How to Reduce Bank Fees
Nobody likes to pay banking fees, but if you aren’t active in trying to reduce them, you are probably paying more in fees than you need to be. One of the most important actions to take in order to reduce the banking fees is to figure out exactly how you use your bank. Consider what your average balance will be and how low the balance may dip. Also consider the type of transactions you make and what types of services you need. Once you have a better understanding of how you utilize the bank, you are in the position to get the most out of it while avoiding fees for services you don’t need or use.
Probably the best move you can make is to try and qualify as a member of a credit union. Credit unions are not for profit organizations meaning they don’t have to worry about making a profit. The qualifying factors to join a credit union vary from institution to institution, so you will need to check with each. The good news is that there are a large number of credit unions associated with a wide variety of organizations. Qualifying for inclusion has been broadened a great deal over the years, so it is much easier to find a way to qualify.
Since credit unions are there for their members and not out to make a profit, they are much more likely to offer completely free checking or free checking with a small minimum balance. In most cases, they also charge lower banking fees and their interest rates on accounts are higher. The one big drawback is that they tend to have fewer branches and automatic teller machines (ATMs) than major bank networks which can be costly if you are an ATM addict. You can begin your search to locate a credit union near you at the National Credit Union Administration.
If a credit union isn’t a possibility, then you need to take a look at the different types of banks. While the major banks will have a better distribution of ATMs and a greater variety of services, their fees can be as much as 50% higher than those of local banks. It is also worthwhile investigating Internet banks since their fees still tend to be lower than those of major banks.
Once an appropriate bank has been chosen, reducing the standard fees they charge is an important. Although there are a wide variety of checking accounts offered, most banks will offer at least two typical checking account alternatives. A basic checking account will have a lower minimum balance requirement, but it will usually have restrictions on the number of no cost transactions you are able to make each month. A premium account will usually offer interest and allow for more no cost transactions, but will require a larger minimum balance to avoid monthly fees. Not meeting the requirements of either of these can be quite costly, so it pays to chose the checking account style that best fits your use.
Although an interest earning checking account seems like the obvious choice to make, there are a variety of situations where you’re better off choosing a no interest checking account. If your account balance fluctuates quite a bit so that you are likely to go under the minimum balance required for the account even a few times during the year, you are likely to pay more in fees than you will ever earn in interest. In addition, checking account interest rates are some of the lowest, so choosing a checking account with no interest and a low minimum balance can make sense if you can put the difference into a higher yielding account.
Many people have several bank accounts at different institutions. It sometimes make sense to consolidate them at one bank. Consolidating your banking to one bank can give you more leverage in negotiating fee reductions and allow you to be more proactive in getting the best deals available. If you keep several different accounts at a bank, some banks will take into consideration the total balance of all your accounts at the bank. Although you may not have the minimum requirement in your checking account to earn interest, if you are also keeping a large deposit in a CD account that more than covers the checking minimum, the bank may be willing to count the balance of the combination of accounts as meeting the minimum requirement.
Another option that can give you leverage when negotiating on checking account fees is to have your paycheck direct deposited. Although every bank has its own set of rules, most will waive the checking account monthly fees if you direct deposit your paycheck. Don’t, however, assume they will automatically give it to you. Chances are you will have to politely ask before they offer you this service.
A further possibility in getting free checking is to invest in the bank. Although this doesn’t work with the larger banks, some small to medium sized banks have programs that award free checking and other special offers to investors. All you need to do is purchase a single share of stock to qualify.
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Jeffrey Strain has published hundreds of money saving articles and is the co-owner of http://www.savingadvice.com – a website dedicated to saving you money.
Use What You Have!
It may seem obvious, but here’s a frugal tip that I sometimes forget: use what you have before you buy more! This goes for food, cleaning supplies, clothes, and just about any other consumable you can think of.
Food
Challenge yourself to eat out of your pantry, refrigerator and freezer for a week, and see what you can come up with. Take a good look and see what’s really lurking in your kitchen. You might be surprised at just how much food you have already. This might take some creativity, but think of it as a game. And when you avoid a trip to the market for a week, you win! If you need help thinking up ideas for the random things you find, try doing a search online. For example, right now I have lentils and tomato sauce in my pantry. Going to Google (www.google.com) and searching for “lentils tomato sauce recipe” yields pages and pages of links to recipes that use lentils and tomato sauce.
