The Cost of Clutter


by Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/

     We live in a society of extremes. People seem to be extremely in 
debt, extremely overweight and extremely disorganized. people 
everywhere are trying to come up with new and better solutions to 
solve these problems but not many of their ideas are working.

     It's because they are focusing on the wrong problem. For example, 
if your child comes to you and says "I have a drug problem." You don't 
sit them down and say, "Well let's work on a way to get your grades up 
and then we'll work on your drug problem." How foolish that would be. 
The real problem is not the grades but the drugs. You take care of the 
drugs and the chances are pretty good that the grades will come up.

     For some of us, instead of focusing on getting out of debt or 
losing weight, we need to first give more serious thought to becoming 
organized. Does that sound crazy, almost laughable? Before you start 
laughing too hard, look at these examples and see if you can relate.

     How often do you go out to eat because your kitchen is a mess? If 
your kitchen is clean, chances are you would not only be more willing 
to fix dinner at home but in the morning you would fix breakfast and 
pack yourself a lunch too.

     Here are some benefits of getting your kitchen organized:

         * You would save at least $5,000 a year for one person, 
$10,000 for two, and so on if you ate at home.

         * When you are organized you know what you have in your 
pantry, so don't buy ingredients that you already have and you don't 
throw out food you forgot you have.

         * You would be using your leftovers instead of tossing them.

         * You will start losing weight because you are preparing 
regular well balanced meals instead of eating fast food all the time. 
Besides the fact that homemade food generally has fewer calories than 
fast food, balanced meals create fewer cravings and this helps 
eliminate grazing.


     Organizing can reduce your wardrobe and laundry costs.

         * Do you keep buying more clothes because you are gaining 
weight from fast food or from the stress of your clutter?

         * How big is your wardrobe? Do you or your children own 30 
pairs of jeans at $60 a pop because you don't keep up with the laundry 
or because your closet is so stuffed you can't find anything? That 
adds up to $1,800 worth of jeans. If you cut it down to even 10 pairs 
you would save $1,200. How many tops do you own? How about those 
shoes? Before you say, "There is no way I have that many jeans, shoes, 
or tops!" go count you clothes. You may be surprised...

         * How often do you toss a suit jacket on the floor or on the 
furniture and then later have to have it dry cleaned because it's 
wrinkled? Just think what you could save on your dry cleaning bill if 
you keep a little more organized.


     Organizing saves you money!

     Organizing can save you money in every aspect of your life.

         * Do you buy new items because you can't find something? The 
cost of things like tools, glue, tape, ropes, garden tools, kitchen 
items, light bulbs, batteries, office supplies and other things really 
adds up.

         * How much do you pay each month in late fees on your bills 
because you can't find them, your checkbook or even a stamp to mail 
them?


     Try something different!

     So often we think that the solution to our debt problem is for 
both spouses to work outside the home. At times we even compound the 
problem when one or both spouses takes a second job.

     When both spouses work out of the home, who takes care of the 
house? Frequently, there is a constant battle between them about whose 
job it is to take care of some element of the housework. After all, 
the husband has been out working all day, so he doesn't feel like it. 
Oh, but the wife has been working, too so why can't she take a break?

     Imagine if your boss at work decided to work a second full time 
job. How would this impact your work place? Who would you ask if you 
couldn't find products for your customers? What if there was no change 
because your boss was at his other job until after the bank closed? 
What if you needed help or advice from your boss, but he said, "Not 
now... I'm too tired from my other job?" How long would that company 
last? The same thing happens in many homes every day.

     Would your family be better served if one spouse stayed home? 
Someone needs to be responsible for the bulk of the care and 
maintenance of the home and family. Ideally, everyone will share the 
work, but like in any other business there has to be one person in 
charge. Otherwise, everyone will avoid the work and everything will 
descend into chaos.

     If this sounds like your home, you might sit down with your 
spouse and seriously consider whether one of you might take off of 
work to try to get your home in order. Instead of thinking of staying 
at home as a prison sentence, think of it as another job to help save 
you money, reduce family stress and add more family comfort.

     If you're considering staying home, get rid of the emotions and, 
with pen and paper (hopefully you can find one) in hand, write down 
the ways that being disorganized is costing you money. Be honest and 
try to cover even the small things. You might find that the money you 
are spending dealing with disorganization is equal to or more then one 
spouse's take home pay.

     Organization has nothing to do with what is politically correct 
or what the media or other people tell you you need to do. It is a 
practical choice that you can make. I am NOT saying that you can't 
work doing something that you love. I am saying that regardless of how 
your family handles it, the work of keeping the home has to get done.

     If you feel that you and your spouse have to or both want to 
work, then try to come up with other ideas.

         * Would spending your vacation organizing things and deep 
cleaning give you enough of a jump start to help keep things 
organized? Maybe once you organized everything you could consider 
hiring someone to clean your house once a week. Before you say you 
can't afford it, think about this-- Which would cost less? -- Paying 
someone $50 a week to clean your house or paying for all the things 
that cost you money because you are not organized?

         * Consider whether it would be worth one spouse working part 
time instead of full time.

         * Try one simple thing like hanging up your clothes so you 
don't have cleaners expense or getting the whole family to pitch in 
with cleaning the kitchen at the end of each meal.

     Maybe you do have the time, but you just don't know how to get 
organized. If that is the case, then learn. Check out books at the 
library or search for help on the Internet. Better yet, find someone 
you know who is organized and ask them to teach you. Don't be 
embarrassed to do this. Most people are more than willing to show you 
how to do things. Remember, those older women (and men) that seem to 
have it all together now didn't start out that way. They've had 20 
years or more practice and they remember what it was like to not have 
a clue where to start. Just ask.

     Instead of wasting your time and energy on trying to bail the 
water out of your sinking boat by bailing faster or using a bigger 
bucket, fix the hole. CLEAN UP THE CLUTTER AND SAVE.

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors 
of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill 
Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off 
$35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her 
husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

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