As you probably already know, it can be a real pain to find just the shade of lipstick you’re looking for when you have to dig through piles of mascara, nail polish and cotton balls, not to mention other lipsticks. It’s especially annoying when you have limited time due to the fact that you’re on your way out to a party, to work or to meet a friend – which is most always the case when you’re putting on makeup. Thus it is time to organize your stash.

1. Dump everything out

Unless you want a pile of broken compact mirrors and spilled nail polish covering your carpet or tile, don’t literally dump out your makeup case or drawer. Instead remove the items in a somewhat organized fashion and lay them out on the floor or countertop. Then collect any makeup you have elsewhere and add it to the pile. In order to protect the surface from spills, you may want to cover the surface with an old towel or newspaper first. Some containers stay closed better than others.

2. Get rid of old and expired items

Your makeup has expiration dates that should be abided by because once they’re “past due” they may not work as well or there could be changes in their scent or color. Also, the more times you use a personal care item, the more it gets exposed to germs and bacteria. So, just throw them out already and buy new if you have to. The only possible exception is if an item has never been opened, i.e. exposed to air, so it has had no opportunity to be contaminated.

According to makeup artist Bobbi Brown, these are the typical shelf lives of common cosmetics:

• Mascara: three to six months
• Cream blush: six months to one year
• Concealer, pencils, eye shadow, eye cream: one year
• Foundation, lipstick, moisturizer: one to one and a half years
• Face powder, powder blush: two years

Once you’ve taken care of the expired items, get rid of the items that you don’t use. (If you haven’t used it in a month or two that qualifies as you don’t use it.) If they’re opened, you should throw them out or give them to a friend. If they’re not opened, you can sell them or donate them to charity – or still give them to that lucky friend.

Finally, trash anything that is leaking or spilled.

*Keep your partially used mascara destined for the garbage. Sharing wands could lead to eye infections.

3. Sort your stuff

There are several ways you can sort your makeup: by color, by season, by which outfit it goes best with, etc. Just decide on the categories that will be the easiest for you to navigate when you want to find something. Most often, the best thing to do is to sort your makeup by type of product.

4. Pick up an organizer

If you don’t already have a train case or another kind of organizer for your makeup, now is the time to pick one up. There should be several to choose from at your local beauty supply store. If not, a discount store such as Target will have a couple of options at least. These cases are perfect for if you need to take a good amount of makeup with you when you travel – whether it’s to somewhere far off or just to a friend’s house or even to the kitchen.

Alternately, if you would like to keep your makeup in a drawer, on a shelf or on top of your dresser and then just take small amounts of cosmetics and put them in your handbag when you go out, considering purchasing plastic bins, wire boxes, cups or jars and makeup trays to keep your collection in ship shape.

*If you don’t want to shell out the cash for traditional organizers, a tackle box, a lunch box or even a toolbox from the hardware store can make a good substitute for a train case. Silverware trays and coffee mugs are great for storing makeup in a drawer or on a shelf. An added bonus is that your makeup storage system won’t look just like everyone else’s.

5. Put everything in its place

Your travel case should be divided into compartments which will make it fairly easily to keep like items together and unlike items separated. If you went the bins and trays route, put items in containers that make sense for the number of each item you own and the size. If your containers are opaque, you may want to label them with marker or with stickers so you remember what’s inside.

Make sure all of your makeup is properly sealed before you put it away.

*Be sure to leave space in your organization for any new makeup you will acquire or swear to yourself that you will get rid of some of the old makeup to make room for it. And mean it.

Keeping your makeup in shape

The main thing you have to remember in this regard is to put everything back where you found it after you use it. That means taking the extra couple minutes to put your favorite mascara back with the others instead of just leaving it on the bathroom counter. Also, go through your makeup at least once every six months to clean out items that have expired or that you have quit using.

Follow these two steps and should never be put in that frantic “where’s my lipstick” situation again. Well, unless you have a roommate or sister that likes to go through your cosmetics. In that situation, consider buying a lock for your closet or train case.

Having a bedroom that looks like a disaster area will not only make it hard to find things, it could also make it difficult for you to sleep at night. This is not just because you can’t get to the bed with all the junk on the floor. Your bedroom is a place to go to clear your thoughts. It’s much easier to do that when the room itself is clean.

*If you share your bedroom you may want to make this a couple’s activity. Or at least consult your partner before you throw out his or her stuff.