Cleaning Supplies
Before you buy the latest cleaner that you see on TV or while waling down the aisles of target, use what you have first. Most of us have plenty of cleaning products at home that we’ve bought thinking they’re going to be the latest, greatest thing for getting our homes clean. The thing is, you have to actually use them for them to work. So don’t buy more products when you still have bottles and bottles of cleaners sitting in the cupboard.
Clothing
It may not seem as fun as the thrill of buying a new pair of shoes or some new jeans, but try to get the life out of what you already have in your closet and dresser before going out to buy something new. My closet isn’t overflowing, so where do I struggle with this? My daughter. I am a sucker for all those cute little girl clothes and accessories. So if you’re reading this and thinking, “But I love buying new clothes!” I’m right there with you. This is where I am currently challenging myself, actually. I sat and looked hard at her closet last night, and again this morning, and I tried to count how many dresses she has. I couldn’t without physically moving each dress along the closet rod, she has so many. So does she need anything new? Not at all. And my task is to hold off on new purchases until there is a need.
Remember, the next time you’re thinking about buying something new, ask yourself if you already have it at home. If you don’t know, go look. If you do, then ask yourself why you want to buy it. If it isn’t because you sincerely need it, then try to figure out the real reason for the purchase. Good luck!
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Jennifer Thompson owns and manages DivaTribe, a web site for smart, creative, courageous women. DivaTribe features free journals, message boards, articles, book reviews and more to help women reach their full potential.
Save at Secondhand Stores
By Sandy Shields
One of my favorite ways to save money is to shop at secondhand stores. I always seem to find a new treasure! Plus by shopping resale I can pay only a fraction of normal retail prices. I recently visited a new thrift store that opened near my home. I brought home 14 “like new” articles of clothing, and I only spent $48.00! What a great feeling!
You can do it too!
Did you know that there are many thrift and consignment shops now on the internet? Visit this page to see some of my favorite online resale shops. Thrift stores and consignment shops each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but I use both to find the best deals.
Thrift Stores
— Advantages —
• Profits go to charities such as Salvation Army, Goodwill, City Rescue Missions, and Parents Anonymous.
• Unbelievably Low prices!
• It is possible to find new merchandise.
• Carry clothing for men, women, and children; plus books, appliances, furniture, linens, and toys.
• Regularly offer sales and discounts.
• Those who donate can receive a tax deduction for the amount donated.
• Name brands at very low prices.
• Large selection of merchandise.
— Disadvantages —
• Generally there is no customer service.
• Sales are final, with a limited (if any) return policy.
• Most of the merchandise sold is used.
• Stores are sometimes dusty, dingy, and poorly organized.
• Stores only have what is available. No various sizes or styles.
• Stores typically only have one of a particular item.
• Customer must check clothing for stains and defects.
• Customer must try clothes on before leaving the store.
• Customer must test electrical items.
• Customer must have plenty of time to browse.
Here is a very helpful guide by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Hazardous Products Being Sold in Thrift Stores
Consignment Shops
— Advantages —
• Allow customers to sell items.
• Most shops are well organized.
• Regularly offer sales and discounts.
• Usually provide customer service.
• Quality is better than thrift stores.
— Disadvantages —
• Higher prices than thrift stores. Profits are split between the store owner and the consignor. Typically a 60-40 split, with the higher percentage going to the store owner.
• Customer must watch for damaged or defective merchandise, but not as often as thrift stores.
• Customer must keep track of own sales if selling merchandise.
• No funds to charities.
• No tax deduction.
The most important thing about resale shopping is that you have plenty of time to browse and that you are flexible. Patience is required, as you may or may not find what you are looking for. But if you have time to browse what’s available, you will likely bring home a great deal!
