If you’ve ever had to pay a late fee after losing a bill, thrown away spoiled peaches you forgot to eat, or bought another pair of sunglasses because you couldn’t find yours, you know firsthand that being disorganized costs you money. And conversely, organizing your home saves you money.
At best, clutter in the home causes mistakes, late fees, overdue payments, and missed deadlines. At worst, a house in chaos can eat away at your finances, mar your credit, and reduce your productivity.
Not only does clutter cost money, but it also costs you valuable time. The average American spends multiple days per year searching for missing items. This leads to spending money on replacing items simply because we can’t find them. One survey revealed that U.S. households collectively spend a whopping 2.7 billion dollars annually replacing lost items.
An organized home doesn’t just occur on its own. Organizing your home is financially beneficial. The importance of sorting, purging things you don’t need, and assigning things you keep a home can save you tons of money.
There’s also a mental health gain from organizing your home. More people want to create simpler, more organized spaces in their homes. Many people associate clean, decluttered spaces with a greater sense of calm. Clutter-free equals being in control, which is important for our mental wellbeing too.
Here’s why being organized saves you money and how you can get your home into shape.
Disorganization in the Home Office Costs You:
- Lost papers = time spent looking for them, money wasted on duplicates
- Misplaced bills = late fees, bad credit causes higher interest rates
- Missed tax deadlines = penalties
If any of these sound familiar, you need a home office system for dealing with important papers, bills, and personal correspondence. Wall-mounted bill organizers can help you stay organized. Look for ones with two or more compartments to categorize by due date.
Having your papers organized will save time, help you pay bills on time, and allow you to be more productive.
Disorganization in Your Closets Costs You:
- Missing clothes = money spent on duplicates
- Hidden items = wasted time since you can’t see what you own
- Accessory mess = wasted money on items you don’t wear, can’t find
Organizing often reduces duplication of possessions… so no more buying an item for a second, third, or fourth time because someone can’t find it.”
If closets are crammed, paring down is a must. First, take everything out. Rid yourself of multiples and anything you no longer wear, and assess your shoe collection. Create piles: purge, throw out, or donate.
Disorganization in the Kitchen Costs You:
- Expired food = wasted money
- Overflowing pantry = can’t see what ingredients you have, resulting in duplication
- Crammed cabinets = overspending on multiple dishes and gadgets
Since the kitchen is usually the hub of your home, it attracts clutter. Organize your junk drawers by adding small plastic or wooden drawer organizers for things like thumbtacks, rubber bands, scissors, and tape.
To avoid buying your third jar of oregano or second potato ricer, buy or build an organizational system for your pantry. Built-in lazy Susans work great. Use pullout mini shelving to corral items like dressings, hot sauces, and vinegars. Tackle cabinets and counters by mounting behind-the-cabinet-door racks to hold items like pot lids or cutting boards.
Add pull-out drawers in your bottom cupboards to make everything easily accessible and easy to see. You’ll thank yourself when you get older, too.
Disorganization in Your Living Areas Costs You:
- Lost keys, missing wallet = late for work, lost productivity
- Not being able to fully enjoy your home = spending money elsewhere for fun
- Blocked ventilation = utility costs rise
Your living space is where you want to enjoy your home the most. If you can’t do that there, you’ll constantly be seeking out other places to find solace and fun — and that can add up to a lot of money spent on entertainment and recreational venues.
Meanwhile, you could be paying more than you should for the living space you’re not enjoying.
“I run into people whose homes are unorganized to the point of papers, boxes and stuff blocking air vents that supply heat and air conditioning to their homes,” says Lisa Gessert, president of Organizing.buzz. This costs a fortune in utility bills. Likewise, a jumble of electrical wires around TVs and home entertainment systems can be sucking energy from always being plugged in. Connect them all to smart power strips that can turn everything off with one switch.
Once you’ve organized your home, you’ll start to see the benefits everywhere. No more dealing with late fees on bills, buying replacement earrings or bread knives when items go missing, and — perhaps best of all — no more having to leave home to relax and be entertained. After all, saving on bills can boost your monthly budget, but there’s no greater value than enjoying your home more.
In Conclusion:
One of the best things you can do to cut down on both mess and expenses is to turn your clutter into cash. Once you figure out which items can be donated or discarded, decide which of them is worth your time to sell.
Of course, you can always try to sell everything, but you likely won’t have much luck with low-value items. So donate or recycle these instead. The key is to get rid of unwanted items as quickly as possible—and stop wasting money storing them. So whether you donate or sell, do it within a reasonable time.
Also remember that it takes time to sift through your clutter and transition into a tidier lifestyle. Stay on track with your decluttering goals by researching organizing ideas. Consider making a Pinterest board for inspiration or a printed vision board to make decluttering fun. It might sound cheesy, but a little visual motivation can work wonders for helping you picture your dream home and kick-start the decluttering needed to get there.
Organized Chick has been serving the Metro Atlanta community for over 8 years and a proud local and national member of NAPO. Organized Chick specializes in residential organizing, home office organizing, small business organizing and relocation services. When you are feeling overwhelmed, or needing more help? Organized Chick can create a personalized work space for you and your children and help you maintain a balanced working-home. Contact us now for a consultation.
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