More money $

There are two ways to have more money:
  Earn more.
  Spend less.

You could work more hours, ask for a raise or find a better paying position.

or
Decrease your expenses.  (I heard the groan, heavy sigh, eye rolling)

Everyone thinks having more money would improve their lives.
And it might.  

Or not.

How you come by that additional money may be as important as the cash itself.

An increase in hours, meeting with the boss or starting a job search are all
options you may want to pursue.

Until you're ready or willing to move in those directions 

may I suggest paying closer attention in your daily life and routines to see where the money you currently earn is spent?
I'm not suggesting tracking every penny you spend, or  you vowing to only spend cash,
or planning some elaborate monthly budget-complete with a spread sheet.
(Although your certainly welcome to do those things if you'd like...)

Just note if you're throwing food away because you buy it then never take the time to prepare it.
Or you're buying food you think you 'should' eat, but in reality never do.
Or do you buy take out, eat part of it and leave the rest in the fridge until it grows a furry green winter coat?

Do you buy things On Sale that seem like a good deal but
once you bring them home they don't fit,
aren't as easy to use as you'd hoped, or the bag never gets opened?

What about the money you spend buying duplicates of items you know you already own but are unable to locate?
Or you didn't realize you already had six white shirts so you bought yet another, or shoes that look almost exactly like the pair in the back of the closet you forgot you owned?

Do you end up paying late fees or interest on bills when you have the money in your account you just misplaced the bill
or didn't open the mail or failed to cancel the subscription even though you never read/watch/use the service?

This week try paying a little closer attention to what you are buying with your money.
Is it the life you really want to be living?
Make conscious choices.  

Break down.

Some times even just clearing off the dining room table seems a daunting task.
Or trying to bring some order to a book case or closet.
Much less deciding to clear out and organize the garage.

May I suggest  a break down?
No.
No.
Not one involving tears or hiding under the bed or sobbing in a corner.

Break down; as in divide and conquer.
As in just do one shelf, or work for ten minutes,
or five songs on your play list.

Just taking a few little bites of the problem,
not having to swallow the entire thing at one sitting.

People often under estimate:  Oh, I can whip through this room in an hour.
Or over estimate:  This will take three days and I'll still never be finished.
(Insert heavy sigh.....)

Remember this clutter didn't just appear in one hour,
the disorganization didn't happen while you were sleeping, and
the fairies didn't pile things up when you were running errands.

Setting aside a few minutes at a time, staying on task during that time,
and continuing to work in the area on a consistent basis will produce results.

Commit to fifteen minutes a day and deal with one area that's bugging you.
You will see a difference.
Spend a little bit of time now to create a difference that you will benefit from
every day.

Simple and inexpensive solutions.

There are several common organizing problems 

that can easily be solved for under $15.
Display kid's art work with an Easy Change Artwork Frame.
Get the piles off your desk, but still keep folders handy and accessible with a vertical file holder.
Use ice cube trays (yes, you're old enough to remember them) to hold jewelry.
Repurpose an abandoned cd rack to hold the lids for your plastic containers.

You know what a fan I am of clear over the door shoe organizers.
Take advantage of the unused vertical space on the back of doors throughout your home.
  Use them to hold craft supplies, cleaning products, small boxes/cans/packets in the pantry,
    office supplies, kids toys, garden tools and seed packets, first aid supplies, make one into your
    vertical junk drawer, and of course, use it to store shoes!

Organization doesn't have to be expensive.
Simple, easy to use solutions usually work the best.
Small changes can make a big difference is how your home looks, feels and functions.
Make choices that create solutions.

Act now. Space is limited.

There's a limited amount of room in your closet,
under the bathroom sink,
in the kitchen cabinets,
on the pantry shelves,
in the file drawer.

Act now.
Choose an area that's bugging you.
  Remove everything from the space.
  Set aside the things that belong somewhere else in your home.
  Donate, recycle or toss the obvious.
  Sort like with like.

Then step away from the space for a moment or two.
Take a breath.

Decide which items deserve the prime real estate.
 What do you need access to most frequently?
 Put those items front and center.
Arrange the rest of the keepers in a way that makes sense to you.

Leave some breathing room.
  An empty shelf.  Space in the drawer.  A gap on the closet rod.

Space in your house really is limited.
Make sure that what you're keeping fits, has value to you,
and helps support the life you really want to live.

Choose less to have more.....

What you value.

Secret of Adulthood:
Focus Not on Doing Less, or Doing More, but on Doing What You Value.   Gretchen Rubin

How we spend our time and our money reflects who and what we value in our lives.

Look at your house, your schedule, your commitments, and how you feel at the end of a day.
Your results reflect your priorities.

By making conscious choices in what we purchase,
what hobbies and activities we engage in,
and who gets our love and attention;
our lives will be less cluttered (physically, mentally and emotionally)
and more heartfelt.

You get to choose.

Identify the problem.

Crammed closet.
Piles on the desk.
Cluttered kitchen counters.
Chaos under the bathroom sink.

Those aren't the real problems, those are the results of  problems.

The problem with the closet is too many clothes that don't fit,
are out of season or out of style, and a lack of organization.

The problem with the messy desk is no system for dealing with the mail,
piling instead of filing and random office items taking up valuable space.

The problem in the kitchen is no room in the pantry so things get left out,
dirty dishes that didn't make it into the dishwasher, papers, books and household items
that were never properly put away.

The problem under the sink is it's a wide deep cabinet,
too many multipacks and back up supplies, forgotten or never used
products or grooming aids.

Most problems are the result of:
Items not having a proper home.
No system or routine for dealing with things.
Trying to put too many things in too small of a space.

Once you see past the mess and understand what's causing the problem
solutions will become obvious and easy to implement.

Sort the closet.
  Purge what you don't wear, don't like, doesn't fit.
  Arrange like with like.

Deal with the mail on a regular basis.

Set up the pantry so you can see what you have;
  eat what's in there and buy supplies on an as needed basis.
Don't just set dirty dishes on the counter.
  Put them into the dishwasher.

Buy a small stacking shelf or drawer unit for bathroom cabinet
  and take advantage of the vertical space.
Store one back up product down there, not a multi pack's worth.
Let go of the hair dryer, curling iron, pedicure set you don't use.

Most solutions aren't complicated.

Memories, not stuff.

Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

Sun, wind, hiking, wildflowers, birding, ocean,
lagoons, ponds, history, elk, river otters, and miles
of sky......

Use your money to buy experiences, not stuff.
(this is my excuse for no post last week)