Organized to save money, energy, and time
Photograph Credit: Flickr (Keevin55)
Reflecting on the time our former presidents spent praying, researching, listening, and executing, I am thankful! Though America has its problems, we are still one nation under God because of our former presidents, who used their time wisely.
While celebrating our President’s Day, have fun with these crafts from kaboose.com.
Question: If you could be a United States President for one day, what would you do to change the world?
In working on my goals this month, I am currently falling flat on my face. Between my family visiting, two parties, and piles of insurance, taxes, and miscellaneous paperwork, I have put most of these goals on the back burner.
Well, that was the first half of the month. Here comes the last half of the month.
To get these goals underway, I am determining to rid my house of at least 20 items this week. My February monthly goal centers on decluttering my house. Though I started this project in January, I have hit a plateau.
To jump-start my focus, I will take on this challenge of ridding 20 items from my home in one hour. You want to join me?
With a busy week ahead, schedule one hour to focus on decluttering. This 60-minute challenge can be done in sections. Just evaluate your time frame, and while using time wisely, choose an option that fits your busy week.
If you are short on time, try snagging 15-minutes to remove 5 items from your home.
Spend 4 days this week completing this task, and you will have 20 items to sell, give, or trash.
Do your children enjoy helping? Let them help you twice this week by finding 10 items in each session to sell, donate, or trash.
My girls love to give to others. With their limited attention span and our busy schedule, this option works for our family.
Block out one hour to tackle that closet, drawer, or room. Enjoy the process because you may find more than 20 items to rid from your home.
Whichever method works for you, challenge yourself in taking baby steps. Breaking down the big goal of decluttering your home into bite-sized chunks, removing 20 items this week, starts your project. As you work, you will gain momentum. The more stuff removed means the less to clean, pickup, and store. 🙂
Though you may get delayed in your progress, regroup, adjust, and continue on. Keep up the great work as you seek to reach your goals. Happy organizing!
Question: Which challenge option will you choose?
As you organize your important documents, remember to adjust your file to your needs. In sharing a way to organize, I use my file as a guide.
If there is only one adult in your household, then you will only need one file opening. However, if your family has more than two adults, then you will need more file slots to house those documents.
My system works for me which may or may not work for you. Feel free to copy my file while choosing an organizing pattern that fits you and your family’s needs.
In our life insurance category, I have allotted three file openings to house these documents. My husband’s policies go in the first slot, my records in the second, and our children’s documents in the third pocket. Working with my policies, I have three bundles: term life insurance, combination life and long-term care, and accidental death.
Just this week I received notification that one of my accidental death insurance policies has changed carriers. Our credit union chose to move from one provider to another, and the letter of this change arrived on my desk this week.
Accepting the Free Coverage
Since I already have the free-to-me base coverage, my policy will continue, but I must name my beneficiaries.
Choosing your Beneficiary
Per this letter, I must contact the new company in writing with my beneficiary designations. I plan to send my primary and contingent beneficiary designations to this new company pronto.
My choice is one primary and two contingent beneficiaries. In this way, I am offering the insurance company multiple ways to get the policy distribution to my family.
Documents Kept Safe
This policy along with two others, provided through our credit unions and credit card company, include the following documents:
Each set of policy documents is paper clipped together. Then these three sets are paper clipped and housed behind my combination whole life and long-term care insurance documents. All these items are then placed in the third file opening of Box 2, holding our important insurance documentation.
This third bundle of documents completes the third file opening. Woo hoo! Making progress is exciting as we get organized while using time wisely. Designating a home for your paperwork and labeling your categories makes retrieving those documents quick and easy.
Using time now to organize and create a space for your important documents will save you money from replacing missing papers, energy from sorting through piles of paper, and time from searching for that special place you put it, so you wouldn’t forget it. 🙂
If you are struggling to schedule time organizing your documents, plan to work for 10 minutes when you pay/schedule your bills for the month. Try to schedule a time when you are naturally located where most of your important documents are in reach.
Just take it one document at a time. This project does not need completion today, this month, or this year. A little here and a little there will get you further than rearranging the piles. Start where you are, and happy organizing!
Question: What obstacle prevents you from organizing your important documents?
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Thank you to each of you, who are a Facebook fan. I hope you are enjoying the extra tips – 5 Ways to Using Time Wisely Today. (If you were a loyal fan before this giveaway, you can get access to this bonus article by clicking the Welcome tab of Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page.) If you still have not “liked” Using Time Wisely, then click “like” today to unlock 5 Ways to Using Time Wisely Today. 🙂
From February 15 to March 31, 2012, Amazon is offering free one-day shipping for eligible items when you pay using your Discover Card. To qualify for the free shipping, all items must ship within the Continental United States.
Photograph Credit: Amazon.com
While using time wisely to buy items from the comfort of your home, this free one-day shipping option can help in stretching your dollars. Happy savings!
