Category Archives: Organize

Mar 23 1 comments
Money Stories, Organize, Saving Tips

Year-Old Crackers, Anyone?

OK, just to make it clear, I’m not talking about baby red-necks in this post but actual crackers - the food.

And the story goes like this…  My mom has always liked to shop, she wears nice clothes and even hired a personal stylist to help her get the best fitting things.  She also loves to eat and entertain so she buys good food (and lots of it) so that she can have friends and family over and make everyone nice and plump.  She’s a busy woman on the go and doesn’t want to spend any time cleaning or organizing her home.  So, naturally, the clothes, bottles of half-used spices, food and other items have been piling up in her home and storage area.

A few months ago, being an empty-nester and close to retirement age, she sold her place and downsized from a five-bedroom townhouse to a two-bedroom apartment.  When she put her house up for the market, she had to clear up ten years of clutter and needed a lot of help.  She had to get 2 cleaners/helpers/packers and it took her, the cleaners, 2 junk men and a slew of family members working weekends and some weekdays 4 months to clear and organize all her stuff.

Last Sunday was moving day.  Up to the last minute she was throwing and giving stuff away, stuff she had forgotten she had.  While we were unpacking, we found that in the frenzy items that she didn’t want got packed and every time we would open a box she’d say she didn’t want it or it wouldn’t fit in her new apartment.  The worst part of it is that when when a family member got hungry, she opened a box of my mom’s crackers and after a few bites, she threw them up.  The crackers had expired a year ago!  We then discovered several boxes worth of expired food (many of them multiples of the same thing) that my mom kept and brought over.

My mom paid so much much money to move.  She paid the cleaners/packers/organizers, the junk men, she paid for a huge truck.  Obviously she wouldn’t have had to hire and pay for so much help if she had a better handle on her stuff, and she could have saved a ton of cash by not buying so much stuff in the first place, many of which just got donated or dumped.  The money instead could have gone towards her RRSPs.  And she wouldn’t have poisoned anyone with year-old crackers either.

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Mar 07 0 comments
Organize

Organized Packing When Moving Helps You Save

Moving to a new home in the near future?  If so, you have a lot of work ahead of you!  In my experience, it really pays to plan early and carefully for the move.  And I cannot stress the importance of packing your things in a neat and organized manner if you want to save some bucks and/or if you’re on a budget.

Benefits of being this organized:

1. Reduce Chaos and Clutter - I hate it when I can’t find things.  After a move, it is very likely your new home will be chaotic, having to dig through several boxes for tools to put up shelves, or a piece of clothing for work can be frustrating.  Many times when people can’t find something right away, they go to the store and buy the item again and that is sometimes how they end up with multiples of something they really only needed one of.

2. Save Time - Knowing what boxes hold what items can save you a lot of time simply by, again, not having to look too hard for items and/or not going to a store to buy a replacement for the missing item.  It also saves time for setting up your new home.  If you’ve packed well, you know which boxes hold items that should go in what room or area in your new home.

3. Save Money -  Not buying multiples of “lost” items obviously saves money.  Where I personally save the most cash from packing is food.  For me, the most important area to be organized while packing is the kitchen.  I don’t like having to eat out or order in because I can’t find ingredients or a pot to cook with, or a plate to eat on.  Usually the first dinner in our new home is delivery pizza.  It is ordered more for my friends who have helped me move - I like to feed them as a thank you.  After that, I unpack my kitchen stuff and all my meals can be prepared from home easily.

As I mentioned in previous posts about moving, I organize my stuff and begin packing long before the big day.  I start by taking inventory of all my stuff starting with the items in my storage area because it makes sense to pack items you do not use/need regularly first like gardening supplies (if you’re moving in the winter) or Holiday decor.  I then walk around my house, open cabinets and poke through shelves. I list down the items that we won’t use again until after the move like off-season clothing and sporting equipment, extra blankets and sheets, umbrellas (if it is dry season), books I am not currently reading, etc.

