Favorite Party Organizing Ideas

     We had a birthday party (for me!) a few weeks ago, and I had some time while tidying up to think about my favorite party organizing tips.  So here they are, my gift to you:

1. Pantry shop (def.: use up what you have on hand and try not to grocery shop) for a few weeks before your party, to clear up stuff and make room.
2. Clear the decks:  My counters are always cleared off, but even more so before a party because I tend to need every spare inch of flat space for prep, assembly and serving. 
3. Make it easy for folks to help you (should they offer), or at least easier on you:  Cake plates, spoons and forks, serving items and ice cream scoopers, plus matches for the birthday candles are always set out on a counter before a birthday party, so you or a helper can grab everything when it comes time for Cake!
4. Embrace your party food leftovers:  we eat leftovers at least for a couple of days, we love that!  We also spread some around, though, for example:  a class participant suggested keeping a stash of used margarine tubs and take-out containers for distributing party leftovers to party-goers as they leave the party.  She doesn’t mind not getting those containers back.
5. Clean up when the guests leave.  Yes, right away.  Trust me.  You are still awake and alert, you can load the dishwasher and clean up surfaces tonight, and have clean dishes by the time you wake up.  My wonderful hubby and I have been throwing parties together now for more than 17 years.  He starts the dishes, I collect all food and stuff from around the house, he continues to clean the kitchen, I clean up the floors and put the furniture back where it belongs.   The house is back to normal in an hour.  I would hate to wake up to a still messy house and kitchen the day after a party, that would put a dark cloud on the memories of an otherwise lovely event. 
6. Revel in your party-clean house.  I buy fresh-cut flowers and light candles for parties, so we enjoy them and the extra shiny party-clean house for many days after. 
7. Lower your standards the day after:  My birthday party was a lovely evening, very relaxed and fun, and it made me realize yet again how blessed I am by my family and friends.  The next day we got up and got to Mass at our regular time, but after that… well, I admit, we were very tired and did very little for the rest of the day.  We relaxed, watched TV, ate leftovers and generally slugged out.  It was also lovely. 
8. We can learn from every experience, so I also like to review what worked at a party and what could work better.
1. I am committed to cutting our paper plate usage for sit-down dinners, right now I can comfortably seat and serve up to 20.  I am tempted to get 4 more sets of dishes and flatware, to give us 24, but we’ll wait and see.
2. Buy or borrow?  I have a very small 4-cup coffee maker, and as I’m the only coffee drinker here, 360 days a year that is enough.  It becomes a challenge for parties, though.  So three possible solutions – buying a bigger coffee maker for once-in-a-while or a bigger coffee carafe so I can brew little pots all morning and save up, or borrowing one of the first two options.  Now, I just need to figure out how to make weaker coffee so my parents will actually drink it…
3. Buy or borrow?  I have 4 13×9 inch baking dishes, and until a party last spring, that has always been enough.  I plan to borrow more or use disposable, if I ever need more.  I really only want to store 4 in my cabinet.
4. Chafing dishes, chocolate fountains, punch bowls – share these large items among family members, and clear up some cabinet space.

      Above all, when you plan your parties and events, remember that getting together to enjoy each others’ company is the whole point of entertaining.   The rest is just details!

Money: Cards, Coupons, Returns & Rebates

Saving Money, Part 2:  Use Well What You Have

     I’m always on the lookout for ideas to organize shopping efforts, save some money and decrease stress!

     Last week, I saved a total of $59 at the grocery on a large order that cost me $133.  Coupons saved me $16, and using my Jewel Preferred Card saved me $43 off the “regular price”.  I paid my bill with gift cards I purchased through my parish school.  Buying those gift cards pays me a small percentage towards tuition and the school a small percentage.  Win-win situation (just have to remember to go and buy the gift cards)!

     I also saved over $12 on a $78 Target bill, using coupons ($2), a few small returned items ($6), $3.90 instant rebate with my Target Red Card, and my own shopping bags ($.05 off a bag).  The returned items were small things I had purchased but decided I did not need.

     I should mention that while I like having food, clothes and stuff, I don’t like shopping at all.  I am also frugal but busy, so my efforts are a continual give and take of spending time to save money, or spending money to save time.  So, do what I do, and consider time spent organizing an investment, and accept a little extra hassle to reap monetary benefits!  Here are some ideas:

Use store memberships and loyalty cards to receive savings for spending money you would have spent anyway.

1. We went to the movies last week.  I used my AMC Stubs card, and found that I had $10 credit accumulated toward my next transaction.  The nice man behind the counter suggested that I go to customer service and swap the little piece of paper for a $10 gift card with no expiration. Cha Ching!  Stocking stuffer, birthday card stuffer, whatever, $10!
2. Some people don’t like the hassle of loyalty cards; i.e., signing up and maintaining, remembering them, etc.  If you have a SmartPhone, I suggest the KeyRing App.  Take a picture of your membership and loyalty cards with your smart phone, and the app keeps and categorizes all the info.  Next time you want to use a card, check the App and find the right card, and the store scans the picture on your phone.  Lighten your wallet and keep your data.  
3. All Retail: One friend buys only with cash because she doesn’t like the idea of her purchases being tracked.  I personally don’t care who tracks my purchasing, I have nothing to hide.  And if you want to give me free stuff for the privilege of noting what brand of toilet paper I choose, so be it.  I’ll take the 5% off, thank you very much.

