Clutter Hacks: Organising your time on the phone
September 10, 2007
In my planner, on my important numbers list, I have a column called reference numbers next to the company’s telephone number.
When I phone the insurance company, I don’t have to bring my whole Household File to the phone because my policy number is right there on the form. Or if I phone the water and electricity department to query my account, my account number is readily available.
This saves a ton of time, not to mention the convenience of not having to have all that paper around adding to the clutter!
What good ideas can you add to the discussion?
What's Your Clutter Style?
September 7, 2007
I’ve noticed that there are several very distinct kinds of clutter. Do you recognize yourself in one of these five statements?
** “This is perfectly useful, I can’t just throw it away.”
It’s good to have useful things around the house, but you don’t need them in massive quantities.
If you can’t bear to throw useful things away, give them to people who need them. I had a shelf packed with those glass vases that come with flower arrangements – too nice to toss but too many to use – so I gave them all to the neighborhood flower shop.
** “One day, this might come in handy.”
True. But there’s a cost to having piles of empty shoe boxes, jam jars, and half-filled cans of paints.
Ask yourself: how much would it cost to buy this item, if I needed it? Do I need to keep more than one of this item? How often does something like this come into the house? Continue Reading
There's more than one way to "Be Prepared"
September 7, 2007
Being prepared is really just thinking in advance and being proactive.
I keep an ongoing shopping list posted on the fridge, so I’m ready to shop at a moment’s notice. I stock up on supplies so I don’t have to worry about running out of them. When I buy gift wrap or school supplies or laundry detergent, I buy a little extra. When I have a few minutes to kill, I go to the card shop and pick out a few birthday cards. While I’m there I get a few sympathy cards or thank you notes to keep on hand.
Another way to be prepared is to make a list of important phone numbers and keep it in a prominent place. I list every obscure number I can think of, for instance: the dentist, phone company, insurance agent, schools, neighbors, doctors, favorite take-out restaurants and the gas company. It saves me from looking these numbers up in an emergency. Plus it’s helpful info for a babysitter. Continue Reading