After making the list, I start packing the not -regularly used items first.  Make sure you label your boxes well!  It is not enough to label boxes only with the room they are supposed to go into, but instead label them like this:  Room, person/s items belong to, and a general list of items in the box.  E.g. Home Office/Den, Margarita, Operations and other Manuals.

Pack a few items every week before moving if possible.  As moving day looms nearer, you’ll keep finding things that you won’t need again until after that day. Pack those first.  The day/night before moving pack everything but keep some easy-to-get-to couple of boxes/bags for cleaning supplies, sheets, clothing for the next 2 days, one set of utensils, plates and cups, toiletries, snack items, bottles of water, paper and pens that you’ll keep close to you and that will tide you over for the next 2 days should you need them.

Happy moving!

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Jan 19 0 comments
Organize, Saving Tips

Moving on the Cheap

Having moved several times in my life, I know moving can be expensive.  My family will be moving to a new apartment in just a little over a month and already I am starting to organize our stuff, pack and make moving arrangements.  I believe that the earlier you start to prep for the big day, the easier the transition from one home to the next will be.  You’ll also be able to have a few dollars in the process.

Here are a few savings tips I have learned on my many moves:

1. Start Early.  The earlier you start planning, organizing and packing, the more efficient your move will be.  This will eliminate undue stress and keep you from making those last minute purchases like extra packing tape and boxes, or mistakes like underestimating the time you need to move which might cost you to pay for an extra day for the moving truck (if you rented one) or worse, paying the movers overtime.

2. Take Inventory.  Make a list of what you own.  Estimate how many boxes it might take to pack everything, how big a truck you might have to rent and how many trips you’ll have to take to and from your old and new homes.  This will help you estimate how much the move will cost.

3. Give Stuff Away.  After taking inventory of what you own and if you did a good job, you’ll likely find some items that you haven’t used or looked at for years lurking in your closets or storage area.  You can have a yard sale, if you have the time, or donate your unwanted goods to a local charity like the Salvation Army.  Most charitable institutions that take these types of donations will pick up your goods from your home.  Giving stuff away is a great moving strategy because it not only lessens the amount of stuff you need to pack or move, but also helps your community.

4. Trash Day Vs. The Dump.  You might find that you have a few things that are too far gone to donate or give away.  Before taking a trip to the dump and paying to use their services, call City Hall or your local Recycling/Garbage Disposal Centre to see what types of trash items they will pick up.  Where I live, the city will pick up one bulky item per week that won’t fit into your regular garbage bins as well as old appliances.

5. Plan your budget. Too many times people are caught unaware of how much a move will cost and end up charging their credit cards then carrying that balance for months.  After you do tips 2-4 and estimate the cost of the physical move, add in the amount of money it will take to do mail forwarding to your new address, cable re-installation, phone hook-ups, etc. After listing all these amounts down, start putting away some cash to help pay for your listed expenses up front.

6. Drive Vs. Fly.  Can you drive to your new home?  If you can, consider doing so as it might be cheaper to bring everything with you in a truck than shipping them or hiring movers to do so.

7. Get Help. It’s always cheaper if you can move your stuff yourself.  Movers are expensive, so if you can, rent a truck and ask your friends to help.  Or consider hiring your friends’ or neighbours’ kids just to help load and unload the truck.

8. Reduce Work for Movers. If you find that you need to hire movers, reduce their work hours by dismantling shelves and beds before they arrive.

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Nov 12 0 comments
Organize, Saving Tips

Holiday Shopping: Some Tips To Keep Your Cash and Purchases Safe

These tips were originally posted in August, but as the Holiday and Christmas Season is the biggest time of year for shopping, I thought it might be worth posting them again (some have revisions) as reminder to us all…

a.  I bring a couple of big, sturdy bags with me where I can stuff several stores’ worth of goods inside with the logic being the less packages you have to carry, the less likely I will lose or leave one behind in the fitting rooms or when I take a breather and sit down at a coffee shop or restaurant.  Even better if your sturdy bags are very distinct with loud patterns and such (many eco-friendly bags have such designs… hint, hint) so that you can spot/see them easily.