1. Pick everything up off the floor

Of course you will have to start with the stuff on the floor, since it can be difficult to get to the other parts of the room unless you deal with these piles first. If you also have stuff on the bed – besides sheets and blankets of course – throw it on the floor too. Yes, you read right. Throw it on the floor. You will need a flat open space to work with, and right now the bed is a better bet.

Once you have everything on the floor you will want to pick it up and put it on the bed – but neatly. Before you do that you will want to create three piles: a keep pile, a giveaway pile and a trash pile. Items in the keep pile can go on the bed as is. Those in the giveaway or trash pile should be put in a box or a trash bag, respectively.

Take inventory of your keep items and see if they actually belong in the bedroom. Items like dog toys and screwdrivers should be put back where they belong. After this, you should be left with basically clothing and maybe some books and electronics. Leave them be on the bed for now.

2. Empty the dressers and closets

Now you will want to go through the closets and dressers and create three piles all over again. Since the floor is now clear you can use it as your sorting area. Leave clothing that is already on hangers that way and try not to unfold folded clothing. It will save you some time when putting it back.

3. Hang up or fold clothing

Chances are you will have some clothes that was simply wadded up or thrown in a heap. Sort through this clothes and determine which is dirty and which is clean. Of course, you will want to wash the dirty clothes before you put it away, so throw it in the hamper or in the hallway for now. Take the clean clothes and fold it up to put in a drawer or put it on hanger.

If you’re hanging your clothes be sure to use hangers that are appropriate to the item of clothing. For example, skirts and dresses may need hangers with clips so that they don’t fall on the floor. Same with ties and scarves. Make sure your hangers all face the same way in the closet so they don’t get tangled up.

Also, if you share a room, divide the closet in half or use separate ones if you can. This will help with frantically grabbing clothes to wear in the morning. You won’t grab a men’s button down when you’re looking for a skirt.

If you’re putting your clothes in drawers organize your drawers according to type of clothing, such as t-shirts, jeans, socks, etc. Any item you have a lot of should get its own drawer, even if that means pajama pants or kilts. This will make it much easier to find things when you get dressed in the morning. Feel free to have a miscellaneous extras drawer for items that don’t fit anywhere else.

It may sound a little hokey, but go ahead and label your drawers if you can’t remember where you put things. You can always take the labels off when you have company. Got a roommate? Separate drawers or even dressers are the way to go.

*If you have too much clothing for your amount of closet or drawer space, consider packing the clothes that is out of season up and putting it in your attic. See how to organize your attic for tips on how to store your clothing without risking damage.

Too Many Shoes?
Okay, so you can’t have too many shoes, but if you end up with a pile of shoes on the floor with nowhere for them to go, buy a hanging shoe rack and put it in the closet or get a freestanding one and put it against the wall. No one likes tripping over stiletto pumps at three in the morning.

4. Wash the dirty clothes and the sheets

Since you have been neglecting your bedroom, in all likelihood you have not washed your sheets in a while. Strip the bed and take all of your bedding to the laundry room. Bring your dirty clothing with you too and give everything a good washing, no matter how many loads it takes. You want to start out with a clean slate.

5. Make the bed

Nothing makes a bedroom look better than a nice, freshly made bed. Don’t forget the hospital corners. Then hang up or fold all of your newly clean clothes.

6. Organize dresser tops

Now that you’ve got your clothing taken care of, you can move on to other things you might have in your bedroom, like books, cosmetics or DVDs. If you need tips on cosmetics storage, there is a great article you can read on that: “how to Organize Your Makeup”. As far as books and DVDs go, decide if you really need them in the bedroom or if they’d be better off in the living room, office or den. If they are there to stay, stop by your local house wares store and pick up racks or shelving to accommodate them. Freestanding shelves will give you more room on your dresser top. Don’t have the floor space? Hang them on the wall.

7. Clean

The last step to a satisfyingly clean bedroom is to dust and vacuum or sweep. It should be easy to do now that you’ve removed the clutter from the floor and furniture.

Keeping your bedroom clean

Once your bedroom is clean, you will want it to stay that way. Avoid ending up with another mess by putting away your clothing as soon as it passes through the doorway. Make a vow to sweep or vacuum the floor and do laundry once a week or sooner if the hamper is full.

