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Recently, I had a very good friend of mine really take stock of her life, examine the direction of her business and evaluate her family’s needs. After much blood, sweat and tears that went into running her business, she decided the answer was to put the business on the back burner. This would allow her to focus on her husband’s business which is growing, allow for more mommy time with their child and also create time for self-care such as exercise. Now she can focus on what’s important for her in her life life right now. Even it that still keeps her busy, it’s a more balanced busy. Hats off to you girl!!
So that brings up the subject of readjusting the household budget to accommodate a decrease in income. As a former stay-at-home mom for 11 years, I know what it’s like to watch the budget and live within my means. Now as a single mom, I really have to toe the budget line. The circumstances in both of our lives have forced us to take a closer look at our spending habits and how we can still have what we want for less. Often times we work our butts off when we could really just find ways to cut back, make some changes in our spending and not have to work quite so hard or for so many hours.
Cutting back or finding a better deal does not mean you have to live without or live with less. Here are a bunch of easy ways you can look for ways to save:
1) Get quotes for services that you already have. You may be able to get a better deal with another company or you may get a better deal with the company you already use if you explain that you are shopping around and need a better price for your budget. Recently I switched from cable to a dish to do just that.
Calls you should make: Cell phone company, cable company, auto insurance company, homeowner’s insurance.
2) Make sure you are maintaining your car to attempt to avoid any major breakdowns or repairs. Keep up on tune-ups, oil changes and check on the condition of your tires. Catching a problem early could save you a big bill later, not to mention the headache.
3) Start couponing so you can get the most out of your grocery shopping trips. Groceries are probably the second biggest bill next to the mortgage. If couponing makes you groan, then at least plan your shopping around the weekly ads for your local grocery store, that’s mainly what I do.
4) Reserve eating in restaurants or fast food as a special treat, eating out can be a major budget killer.
5) If you are in the market for a particular item, see if you can get it on craigslist in good condition before buying it brand new. I bought an awesome kitchen table set this way and I was so happy with myself!
5) Can you pamper yourself? Instead of expensive salon trips, can you go a little longer between haircuts or find a more affordable stylist? I switched from a stylist in a salon to a stylist who works from her home. Can you go to your local beauty supply shop and buy face masks, deep conditioners and quality nail polish to do your own nails?
6) Put on your tool belt for your own home repairs. Consider learning how to do some of the repairs that creep up on your own or ask a friend who can do it before spending a ton of money on a professional. But don’t try to fix something on your own that’s too hard and makes the repair problem worse!
7) Exercise at home or get out the door for a run or a bike ride. You can come up with something creative if you need to let the gym membership go.
I’ve got a pretty darn simple budget, but we are never without and we have everything we need and most of what we want. Sure, I’d love an iPad or a smart phone, but that’s not where I’m at right now and that’s OK. Where can you cut back and still have a good life?
Tags: balance, budget, business, DIY organization, home, Home Organization, save, Women, work
As parents, we can sow the seeds to help our children learn many lessons that will carry them through life. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention organizing, but today I want to talk about MONEY! I didn’t really have many lessons about money growing up, the only one that really stands out in my mind is a conversation with my dad when I was a teenager. I remember my dad talking to me about setting up a budget and to remember to account for gifts that I would need to buy for people that month. Well, as it turns out, there’s a whole lot more to learn than that and I had to learn by good example from others and by reading books on the topic.
Not everyone will agree with me on this one, but with my kids, I haven’t tied allowance to chores. I took a parenting class many moons ago, and the instructor felt that chores should be expected as part of living in the home together and teaching kids about money should be a separate issue. So, I went with that.
These are the steps I took to teach my own kids about money:
- I gave them 3 piggy banks: One for savings, one for spending and one for charity.
- I gave them a set amount of cash each month that could be divided into each piggy bank. If they received $20, then $9 would be to spend, $9 would be to save and $2 would be for charity.
- My kids could pull from charity whenever a need arose that pulled at their heartstrings.
- When they received a gift of money, they had to save half and could spend the other half how they wanted to. As they’ve gotten older, the percentages have shifted.
- We opened savings accounts that earned interest for the portions that they had to save.
- Now that they are older, they receive pre-loaded debit cards for school clothes and they have to make the most of it by looking for good deals and even through thrift store shopping.
- When they each received $1000 from a family member, they were allowed to spend $100 and then took $900 to a financial planner to invest in mutual funds. They could really make this money work in their favor if they just let it grow. Every other month they add a contribution.
Don’t overlook the opportunity to teach your kids how to be wise with their money at a young age. Even if they go broke in their 20′s by running credit cards sky high, at least you will know that you did what you could when you could.
To make sure I cover all my bases today, here are some bedroom organizing tips to help your kids too! 
Tags: budget, DIY organization, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, kids organizing, organizing kids bedrooms
I am really looking at ways that I can make changes to my routine that will save time (time management), save money (good for my budget), miles (gas and wear & tear on my car and helps the environment). These are all positive things, but it’s also kind of a fun way to challenge myself. How can I still get what I want using alternative sources? I will give you some of my own examples.
Example #1: My hair-which I take very seriously. I recently took the very bold step of letting my teenager color my hair. MY HAIR! I’ve only had professional highlights previously at about $110 twice a year which meant driving to the salon and sitting for about an hour. Now, I was taking a big chance on this one, but I went for it. I had a gift card for Target so I got the color for free and paid my daughter $10. I saved a drive, time in the salon and lots of money. My hair is darker than usual, but it’s fun and it’s changeable.
