How Does Being Organized Save You Money?
By Pamela Wong
Pamela is a Trained Professional Organizer based in Oakville, Ontario and is the owner of Zen N Organized. She helps homeowners and small business owners transform their homes and home offices into organized spaces. She has a practical, non-judgemental approach to organizing. Her objective is to create functional and harmonious spaces for her clients.
Everything is more expensive these days. Whether you are buying groceries or going to a restaurant, prices seem to be quite a shock these days. It can get even worse if you have a variable rate mortgage. It is evident that the cost of living has gone up and you may be looking for ways to cut your expenses.
If you are wondering how being organized can save you money, then here are some tips.
TRACK YOUR EXPENSES
One of the best ways to see where you are spending your money is to keep track of your expenses. Knowing where your money is going will allow you to see where you are overspending.
Here are some areas where you can trim your expenses:
- Automatic subscriptions – modify and cut down on things like your magazine, streaming platform or your gym memberships that you are not using.
- Stick to your grocery list and only buy stuff that you need. This will also help you with less wasted food.
- Avoid impulse purchases. Ask yourself: Is this a “need” or a “want”? What would happen if you don’t have it? Be honest to yourself if you want to achieve your savings goal.
KNOW WHERE YOUR STUFF IS
When you know where everything is in your home, you save time looking for things and waste less money buying duplicates and triplicates.
Imagine if you don’t have to run around every morning looking for your keys, your sunglasses or your kids’ homework before going out the door. That 10 minutes you saved by having an organized home will lower your stress level. You are no longer wasting precious time looking for things and you can spend that extra 10 minutes towards something more meaningful, perhaps a nice conversation with your kids before they go off to school.
Can you recall a time where you found something at the bottom of the drawer that you haven’t used in ages? Do you remember that feeling of: “Why did I waste all this money on this? I don’t even use it!”? That realization of what you can live without and the money that you can save will help you be more conscious of future purchases.
BUY LESS
Buying less means more money in your pocket. In addition to what’s already been talked about, here’s something else to consider:
I wrote about making coffee at home as opposed to buying it every morning. You can read my original post here: 12 Simple Money Saving Tips.
The price of coffee has gone up since I wrote this, but the idea is the same. Instead of spending anywhere around $2-$3 for a regular coffee at a coffee shop, a homemade coffee will cost you somewhere around $.50 – $1 per cup. Over the course of a year, you can save over $500! AND this is just basic coffee. Imagine how much more you can save if you make lattes and other fancier coffees at home!
Having a tidy home has physical, psychological, and monetary benefits. The most obvious is the physical transformation. The home is lacking of clutter and is welcoming. It is associated with positive energy and better mental health. It provides room for creativity and productivity. It helps you focus and best of all, it can save you money.
What are some other simple changes you can adapt into your lifestyle to help you save some money by having an organized home?