Not all floods are the result of water. Consider the one that happens every morning when you open your email’s inbox. Your eyes can go buggy trying to sort through the dozens or even hundreds of messages that pop across your screen: urgent notices from work, promotional newsletters, notes from Aunt Agnes, scams about lottery winnings and on and on. To sort through all this muck, you may need a rake and a shovel. Fortunately, there are easier ways to get organized however.

Dealing with spam

Without a doubt, the worst – or at least the most irritating – messages clogging your inbox are spam: unsolicited emails trying to sell a product or service (often of the “adult” persuasion) or just trying to scam you outright into giving up money or personal information. The best thing to do with spam is to get rid of it before it reaches your inbox. If that is not possible, at least you can dispense with it quickly.

Blocking spam with software

If you’re getting more than your fair share of spam or scam emails (no, you did not really win the British lottery five times), you could surely benefit from installing or updating your spam-blocking software. This is important to do for two reasons. The spam makes for unsightly inbox clutter, as you well know, plus some of these messages contain attachments that could harm your computer.

Most Web-based email providers already provide these filters. If this is the case, you may just need to update your settings. In Outlook, go to “junk email” under the “actions” dropdown. In Yahoo, go to “options” on the far right and then “mail options.”

In Gmail, you cannot change these settings. And if the email program you’re using is a personal or business domain, you may not have the option either. But there are several third party programs that you can install, such as iHateSpam by Sunbelt or Norton AntiSpam.

If you open a message and it turns out to spam, be sure to notify your spam software by clicking the “this is spam” button or something similar. This helps to train the software to block messages similar to this one in the future.

*Simply unsubscribing from spam almost universally doesn’t work. Either the sender will be overjoyed because you have proved that yours is a live email address and will send you more spam or you will be removed from one mailing list and then added to another.

Filtering it out

Look through your spam or bulk folder and see if any of the messages have things in common, such as being from the same sender of having the same subject (i.e. Viagra). You can tell your email to filter the email to send any messages with these characteristics to the trash, or if you’re lucky, to delete them immediately. Follow the directions in step three below for more information on how to set up filters.

*You may occasionally end up with a legitimate email sent to your spam folder. If this happens, add the address to your “safe” list and check the option which notifies the software that the message is not spam.

Organizing legitimate emails

Now that the spam messages are out of the way, it’s time to deal with the stuff that you should actually read. A good way to tackle this pile is to sort it by priority. Think about the email messages you commonly get and divide those messages into categories. For example, work, personal, bills, receipts and miscellaneous.

Creating Folders

If you’re using Outlook or Yahoo Mail, before you can begin filtering your messages, you may wish to create folders for them to be sent to. This can be very easily done. In Outlook, go to personal folders on the left hand side of the screen. Click on “create new folder.” In Yahoo Mail, you will see the word “folders” right above the menu item for “inbox” on the left hand side. Then click on “add.” In Gmail, you can’t create folders, but you can apply labels to your email in order to sort them. Just follow the directions below.

Setting Up Rules

Now it is time for your computer to learn where to put your email messages before you even look at them. You can do this by identifying them by the sender, the subject or the word or words the title contains, or you can use a combination of all three. Here’s how to do it by email system.

Yahoo Mail: Click on “options” in the upper right corner of your window. Then click on “filters” to get started.

Outlook: Go to the “tools” dropdown and click on “rules and alerts”. You will be guided through a setup wizard.

Gmail: Click on “settings” in the upper right hand corner and then click on “filters.” A “create new filter” option will show up.

*Be prudent when setting up your filters, especially if using a free email service. Many have limits on the number that you can use.

Tagging Important Messages

Another way you can sort your mail is by alerting yourself to messages you need to read right away. Do this by marking them with a flag or a star. When you are in mailbox view, simply click on the flag or star icon, which will be next to the email’s subject in list view. In Outlook you can also color code your messages by clicking on the square icon instead of the flag.

Searching through your email

Once you’ve set up all of your filters and folders you may be a little confused as to how to find the email message you’re looking for. Don’t worry. Just use the search option. Enter a word that you know to be in that message in the search box and your email program will do the legwork for you.

In Gmail, the search box is located at the top of the screen right next to the Gmail logo. Make sure you click on “search mail” and not “search the Web” or you will get a lot more results than you bargained for. In Yahoo Mail, this box is on the upper right hand side. It is below the “Web search” box. For Outlook you will need to click on the folder you’d like to search and then a search box with a magnifying glass will appear near the top of the page.

