Organizing Chords: Cable Maintenance

The issue of cable maintenance affects all of us. Take, for example, a media entertainment area. I embarked on a project to upgrade a simple TV stand. I quickly realized that the project was not just about replacing a piece of furniture, but it was also about getting all the cords under control.


Get the chords under control

After assembling the TV stand, I set out to organize the inordinate amount of cables stuffed behind the old entertainment center. I sought to label every single cord and cable. Armed with an assistant and my label maker, I did just that. I kept saying to my assistant, "While you know where everything goes, if this stuff where to be disassembled, would anyone else be able to figure it out without labels?" The prompt response was, "probably not." Thus we labeled everything and then zip tied all of the cords together. The process was a bit tedious, but everything is properly organized and installed.

Do not underestimate the power of organized cables. As an electronics novice, I didn't realize that each speaker has a negative and positive cable, so I had to make sure I got it all labeled correctly.

While I only used a label maker, a bit of tape, patience, and zip ties, I was able to organize the media area. I wish, however, I had actual cable organizers that are on the market.  The labels and consolidated cords will help in the future if a piece of equipment needs to be replaced. Through this project I realized just how many things get plugged into a surround sound receiver: speakers, Blu Ray/DVD player, cable box, TV, and gaming equipment. Now things can be replaced with relative ease if you know where everything goes.  

Quick Things to Consider About Organizing

Organizing is:

• Not a big mysterious secret. Anyone can organize. Thankfully, whether it is a small or large project, you can organize your space. Often you can recruit friends, family members, or professional organizers if you need a little help.

• Empowering. You can regain your time and your space by keeping things organized.

• Hands on. If you want to set up an organized space it is important to be a part of the organizing process.

• Dynamic, not static. Organizing systems can grow and evolve over time. It is important to create a system that you want to maintain and improve upon.

• Creates freedom, saves time, and saves money. Once you know where everything is within your home or office it becomes easy to locate items. This saves time, money (you’re not out re-buying items that you cannot locate), and you’re free to do other things besides trying to locate items.

• Organizing systems can be like snowflakes. Many people have different design preferences and organizing priorities. You want to set up a system that works best for you. A visual learner may want her photo collection on display, but her friend might like to store her photos out of sight.

• Organizing does not have to be an all-day affair. You can speed organize in 5-20 minute intervals. Creating and maintaining an organizing system doesn’t have to take several hours everyday.

• SPACE. Organizing projects are often based on the SPACE principle. Julie Morgenstern discusses this principle at great length in her book Organizing from the Inside Out. You have to go through the process of SPACE (sort, purge, assign, containerize, and equalize).

• Sensible and practical. Enough said.

Organizing Coupons

One of the mantras of an organized life is, "Being organized saves time and money." A practical utilization of this mantra is through coupon clipping. Using coupons can save money, but you do not want to spend hours clipping coupons if you do not actually use them to gain savings at the check-out aisle.  It is important to be organized with coupon clipping, grocery shopping, and pantry/kitchen organization.

This is an unmanageable stack of coupons. There is no need to pile when you can file. 

Coupons come in all shapes, sizes, and formats. It is important to organize coupons that you use. You do not want a large and unmanageable stack of them. A pile of coupons can be overwhelming and they can often expire before you remember to "dig" for them.

I started my couponing quest with "The Krazy Coupon Lady". I must admit, I am not an extreme couponer and I do not believe in huge stockpiles of nonperishable goods. Yet if you stay organized with your coupons and the corresponding goods you bring home, then you can have tremendous success and save money in the process. It's key to be organized with coupons. I clip coupons from the newspaper, save Catalina coupons that are printed from the grocery store register, and find printable coupons online. The key to not getting overwhelmed with coupons is to only cut out coupons that you will actually use. Remember, your time is valuable. You do not want to spend a lot of time cutting out and organizing coupons that will only expire because you will never purchase the product or you cannot find the coupon for the product once you have it in your grocery cart. Remember time is money.   Your time is valuable.

Make a coupon book and start filing for savings at the check-out aisle. 