Use coupons:  Retailers and manufacturers print the coupons, you might as well reap the benefits.

1. All Retail: Use coupons for things you regularly buy.   Buying stuff just because you have a coupon will not save you money in the long run, if you end up spending more total, or not liking or using the product.
2. Groceries: Compound your savings by perusing your local sale ads before you shop, and using coupons with in-store specials.  I have noticed this cross marketing in my newspaper coupons recently:  “Here is a coupon, and your local Jewel has the item on sale, too for a total savings this week of $            . “
3. I keep my reusable shopping bags and coupons together in my car.  I cut coupons once a week, and file them in the holder while waiting in the car for my kids to get out of practice.
4. Groceries: Please note: I am not endorsing Extreme Couponing (see “Only Buy What You Need” below). Flipping around the TV channels, I have come across the Extreme Couponing show.  I’ll just say Yikes!  Your home is a home, not a warehouse!  There is no way I can or want to eat 40 boxes of one type of breakfast cereal before it expires.  But that is a blog for another day…

Buy only what you need, and return stuff if you’re not going to use it:

1. Groceries: Use a shopping list, post it on the fridge at all times.  Look in your cabinets and use what you have before going out and buying more stuff.  Plan to keep 2-3 weeks of food on hand, and use up the rest.  I have clients who had 2-3 month’s worth of canned goods cluttering up their cabinets before we organized.
2. Other Retail:  Return stuff that you don’t need.  I walked into 3 stores last week and did not spend a cent.  I actually put money back in my checking account and netted a few more singles in my pocket.  To make this possible, file your receipts by month, and keep them for up to a year. 
3. If I purchase items with my Target Red Card, I don’t need to keep a receipt to return them.

Pursue the money that belongs to you:  reimbursements, rebates, checks. 

1. Ask for your rewards from credit card companies (we just requested a Cash Back check last week).
2. When working with clients, we often find un-cashed checks in their paper clutter.  Cash your checks, the money is yours!  And if the check is a month or 2 old, the check-writer really wants you to cash it, to clean up their balance sheet! 
3. We often buy items because the advertising says “Final cost after Mail-In Rebate:  Really cheap or Free!”  And that is great, so long as you actually follow-up and mail in the paperwork.
4. If you have expense accounts or reimbursement paperwork to file, get that done, too.  Many companies are shortening their acceptable response time for submitting reimbursement, so get your money back while you can.  It is your money.

     Be organized with your shopping and spending efforts, and make the most of your money!  Cha-ching!

Get Organized and Save Money

     In this uncertain life, not to mention economy, it pays (literally) to be prepared and organized. A small investment now in time and resources can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars annually.

Make Some Money on Your Unwanted Items:

• Sell your clutter. Clutter is defined as anything you don’t need, use or treasure. Turn those unwanted collectibles, furniture or clothes into cash at a consignment store or garage sale or on eBay. And while you’re at it, get rid of the storage unit that has been holding all of this clutter. Let your clutter become someone else’s treasure.
• Return your clutter. Return any items that you purchased months ago but have not used. One of my clients, who still had clothes that she purchased months ago in a shopping bag, realized just how uncommitted she was to those items and took them back. She received a refund of at least 50 percent of what she paid. Money in your pocket is better than clutter any day.

Save Money on Your Stuff:

• Buy only what you need. Being organized means knowing what you have and where it is in your home. Designate a permanent location for your stuff and stick with it. This will prevent you from purchasing duplicates of what you already have.
• Take care of what you have. Don’t allow your treasures to be lost or crushed at the bottom of your closet under mounds of stuff you don’t need. Don’t let the clutter in your garage force you to subject your car to the elements. Don’t let your prescriptions expire simply because you lost track of them at the back of your kitchen or medicine cabinet.
• Clutter covers up what we do need, use and treasure; by clearing the clutter, you can tend to what is truly important and save money, too!

Save and Make Money with Paper Management:

• Retain and organize your receipts. Keep receipts, manuals and warranty information for appliances, electronics and other big-ticket items, together in one place.
• Take the time to fill out and mail the warranty cards. When something breaks down, you will have all the information you need to repair or replace the item.
• Never pay another late fee. Store your outstanding bills in a file labeled “To Be Paid” in big, bold letters. Then set aside an hour every other week to pay those bills.
• Take advantage of sales and deals. Retailers offer great money-back specials and rebates because they don’t expect the general public to send in the paperwork. Take the time to mail in that paperwork, and follow-up one month later. Those free product coupons and in-store checks can really add up.
• Cash in those coupons, gift cards and certificates. I worked with a client recently who had accumulated $300 in local restaurant gift certificates. She used them up and saved some money in food and entertainment costs.

