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It’s hard to get organized or lose weight or do anything for that matter unless you’re motivated. Right?
Have you ever had to pay a late fee on a bill because you misplaced it? 23% of adults say they pay late fees because they can’t find the bills. The solution? Set up a simple bill paying system. I file all of my bills to pay in a folder labeled “Bills to Pay.” It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Do you miss out on coupon savings or discover that your gift cards have expired before you’ve had a chance to use them? A 2006 Consumer Reports survey showed that shoppers were out $8 billion due to unused, lost, or expired gift cards. I file all of my coupons in a small plastic accordion file that I keep in my car. I recently started keeping all of my gift cards, frequent shopper cards, and membership cards in a Card Cubby. It’s like a mini filing cabinet for your purse! Check it out at www.CardCubby.com.
Do you often eat out or order in because you don’t have ingredients on hand to make dinner? Take 10 minutes each week or every few days to plan meals and create a shopping list for the ingredients you need. Or save time and money on your monthly food bill by preparing meals in advance at one of the new food preparation franchises such as Dream Dinners, Super Suppers, or My Girlfriend’s Kitchen.
Are you paying for storage of items that you aren’t using? U.S. self-storage revenues topped $22 billion in 2006. Yikes! Add up how much you’re spending each month for off-site storage. Is it worth it? Imagine being able to put that money into your savings each month – plus make some cash immediately by having a garage sale or selling items online.
Do you subscribe to magazines that aren’t getting read? Most people can keep up with no more than three subscriptions a month. If you can’t keep up with the ones you currently receive, did you know that you can cancel your subscription and get a refund for the unused portion?
Do you have perfectly good items in your home that you are not using? Do you have items of clothing with price tags on them? Have you ever bought an item only to discover that you already had the exact same or very similar item? A recent survey says the average American household has $3,000 of re-saleable items in their home. It’s easy to sell items online through Craigslist.org. All you need to do is set up an account, take photos of the items, describe them, and post them to the site. Or just donate everything and take the tax write-off. (Check with your tax preparer for IRS rules about donations).