If you get confused during any step of the process, simply go to the help section of your email program. Once you figure out the quirks of each system, you’ll wonder what you ever did without your new organization plan.

Many of us spend a great deal of time in our cars. Between commuting to work, grocery store trips, and ushering the kids from one practice to another, the family car can get very messy. Following these simple tips can help you get your car organized and keep it that way, making for less stressful travel.

What you will need:

• Large garbage bag (or two)
• Resealable sandwich bags
• Plastic crate or laundry basket
• Plastic containers (2 quart disposable kind work fine)
• Over-the-seat pocket organizers (optional)
• Expandable file
• Medium-sized cloth or canvas sack
• Adhesive velcro strips
• Old towel

How to Get It Organized:

1. Clean out your car, throwing away all old papers and junk you no longer need. Set anything you think you will need to the side (outside of the car). Don’t forget the trunk, glove compartment and side pockets. You may want to take this opportunity to wash and vacuum the interior of your car.
2. In your glove compartment, you should place your car manual, a small pocket flashlight, and a small notebook containing important phone numbers. Unless you are in the habit of carrying your registration and insurance information with you in your purse or wallet, these documents should also be kept in your glove compartment.
3. Any small, rarely used items (such as paper clips, batteries, etc.) should be placed in resealable bags and stored in your glove compartment.
4. Unless you have a specific storage area in your car for loose change (i.e. some models come with a coin holder built into the dashboard area), gather loose change and place it in a resealable bag (you can either use a separate bag for each denomination of coin or one bag for all of it), and keep the bag(s) in the side pocket next to the driver’s seat for easy access.
5. Although many stores sell CD organizers (some attach to the visors, some are stand alone), a plastic container can work just as well. Ziploc’s 9 ½ cup rectangular storage container works well for this. Place your CDs in the container and keep in an area that is accessible, but out of the way.
6. All maps and guide books should go in the side pocket of the passenger’s side door.
7. If you have kids who carry toys, games and other such items into the car, you may want to invest in a pocket organizer that fits over the back of your front seats. This will give the kids a place to keep their stuff without having it rolling around on the floor. Case Logic offers one that is relatively inexpensive and has varied pocket space to carry an assortment of stuff.
8. Attach one side of a Velcro strip to the cloth or canvas bag. This will serve as your trash bag. Choose a convenient spot in your car for the trash bag (such as the bottom of one of the back seats) and adhere the other side of the Velcro strip to the spot where you want to keep your trash bag. Attach the bag using the Velcro. This will keep it in place while driving, and prevent the trash from falling out onto the car floor. Make sure you don’t place liquid (i.e. unfinished soda) in the trash.
9. Place the expandable file folder in a convenient spot (between the two front seats) and use it to keep miscellaneous papers and documents (i.e. school forms, receipts, doctor’s notes, etc.). This will keep your papers from getting trampled, dirty or ruined while in the car.
10. Keep a box of baby wipes handy (most are short enough that they can be kept under the seat) for those time when you need to clean up a spill or clean up after eating a meal on the go.
11. Spread the old towel out in the trunk of your car and place the plastic crate or laundry basket on top of it. The crate/basket will be used to keep spare items such as your first aid kit, jumper cables, flashlight, soccer balls, groceries, etc. (for more information on what emergency items you should keep in your car at all times, visit the car expert, Edmunds.com. The towel will keep the crate/basket from sliding around when you drive.

Additional Tips and Advice:

• Keep an extra tote bag (even a plastic grocery bag will do) in your car to carry items from the car to the house. Unnecessary items are less likely to accumulate if you are able to carry them in comfortably in one trip.
• Empty your trash bag regularly. It will do no good to have a trash bag if you let it get stuffed to the point of overflowing.
• Make a rule with kids and other passengers that whatever they carry into the car they must carry back out. This will keep the back seats from getting cluttered with old magazines, toys, books, etc.
• Car air fresheners always add a nice touch, but don’t overpower passengers by using too many of them.
• Vacuum the car regularly, including seats and floor mats, to keep the car looking and feeling neat.
• If you use your cell phone in the car, consider investing in a cell phone holder that clips to the visor or dashboard, so that your phone isn’t left sliding around in the seats, dashboard or floor. The same is true for an iPod.
• You can find a variety of products to help you organize your car at any superstore such as Wal-Mart or Kmart, most auto supply stores and online at such sites as Organize It.

