How To Avoid Clutter Build

One of the easiest ways to make a big impact on your home’s appearance is to take care of clutter.  We all accumulate things, and when they don’t get picked up they can easily take over an area of the house.

Start by going through each room and identifying where extra storage space is needed. After you have figured out where you need storage, you can decide what type of storage pieces to buy.

There are many types of storage solutions to choose from, and you can certainly find some that will fit into your home’s décor.  You can choose from bookcases, chests, and ottomans for your living room.

When it comes to the bedroom, you can go to your local department store, such as Target, and find all types of closet organizers in that you can fit together to create customized storage solutions.
You can also find pieces that fit under the bed as well as nets that hang from the ceiling. These can be great for storing kids’ stuffed animals.

After you have figured out where you are going to put your things, you can start sorting through them.  If the task of de-cluttering your home seems overwhelming, focus on one room at a time. And if that seems overwhelming, focus on something small, such as one drawer.  When you are finished with that drawer, move on to another drawer or cabinet.  Eventually, you will have made your way through your home.

As you are working, you may find it helpful to make several piles.  Put everything you plan to keep in one pile, things you can sell on eBay in another pile, things to give away in a separate pile, and things to throw away in the final pile.

If you tend to be a pack rat, try to break free from your old habits.  For the most part, things that you haven’t used in the last year can be sold, given away, or thrown out.  If you are unsure of whether you will use it or not, put it in storage.  If another six months go by and you haven’t used it, it is time to let go of it.

Now that you have gone through the trouble of de-cluttering your house, here are a few tips on helping you avoid clutter build-up in the future.  It is a lot easier to schedule a 30 clutter cleaning session once a week than to spend several days de-cluttering once every few months.

* Don’t let newspapers and magazines pile up.  After you’re done reading them, put them in a bin and when it’s full, take it to a recycling center.  If you are hanging onto it for a specific article, clip the article out and pin it up on a bulletin board. It will take up much less space and will be a visual reminder that you wanted to read it.

* Instead of leaving things out on the counters, put items away when you are done using them.

* Use the time you spend on the phone to wipe down counters, fold laundry, and take care of other quiet chores.  You can get a headset for your phone so that you are audible to the person you’re speaking to, yet have both hands free to take care of other things.

* If you have a big house, buy a large basket with handles.  Each night, start in one room and place the items that do not belong in that room into the basket.  Make your way through each room, putting away things that belong in that room and placing items that belong somewhere else into the basket.

Time Saving Cooking Tips

Cooking may not be your favorite chore, but it is something that needs to be done every day.  Thankfully, there are many time management techniques that you can use to make cooking a faster and easier part of your day.

One of the easiest ways to save time throughout the week is to plan your meals ahead of time.  This will free up the time you spend each night trying to decide what to make for dinner, racing to the grocery store, standing in line to pay for your purchases, and then driving back home to cook your meal.

Instead, you’ll sit down, write out the meals you’ll have during the week, and make one trip to the grocery store.  You can plan your meals according to what is on sale that week, which will also help you save money.

The following are some more tips to help you save time, but still provide tasty and healthy meals for your family:
* Start using your crockpot! This is a great time saving tool when it comes to cooking.  When you get up in the morning, you can throw your meal in and let it simmer all day.  When you are ready to eat, your dinner will be hot and ready to eat.

* You may want to consider freezer cooking.  With this method of cooking, you’ll spend one weekend preparing a month’s worth of dinners and then you’ll store them in the freezer.  At night, you’ll take out the next day’s dinner and let it thaw in the fridge.  When your family is ready to eat, just pop that night’s dinner into the oven.

* The casserole was very popular in the 1970’s, but it fell out of fashion during the 80’s and 90’s.  They’re making a come back among busy families and for good reason.  This is a one pot dinner that is quick and easy to make (and easy to clean, since there is only the one pot plus plates and silverware). You can find some cookbooks on Amazon.com or eBay to give you some inspiration.

* If you don’t have time to cook a whole meal, you can opt to have a soup and sandwiches night. You can find some great soup starter mixes in the soup aisle. You simply open the mix, add water, and any fresh ingredients you choose and let it simmer.  While that’s cooking, you can make up some turkey and cheese sandwiches and cut up some raw veggies and serve those with a side dip.  You’ll have a very filling and nutritious dinner.

* Short cut cooking is the process of mixing prepared food with fresh ingredients to create a quick meal with homemade taste.  For instance, you can purchase a rotisserie chicken from the deli and serve it with some pasta and a side salad that you made at home.

* You can also plan your leftovers in order to create quick and easy meals throughout the week.  For instance, using the chicken from the above example, you can take the leftover chicken meat and use it to make a stir fry or chicken salad sandwiches for the next day’s meal.

How To Save Time While Running Errands

Running just a few errands a day can take up a big chunk of time.  Probably more time than most people realize.  It takes time to drive to the bank, post office or dry cleaners, stand in line, and drive back home.  The time you spend on all those little trips can really add up! Here are some ways to save time when running errands:

* If possible, try to run all of your errands one or two days per week.  You’ll spend less time on your errands by taking an hour or two and getting them all done in one block of time.

* Take advantage of having your paychecks deposited directly into your account, rather than receiving paper checks that you have to wait in line at the bank to cash.

* Many banks offer an online bill paying service.  You simply log into your bank account online, enter the name and address of the company you want to send money to along with your account number for the company, and enter the payment amount. Once you have entered in your information, you hit the “send” button and your bank will send the company your payment.  This is very convenient and you’ll no longer have to spend time buying stamps or mailing paper bills.