b. I also keep all my purchases’ receipts and never leave the receipts in their shopping bags for 3 reasons - if I go home and am unhappy with the item I bought, I can go back to the store for a refund and not just an exchange because I have the receipt; I can calculate how much I spent; and in the odd event that someone lifts one of my packages and I catch him/her I can prove to security that the package and items are mine because I have the receipt.

c. I look at the purchase total before I sign a credit card receipt or punch in my debit card number and I never let my cards leave my sight while they are with retail clerk.  (Once a harried retail clerk handed me back another person’s credit card!)

d. I count my change carefully while still at the till after a cash purchase.  (Too many times I have been given back the wrong amount of change)

e. On a particularly large shopping spree, I take a break and bring the packages I currently have to the car (if I drove there) before continuing on to buy some more.  Makes for less things to carry and therefore less likely I will lose a package.

A little extra attention to the above details while shopping at any time has saved me from more costly errors!  And I hope they help you save some cash, too.

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Nov 03 2 comments
Affordable Gifts, Organize, Saving Tips

Early Holiday Shopping Equals A Little Less Holiday Stress

Yes, I know, Halloween has just passed and already I am writing about Holiday shopping. But for good reason! My family celebrates Christmas and we have dinners, get-togethers, gift-exchange, etc. And since I tend to be a little obsessive about giving gifts people will cherish (or at least like), I have to start early (at least by early November) to avoid undue stress.

This is the time I tend to do a lot of window shopping. Whether I am looking to order online, buy something at the mall ready-made and off the rack, or planning to make a gift by hand, I take some time to browse at lunch time or after work and get some gift ideas (and prices). It is also handy to have your gift list ready and with you at this time.

After a week or so I have an idea of what handmade gifts I am making so I buy the materials and I start creating them. As I create, I wrap and tag them so that I don’t forget what goes to whom. If I decide that I am making something edible, I carefully calculate and then buy as many of the ingredients as early as I can to avoid mad rushes at the food stores closer to the holidays. A day or two before our celebration, I can bake/cook without too much worry that an ingredient is missing.

Same goes for ready-made gifts. I tend to buy early for fear of not getting the right size or colour of toy, garment, gizmo, etc. or worse, not being able to get the thing at all for the “hot” items. And for the online orders, now is the time to buy them to make sure the gift arrives on time. You really don’t want to pay more for a last-minute gift!

Happy shopping, everyone. And for those looking for some gift ideas, I’ll be posting some articles on those in the coming weeks.

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Oct 29 0 comments
Organize, Saving Tips

Buy Good Candy

Just two more sleeps and it’s Halloween! I love Halloween as it gives me an excuse to dress up (this year, I will don a cardboard head and wear my lab coat because I’m dressing up as Beaker of the Muppets) and it allows me to by hoards of candy and chocolates (I have a huge sweet tooth).

During this time of year, I splurge on a big bag of candy, and I don’t buy the cheap kind, I buy the “good” candy. I think this is a worthwhile investment. No, I will not keep it all to myself, but I do buy stuff that I like and most people like, you know, the popular stuff like Cadbury’s and Hershey brands. Why? When Trick-or-Treaters come to your door, then bring the candy home to eat, you want your stuff to get eaten by someone, anyone. More likely, the popular brand candies will get eaten. There are too many homes that give out the rock hard, plastic tasting no name brand candies that get stuck to the plastic wrapper and become inedible by the time the little Halloween ghouls bring their loot bags home. These yucky treats get thrown in the trash and that’s a waste!

Another reason to buy the good candy is because each year the number of Trick-or-Treaters that come to my door varies. Some years I have so much left over candy that my family has to consume it ourselves. If we don’t like the candy, it goes in the trash. But if we do, it eventually gets eaten.

That’s why I buy the “good” candy. More chance of it getting eaten, less waste.

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Oct 20 0 comments
Organize

What’s Lurking In Your Closets?

