Decluttering tips

This week I have been on a mission...to DECLUTTER my house. I don't know if it's the fact that I am expecting my fifth baby in May and I am already feeling cramped about that or what.

Whatever the reason, I have been able to get a lot done. While I've been going through things, I thought of a few tips that can help when decluttering any area in your home.

There are a few categories in which to "put" the ideas you are organizing. Whether you have a box for each idea or a pile, these can help to lessen the stress of decluttering.

1. File
2. Give away
3. Trash
4. Put away


The FILE items might be important documents of things that your kids did at school. If you are in a hurry to declutter an area, this is a good place to put things. When you are ready to spend some real time on it, you can go through your filing cabinet or whatever you use to store things on that nature and you can decide if you really need to keep those things. Along these lines, one of my goals for February is to get a banker's box (the white fill boxes they sell at office supply stores) for each of my children and file their keepsake papers in individual boxes. I think this will be a good way to keep track of HOW MUCH stuff I have for each kid so that I can decide what to keep and what to trash. I also think that this will be fun because my kids can look through their own things, which is not really a possibility right now with their papers in a filing cabinet.

The GIVE AWAY items are just that...to give away. Sometimes you might have a certain person to give things to and sometimes you might just get a box or bag together to donate to the thrift store. (NOTE: You may have to do this while you kids are sleeping or at school, just in case they decide to become attached to something they haven't played with for months.

Deciding what to TRASH can be tricky. It is good to use the 6-month rule on some ideas can be a good indicator of whether or not to throw something away (or to give it away). Today, I threw away a pile of stained clothes that I had been working on for a long time and then forgot able for a few months. I didn't miss any of them and they weren't worth giving away. I also trashed two clothing items that I was holding onto for silly reasons. First was a cream hoody that I LOVE but it gets dirty SO fast and is looking old. I finally decided that it wasn't worth sitting around and I probably looked a little silly wearing a dirt hoody. Haha. The other was an old college shirt that was thread-bare. It was the first shirt I got when I went to school and it fits me really well, so I just kept it in my closet. I wore it to bed a few times but finally decided today that it was time to say good bye. Sounds silly, but I am sure everyone has been through similar things...right?

The PUT AWAY pile should be the easiest, but for me it isn't. With little kids and short periods of time to organize, I often don't get this done well, but the idea is that when you are organizing one room and you find something that belongs in another room, you put it away. Simple idea, right? It can be as longs as you don't get distracted. On the other hand, if you give yourself a box to put these things in and you run out of time, you can just stick the box somewhere out of the way and get to it when you can.

Any other decluttering ideas?

Why I Prepare

In the last few years, it seems that more and more people around me have become interested in food storage and emergency preparedness. Being LDS, I have heard Church leaders counsel for years about being prepared. In fact, since the late 1800s, after the Mormons settled Utah, they were advised by their leaders to store food. Back then, it wasn't really necessary to remind people to be self-reliant because for the most part they had to farm or ranch to make their own living.

It is easy for you and I to go to the grocery store and grab a can of fruit any time. We can see, however, examples of why this may not always be the case.

So these are some of MY reasons for being prepared:

1. It's what the Lord wants me to do. I believe that the leaders of my church, specifically the President of the Church who were believe to be the Lord's prophet on the Earth, are called of God and that their counsel and advise is from a loving Heavenly Father who only wants the best for me.

2. Natural disasters. We have seen examples of this time and again with hurricanes, earthquakes and more. We can learn from these experiences that it CAN happen to us and there are things we can do to be more prepared for these disasters.

3. Economic hardship. Over the last few years, we have all seen so many of our friends and family members without sufficient work. When I think of those around me that have lost jobs, I can see that the ones that had savings and food storage have had a more positive outlook, and have been able to get through the hard time without a lot of outside help. I have seen others who have had to completely rely on government or church assistance and help from family members. (I am NOT saying that any of these things are bad. There is a time and a place for each of them. I do believe, however, that we feel better about ourselves when we can be more self-reliant. I think that when parents are the primary providers for their own families, they take more satisfaction in what they have.)

