Below is an article (reprinted with permission) on the cost of clutter in our lives. Please read the article below. Can clutter end up costing you more? How would you begin sorting through all the stuff in your home and gaining control?
The Cost of Clutter
by Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/
We live in a society of extremes. People seem to be extremely in
debt, extremely overweight and extremely disorganized. people
everywhere are trying to come up with new and better solutions to
solve these problems but not many of their ideas are working.
It's because they are focusing on the wrong problem. For example,
if your child comes to you and says "I have a drug problem." You don't
sit them down and say, "Well let's work on a way to get your grades up
and then we'll work on your drug problem." How foolish that would be.
The real problem is not the grades but the drugs. You take care of the
drugs and the chances are pretty good that the grades will come up.
For some of us, instead of focusing on getting out of debt or
losing weight, we need to first give more serious thought to becoming
organized. Does that sound crazy, almost laughable? Before you start
laughing too hard, look at these examples and see if you can relate.
How often do you go out to eat because your kitchen is a mess? If
your kitchen is clean, chances are you would not only be more willing
to fix dinner at home but in the morning you would fix breakfast and
pack yourself a lunch too.
Here are some benefits of getting your kitchen organized:
* You would save at least $5,000 a year for one person,
$10,000 for two, and so on if you ate at home.
* When you are organized you know what you have in your
pantry, so don't buy ingredients that you already have and you don't
throw out food you forgot you have.
* You would be using your leftovers instead of tossing them.
* You will start losing weight because you are preparing
regular well balanced meals instead of eating fast food all the time.
Besides the fact that homemade food generally has fewer calories than
fast food, balanced meals create fewer cravings and this helps
eliminate grazing.
Organizing can reduce your wardrobe and laundry costs.
* Do you keep buying more clothes because you are gaining
weight from fast food or from the stress of your clutter?
* How big is your wardrobe? Do you or your children own 30
pairs of jeans at $60 a pop because you don't keep up with the laundry
or because your closet is so stuffed you can't find anything? That
adds up to $1,800 worth of jeans. If you cut it down to even 10 pairs
you would save $1,200. How many tops do you own? How about those
shoes? Before you say, "There is no way I have that many jeans, shoes,
or tops!" go count you clothes. You may be surprised...
* How often do you toss a suit jacket on the floor or on the
furniture and then later have to have it dry cleaned because it's
wrinkled? Just think what you could save on your dry cleaning bill if
you keep a little more organized.
Organizing saves you money!
Organizing can save you money in every aspect of your life.
* Do you buy new items because you can't find something? The
cost of things like tools, glue, tape, ropes, garden tools, kitchen
items, light bulbs, batteries, office supplies and other things really
adds up.
* How much do you pay each month in late fees on your bills
because you can't find them, your checkbook or even a stamp to mail
them?
Try something different!
So often we think that the solution to our debt problem is for
both spouses to work outside the home. At times we even compound the
problem when one or both spouses takes a second job.
When both spouses work out of the home, who takes care of the
house? Frequently, there is a constant battle between them about whose
job it is to take care of some element of the housework. After all,
the husband has been out working all day, so he doesn't feel like it.
Oh, but the wife has been working, too so why can't she take a break?
Imagine if your boss at work decided to work a second full time
job. How would this impact your work place? Who would you ask if you
couldn't find products for your customers? What if there was no change
because your boss was at his other job until after the bank closed?
What if you needed help or advice from your boss, but he said, "Not
now... I'm too tired from my other job?" How long would that company
last? The same thing happens in many homes every day.
Would your family be better served if one spouse stayed home?
Someone needs to be responsible for the bulk of the care and
maintenance of the home and family. Ideally, everyone will share the
work, but like in any other business there has to be one person in
charge. Otherwise, everyone will avoid the work and everything will
descend into chaos.
If this sounds like your home, you might sit down with your
spouse and seriously consider whether one of you might take off of
work to try to get your home in order. Instead of thinking of staying
at home as a prison sentence, think of it as another job to help save
you money, reduce family stress and add more family comfort.
If you're considering staying home, get rid of the emotions and,
with pen and paper (hopefully you can find one) in hand, write down
the ways that being disorganized is costing you money. Be honest and
try to cover even the small things. You might find that the money you
are spending dealing with disorganization is equal to or more then one
spouse's take home pay.
Organization has nothing to do with what is politically correct
or what the media or other people tell you you need to do....[Message truncated] | 
