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Organizing: Children’s Clothing – Part 5 of 5

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We have reached my favorite part of the process: clean up. When I am in the midst of a project, I spread out and the clutter explodes before the project is complete. It really does get worse before it gets better when I am organizing. However, the final product is so worth the few days of disaster.

In organizing my children’s clothing, I have addressed preparing (Step 1), purging (Step 2), packing (Step 3), and placing (Step 4). The final step is preserving the unused items for another time.

STEP FIVE: Preserve

By the time I have placed all the “new” items in the closet and dresser, I am ready to clean up my upstairs hallway and return it to a clean, empty space.

Though I am the one who organizes the clothing items, my husband is definitely involved. Just need to give a shout out for my fabulous hubby. He helps move the totes to and from storage, label the totes, and pack up the donation items. What a great guy! 🙂

Filled Totes

All the filled totes remain stacked in the hallway until the laundry is complete. As I fold the loads of laundry, I check to be sure I have packed away all smaller-sized clothing. When the laundry is complete and all the items have been added to the correct tote, I will let Paul know that I am finished with those totes. He will check to be sure all totes are labeled, carry them to our storage closet, and place them on the shelves.

Empty Totes

Usually I will have a couple of empty totes from the clothing I am currently using. The empty totes are stacked and ready to be taken to the garage and added to the empty storage totes. When I organize the clothing again in the spring, I can locate these labeled totes to refill.

Donations

All the items in the donation pile are packed in plastic bags and taken to the garage. Usually the items stay in the garage until I plan a trip to the donation container. But now that we have a neighbor with children younger than my three, Paul delivered all the bags to them. This situation was a win-win situation since they could use the items, we did not need to store the bags, and I did not need to make a trip to the donation center.

Car

With the newer clothing available, I chose one outfit complete with socks, shoes, and a diaper, packed these in a bag, and placed them in the trunk of the car. You never know when you (or someone you know) will need that extra outfit.

Supplies

As Paul moves the totes to their locations, I gather up the remaining supplies (i.e., sharpies, labels, plastic bags, etc.) and return them to their home. I then dust the hallway ledge and run the vacuum.

At the end of my five-step process, the smaller-sized clothing is out of sight, the new-sized clothing is clean and placed in the closet and dresser, and the room and hallway are clean. The project takes a few days to complete with lots of interruptions in between, but the final product is worth the time spent organizing my children’s clothing.

As you continue using time wisely, remember to break your project into small segments that can be completed in short amounts of time. By plugging away a little here and there, you will be thrilled with your final product. Keep up the great work as you continue organizing!

Question: Where do you store your children’s clothing? Please add your answer to the comments.

Vehicles: Miscellaneous – Driving Records

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Scott Schrantz)

The time has come to address the final documents in the last file opening in Box 1 of my important documents. This twelfth file slot hold miscellaneous items related to the fourth category: Vehicles. Like many other slots, this file contains three sets of documents. The first set contains records pertaining to our driving.

Paul’s Driving Records

1. Official 10 Year Driver Record. This record contains our license information, address changes, any suspensions, violations, points, or accidents. I check our driver records to be sure all the information is accurate.

You might also want your record if your employer requires a background check or if you are shopping around to lower your car insurance. Knowing what is in your driving record will help you head off any issues.

Our state’s DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office offers both a 3-year record and a 10-year record. To be thorough, I request our 10 Year record either every 5 years or 6 months after a change. (For example, I will be requesting my new driver record in the spring after the results of my speeding ticket are resolved at the end of November. Yeah, I posted on Facebook about my lovely speeding ticket. Are you following me on Facebook, yet? If not, come “like” the page and join in.)

To get your 10 Year Driver Record:

1. Go to your favorite search engine (i.e., Swagbucks, Google, etc.) and type in “(your state) DMV.” If you live in South Carolina, then type “South Carolina DMV.”

2. Click on the web link to your DMV site.

3. If there is a Search box, type “drivers record.” If there is not a Search box, then scan the available links for on-line services or public services.

4. Look for a link to “Obtain your certified driving record.”

5. Follow the instructions. The South Carolina DMV offers these instructions:

Your Driver Record contains a history of information related to your driving privilege.  You may request a 3 year Driver Record or a 10 year Driver Record.  An “unofficial” version of your Driver Record will be made available to you online in Adobe PDF format. An official “certified” copy of your Driver Record will be mailed to your address of record.