To find out more about resale stores, visit these links:
The Resale Guide
The National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops
Listing of Resale Shops Online
Sandy is a freelance writer and webmaster of TheFrugalShopper.com. She enjoys living the frugal life, saving money, and helping others to do the same. Subscribe to her newsletter to receive more money-saving ideas and frugal tips. Reprint permission granted with this footer included. Copyright © TheFrugalShopper.com 1999-2003.
10 Tips to Help You Save More Money
1. Deliberately reduce your grocery bill by ten dollars. Write a check for it and mail it in to your savings account.
2. Designate one day each week as a *spend-no-money* day. Can you carry iced tea from home with you? Tuck away three dollars for every pitcher of tea you make at home!
3. Bring lunch to work one day this week. Simply cook a bit extra for dinner the night before to take with you.
4. Buy quality greeting cards in bulk. At fifty cents or less per card, you save each time you use one. (Plus, it can help keep you out of the stores!) If you can’t find anything local in bulk that you like, check out Current, Inc., currentcatalog.com (phone: 877-665-4458) They are good quality with lots of variety.
5. Challenge yourself to eating out only if you can spend less than five dollars (choose what your limit will be.)
6. Ask for cash back when using coupons — and tuck away your savings.
7. Replace a dry-cleanable item you wear regularly with an item that requires no special care. (This includes leathers, too.) Ask your family and friends to avoid gifting you with dry-cleanable items.
8. Downsize by slowly eliminating items you’ve kept in storage units that cost you money. Aim for eliminating the unit altogether within a month or two.
9. Replace a name-brand item with a generic, including medication, if possible.
10. Look up one phone number or web address to cancel a magazine, newspaper, book club if you have no time to keep up with the reading. Don’t forget about auto shipments, like vitamins, which you may no longer want.
Regardless of which day you choose — or which tips you use — be sure to actually tuck away all money you save. That way, the money sponge in your checkbook won’t absorb it.
Now… How much can you accomplish by choosing just *one* day on which to focus?
Have some fun with this!
How to Grow Your Very Own Money Tree
©2004-2005 Darlene Arechederra
Okay. So money doesn’t really grow on trees. Unless you plant your own Mighty Money Tree, that is!
Imagine that only a few moments ago you planted a young sapling in your back yard. You gave it just enough water to ensure a good start. Not too much, not too little. You even propped it up with a stake. You’ll continue to nurture it, feed it, water it.
And with each passing year, your tender young sapling will grow stronger. Taller. Healthy. As it ages, your tree can better defend itself from natural predators. Even harsh weather.
Growing your savings account is similar to growing your new sapling. Given lots of tender care, your savings account will become your Mighty Money Tree. Use the following tips to ensure a great start. So, grab your shovel and let’s get planting!
Prop Up Your New Savings Account
To build an account you can enjoy for a lifetime, prop it up with nutrients to help it grow.
a) Feed your account with bonuses. Deposit money saved through cancelled subscriptions. Don’t forget those unexpected windfalls, either.
How about money owed and paid back to you? Be sure to include these amounts, even if they’re small. Small is great — and very do-able.
b) Nurture your savings weekly with money saved from using coupons.
Do you buy items on sale? Take that money you saved and use it to grow your account. Tuck small amounts into an envelope. Deposit weekly.
c) Shower your fund with birthday, anniversary or holiday gifts of money. Refunds, too! This is money you normally wouldn’t have had (or already spent.)
Remember, out of sight, out of mind!
Fiercely Protect From Natural Enemies
Just as you might spray your tree to ward off insects or disease, you must protect your fledgling savings account. It’s precious — and a result of your patience.
a) Avoid spending too much time with others who make it seem *natural* to go through money. They may not give it much thought because spending is a comfortable habit for them.
But you actually have a plan. And you have the big picture of how and when you’ll spend. You will decide the where and why of spending your money. Make your spending thoughtful.
b) Pace yourself as you spend your weekly allotment of money. If you run on $35 per week (for example), that gives you five dollars per day.
Stay just under that five, and you’ll always be a few dollars ahead. You’ll also be less tempted to tap your savings.
c) Practice *tough love* with chronic spenders who repeatedly borrow your money. Give yourself permission to state firmly that borrowing your money is *not* an option. Remove the stakes that prop up others’ spending.