4. Convenience. This one might sound funny at first, but I have found that having a few extra items at home in case of an emergency has been helpful when I have times when I do not want to run to the store. I love being able to ask my kids to go grab another ketchup out of the storage room and simply making a note that I need another one, rather than rushing to the store or bothering neighbors. I understand, however, that it takes time and money to reach the point where you feel it's convenient. When you're just getting started, it can feel anything BUT convenient. Just keep working at it!!

5. Peace of mind.  Along with convenience, once you have a little bit of food and money set aside, there is a peace that comes. Being prepared helps you feel like you can still have control in a situation that may be out of your control.

Whatever YOUR reasons, remember them as you get frustrated and annoyed. Understand that you can't have everything stored right away, just work at it little by little. Talk to your kids about it. Help them to take responsibility for the things they have so that they can grow to be more self-reliant individuals.

Most of all, keep it simple! You can do it!

Diapers deals

I recently posted on my Facebook account that I stocked up on a bunch of diapers for my 2 year old and for my baby due in May. Diapers have no expiration and are always needed at my house, so when I see a deal, I try to stock up.

I follow a blog called Freebies 2 Deals and she posts all kinds of good deals. She posted some diaper deals on Amazon the other day and I decided that I need to put a new price list together for diapers.

That and the reaction from my Facebook post lead me to this post.

So first of all, I personally do not have a serious brand preference. I haven't ever had a problem with any certain brand so I just buy what is cheap. I have some diapers that I like (Walgreens brand, Luvs, and Pampers Swaddlers for newborns) but I just buy what's a good deal. And I base a good deal on the price of Wal-Mart's Parent's Choice brand price.

Here are the lowest prices on that brand, per diaper:

Newborn= $.14/diaper

Size 1= $.12/diaper

Size 2= $.14/diaper

Size 3= $.14/diaper

Size 4= $.16/ diaper

Size 5= $.18/diaper

Size 6= $.21/diaper

Usually the cheapest ones are the biggest packages, but not always so watch for that. For example, the smaller package of size 2 diapers at Wal-Mart are a little cheaper than the big box. ($.004 cheaper to be precise, so you have to be a super nerd like me to care about that.)

SO, now you have a basis of where to start. From here you can watch for deals. My favorite places for diaper deals are Walgreens and Amazon.

Every few months, Walgreens has a deal Buy One, Get One 50% off. If you love these diapers or if you don't want to go to Wal-Mart, the diapers are a pretty good price with this sale, although they are at least 2 cents more a diaper more than the Parent's Choice base price. About a year ago there was a sale that was Buy One, Get One Free and that made the diapers much less than the base price.

THIS WEEK: Walgreens diapers are on sale for 2 for $10. That makes them as cheap or cheaper than the base price. The smallest sizes are the best deals! Newborn=$.12/diaper, Size 1=$.10/diaper and Size 2= $.12/diaper. These are stock up prices!

To get them even cheaper, you can buy them online. If you use Ebates, a site that gives you cash back at certain stores, you can log in through there and get 3.5% cash back. And if you spend $30 or more, you can use the coupon code SURVEYTHANKS which gives you $5 off. Also, any purchase $25 and over is free shipping.

The only thing about buying them online is that you have a limit of 2 per size. For me, that didn't make a difference in getting to $30. I purchased 2 size 1, 2 size 2 and 2 size 3. With the sale, that brought my total to $30. Then I applied the coupon code and my total was $25. I will get $.88 back on Ebates and then tax was $1.50.

So in the end I got 256 diapers for $25.62!! That's an average of $.10/diaper!!!
 

Amazon is a little more complicated. First of all, prices on Amazon change constantly. Also, Amazon has a Subscribe and Save option, which gives you a cheaper price for signing up for a regular delivery of certain products. You can pick different increments, but you can also cancel at any time, so it's there are no strings attached.

Another thing about Amazon is that they have Amazon Moms and Amazon Prime which you have to pay a yearly fee for but it gives you 2-day shipping and discounts on a lot of products, especially the Subscribe and Save items. I personally do not have Amazon Prime because I don't think that I order enough to save me the $79/year fee.

If the prices on Amazon are close and you enjoy not having to go to the store for diapers, then this is a great option. I just ordered some size 3 Luvs on Amazon for almost $.15 a diaper, so about a penny a diaper more than the Parent's Choice brand. Usually, I care about small things like this because even a penny a diaper adds up...BUT I personally try to avoid Wal-Mart as much as possible. So buy ordering diapers on Amazon, I may be paying about $2 more than buying them at Wal-Mart, but I also save money on whatever I might have picked up walking around the store or even just the time I spend getting there. Sometimes the convenience of getting something shipped to your home is worth a couple of bucks.