In about 20 minutes I created an impromptu coupon book for myself and a friend. I used a one inch black binder and a package of clear baseball card protectors. I found both of these items at Wal-Mart and it cost about $6 to create. I then created dividers using post-it notes. I categorized the book alphabetically by food (C for Campbell's Soup), then dividers for pet supplies and products, household products, and bath/toiletry/beauty products. Remember that there is no "right way" to organize. It is okay to use an organizational system that makes sense to you. You can organize your coupons by company name, product name, or by general categories (canned goods, bread, dairy, etc). Because my coupon book is always evolving, the post-it note dividers allows for versatility in expanding or eliminating categories. Coupons change with the seasons and companies are always coming out with new products. Once you have made a coupon book, whether it is large or small, remember to take this with you to the grocery store. For instance, when I am at the grocery store and I see something on sale, I can take advantage of the store sale price and the coupon savings (watch your store for double couponing...). Happy coupon clipping and organizing!

Filing: The Cornerstone for Successful Tax Preparation

If you have not already done so, it is important to start organizing files and documents in preparation for tax season. Of course, we have to wait for the W-2s or the 1099s to be mailed to us, but there are several documents that we can all prepare and compile throughout the year. This includes creating a spreadsheet (written or on the computer) of things that occur throughout the year. For instance a spreadsheet including the dates and monetary value of charitable donations and a separate spreadsheet for ongoing medical expenses and mileage calculations. Keep and file all of your charitable receipts as well as all of your medical bills and expenses. For instance, I created a "Charitable Contributions, 2012" file folder and began to file all of my receipts in chronological order. At the end of the tax year, I just have to print out my Microsoft Word Excel spreadsheet and include it with all of my receipts in the file folder. When I go to do my taxes, everything is in one easy-to-reach place.

Sorting paperwork in preparation for tax season. File documents throughout the year to minimize last-minute sorting and consolidating.  I hate the gut-wrenching feeling of loss when I cannot locate that one pivotal piece of documentation. 

In order to minimize stress and maximize time, I always create new file folders for each new year. For 2012 I have created several specific file folders. This way I have the year prepared within my filing cabinet and I can start filing right away. There is not one "correct" or "right" way to set up your file folders. You can organize your files chronologically or by subject matter. You can bundle your files by subject matter and then divide them chronologically. You can also organize your files alphepetically. You should create a filing system that works the best for you. For me, I have a specific tax section that is divided chronologically. I put the most recent year in front of everything else.

One final note--with the advent of the electronic filing systems (e.g. NeatDesk Document Scanner), organizing documents on your computer is becoming more prevalent. Please keep in mind that you should still keep and file important documents (yes, paper storage is still necessary). This especially applies to tax documents. Keep and file the originals.

First Assignment: Organize that Neglected Junk Drawer

Every organizational task starts somewhere. Every project begins with the first step. After a year of wanting to write about my experience as a professional organizer and to share tips and tricks about living a more organized life, I have taken the first step by starting this blog. Whether you are currently living an organized life or you are just beginning your journey in becoming more organized, I hope this blog helps. That begin said, let's begin with your first 15 minute organizing project.

Most of us have that infamous space in our homes or offices that is a catch-all for small items that may not have a permanent home. One organizing project that is small and fun to start with is organizing your purse or organizing a small junk drawer. This can take just a few minutes. I call it power organizing. It is exciting to see how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time. I power organized a drawer (many layers deep) that had not been organized in years. Here is the before and after in 15 minutes:

Before

After

You can be surprised at what you can find once you start organizing. I found Shuffleboard wax in this drawer. Yes, shuffleboard wax. You know, for shuffleboards.
I threw away all of the drawer's garbage: broken pens and pencils, soiled and broken office supplies, and bits of unusable paper. I consolidated all paperwork together and re-configured the envelopes. I relocated items that did not belong in the drawer: shuffleboard wax, a toy football, eating utensils, and historical photos. I then used small drawer organizers to consolidate post-it notes, door cards, keys, and scissors. With just 15 minutes, you can create organizing magic.