To complete this transaction:

    • You must know your driver’s license or identification card number.
    • You must have a valid VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card that will be charged the amount due.
    • You must have Adobe Reader installed.
    • The cost of an unofficial or certified copy of your South Carolina driving record is $6.00.

After making your payment, your unofficial driver record should open in a PDF document for you to print. The official certified copy will come in the mail later.

2. Any Citations or Accident Documents. If there are any records in his file then I staple together all documents pertaining to one incident. If there are numerous incidents, whether our fault or not, I keep the records together for each occurrence.

All of Paul’s driving records are then paper clipped together.

Tracy’s Driving Records

1. Official 10 Year Driver Record. This document showed a clear license with only change of address and surrendering my Pennsylvania license for a South Carolina replacement. Now, I will get a speeding ticket violation added after my court date. Arrgh! Have I mentioned that I really hate speed traps.

2. Speeding Ticket Documents. Once I complete the court hearing and get my judgment, I will staple together all the documents relating to this speeding ticket.

Both of my documents will then be paper clipped together.

With both sets of paper clipped documents, I will then use another paperclip to hold both of these sets of driver records together. This packet is then housed inside the twelfth and final file opening in box 1 of my important documents. Keeping these documents organized takes valuable time. However, by using time wisely one step at a time, you can get those important documents filed and organized. Keep sorting and filing!

Question: How often do you request your driver record? Please add your answer to the comments.

On-Line Shopping: Free Shipping Codes – Part 2 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

The sale prices are already beginning to drop. With our Christmas shopping list started, I will begin watching sales for these items to stretch our dollars. With a plan in place and specific items chosen, I can adjust the list as needed when I find a great sale or deal.

Last week in Part 1, I shared how using a cash-back site, that pays you for making an on-line purchase with one of their partners, increases your savings. Using multiple strategies to stack your savings will help you achieve that item at a rock bottom price to stretch your dollars while using time wisely. The next strategy to save you money while shopping on-line is free shipping codes.

#2: Check for Free Shipping Codes

If I find a great deal on-line but will end up paying more for shipping than the item costs, then I will bypass the sale. I refuse to pay more than $5 – $8 in shipping charges for a $30 order. Again, you will need to decide when the deal is not worth it for you.

To ease the cost of shipping, here are some strategies to find free shipping codes:

1. Check the offers through your cash-back site. Both Ebates and Shopathome.com include codes for additional savings. When you select your store from which to shop, scroll down the page to look for free shipping offers. Many times you will find a code for 15% off one item with free shipping. Just take a look to see if you find a great code to use with your order.

2. Visit freeshipping.org. This web site keeps the free shipping coupon codes up-to-date. To check for free shipping codes for your desired store:

    • Type in your store name in the SEARCH field – i.e., J.C. Penney – and press ENTER.
    • If your store has codes, a list will display.
    • The free shipping codes will be listed in RED.
    • Copy the code to be used during check out.

3. Look on the company’s web site. Some of the best free shipping options are found on the company’s web site. Look on their HOME page under their header to see what deals they are offering. Sometimes you can get free or discounted shipping by picking up the merchandise at the store rather than having the item shipped to your home.

When I purchased the waffle iron for Paul, I chose the FREE SHIP TO STORE option. Picking up from the store is not out of my way, and I was able to stack the Shopathome.com cash back with the FREE SHIP TO STORE option. Next week, I will address a third way to stack your on-line savings while stretching your dollars and using time wisely. Happy savings!

Question: How much are you willing to pay for shipping on a $30 order? Please add your answer to the comments.

Disclosure: Affiliate links for Using Time Wisely are included within this post.

2011 Halloween Adventures

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Amanda Sicard)

With Halloween only 3 days away, the activities are stacking up. In our local vicinity, we have a number of Halloween options:

Church Festivals and Trunk-or-Treats. Do you have trunk-or-treats in your area? This is an event where the church members fill the trunks of their car with candy. Then the kids wander from car to car to fill their buckets, baskets, or bags.