I helped a friend move a few weeks ago. He had a small space but when we were packing up his stuff, we couldn’t believe how much he accumulated and was able to fit in the apartment. While we emptied his cabinets and storage area, he was amazed at what we found.  He constantly commented that he didn’t know he had this item, that he didn’t realize he had this book, that he had no idea he owned this particular tool, and “Oh, that’s where that thing-a-majig went!”  For the 5 years years he lived in this place, he didn’t know half of what he had and what treasures lurked behind closed closet doors.

What is lurking in your closets?  Once in a while we read a news story about a person cleaning out her attic to find a rare antique or painting worth thousands of dollars.  We didn’t find any lost Beatles lyrics or a Van Gogh painting at my friend’s place but he nevertheless was happy to find a resurfaced gadget here and there.  However, you might have hidden wonders in your storage area or at least an old item that you would like to reuse.  Or, you could have a few things that you could sell on eBay for a profit.  It could pay to clean up and look.

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Sep 24 0 comments
Making Money, Organize

Pricing My Handmade Products For Sale

I mentioned before that I have started selling my handmade beads and jewelry made from polymer clay (see: Make Money From A Hobby).  A few people mentioned my prices were way too low and so I read a few articles on how to price your handmade items and revisited my pricing strategy.  And based on what I read, I was undercutting myself by a lot!

From all the reading I did, I found that there are many ways to price your items but my partner and I found a way specifically for my creations (if you make polymer clay beads and jewelry, or if you have a similar craft, this could work for you):

1. I time myself when I make a piece and add my hourly rate (this doesn’t include experimentation or designing the piece).  If you haven’t decided what your hourly rate is yet, it might be a good idea to do this now.  Determine it by how much experience you have doing this work and how much you want.

2. I make my beads and jewelry from polymer clay which I know costs me roughly $4 per 56 g, so after the piece is done, I weigh the piece and as long as I have not used a lot of findings on it (which is usually the case), I assume that the weight of the piece is equivalent to the amount of clay I used.

3. Then I calculate how much I spent on all the findings in the piece.  That includes elastic cords, crimps, etc.  It is made easy because I keep all my different findings in separate containers and the containers are marked with how much I bought the findings (that can be a great organizing tip for you jewelry and craft makers out there).  ;-)  If I had to travel far or out of my way to get the materials, or if I had them shipped over, I factor in the transit, gas or shipping fees in the prices.

4. Then I factor in a flat rate amount for:

a. time it took to buy the materials (clay and findings) - either a trip to the craft/art store or the time it took me to find the materials online.

b. the time it takes me to take photos or design promotional materials to sell the piece (that includes website updates, business cards, posters, writing copy/descriptions)

c. cost of promo materials (paper/cardboard for cards, printing costs, display boxes, packaging, etc.)

5. I then factor in Sales Fees - the amount of money it takes to post on Etsy/Ebay, PayPal fees, or craft fair fees, etc.  This is very hard to do per piece since craft fair fees are different depending on where you apply, I find, so I just add another small flat rate per piece depending on price up to this point.

6. About overhead.  I do not add overhead right now since we determined I basically have almost none.  I work at home on our dining room table, all the electricity I use would’ve been used anyway by me or my family if I didn’t use it for my beads and jewelry.

That’s it.  Since doing this, my prices have gone up but at least I know I am not losing money each time I sell a piece.  I know a lot of handmade sellers base their prices on how much others sell their items just to be competitive, but I think a lot of people out there are selling their stuff for way too low and personally, I don’t want to do that.  I make beautiful creations, and although I love doing this stuff and will continue to do so even if I didn’t get paid, it is hard work.  So, I guess we’ll see how it goes and see if people think my stuff is worth the amount on their price tags!  ;-)  (See my creations at http://www.GoodGirlBeadGirl.etsy.com)

To be continued…

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Sep 03 0 comments
Cheap Eats, Organize, Saving Tips

Spoiled Food, Wasted Money

Do you find that you regularly find spoiled food in your fridge and have to throw it out?  Spoiled leftovers, rotten veggies, mouldy cheese?  It’s either your fridge isn’t doing its job or you’re buying too much food.  Either way, that’s money down the drain. If you determine your fridge is fine, you’re gonna have to change your eating or shopping habits.  Whether you do your groceries regularly or order in frequently, you’re not consuming what you are buying.

