by kathilipp | Feb 26, 2014 | Home |
Quadrant Clean –
Divide the car into four quadrants and do one quadrant fully before moving one the the next one. Otherwise, you will start at the front, follow along to the side, get distracted by the gum on the back of the car seat, start picking at that and the driver seat still has Wendy’s Frosty stickiness on it that need to be wiped off.
Three Box Reminder –
Do not forget your three boxes of PUT AWAY, OTHER ROOMS, and GIVE AWAY. You will also need your two bags GARBAGE and RECYCLE. You might have to use two mini boxes of PUT AWAY. One for the items like the good silverware spoon that has peanut butter with carpet pieces now stuck to it from a left over snack and another for the school report you just found three days late. The main thing is to get it out of the car!
Do I really Need it in Here? –
You need to be realistic but simplistic for this one. An extra a pair of safety scissors could be really helpful sometime in your car. And husbands often need that quick nail clipper time so a pair of those is fine, but four coffee mugs? Probably not.
By getting rid of extra clutter in your car, you will also be saving money since it will make the car more fuel efficient. {click to tweet} Sure, a few extra homework folders will not make much of a difference, but hauling those bags of used sports gear that you are supposed to drop off at the gym will make a difference.
And once you have cleaned it out, use containers to keep what you want in there neat and easy to find. My friend uses a cosmetics bag for all the restaurant gift cards and she keeps it in the glove compartment so anytime the family is out, they can go to the restaurant and have the coupon handy!
What are some organizing tricks that you use in the car to keep it swept out and clutter free?
by kathilipp | Feb 19, 2014 | Home |
So you’re knee deep in your piles of things to get rid of for the 2014 Things Challenge.
The Problem – some of this stuff is worth some real money!
While it’s great to be generous (and let’s face it, it’s a lot less hassle to give stuff away than to sell it) sometimes it’s worth the time and effort to sell those things off and do wild and crazy things with your money, like feed your family…
I also believe in selling off a variety of “things” in order to get the “one thing” your family needs. Last year I sold dozens of books on Amazon in order to put the money toward a juicer that we wanted for our health plan. I haven’t missed one of those books, but the juicer is now a beloved part of our family.
So here are just a few ways to get rid of the stuff you need, and get some cash along the way:
The first way to make money from your unwanted goods is Craigslist. This is like the greatest garage sale you could ever hold and the buyers are at your fingertips on the computer. Although you do the selling and shopping online, the buyer meets you at an arranged location. There are some very specific tips to help you out like taking good photos and writing an accurate description of the item. These tips from the Money Saving Mom site will help you to save time and make money without hassle.
When setting up a meeting place, make sure it’s always a populated area or if it’s an item you have to have picked up at your home, make sure your husband or a beefy male friend is on hand. I sat on a jury where a fake Craigslist ad was posted for the sale of a car. The meeting took place at the end of a court and the men “selling” the car were waiting for the buyer (who brought cash” with guns. My son purchased a car through Craigslist the same week I was on the jury (and I was forbidden from talking about the case,) but he took his dad to the meeting – in front of a local Target store.
Selling things on Ebay is another easy way to get rid of your extra things and make money. Ebay is a website that allows you to download photos and descriptions and you are responsible for shipping the item to the buyer. The most important thing to remember is to do your research. Every detail you put into the description will help the buyer know exactly what they are buying and will be more likely to pay more money for your item. It is also important to time it right. Selling that Mickey Mouse costume in the middle of the winter will not be quite as lucrative as selling it in the beginning of October in order to get the money saving mamas buying for Halloween. Ebay selling tips like setting reasonable prices or having your shipping supplies ready ahead of time will help you get more money for your clutter.
The last way to make money from getting rid of your stuff is a feel good way – donating. The IRS rewards generosity with money-saving tax perks for certain charitable contributions. As in the other ways, research is very important in knowing the cost of the items you are giving away. It is also crucial to decide on a place where the organization wants you items and will be able to use them.
Next week we’ll be talking about how to get the whole family in on a garage sale and make even more money from all of your stuff!