Say yes to protecting and taking care of your money. It will be there to support you, your family, and your true needs.
Promote and Maintain Healthy Growth
Small amounts add up big time, so keep money coming into your account on a regular basis. Keep it growing!
a) Remember *why* you set up your account. Know your balance at all times. Keep your eye on the bigger picture.
Will it help you pay for a gently used car, eliminating future car payments year after year? Is it your *freedom from working for others* fund?
b) Begin with one great strategy, and use it to create a steady stream of money to feed your account. Will it be a direct deposit through payroll?
Will you fund it by using only dollar bills, and setting aside all change at the end of each day? If so, scoop up your change and deposit weekly.
c) Each month, find a new, creative way to put more money in your account. Then find another method and repeat for a month. Keep the top three or four methods which seem to work best for you. Toss the rest, because you want methods that work for you consistently.
Need a starting point? Why not begin with spending ten dollars less at the store each week? Tuck your ten bucks into your savings account. It’s simple, and it won’t leave you feeling deprived.
Lastly, feel the wonder of knowing that your money tree will continue to grow. Like a faithful friend, it will remain at your side. Your champion in good times, a comfort in the rough patches of life.
It has the power to draw your dream out of the darkness and into the light. How long have you had that private, special dream? Only you can know.
Now, what would *you* do with your own Mighty Money Tree? Plant one today! Prop it up. Protect it. Watch it grow.
Author and ezine editor Darlene Arechederra inspires busy women to put the fun back into saving their money. Her complimentary newsletter serves up heaps of motivation with a unique, down-home style of writing.
Join her today at Rat Race Remedies
Frugal Books by Darlene Arechederra
Savvy Saving – Imagine Saving Money Without Scrimping, Depriving Yourself or Drowning in Coupons!
10 Ways to save $50 per month: The art of pinching a penny until it screams
by Kimberly A. Griffiths
1. Save up to 50% per month on convenience cleaner cloths by cutting them into half, i.e. dryer softener cloths, face cleanser cloths, etc. Savings: $5 per month
2. Find more thoughtful gifts and buy when the item is on sale, shop for birthdays and holidays throughout the year not at the time of the events. Savings: $10 per month
3. Bring your lunch to work once a week instead of eating out. Savings: $7 x 4 weeks = $28 per month
4. Don’t go to the coffee shop on the weekends.
Savings: 2 visits @ $2 = $4 per week x 4 weeks = $16 per month
5. If you carry a balance on your credit card, and you’re only able to afford paying the minimum monthly amount, pay weekly installments instead of one monthly payment. For example, if you owe $100 per month, pay $25 per week. Because credit card companies accrue interest daily on your balance, paying only once a month is a huge
detriment to your fiscal health. Savings: $10 – $100 per month (or more!)
6. Instead of a family night out, consider having an old fashion picnic together or a bike ride. Curbing entertainment costs doesn’t mean curbing the fun. Savings:
$25+ per month
7. Spend a day cooking meals that can be frozen for later use for your family. Once a Month Cooking, a book by Mary Beth Lagerborg and Mimi Wilson, features grocery lists and recipes to prepare and freeze a month’s worth of food for you and your family. Not only are you able to purchase the food in bulk, this method prevents having to throw away any spoiled food. Savings: $50+ per month
8. If you are a regular monthly book buyer, stop the habit and visit your library instead! If you insist on buying books, buy it used at your local store or online at
merchants such as www.half.com or www.amazon.com. Even a better
idea, how about selling the books you have that you don’t need! Savings: $5 – 15 per month
9. Use less expensive gasoline. If you live in North America and have Internet access, you are able to search for the cheapest gas price in your neighborhood with Gas Buddy, www.gasbuddy.com. Savings: $5 – 15 per month
10. Use two-for-one coupons when dining out; search for these in local newspapers, flyers, and in your “junk mail.” If you are a group of four or more people, consider buying dining certificates at Restaurant.com, www.restaurant.com.