Even the easiest project can quickly turn chaotic when you’re not organized. Whether you’re working with a team or going solo, staying on top of the project plan is the only efficient way to reach your goals. Whether it’s a short- or long-term venture, these tips will keep you – and your project – on track.

Organizing Projects

What You Will Need:

• Computer
• Printer
• Pencil or pen
• Whiteboard
• Meeting place

How to Get It Organized:

1. Understand the project. Before you take on a project of any scope, you need to make sure you can meet the expectations of the client. Discuss the project timeline and any financial considerations before agreeing to take it on.
2. Create a cost analysis. Make a list of all expenses associated with the project and allocate funds from the budget to each category.
3. Next, you will develop a basic outline of the project. Begin by pulling the main points from the project description and make them into a list. This list will establish milestones for the completion of the project. Use the milestones to provide a starting point for your timeline. The milestones will also help obtain a good idea of which employees, contractors, etc. you’ll need on board and what aspects of the project you’ll need to outsource, if any.
4. Assemble a team. Consider the parameters of your project and use them as a guideline to put together a team of experts who will be able to provide high-quality work and deliver it on time. If you need to partner with another business for any portion of the project, make sure they can fit your needs into their schedule.
5. Once you have established your team, collaborate with them to help fill in the details. Allow your experts to provide input specific to their field as it pertains to the project, then work together as a group to list any sub-points that need to be taken care of.
6. Determine a reasonable timeline for completion of the project. Expect the unexpected — delays are a routine part of most projects. Plan to finish ahead of the deadline so you can absorb any problems that may arise without throwing the entire project off schedule or – worse – disappointing the client.
7. Keep everyone on board with the timeline by pinpointing measurable goals along the course to completion. Keep the list in a visible spot so that the entire team knows where the project stands as a whole. Foster the idea that the project belongs to the group to enhance communication and teamwork.
8. Now you’re ready to implement the plan. Once the project has been detailed and each team member knows his or her responsibilities, it’s time to get to work. Follow through with each part of the project to make sure that everyone is off on the right foot.
9. Communication is key to a successful project. Monitor progress with frequent meetings for all involved parties. Discuss what has been completed and look ahead to what needs to be accomplished next. Maintain a focus on both short- and long-term goals for a smoother overall experience.
10. Document everything! Keep careful records of all communications, including written notes, invoices and all electronic communication.
11. For the best results, be a hands-on leader. Remain open to your team members so they’ll feel comfortable coming to you with problems or potential delays. Face problems head on rather than hoping they will resolve themselves.
12. Wrap it up. Pull everyone together as the end of the project nears to put the pieces together.
13. End with a great presentation. Don’t overlook the importance of the big finish! Handing off the completed project to the client in a clear, professional manner is the best way to insure satisfaction on both sides of the table. Be proud of your work and give credit where credit is due!

Additional Tips and Advice

• Do your homework. Understand not just the project itself, but the client’s goals or expectations for the completed project.
• Make sure your team is up to date with the technology involved in all aspects of the project. Not everyone has to be an engineer, but every team member should be able to access prepared documents or communicate via the same platform.
• Don’t be afraid to restructure the project if something isn’t working. Sit down with the team and discuss small problems before they become larger ones.
• If the client changes the scope drastically in the middle of the project, don’t be afraid to ask for a new budget or timeline. He or she should not expect you to work for free.
• Celebrate a job well done. If you keep your team happy, odds are great that the client will be happy as well!

The garage was originally created as the part of the home used to store a car or other vehicle. But over the years has yours become more of a catchall area for power tools, extra furniture, clothing and athletic equipment? Has the mess taken over so much space that you haven’t dreamt of parking a car in there in years? Time to get organized!

1. Take everything out of the garage

Hopefully in front of your garage you have a fairly empty driveway you can work with. If need be, park your vehicles in the yard or on the street temporarily. Of course, choose a day when it is relatively warm and unlikely to rain before you haul all of your stuff out into the open air.

While you have your garage sitting empty, take a shop broom and sweep it out. Then get rid of any cobwebs that may have gathered along the ceiling or in the corners.

*if you have a door release handle for your garage, be sure to advise children and mischievous adults to stay away from it while you clean.