Whichever way you choose, do your research so you know that your time invested is worth the money you will get. The good news is that you really can make money selling your stuff. What is a another way that you make money getting rid of your stuff? Tell me in the comments below and you will be entered to win Wisdom Meets Passion by Dan Miller!!! Just one of the 52 books from my library I’m giving away in 2014!
by kathilipp | Feb 18, 2014 | Home |
We are spreading the 2014 Things Challenge LOVE all over the web. If you are stuck trying to figure out what should stay and what should go, head over to my post today on Upgrade with Dawn. This little checklist of how to make decisions with your stuff will get your from Stuck to Stuff-Free in no time!
by kathilipp | Feb 13, 2014 | Home |
It has been a week.
Half of it I’ve been traveling, the other half had, well, life.
And while the stuff in my house seems overwhelming, this challenge seemed even more so.
Some weeks I’ve be racking up huge numbers. But this week not so much.
Do you feel like a 2014 Things Drop Out?
Here is what to do when you feel like you’re falling behind.
- Take a real look at the numbers. In order to stay on target for the 2014 Things, you need to get rid of about 37 things a week – that’s less than six things a day. You can so do this.
- Concentrate on small areas. Do a drawer, or a shelf. Don’t say, “I’ll do the garage today.” NO. Don’t set yourself up for failure like that.
- Get some help. Set a timer for you and your kids to get as much out of your rooms as possible. I know of one mom who is using the challenge for her kids to earn screen time.
- Ask a friend to help. Get on the phone and the whole time your chatting, both of you can be getting rid of stuff. Everything is easier with a friend.
- Picture your house lighter. Get a vision of what it’s going to look like when you’re done.
We can do this girls.
What tiny area are you going to work on this weekend. Tell me in the comments and you’ll be entered to win The Get Yourself Organized Project!
by kathilipp | Feb 12, 2014 | Home, Uncategorized |
Here are three important tips that you need to remember when packing your toiletries bag:
1. Go for the smallest toiletries bag possible. It seems easier to get a big bag, you know like those old train cases that our parents used to pack, but when you try to pack a big bag, you end up bringing things that you do not really need just because you have room. And you will end up with every cream, lotion, and perfume you own. All of a sudden you are bringing face cream that you have not used in ten years! If you must have room, larger bags can be handy in organizing your items as long as you get one with separate compartments that you can put your hair products in, first iad supplies in , and cosmetics in for quick finding.
2. Think about your traveling style. If you are going to be carrying on your luggage, you will have to put liquids in specific bottles that carry less than 3.4 ounces. The guidelines are specific and will be checked! And remember, toothpaste is considered a liquid. Yep, I had a friend who had to dump a brand new tube! Of course, it was the extra large whitening kind. Be prepared so you don’t waste money!
3. Pack extra baggies just in case. Besides putting each container in a separate baggy so liquid does not accidentally open and spill, it is a good idea to bring extra baggies. Whether you need them for a quick clean up or to bring stained clothes home, it is good to have extras. Believe me, you will thank me when your little one decides that he is done potty training and decides to go right.then.and.there.
Traveling can be fun, and with these quick tips, your toiletries bag will be a place that you can find needed supplies, not another area of stress. What good tips can you share as far as packing a toiletries bag?
by kathilipp | Feb 10, 2014 | Home |
The Challenge 2014 is underway and it brings even more goals to accomplish. But how do we make organizing work? Here are Four Quick Start Evaluation Steps to make any organizing goal more manageable:
1. Find two friends (at least) to do the project with you. It doesn’t matter if they’re phone friends, Internet buddies, or face-to-face girlfriends you meet with at Starbucks down the street. Find someone to keep you accountable.
2. Pick a room—any room to start the purge. I would pick the room that’s giving you the most stress and start there. You’ll feel better when some of the pressure is taken off.
3. Evaluate your plan. This is where people often give up. If something doesn’t work, they will scrap the whole idea. You decide what steps you’re going to take each day. Then after trying it, see if that is a good goal. Feel free to change it, but just keep your focus on trying to organize areas of your life.
4. Be flexible. The intention of The 2014 Things Challenge is not to add stress, but to make your life simpler by removing the clutter from your life and helping you stay organized. Just do something, intentionally, every day. If you can be flexible in the day to day goals, you will learn to be flexible when things come up that you cannot control. And in this way, we are no longer jut purging clutter from our homes, but also the clutter of disappointment or anxiety if something doesn’t go perfectly in our life. Because let’s be real. Life on earth is not perfect. But we do have a perfect God that will help us get through it!
