or shelves can store magazines, books, and remote controls. Dressers can also serve many purposes in the home rather than the
bedroom. If you are starting out, consider buying a pre-owned dresser and use it as a TV stand in the living room. The drawers can hide a lot of the miscellaneous items that may
create clutter. Dressers can also give you extra storage in the kitchen and serve as a microwave stand. If you have an old dresser that you no longer use, consider putting it
in your garage to store various odds and ends. Refinishing old dressers can also be a fun and creative project.
Baskets and Boxes:
You probably have shoe boxes that may be taking up space in your closet. Consider using them to store documents, small toys, or other loose objects. You can also reuse shoe
boxes as a gift box by wrapping the bottom and top separately. Baskets are also a good storage solution for many rooms in the house. Save baskets from gifts that you may
receive or products that you buy. If you can sew, consider lining the baskets with fabric like the expensive sets that are sold in stores.
Discount and dollar stores:
If you do need to purchase storage or organizational solutions, check out your discount and dollar stores first for inexpensive items such as plastic bins and utensil
organizers. You may also be able to find some interesting containers and other organizational devices at thrift stores.
Quick Tips to Get Organized
Put an "outbox" by the door. Family members can put library books and video rentals in this box to ensure that they are returned on time to avoid fines and late fees.
Sort mail immediately. Remember to toss junk mail as you receive it. If you are still receiving credit card offers, visit
www.optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688 to opt out of these mailings. Eliminate unwanted catalogs in your mailbox
by visiting www.catalogchoice.org.
Search the Internet for various organization tips. You can start with www.organizedhome.com, a site that includes
helpful articles and a variety of printable planners and checklists.
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