2. See what you can part with

Most likely there are a lot of things stored in your garage that you don’t need – and probably a few that you didn’t even know were in the garage in the first place: Halloween costumes from ten years ago, ski boots that no longer fit anyone in the family, expired cans of soup, etc. Sort these items into three piles: trash, give away and sell.

The trash pile, obviously, is for things that just need to be thrown out. If the items are small you can just put them out in the garbage can. However, larger items, like furniture or appliances, need to be taken to the landfill or left out for bulk pickup. Call the number for city services to see if you have bulk pickup in your area.

Next, move on to the giveaway pile. This pile is for items you would either like to give to friends and neighbors to clutter up their garages or would like to donate to charity. If a friend wants said items, tell him to come and get them immediately. You don’t want to put them back into the garage or leave them sitting in the driveway. For charity items, either drive to the donation center and drop them off or find a charity that will pick the items up if you leave them on the doorstep or curb. Many charities will agree to do this. In fact, you may have gotten phone calls or cards in the mail.

Lastly, you’ve made it to the sell pile. These items are ones that you can make some extra money from, such as children’s toys, house wares or collectibles. Either put them up on eBay or craigslist, or any other ecommerce site available to you, or start organizing a yard sale. Click here for an article on how to do this.

3. Add shelving if you need to

So, what do you have left to put back in your garage? Clothing? Tools? Bicycles? Depending on what you have, there are many storage options that you can consider. The main thing you should think about is whether or not you would like to have space for your car.

If so, unless you have an incredibly expansive garage, you will need to put the shelving tight against the wall. You may want to measure the width of the vehicle and then give yourself a two to four foot clearance around it (you do want room to get in and out of the car after all) before you start building anything. Mark it on the floor of the garage with chalk if necessary.
The simplest shelving can be built by using two by fours or similar sized pieces of wood and simply laying cut particle board on top of them. Alternately, you can buy readymade shelving or an organizer from your local home improvement store.

4. Hang things up

Some things, such as bikes, weren’t really made for shelves, but you can hang them on the wall of the garage and take them down as needed. This applies to seasonal items, like sleds and skis, as well. Check your local sporting goods store for appropriate hangers or simply put up some strong and sturdy nails. You can hang things from the ceiling as well. Just make sure they don’t get in the way of the garage door.

5. Put small items in bins

There isn’t a better garage organization tool than the sturdy plastic bin. You can use them for smaller items, such as soccer balls and extension cords, and either put them on a shelf or stack them neatly on top of each other against the wall. Label them with a piece of masking tape and you’ll know exactly where to find what you’re looking for and your items will be protected from dirt, dust and moisture.

*Be sure to get bins that are the right size to fit your shelves. Take measurements before you go. Never stack heavier bins on top of lighter bins. The weight could crush the bin on the bottom.

6. Put everything back

Once you’ve got your shelving in place and your nails or hangers on the walls, it’s time to restock your garage. If you find that you don’t have space for everything, recheck your inventory and see if there’s anything else you can get rid of or that you can store somewhere else in the house or in a shed. If that still doesn’t work, consider renting a storage unit.

7. Pull the car in

(optional)
Now that your garage is all spic and span, pull your car in to make sure that it will fit properly – if that was your goal anyway. Make sure that not only will the car fit with room on the sides but also that you can actually close the door. If not, some reorganization is in order.

8. Keep the garage clean

Think about how your garage got to be a mess in the first place. It was most likely because it became a catch-all area for stuff you didn’t have a place for in the past. Change your mind set to this: If I don’t have a place for this item, do I really need to keep it? Taking a few minutes to consider this question could save you tons of room in the long run.

You may be thinking, hey, everyone knows how to make a grocery list. You just write down the names of the items you want and run out the door. Well, making a grocery list in this manner will pretty much insure you’ll be making about five trips to the supermarket too many in the week to come. This article will teach you how to create an organized grocery list, with not only the items you want, but the items you need and the ones that will save you money in the long run. It will hopefully save you some time – and gas, and help you maintain your sanity in the process.

1. Look at your recipes

Presumably, since you will be buying groceries, there is a recipe you want to make. So grab your recipe and write out a list of the ingredients on a note pad, envelope, or whatever paper you have handy. Make sure you write down the name of the item and the quantity of the item that you will need. Repeat this step for each recipe you have in mind.