After choosing your city and state on the Website, you will be presented with a listing of restaurants vying for your dining dollar! Savings: $5- $50 per month
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This is an excerpt from ONE PAYCHECK AT A TIME, by Kimberly A. Griffiths, ISBN: 1591133327. ONE PAYCHECK AT A TIME, a 200 page workbook, contains budget management exercises for an entire year of paychecks. The author, Kimberly A. Griffiths, has been through the vicious cycle of debt herself, and provides a no-nonsense system to managing your money paycheck to paycheck. You customize the journal based on your pay schedule and learn the necessary tools for making ends meet.
Closet Organization Ideas
If I just had more closet space! The problem with that remark is that there never will be enough closet space because we all tend to accumulate stuff, therefore we’re right back where we were, wishing for more closet space. Making the decision to organize our closets requires a good, hard look at our stuff and our desire for more stuff. So, the first thing you need to do to get your closets organized is to take a deep breath. Now, you can begin.
Step One: Take a Deep Breath
Okay, we already covered that. But, the truth is that it is the most important step. Once you have made a decision to organize your closets, you most likely have realized that stuff has to go. That is not an easy decision. We would really like to hold onto as much stuff as humanly possible. Start slowly by first choosing which closet to begin cleaning. Take it one closet at a time so you don’t become overwhelmed. Perhaps the least stressful closet for you would be a linen closet. Perhaps a pantry or entryway closet would be the least painful. Your clothes closet is usually the most stressful and is not for the faint-of-heart. It may take an extended period of time simply to sort through the clothes that have been hanging there for a year or more gathering dust without ever seeing the light of day. Whichever closet you decide to tackle first, be sure to give yourself a break if you get over anxious about throwing something away. You don’t have to finish this project in one day, so make yourself a pot of coffee and read on.
Step Two: Sorting Boxes
This procedure SHOULD be stress-free. You make it that way by remembering that you can remove anything from any box and move it around to another category if you choose. The trick is to go VERY QUICKLY through every item in the closet, making your decision which box to put the items in almost as soon as you touch them. Depending on your own personal situation, your box titles will vary. You’ll most likely have a “Keep” box, a “Give Away or Sell” box, and a “Throw Away” box. Now, you may need to make your boxes more specific, like a box labeled with your children’s names, a box for keepsakes only, a box for a favorite charity, a box for your cottage, and so forth. If it seems overwhelming when you start labeling your boxes, you’re thinking too hard. At that point, go back to the three basics: Keep, Give Away or Sell, and Throw Away. You will be going back through your boxes again, so you don’t need to get too technical at first.
Step Three: Inventory
Once you’ve reviewed the items that should remain in your life, put the “Keep” items back in the closet. Consider this temporary, as you may be shifting things around a bit once you have taken inventory throughout your house. Continue with the next closet using the same techniques of sorting in labeled boxes. Once you have gone through your house, wholesale cleaning and sorting each closet, you are ready to really organize. Begin by making an inventory of what you have. This can be as general or as complicated as you want to make it. Try simple categories at first, such as sports, gift wrapping, games, holiday decorations, and so on. Draw a simple floor plan if it helps.
Step Four: Assess Each Closet’s Use
Start assessing the way you have your things distributed in the closets throughout your house. Do you need to switch items to a different closet, either for space or ease of use? Sometimes we just start putting things in closets, not thinking about when we’ll need them later and we don’t take the time to move them to a better location. Now is the time to start organizing your thoughts about what makes the most sense to store together in a given closet. Take your time and don’t be afraid to change your mind a few times. This is a process that takes some time and the results may change over time.
Step Five: Maximize Your Closet Space
Now, measure your closets carefully, drawing simple diagrams of each one. Then, armed with your closet’s measurements, start looking at all the storage options available to see what will work best for you. Do you want to use built-in shelves or moveable shelves? Do you want to use one of the units that you can put together that have bins, baskets and rods? If you begin to doubt your competence in building the more complicated units, get some advice. They are not that difficult once you begin, but you do require some basic tools and skills. Simple and inexpensive bookcase-type units may be just what you need in one of your closets. Clear plastic storage boxes that stack easily are always great additions in almost any closet. Consider specialized storage items with an eye for creativity. A canvas shoe storage bag may be used for storing small items that would otherwise get lost in a big closet. Those little cardboard dressers may be just the right size to fit perfectly where nothing else will go. Also, do some thinking about those space-saver bags for seldom used or seasonal clothes. They really can save you some much needed space. Once you have your closets organized, you may even want to make a master list of what is in each closet and review it once a year or so just to avoid the over-accumulation problem you just solved.
