Frugal Tuesday – The Importance of being Organized

Organization. The word alone can strike fear in the hearts of many.  It can cause an increase heart rate (and possible salivation) for the Type-A set.

Being organized is no longer just for the Type-A, anal, and OCD  (like myself); anyone can be a member of the “organizing club.”

Organization is an essential part of frugality.

You have heard the phrase, “A place for everything, and everything in its place,”?  I believe in order to be effectively frugal, organization is key.  You must know where everything is in order to keep it in its correct place.

Part of being frugal is paying your bills, having shopping lists, menu planning, couponing, and being responsible in your financial planning.

If your coupons, cookbooks, lists, and bills are piled on your table, and mixed up with your cash and check, how will you use any of that effectively?

You cannot.

Now, I’m not saying you need to bring out your label maker and go crazy (although… you could if you wanted too; I would certainly support it!).  BUT, you do need certain “spots” or “areas” for each of these.

I recommend having a file cabinet next to your desk, but if that is too extreme for you, try something portable like this:

That way, you can keep your bills, menus, lists, etc. in one place if you so choose.

Being frugal goes hand-in-hand with functionality. Whether you are extremely organized with your labels and bins and containers, or you have one spot for everything, you simply must have some form of organization in your life to be effectively frugal.

Find something that works for you; it does not matter what or where it is.  However, it must work for your family and lifestyle.  Don’t invest in a massive file cabinet if your “paying bills area” is in your small family room.

Think about your needs:

–> what you are going to file

–> how you want to file

–> where you will file

Don’t spend a lot of money.  Try to find functional items around your home.  I have tons of baskets that I use to store my stuff in… even though I would love to go crazy in this store!

Store like items together – bills with bills, menus with menus, and so on.  This will make it much easier to find at a later time (like, if you paid a bill and the company misplaced your payment, you will know exactly where to go to get your information).

Head on over to Organizing Your Way for all of your organizing wants and needs.  Mandi has it down, and while I would like to claim the title of, “Mrs. Organization,” I cannot.  Mandi holds that title!

Do you feel it is important to be organized?  How do you keep things straight in your home?  I would love to hear from you!

Photo by evelynishere