2. Take inventory of what you have

Once you have all the recipe ingredients written down, check the refrigerator, freezer and pantry to see which of these items you already have. The people who choose to skip this step are the ones that end up with five half-used boxes of corn starch in the cupboard. Cross any items you already have off of your list, unless you don’t have enough to complete the recipes or you want to replenish your supply so you don’t have to shop for more of the item next time you need it.

3. See if you’re running out of staples

No, not the office supply that sticks two or more pieces of paper together – staples as in those basic items that you always seem to need around the house, like butter, milk, cereal or toothpaste. Add any of these items to the bottom of the list, again checking to make sure you don’t already have them stashed away somewhere.

*You may want to ask other household members if they need you to buy anything. Again, do a check of the pantry, freezer and fridge before adding an item to your list.

4. Check your coupons

If you’re looking to save money on your shopping trip, as most people are these days, you’ll want to check your coupon box or file to see if there are any that you can use. If you notice you have a coupon for an item on your shopping list, circle the item on the list so you don’t forget to use it. It is also helpful to put the coupons you plan to use in a separate container from the box, such as a small envelope. That way they’ll be easy to find while you’re shopping. And you can check the envelope when you’re at the register to be sure that you’ve used them all.

*Make sure the coupons aren’t expired before you add them to the envelope, or you may look a little silly in the check out line. Plus, it will negate the whole time-saving thing when the confused checker calls the manager and asks why the coupons won’t scan.

5. Check the grocery store circular

Lastly, peruse the ad for the grocery store and see if anything you plan to buy is on sale. While you’re checking, see if there are any deals that you can’t pass up. Add these sale items to the bottom of the list. Be sure to check for coupons for these items too.

6. Type or rewrite your list

Once you’ve gotten everything you plan to buy written down, you’ll probably want to rewrite your list so it is more readable and better organized. You can either type it up or just rewrite it on a new sheet of paper. (If you’re making the list for someone else and your writing is chicken scratch, please type it up – unless you want him coming back frustrated with a box of Cheerios with two gallons of cat milk.)

Tips on writing your final list:

1. Group the items by where they can be found in the grocery store so you don’t find yourself ping-ponging all over the place once you get to the store, especially if you have limited time to shop. For example, dairy items, meats, fruit and vegetables, etc. If this sounds pretty cumbersome to you, don’t worry. There are software programs that can help. One example is Aisle by Aisle software.
2. Mark the sale items and those you have a coupon for with an asterisk or other symbol so that you remember to stock up and pay down.
3. Always write down the amount of each item that you will need (two apples, five cups of sugar, etc.), unless you want to make another trip to the grocery store in a couple of hours when you realize you didn’t buy enough.

7. Head to the store grocery store

Now that you have your perfectly organized grocery list, it’s time to hit the store.

Tips for when you’re at the store

1. When you get to the store try to stick to your list. Grocery store layouts are designed to get you to buy things that you don’t need.
2. Never buy groceries on an empty stomach. Those chocolate cakes sure are tempting when you haven’t had dinner yet.
3. Pay attention to the prices of the items you’re buying so you’ll know right away if you are being overcharged. Sometimes the sale prices or coupons don’t scan correctly in the register.
4. Avoid the candy-filled checkout lines if shopping with kids or other sweet-toothed adults, or if you are the chocolate addict of the family.

*It has happened countless times. A person goes through the effort of making a well organized, well thought out grocery shopping list only to get to the store and realize it’s back at home on the kitchen counter. Do not be this person. And don’t forget the coupons either.

If you’re like most people in today’s society, you get a lot of mail. This mail often comes in the form of ads and junk, but sometimes it will include the occasional magazine. Though magazines aren’t junk by nature, the problem comes when you end up with piles of them cluttering up your house. That’s when your house starts looking like a junk yard, and that’s when you know that it is time to get organized.

Getting Started

This first step to organizing your magazine collection is decided which magazines you really need to keep – not the ones that you think you might want to keep because you may want to look at them at some point. Go through them and ask yourself, is this a magazine I am dying to read or just one that I think I probably should read. The probably should reads are the ones you should toss, along with any that you really don’t want to read of course – unless you are required to read them for a school or work assignment. Don’t succumb to pack rat syndrome. No one is going to come after you for getting rid of the last five issues of Procrastinators Weekly without reading them.