If you have a specific brand that you need, you can make your own price list of that brand and compare sales to that price. If you like Pampers and Huggies, there are often coupons in newspapers and online, so be on the look out or ask your friends.

While we're talking about diapers, we need to pay our respects to the baby wipe. Also a necessary items in my household. Based on the Parent's Choice unscented wipes, my base price is 1.7 cents per wipe. Again, I don't have sensitive kids and like the good old cheap wipes, so I get whatever is cheapest. I'm spoiled though because my mom usually brings my a box of wipes from Sam's Club when she visits.

Although wipes do not last forever, they will last a year or so unopened and can be used for many things in addition to wiping baby bottoms, so this can be a great addition to any family's storage.

Are you in post-holiday financial shock?

OK, so it's January again and we made it through another holiday season. Most of us will have a little bit (or a lot) of credit card debt to pay off now. My husband and I went through YEARS of constant credit card debt when we were first married and the last few years we have not kept a balance on our card...except for in December. I planned and saved but not enough. So this is my plan for the coming year. Maybe these things will help for you too.

1. Save! The average American spends about $750 a year on Christmas gifts, holiday foods and decorations. I know exactly how much I spent this year, so I am going to have that much saved by December of this year (hopefully!). Having your emergency savings available can be good too. We have 3 birthdays and our anniversary in November and December and so I need to remember to be extra prepared.

2. Make a list of people you normally give to and ideas for them. It may seem early to think about but it can help. For example, I know which family we have in each of our family exchanges this coming year so if I see something interesting sometime this year, I can snag it early and set it aside. I usually make a list in a notebook, but this year I am going to make an Excel spreadsheet. I will also be able to note on the spreadsheet where I stashed the gift. (Like the Lego set in my closet that I picked up for half off the day after Christmas.) Also, if you have ideas for gifts, you can watch for sales throughout the year. Sales during the holidays are great, but there are lots of chances to save money throughout the year.

3. Set a budget. Having a set amount in mind can help you to avoid over-spending. Just remember to be realistic.

4. Track what you spend. If you didn't track what you spent this last Christmas, find a way to track what you spend during the holidays this year. You can use software like Quicken, an Excel spreadsheet or just notes in a notebook. Whatever works for you. Tracking can also help with over-spending because you can see where all your money is going.

5. If you don't already do so, ask your family to do a family exchange. My husband has 8 siblings and I have 4, so it would not be economic for any of us to buy something for everyone. We each have an exchange so we buy gifts for one of his siblings and their family and one of my siblings and their family. This makes if easier financially as well as a lot of fun because you can focus on one family and make it special.

Any other ideas???

3-month supply: Soups & Meals

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!! Hope you all had a great Christmas and are ready to take on 2013!!!

 

Let's talk about a 3-month supply of soups and meals.

 

How much??? You need to decide that depending on what your family eats.

 

Some ideas of soups and meals you can store are:

 

Broths, cream soups, tomato soup, chilis, stew, raviolis, ramen noddles, macaroni & cheese, Hamburger Helper, etc.

 

Even if you don't normally eat some of these pre-made meals, it can be handy to have them on hand in case of an emergency, or a night where you just don't want to cook.

 

You can also store frozen pizzas and meals. They may not be great for a power outage, but to have them on hand for those lazy nights or a week that you're out of grocery money can helpful.

 

 

You all know that I am pretty crazy about preparedness stuff. But I want you to realize that I am also realistic and I don't have a big budget for my food storage. Honestly, my goal this year is to spend $10 a paycheck on storage items. So this month, I will go to the store and buy $10 worth of mac & cheese or frozen pizza. For real.

 

My other food storage related goal is to take inventory each month of the specific area I talk about on the blog. So, I will look through my soups and meals in January to see what I have and what things I need most. This really helps because you only have to inventory a small amount of items instead of getting overwhelmed with counting all my storage.

 

So as you think of the goals you want to make this year, be easy on yourself and realistic. Don't stress, just do what you can.