Self and Time Management:

• Do more for yourself. Trim your son’s hair; mow your own yard; change your own oil; clean your own house; groom your own pet. If you are paying for services, you may be able to save money by doing these things yourself.
• Ask for what you really want. Instead of more clutter, wouldn’t you love to have some time to pamper yourself with a massage? How about a donation in your name to your favorite charity? Or perhaps a gift of a day of yard work from your family is more to your liking. If you want less stuff but more of something else (time, help, love, self-care, etc.,) just ask for it.

     For me, being organized means I get to make the most of all that I have.  That means money, time, stuff and relationships.  Get organized, and make the most of what you have, too!

Maintenance: Easy, Essential & Perpetual

Last week, I was asked “What are Your organizing projects?”.  We’re already organized, so I don’t have huge projects on my list.  My answer is “I am forever engaged in maintenance”.

I use the analogy of laundry. Laundry is never completely done, we’re always making dirty laundry.  In life, there are some tasks that we do and they stay done, and there are some tasks that we do and re-do forever, like dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc.; or in an office, client care, filing, billing, etc.

My clients and I talk a lot about the value of “Done”.  Sticking with a task until it is finished so we can move on the next project.  The feeling of accomplishment, the chance to take a breath and pat yourself on the back – I love “Done”.  However, most things don’t stay “Done”.

Remember the line from The Incredibles?  Mr. Incredible: “No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit?  I feel like the  maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for… for ten minutes!”

We all, including Mr. Incredible, need to recognize and embrace a vital component of the Organizing Process – Maintenance.   Maintenance is many things, but I will focus on three.  Maintenance is Easy, Essential and Perpetual.

Maintenance is Easy.  Maintenance is the easiest  part of organizing, certainly easier than getting organized.

Getting Organized takes lots of time, energy, money, motivation, decision-making and all sorts of other things we may or may not be willing to spend.  But Maintenance is what makes Getting Organized stick and stay, and takes much less time, money, energy, decision-making, etc.

Imagine your organized life.  Your clutter is gone.  Your stuff has a home, a place to be “put away”, and you have adequate storage for your items.  If this was your house, maintenance would be easy.  New stuff comes in, old stuff leaves, you put stuff away regularly and you make sure your stuff and systems are still working.  You do this a little bit daily and a lot once in a while, like at change of seasons.  This all becomes easy and routine, and you revel in having less clutter and less stress in your life.  Welcome to Maintenance.

And yet, Life Happens.  Good things, bad things, stuff happens.  Big emergencies and little upsets.  And that is why Maintenance is Essential.  I was discussing motivation with one of my tennis friends, and she said she would rather take care of things right away instead of waiting to do them “because more will always come”.  Maintenance is an investment in your future.

Being organized makes life run more smoothly, and occasionally saves us from those big and little emergencies altogether.  Maintaining our health keeps us healthy.  Maintaining our finances keeps our bills paid.  Maintaining our home keeps most major house emergencies at bay. In negative terms, there are many costs of Delayed Maintenance: Preventable but neglected health issues; late bills, collection agencies and poor credit scores; leaky roofs or plumbing problems.  Maintenance is essential, and a lot cheaper than emergencies. 

Maintenance is Perpetual.  I hear from friends and clients that it feels like organizing is never done.  We think we’re close, and then something happens and we have to adjust.

We are all perpetually in transition.  New day, new season, new challenges, new situations, new jobs, new babies, you name it.  So we have to realize that Yes, we have to maintain our systems and adjust to new things.  And that’s Ok.  And inevitable.

Sometimes I want to fight the perpetuity of maintenance.  Going back to Mr. incredible, can’t the world just stay saved for a while?   Any of these sound familiar (and not just in my house?!)?

“Come on!  I just went to the grocery!   Where did all the food go?  That was a week ago?  And we ate it?  Oh. ”

“We have to go pants shopping again because the teenager is suddenly 5 inches taller?  Really?”

“Didn’t I spend yesterday doing laundry?  What do you mean your uniform is dirty?”

“Didn’t I just pay the bills?  Or clean the gutters?  Or mow the grass?  Or get my flu shot?  DO I really have to do it all again now?  Grrrrr…..

So, I get it.  I do.  But then I remind myself that it is silly to fight Maintenance.  Maintenance will still need done even if I don’t feel like doing it.  And I know things will get really ugly if I don’t do it.  We need to eat, we need to wear clothes, I need to clean my house because it will not clean itself.  I don’t always love to clean, but I do love the end product of a clean home.

We can realize the perpetuity of Maintenance, but still cut ourselves some slack, and accept “Done Enough” or “Done For Now”.  There comes a time each night when my people are safely in bed, and I turn off my brain and the light and declare myself done for the day.  “Done Enough”. For now.  Tomorrow is another day.

So embrace Maintenance, in all its forms, and keep up with your Organizing efforts.  Remind yourself of the Easy and Essential parts to help you embrace the perpetual part!  And give yourself a break and allow for “Done Enough” or “Done For Now” sometimes.