Local Recreational District events. Check your local and county recreational district’s web site for possible Halloween events. Our activity runs Thursday through Saturday in the evenings and includes carnival games, costume contests, inflatables, and treat-or-treating in the forest.

Local mall. Some malls promote treat-or-treating in a safe environment for all the little princesses and pirates.

Local grocery store. Our Publix offers free games to play for prizes, food, and candy throughout their store on Halloween evening.

Local home improvement stores. One year, Paul and I took the kids to the Home Depot where they had candy in each department throughout the store. My kids wore their Home Depot aprons which thrilled the employees. 🙂

Neighborhood. Our subdivision will be flooded with kids. Be sure to know the rules of your neighborhood. On our street, treat-or-treaters are only to go to homes with the outside lights on. If no light is on, then we skip that house and look for another. Most of the kids follow the rules to keep the evening enjoyable and safe for us all.

These are some of the Halloween activities provided in our area. For other Halloween events, be sure to check the event’s page of Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page. All the activities listed include details and links to the event’s web site.

Whether you plan to distribute candy, chaperone kids treat-or-treating, or spend a nice quiet evening at home, I wish you a safe and enjoyable event while using time wisely. Happy Halloween!

Question: What costumes will be worn in your family this Halloween? Be sure to take pictures and upload them to Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page.

Grocery Shopping: Gathering your Savings – Part 2c of 3

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Karen Brockney)

If you happened to be at one of our local grocery stores on Tuesday and heard some high-pitched giggling and occasional screaming, then that was my family. Yeah, those were my kids.

With my son running ahead of the car cart and the girls “driving” to run him over, we made it through the shopping trip in one piece. I am thankful for the small grocery list this week. Even with the raucous and my repeated, “please keep it down,” our shopping trip was a success.

At checkout (which we will begin covering next week), my son asked me, “How much do you need to pay?” After all the sales and coupons were tallied, I owed $7.33. (The subtotal was $34.98 with the sales and coupons subtracting $27.67, and adding $.02 in tax for a total of $7.33.) When I answered my son, he responded, “You did great, Mom.” The nice cashier agreed with him as we celebrated our 79% savings.

Savings occur because of deliberate choices made with a plan of action. Thus far in our Gathering your Savings series, we addressed the first two steps for shopping our grocery list in Part 2a, the next two steps in Part 2b, and today, the final three steps will complete Part 2 of 3 in the grocery shopping process.

STEP FIVE: Choosing Deals

As I gather the items on my shopping list, I check to be sure that my family will eat the flavors offered. If the store’s shelf for a needed item is bare, then I circle the item on my grocery list and write “rain check” and the flavor desired on the side of my sheet. I will use this information after checking out to get the rain checks needed.

If I have a coupon for an item on my list, I may check the coupon in my envelope to be sure the item I want to purchase meets the coupon requirements. Sometimes the sales flyer does not specify which brand items are BOGOF. In that case, when I get to that item in the store, I view my coupon, the sale stickers on the shelves identifying which items are BOGOF, and then make a decision on whether or not to purchase those items.

STEP SIX: Bypassing Not-So-Great Deals

When the deal is not what I thought it was, I cross the item off my list and move to the next deal. Just because the item is on my list does not mean I will purchase it. Seeing the deal will either sell me on the deal or nix it from my list. Be ready to bypass deals that do not fit your family’s current needs. Remember that another sale will be coming in a few weeks. 🙂

STEP SEVEN: Noting Menu Planning Options

Often I get menu planning inspiration while grocery shopping. As I place the pasta in the grocery cart, I may reminisce about a favorite comfort food – baked macaroni and cheese.  Whether or not I have the ingredients at home, I will still jot down this idea on my grocery list. Later, I can check to see what additional items I will need to make this family favorite.

By choosing deals, bypassing not-so-great deals, and noting menu planning options, I complete my shopping trip and prepare for checking out. In using time wisely, I repeat this process at each store. The more often I repeat, the more efficient I become at completing my errand. Though grocery shopping is a necessary stop each week, I execute my plan to increase my savings while using time wisely. You can, too. Just take it slowly and learn from each shopping trip. Happy savings!

Question: How is your shopping experience different from these steps? I am curious to know if you have a plan when you grocery shop.