A Special Note: Your Clothes Closet
I believe our clothes closet deserves a little special attention. Although the basic steps apply to the closet that holds your wardrobe, your clothing will require some real focused time. Most people have clothing in their closets that they have not worn, or even seen, for years. One of the most difficult tasks when sorting your clothes is deciding what to give away or even throw away. We want to keep it all, of course. One of several thoughts occur the moment we lay our hands on any given piece of fabric: “I love this and wear it often.”; “I like this and will wear it if I have nothing else.”; “I don’t like the way this looks on me but its too good to get rid of.”, and the infamous; “I’ll fit back into this after I lose the weight.” My thoughts on this whole process are; if you have the room for it, don’t fret about it. If you are jamming clothes into your closet, or if you are storing boxes and boxes of clothes that you can’t part with, then something has to give. If you don’t like how you look in something, get rid of it. If something doesn’t fit you, get rid of it. If you wear something often because you like it, keep it. You know when something fits you and looks good on you. If you catch a glimpse of yourself in a storefront window and cringe, get rid of it! Personally, I would rather have ten outfits that I love than one hundred and ten that I look bad in. The other thought about your clothes closet is this: if you can only spend money on one super-organizing closet unit, spend it in your clothes closet. The time and stress it saves you in the morning when you are trying to get dressed is well worth the money.
Now, it’s time to begin.
Carve out a chunk of time for your project, and enjoy the sanity that comes from a well-organized closet! And be sure to check back here for more organization ideas and tips to come.
Kitchen Organization Ideas
photo credit: WilsonB
When you decide that your mission this year is to get your home organized, you’ll find the kitchen has a distinct challenge as compared to the rest of the house. Unlike other rooms that may only need straightening up once a week or so, the kitchen requires constant cleaning and organizing throughout the day simply to maintain its function. But, you can save time, and your sanity, with some basic organizational strategies and ideas for clutter reduction.
Step One: Inventory
Take inventory of the kitchen. Pull out all of your pots and pans, utensils, storage containers, food wraps, plates, cups, cleaning supplies, and take note of what you have. Now is the time to get rid of anything you don’t need. If you haven’t used it in a year or more, donate it to someone who will. Don’t forget your “holiday only” items and special serving pieces. Everything is going to need a spot, so be ruthless with your decisions regarding what to keep, especially if your space is limited.
Step Two: Function
Store your kitchen items based on each item’s function. This may seem elementary, but you are not going to save yourself any steps by storing plastic food containers in the back of the pantry with the muffin pans when you need them almost daily during clean up after a meal. For instance, keep the baking sheets in one cupboard near the oven, the cutting boards and knives near your vegetable chopping area, etc. Keep often needed preparation equipment near your general work area, not stuck in a cupboard or way up on a shelf on the other side of the kitchen.
Step Three: Consider Specialized Storage
Take into consideration storage units designed to use with specific items. A great space saver is a pot rack that can be hung from the ceiling. You must make sure you can identify the location of the ceiling studs and you must use the right kind of anchor bolts that will support the weight of the rack and pans. If you are not a competent do-it-yourselfer, or lack the proper tools, get the help of a certified carpenter before you attempt to hang a pot rack. Also check out the vast array of portable workspaces like rolling carts. They quite often have storage space built in and can be put in a corner, closet or pantry when not in use. Items as simple as spinning racks for spices, larger spinning trays for inside bottom cabinets, stacking shelves, wire pull-out baskets, and countless ready-made units, will amaze you with the “found space” you’ll be able to use at a relatively inexpensive price tag. If you don’t have a window above your sink, measure the space and go shopping! You’ll be amazed at what sort of inexpensive dish storage pieces you can find.