* If you send a lot of packages, as in an eBay business, consider using an electronic service such as Stamps.com.  You can print your postage at home with your printer, affix it to your package and schedule a time for your mail carrier to pick it up.

* If you have several errands to run in many locations around town, complete the ones that are farthest from your house first.  Then, work your way back home, stopping at your errand locations along the way.

* Avoid running your errands during office lunch hours and closing times, such as from 12pm – 1pm from 5pm – 6pm. These are times of the day when there are a lot of cars on the road and traffic can easily get congested.

* Ask others for help with the errands.  Perhaps your spouse can pick up the dry cleaning on the way to work or drop the rental movies off at the video store on their way home from work.  If you live within walking distance of the post office, ask your middle school aged child to walk over and buy the stamps.

* If you are very busy and cannot seem to find time to run your errands, consider paying a high school or college student to do them for you. If, on average, you earn $20 per hour, it makes more sense to pay a student $8 an hour to run your errands for you.  You may only have to use their service for two or three hours per week.  Your errands will get done, and the student will be happy to earn some spending money.

Yes – it is possible to earn money from home

Are you a mom looking for a way to make money from home? There are actually many ways to work from home, and if you are just starting your search, get ready to dive in! There are opportunities to work locally off-line and globally online!

A very popular way to make money from home is by selling items on eBay. You can sell items you have around the house that you are no longer using, clothes your children have grown out of, or, if you are crafty, you can sell things you have made. But you don’t have to stop there. Many people may not be as computer literate as you or maybe they just don’t have time to list their own auctions. You can offer up your services as an “auction specialist”. For a small fee plus a percentage of each sale, you can take pictures of items other people want to sell on eBay, post the auctions and take care of shipping the item to the buyer.

If you come from an administrative background, you can find work online as a virtual assistant. The job duties can be varied, including answering emails, making phone calls, maintaining websites, and more. If you are very adept at designing websites, there is certainly a huge market for that as well as graphic design. A copywriter (also known as ghostwriter) can make money by writing articles, sales letters, advertising copy and more for Internet Marketers. Freelance writing for newspapers and magazines is also an option for those who enjoy writing.

If you are someone who prefers to work off-line, there are still lots of possibilities. For starters, you can start a home-based daycare. If you love to organize and clean, you can set up a home business as professional organizer and get paid to clean out other people’s closets, attics, garages, etc. Another option for those who love to organize, would be to organize events. These can be events for people, such as parties and weddings; or you can organize events for businesses such as meetings, luncheons, and even business expos.

Many people have turned to direct-sales, also known as “party-plan”, to work from home. It is no longer a choice between kitchenware or make-up companies – today you can choose to sell candles, clothes, craft supplies, toys, books, jewelry and more. Some of the companies allow you to sell these items online as well as in the traditional “party” setting.

The possibilities for working at home are endless. Keep researching different options, ask lots of questions, and you will find a way to make money from home!

Time Saving Cooking Tips

Cooking may not be your favorite chore, but it is something that needs to be done every day. Thankfully, there are many time management techniques that you can use to make cooking a faster and easier part of your day.

One of the easiest ways to save time throughout the week is to plan your meals ahead of time. This will free up the time you spend each night trying to decide what to make for dinner, racing to the grocery store, standing in line to pay for your purchases, and then driving back home to cook your meal.

Instead, you’ll sit down, write out the meals you’ll have during the week, and make one trip to the grocery store. You can plan your meals according to what is on sale that week, which will also help you save money.

The following are some more tips to help you save time, but still provide tasty and healthy meals for your family:
* Start using your crockpot! This is a great time saving tool when it comes to cooking. When you get up in the morning, you can throw your meal in and let it simmer all day. When you are ready to eat, your dinner will be hot and ready to eat.

* You may want to consider freezer cooking. With this method of cooking, you’ll spend one weekend preparing a month’s worth of dinners and then you’ll store them in the freezer. At night, you’ll take out the next day’s dinner and let it thaw in the fridge. When your family is ready to eat, just pop that night’s dinner into the oven.

* The casserole was very popular in the 1970’s, but it fell out of fashion during the 80’s and 90’s. They’re making a come back among busy families and for good reason. This is a one pot dinner that is quick and easy to make (and easy to clean, since there is only the one pot plus plates and silverware). You can find some cookbooks on Amazon.com or eBay to give you some inspiration.

* If you don’t have time to cook a whole meal, you can opt to have a soup and sandwiches night. You can find some great soup starter mixes in the soup aisle. You simply open the mix, add water, and any fresh ingredients you choose and let it simmer. While that’s cooking, you can make up some turkey and cheese sandwiches and cut up some raw veggies and serve those with a side dip. You’ll have a very filling and nutritious dinner.

* Short cut cooking is the process of mixing prepared food with fresh ingredients to create a quick meal with homemade taste. For instance, you can purchase a rotisserie chicken from the deli and serve it with some pasta and a side salad that you made at home.

* You can also plan your leftovers in order to create quick and easy meals throughout the week. For instance, using the chicken from the above example, you can take the leftover chicken meat and use it to make a stir fry or chicken salad sandwiches for the next day’s meal.

For more help with your meal planning, check out my e-book: Meal Planning for Busy Moms. I also have a slow cooker recipe book in my shop. Both are available for immediate download and reasonably priced.

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