A few things to try that may save you some cash and some time from cleaning out the ice box:

1. Bag a lunch.  Bring your leftovers from last night’s dinner to work.

2. Buy less veggies more often.  If you do your groceries once a week like I do, instead of buying all your veggies at once, buy half the veggies during your regular grocery day and the other half at some other day later that week.

3. Plan a Menu.  Do you know what you’ll be cooking before shopping?  Best to plan a menu for a few days and list all the ingredients you’ll need before shopping to avoid buying unneeded items.

4. Know roughly how much you or your family consumes.  I’m not suggesting measuring each and every serving, but if at all possible, know how much your partner puts on her plate or how much little Johnny loves his peas.  That will give you an idea about how many servings of a dish to cook.

5. Check your fridge’s contents and Pantry’s inventory regularly.  If you know what is in there, you’ll likely consume it before it spoils.

Looking for more tips to save some cash?  Then be sure to visit the Saving Tips section of this website.  Craving Cheap Food Recipes?  Visit the Cheap Eats section of this website for some tasty meals.  For more organizing tips and stories, visit the Organizing section of this website.

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Aug 16 3 comments
Organize, Saving Tips

Keep your money and purchases safe while shopping

Mid-August is a good time to shop for Canadians.  Our retail stores are putting a lot of their inventory on sale and getting ready for the back-to-school rush.  One can definitely find some bargains on shoes, clothes, furniture and pretty much all summer (last season’s) items.  But with the sales come the crowds, and depending where and what time and day you go, the shopping experience can be a little less easy and relaxed than one would like.

My boyfriend, “S”, and I just finished his once-a-year big clothing shopping spree yesterday afternoon, a Saturday, at Metrotown Mall, one of the biggest and busiest malls in the Greater Vancouver area.  It was not an easy ride because the mall, naturally, was overflowing with bargain hunters rushing and very eager to get the best deals and the last of their desired clothing items in their size and preferred colours.  There were long line-ups for the fitting rooms, half the items S wanted were not available in his size.  There was pushing and shoving and few rude words spewed from some harried shoppers (but not from S and me, we are very polite, hehe).  Not only are the shoppers stressed, but the salespeople experience much pressure on them, too.

I find that in these situations and environments it is especially important to be extra vigilant with money, debit and credit cards, receipts and purchases.  I have left a package or two behind in the fitting rooms in the past and once a pre-occupied retail clerk gave me back the wrong credit card after a transaction.  And I can’t even remember the number of times the wrong amount of change was given back to me from a purchase made with cash.

After a few times losing purchased items and being short-changed, I strive to be a little more organized each time while shopping:

a.  I now bring a couple of big, sturdy bags with me where I can stuff several stores’ worth of goods inside with the logic being the less packages you have to carry, the less likely you will lose or leave one behind.

b. I also keep all my purchases’ receipts and never leave the receipts in their shopping bags for 3 reasons - if I go home and am unhappy with the item I bought, I can go back to the store for a refund and not just an exchange because I have the receipt; I can calculate how much I spent; and in the odd event that someone lifts one of my packages and I catch him/her I can prove to security that the package and items are mine because I have the receipt.

c. I look at the purchase total before I sign a credit card receipt or punch in my debit card number and I never let my cards leave my sight while they are with retail clerk.

d. I count my change carefully while still at the till after a cash purchase.

e. On a particularly large shopping spree, I take a break and bring the packages I currently have to the car (if I drove there) before continuing on to buy some more.

A little extra attention to the above details while shopping at any time has saved me from more costly errors!  And I hope they help you save some cash, too.

Happy back-to-school shopping!

Looking for more tips to save some cash?  Then be sure to visit the Saving Tips section of this website.  For more organizing tips and stories, visit the Organizing section of this website.

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