Example #2: I absolutely cannot stand going to the nail salon to get my nails done; it’s about a 40 minute round-trip drive plus sitting 45 minutes to an hour. It feels like such a waste of time! But since I am really hard on my nails and they need to look professional, I’ve spent both time and money going in twice a month for $50. Again enters my daughter who loves to make money. Our agreement is that I will buy her $80 worth of OPI nail polish for 20 manicures from her. She pointed out that would have been at least $500 in the salon! When did she get so smart? Oh ya, she’s a teenager, she’s known it all for a while now. If this works out, I’ll be saving a bunch of time and money as well as drawing my teenager out of her room.
I challenge you to find ways to manage your time better by finding alternatives that save you money too, a win-win! Feel free to leave me a comment letting me know what you tried!
Tags: budget, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, save money, save time, time management
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“Money, money, money, MONEY!”
Declutter my budget, what budget? Where do you fall in the spectrum of knowing how much money you have coming in vs. how much money you have going out? Often times when people are disorganized they have a few different things going on:
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They are spending a lot of money on ‘stuff’ that ends up causing clutter
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They don’t realize just how much money they are spending
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They may actually lose/misplace money such as checks & gift cards
It may be hard to set up a budget for yourself because it forces you to face reality. And it might not be a reality you want to face because when you have to put limits on yourself that’s not so fun. But it’s part of being real and it’s part of being a grown-up, sometimes we have to tell ourselves ‘no’ for the greater good. Sometimes we have to tell our family members ‘no’ for the greater good.
I encourage you to set up a budget with any program, piece of paper, ledger or system that is easy for you to keep up with. Be honest about how much money you are bringing in every month. It will take a while of keeping track of expenses to really realize how much is going out every month. Write down everything! Make categories, big or small. Here are a few examples:
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Hair cuts
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Auto gas
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Auto insurance
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Gifts
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Entertainment
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Allowance for kids
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Groceries
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Meals eaten out
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Charity
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Cell phone
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Doctor co-pays/bills
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Credit card payments
There are many options that you may for your own categories. The bottom line is, the incoming income needs to exceed or at least equal the outgoing expenses. If that’s not the case, you’ve got some work to do to declutter your budget and see where you can eliminate or reduce your current expenses. Some ideas:
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Reduce cable package
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Reduce meals eaten out
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Call around for new insurance quotes: auto and home
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Reduce cell phone plan if you aren’t using your monthly minutes
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Cancel subscriptions you don’t use
Feel more in control of your finances and your life by decluttering your budget and being honest about where you are now. All you can do is go up from here!
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Tags: budget, categories, cell phone, charity, credit card payments, declutter, family, finances, gifts, groceries, meals, money
G-Sale! Yard Sale! ——-> Moving Sale! Garage Sale! Rummage Sale! Estate Sale!
So many sales, so much stuff, so many temptations and it’s only .75 cents! How’s a person to keep a delicate balance between home organization and sizzling summertime sales?! Let’s face it, it’s fun to find a great deal! There can be real satisfaction in showing off, “Look at what I got and guess how much it cost me?!” This summer my mom was visiting and we did stop at a garage sale and I did buy something-2 big planting pots for $5 total. It just so happens that I had needed pots to try my hand at growing tomato plants with my daughter. Even better, they’re plastic and not terra cotta pots which I have had crumble outside in our NW weather.
So, how do you keep from bringing home too many goodies when the weather is good and the prices are better?
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You could actually just pass on by those brightly colored signs. Put on your blinders and keep on a drivin’. If you don’t know what you are missing-then you don’t know what you are missing.
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Keep a list with you at all times of the items that you know you really do need, want and have a place for. Consider the garage sales as a treasure hunt to find the things on your list at a good price. My new pots fit right into this tip. This will help you pass by items that may be tempting when you know they aren’t on your list.
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Have a summer garage sale budget. Keep the money in an envelope and when the money is gone, your garage sale days are over.
Always keep items moving out of your home as you bring items into your home to keep that balance between being organized and being overwhelmed and enjoy your good deals!
Tags: budget, estate sale, garage sale, Home Organization, money, moving sale, rummage sale, summer, yard sale
Home organization doesn’t have to happen overnight and it doesn’t have to happen all on your own. Phew! This winter we have had the most incredible weather in Seattle, sunny and warm, and we are loving life! So today after a great 5 mile run/walk (getting back into the swing of things), I felt obligated to mow the front lawn after seeing my neighbors on each side do so. And it was bad. Patches of clover. Bald spots. Edging that needs to be done. Weeds that need to be pulled. Beauty bark that needs to be brought in. Mowing the grass was really just a drop in the bucket. So much work to do, so little time. I felt a little overwhelmed. But I thought about it and realized I can do this a little at a time. Just like I preach with organizing. I can work on nice days for even just 15-20 minutes and it will make a difference. I don’t HAVE to produce a perfectly manicured yard overnight. Especially if I want to get anything else done around here such as laundry, exercising, working and on & on.
But I also realized that there are some areas I just may need help with. And that’s when I sent my handyman a handy message to let him know I may need some help kicking off the yard. I looked around at what I could do myself and what I could have Kory do and what I could help Kory with to ease the budget. Sometimes you just have to bring on someone that can help you do the work that you can’t do as well as help make your project easier for you.
So whether your current project is for home organization or some other task, break it down so it’s not so daunting and bring in the troops if you need them!
Tags: budget, help, Home Organization, project, task