Step Four: Creative Storage
You might have an old bookshelf in your hallway or back porch that could be put to use storing extra canned goods, paper products and seldom used kitchen gadgets that are taking up room in your kitchen cupboards. Perhaps you could store your towels in your bathroom and your sheets in your bedrooms which would free up a linen closet for kitchen gadget storage. If you aren’t using your dishwasher, you might want to remove the racks and get creative with an alternate use for that space. (I use my dishwasher to hold my recycling until it’s pick up day.) Don’t forget to look up, as well. There may be some forgotten space between the ceiling and the cabinets that, with a few shelves, could be used for storage or display. You know all those baskets you’ve been collecting over the years? Hang one above the sink to store your dish towels. Use an assortment of small baskets to store your tableware and napkins. Any way you can free up some cabinets and drawers by using otherwise unused space will help relieve the congestion and frustration you are now experiencing in your currently crammed kitchen.
Step Five: Food Storage
Your refrigerator, freezer, and food pantry is a different sort of challenge. Because you are restocking food items at a much faster pace than you are buying utensils, you will need to take stock of what you have on a routine basis and develop a master shopping list. This will help prevent wasteful spending by not duplicating food items, and by not having to throw out food that you’ve forgotten you have in the freezer.
The steps listed here should get you on the right track to smoothing out the kitchen traffic and congestion you experience every time you try to simply cook a meal. Of course, with any first attempts at organizing a room in your house, you’ll need to “tweak” it a bit along the way. If something just isn’t working the way you expected, give it a second go around. You won’t know until you’ve lived in your “new” kitchen what works and what just keeps making you shake your head. This is the one room in the house that you are going to have to put in some real time until you get it just right. Have fun and don’t give up if you get frustrated or overwhelmed. Take a break… then get back in there!
Check back for even more kitchen organization ideas in coming weeks. I hope this gets you started!
Bedroom Closet Storage & Organization Ideas
photo credit: tomeppy
Let’s face it; the closet in your bedroom is a mess, you can’t find anything and you’re ready to scream! Wait! Before you go off, here are some easy bedroom storage ideas that will keep you happy, organized and sane.
Go to the nearest house ware store and purchase some Rubbermaid clothing boxes; a shoe rack; hooks; and a dozen or more hangers. While there, buy an under the bed storage box as well. Once you get home, here is what you can do.
* First, take everything out of your closet.
* Decide what clothes, bags, belts and shoes you want to keep and put the rest in a pile.
* Take the jumbo boxes and place your bags in one; and your summer or winter tops or sweaters in the other.
* Mark the boxes accordingly, and place them on the top shelf of the closet.
* Hang some hooks on the side of the closet for your belts, and everyday bags.
* Put the shoe rack on the floor against the back of the wall.
* Place the shoes on the show rack.
* Using the new hangers, place the clothes back in the closet.
* Place everything you are getting rid of into a large plastic garbage bag and call your local church or Goodwill for pickup in the morning.
Depending upon the size of your closet, and the amount of clothing you own, there may have to be some adjustments made. But for right now, you are set to go. Well, not quite yet. Is your bedroom cluttered? Then the next step is to clear up the mess. Discard any old magazines or newspapers. Place all your jewelry back into the jewelry box. Remember that storage box you purchased? You can use it to store excess items spilling out of your dresser drawers. Yes, you’ll have to go through them as well.
Once you are finished, you will be exhilarated for having taken on the job! More importantly, you will have more space available than you ever thought possible.
Dining Room Organization Ideas
The dining room has other challenges, as the dining room table tends to be a clutter magnet. Mail gets dropped there, homework and school projects are done there, and last but not least, meals are eaten there – unless the clutter has taken over. The key to solving this problem is retraining the family to not put things on the dining room table. Have junk mail thrown out as soon as it comes, instead of looking at it later. Have a new place specifically designated for mail, especially bills. A slim basket on the wall is a great place for mail.
If you have a sideboard, it can also be a clutter magnet, so decorate it with some nice knickknacks that don’t allow room for clutter to gather. Large serving dishes can be arranged nicely with flowers in a vase, or other favorite items.
Disorder creates a stressful environment and you don’t need this adding strain for your family at mealtime. Keep the dining room warm, cozy, and clutter-free. Enjoy the time you have to sit down and eat as a family.
