Ellen's Blog » Coupons

10 Ways Organizing Saves You Money

Ellen — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:20:50 +0000

Here are 10 ways that cut to the chase on organizing and saving money.

1. You won’t need to buy things you already have. You won’t have to run to Walgreens to buy your kids index cards or school supplies.

2. You find money in your pockets – lots of it! We found $15,000 in a bin of papers! We have found some money in every home where I work.

3. You get reverse income by donating and using itsdeductibleonline.com or moneyforyourusedclothing.com/professionalorganizer. Make a list of what you donate and create a spreadsheet. Each time you donate usually adds up to $500 for tax deductions.

4. Your emotional and physical health improves so fewer doctors’ visits. There are tons of allergens in paper piles, especially dust mites!

5. You prioritize saving money in entering your receipts into Quicken and know where you spend your money. Having a strong connection to your money saves you money in prioritizing how you spend it.

6. You clip coupons and save money every time you are at the grocery or drugstore. Some families spend only $20 on groceries a week with coupons.

7. You keep on top of home repair and other tasks. Prevent big expenditures by routine upkeep of your home and car. Regular maintenance of your car means you can make more money on the resale.

8. You save money on the utilities in your home. Being organized about your laundry means consistently filling the tub, washing the dished regularly with a full load and saving on heating/cooling costs by setting the temp at a consistent level.

9. You keep your purchases to a minimum. Being organized means buying what you need, when you need it, rather than compulsive shopping to assuage your emotions.

10. Everyone knows saving time is saving money. You can be more efficient and effective at everything you do by being organized!

How does organizing save you money?

Coupons

Ellen — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:54:14 +0000

With our economy, coupons are an important way to make the most of your budget. Organizing your coupons can take a few extra minutes, but the reward is incredible. My clients feel very empowered by using coupons and it is their way of making their budgets really work for them.

An easy ways to start couponing is to check out the local sites of your grocery stores. These sites have online digital coupons for you to use. You can easily load these onto your existing store card or print coupons to bring with you. Choose coupons for items you use regularly from the store you shop at regularly. A major bonus (like hitting the lottery!) is to pair a coupon with a product already on sale. Stores like CVS and Walgreens offer bonus bucks and coupons can be used with them.

Keep coupons where you can use them most. A small accordion file in your car can keep store coupons, like Bed Bath and Beyond or Chilis. These can be categorized by your personal categories, such as food, clothes, etc. or by expiration date, or whatever works for you. Clipping the weekly coupons from the Sunday Paper starts in your living room with clipping, then attaching to your grocery list, and then bringing these to the car. Decide on a routine that works for you. Most important is to keep what you use and to use it before it expires.

Smead provided me with this Tag Along Organizer, perfect for keeping your coupons organized! It has 5 pockets, easily labeled for grocery aisles. It is small enough to fit in your purse!

Here are a few more online ways to get great coupons! My thanks to client Pam and her niece Stacy for sharing these with me!

www.Coupons.com

www.smartsource.com

www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/pg-brandsaver-samples-coupons.jsp