Some of the goals we set for our little family are to get more organized (and stay that way!), and to be more frugal. I am sure both of those have been popular resolutions this New Year. Since Andrew is going to be returning to school (he starts classes at MTSU this month), it is important for us to save every penny we can. We do NOT want to have to take out loans for the classes that he needs to take, especially since we are still working on paying off existing school loans. And being organized is important as well. He will need a good, quiet place to study and to work on his online classes. I do not know if it works this way for everyone, but I am much more able to apply myself to getting work done in a serene, clean, and organized environment.
Here are the strides I have made so far:
First, we had to figure out a way to organize our Christmas decorations. One of the worst parts of Christmas is when the season comes to an end and you have to UN-decorate your house! But doing it in an organized manner made it a little more fun, and I do not feel apprehensive about having a mess to dig through next Christmas when we are ready to decorate again.
I did not take pictures of the packaging process, but I opted to take things out of their original boxes and bags and package them in large Zip-lock bags. Doing this created more space and allows me to see clearly what is in each bag.
Then, using scrapbooking paper, I created a little folder for the front of each box. Each folder contains a card with a heading on it indicating what is in each box. If you pull the card out of its folder, it gives a more specific breakdown of what is in each box. This way, you do not have to unstack or dig through multiple boxes before finding what you are looking for.
I used the same idea for Andrew's Army clothing and gear. I am not sure if we should part with it altogether, but it is definitely going in the attic... if not the trash.
I did the same thing with two long, narrow boxes that I put under the bed. Both boxes are labeled as "Summer." One box contains Summer clothing and the other contains Summer shoes.
Click here to see where I got the idea. She also has better pictures, as well as pictures of the insides of her boxes. I love her idea because it is SO functional and helpful, and the pretty paper makes the boxes much more pleasant to look at! :)
The next order of business was updating our filing system. The one we used for 2011 was ineffective at best. I am not an online bill payer, so we still get LOTS of bills, paper statements, etc., in the mail; thus, we have LOTS of paper to sort through after just a few months into each year.
I purchased a simple, 19-pocket file folder from Staples (Target had some very pretty ones but they seemed expensive), and dressed it up a little with scrapbooking paper so that we can keep it displayed accessibly on a shelf without it being an eyesore:
It only seemed right that the inside of the folder would match the outside, so I dressed that up with scrapbooking paper as well.
Here are the labels I used:
- Automobile
- Bank Account
- Buggie (our dog... shot records, vet receipts, etc.)
- Comcast
- Dental/Medical
- Education/Loans/Bills
- Financing
- Health Benefits
- Insurance
- Licenses
- Other bills
- Prescriptions
- Personal
- Receipts
- Rent/mortgage
- Taxes
- Utilities
- Miscellaneous
There are a few more little projects I have done, but it is time for me to get started with the day... will post them soon!
"May you have the courage to turn your face to the God who meets you in darkness and in daylight." - Jan L. Richardson
HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR!!!
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