There are many ways being organized improves your life. One of the most beneficial things about it is how it saves you time. It also saves you stress from having to look for things you need when you need them. But also coming in as one of the top benefits of being organized is the way it helps you save money.
With today’s inflation and the price of gas, who wouldn’t want to save money? And you can do that by simply getting your life and your home a bit more organized.
Here are four areas where being organized helps save you money
Paperwork
Paper clutter is one of the hardest things to keep up with. It starts off small but builds and builds over time if you’re not adamant about keeping it organized. When you get your paperwork in order, you’ll save money in a multitude of ways.
For starters, you’ll know where everything is when you need it. This can include important documents like birth certificates, wills, social security cards, insurance policies, and more.
Most of these are one and done. In that, you get one original copy and if you misplace it you have to pay a fee to get a new one. That’s why if you keep all those documents organized, you’ll always know where they are. This saves you from ever having to pay a replacement fee.
The same can be said for bills. Even though many people pay bills online nowadays, some still prefer the paper option. And some companies still require checks over online payments. So it really comes down to your preference and the company’s policy.
Misplaced bills are the leading cause of late payments. And late payments mean paying more when you do finally find the paperwork. That’s why keeping your bills organized is a must. Not only will you pay everything on time, but you’ll find the right bill when you need it.
Food
Have you ever cleaned out your fridge, freezer, or pantry and found a ton of expired food? Food waste is incredibly hard on your wallet. If your pantry is overstuffed, how are you to know what you have when you need it? If your fridge and freezer are bursting at the seams with no type of structure, how are you to know where that smell is coming from?
When you get your food organized, you’re going to save money simply by knowing what you have. Keeping like items grouped together will help you see what you’re running low on. This keeps you from buying duplicate ingredients.
In order to get your food organized, start with a general declutter. Toss any expired food and keep a running list of things you need to replace.
As you put things back, work on grouping similar items together. Fruit with fruit. Vegetables with vegetables. Pasta with pasta. When you bring new food into your home, rotate by bringing older food forward and newer food in the back. If you need some inspiration, check out our Projects page for the kitchen organizations we’ve done.
Closet
In our experience, besides food, the most cluttered room in a home tends to be a closet. We’re all guilty of owning more clothes than we need. But if you want to save money, getting your closet and clothes organized is a vital first step.
When your closet is organized, you see everything you have. Like your food, this saves you from buying duplicates. See a pattern here? A well-organized home is paramount to showing you what you have and what you still need. A disorganized home means you’ll buy things you already have. While it's fine to have a few pairs of jeans, owning six black pairs is a little much.
Having an organized closet also allows you to have some fun with challenges. If you’re not sure what to declutter in your closet, you can experiment. Here are some popular challenges people have used to help them:
Project 333
No Buy Challenge
No New Buy Challenge
Wear Your Entire Closet Challenge
Once you’re ready to organize your clothes, check out our shop for our favorite closet products.
Home in general
Your home is meant to be a place to relax, share time with family, and be at peace. But if your home is primarily disorganized, it’ll be difficult to maintain that peace. Why? Because as we’ve mentioned in previous posts, being unorganized wrecks havoc on your mental health.
When you’re unable to relax in your home, you find peace elsewhere, which means spending money. You may go shopping or to a restaurant. While there’s nothing wrong with a little retail therapy and a good meal out, if you use it as a crutch because you don’t want to deal with your messy home, then it becomes a problem.
The great thing about restoring peace in your home is you can start small. Begin by giving a dedicated home for your keys, wallet, and/or purse. These are items people tend to search for the longest when trying to head out the door. When you know where they are, you’ll start your day better because you’re not wasting time.
Once you see the benefits of having a dedicated home for small things, you’ll start to organize the big things. Before you know it, your home is more organized and you're more at peace.
Other ways getting organized can save you money
You can cash in on your declutter
As you organize your home, you’ll probably find items you no longer want. This can be anything from clothes, decor, appliances, sporting equipment, and more. Don’t just donate them to get them out of the house. Try and recoup some of that money by selling your unwanted items.
There are a ton of options available in this digital age. You can use Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, thredUp, The RealReal, Beacon’s Closet, and more. You’re never without options to sell. You can also have a good old-fashioned garage sale.
Give yourself a deadline so those unwanted items aren’t tempting you to rejoin the ranks. If something doesn’t sell in six months, donate it.
You’ll find something you didn’t realize you had
Another benefit of organizing your home is you’ll probably find things you didn’t realize you had. Or perhaps you did know, but couldn’t remember where you put them.
This can be anything from a niche kitchen appliance, a specific type of clothing item, travel accessories, and more.
When you find these items, take the time to decide if you still need/want them. Did you buy something else in its place? Is it necessary for your lifestyle anymore? Know that you’ll most likely decide to declutter most of this stuff and that’s ok. Remember to check to see if you can sell it before donating it first.
You’ll find things you realize you don’t need
Finally, while organizing, you’ll definitely find things you realize you don’t need. Or ever needed for that matter. Did you ever say you wanted to try camping? Did you buy a ton of camping attire and equipment? Did you stuff it somewhere because you never used it?
Now that you’ve found it, you have a decision to make. Are you going to try and become a camping person? Or are you going to give up that aspiration and give it to someone who will use and cherish it?
It’s hard getting rid of stuff you spent money on. But getting your home organized means discovering things about yourself. You learn exactly what you need and don’t need for your current lifestyle. And when you know what you don’t need, you won’t waste money on it anymore.
Now you know some ways being organized helps you save money. Are you going to be perfect every time you go shopping? Absolutely not. None of us are. But getting organized gives you a better insight into your life and what it is you should be spending money on.
All that money saved can now go towards a family vacation you’ve been meaning to take. Or maybe you have your eye on a big purchase like a new appliance or even a car.
If you’re ready to get organized and restore peace to your home at last, contact us today.
What’s something you tend to spend a lot of money on? Have you tried curbing your spending to save for something? How do you think getting organized will help you save money? Comment below.