What should you do with these discarded magazines? Get them out of the house as soon as possible, before you have the opportunity to change your mind. Either put them in the recycling bin or donate them to the local library.

Make an Arrangement

Once you’ve got your pile narrowed down to the magazines that you definitely want to keep around, it is time to put them in a better place than on the kitchen table. If you must keep some of your magazines on a table, take some of the prettiest ones, such as Travel and Leisure (but only three or four of them) and fan them out on the coffee table to impress dinner guests.

Organize the Leftovers

Since you’re reading an article on how to organize your magazines, chances are you had a good number of magazines you were saving to begin with, thus you will most likely have at least a dozen of them left over after completing tasks one and two. Now is the time to commence with the filing. Here, again, you should separate your magazines into two piles, but this time sort them according to whether you need to keep the entire magazine or you only need to keep a couple of specific articles or pages.

For the ones where you only need a page or three, go ahead and tear out the pages. (No, this is not a crime, like tearing the tag off a mattress.) Once you’ve gotten the pages you want, throw the rest of the magazine in the recycle bin. (Don’t try to donate these. The readers at the library will probably not be too thrilled when they find the article they were looking for has been torn out of the magazine.)

To save the pages temporarily…

Once you’ve gotten all of your pages torn out, take the originals of your pages, or make a photocopy or two, and put them in hanging file folders, labeled by date or by content, whichever will be more helpful to you. Put these folders inside a filing cabinet with a properly labeled drawer.

Alternately, you can simply toss the articles in a box, but be aware that this is a very temporary solution, since you don’t want to end up with a heaping pile of papers in the box. This solution will work if you’re only saving the articles until you have a chance to read them and then they are headed out.

To save the pages permanently…

If you wish to save your magazine pages permanently, place them in plastic sleeves (the kind with circular holes on the left side) and put them together in a three ring binder. Use dividers to sort the pages into sections or use a different binder for each brand of magazine. Place the binders neatly on a bookshelf or in a cabinet and label the binding so you know the contents at a glance.

Or, if you want to reduce the clutter even more, get a little high tech. Scan the pages into your computer and save them as image files. Sort the files into folders, then go ahead and recycle the magazine pages.

To save the entire magazine…

For situations where you want to keep the entire magazine, consider purchasing magazine holders that you can put on the bookshelf. (These holders are available at most stores that sell house wares.) Then simply sort your magazines, again by date or subject, and place them in the racks with the binding facing outward so that you can easily find the magazine you’re looking for. (This only works if you have the taller side of the magazine holder face the back of the bookcase.) Be sure that the bookshelf is situated in a dry place, not under the water pipe or leaky ceiling panel.

*If you are keeping a lot of magazines for work purposes, consider taking these magazines (and holders for them) to the office. Then they will be out of the house as well as convenient when you need to look at them.

Keep Your Magazines Organized

To keep your magazines neat and tidy on a daily basis, buy a couple of magazine racks. These racks come in several varieties, such as ones that stand up on their own and ones that you can hang on the wall. When choosing which magazine rack to purchase, consider what rooms of the house you will put them in and how much space is available.

Remember, putting your magazines in magazine racks is only a temporary solution. Eventually you will have to file or toss the magazines, or else you will end up with just as big of a mess as what you started with, only in a different location.

Also, if you have subscriptions to magazines that you are constantly throwing out without reading, either call and cancel the subscriptions or change the address so they are delivered to a person who will actually enjoy them – yes this can include your local library. Just be sure to ask an employee first.

Now that you’ve got your magazines all put away and organized, you can actually use your kitchen table to eat breakfast. Bon Appétit.

Shoes can be a problem area in any closet or bedroom. Unless organized properly, shoes can end up in a jumbled mess at the bottom of your closet, under your bed, or anywhere else in the house you happen to take them off. This can be very frustrating when you’re hurrying to find that perfect pair of pumps to go with the outfit you have chosen for a night out with friends. The more shoes you have, the more unruly they may become. Following these simple steps and keeping with a routine can help you keep your shoes in good shape and in good order.

What You Will Need:

• All your shoes
• Closet space to store them
• Shoe organizer (type will vary)
• Shoe boxes
• Camera
• Tape

How to Get it Organized:

1. Find all your shoes (be sure to check under the bed) and bring them all to one central location.
2. Match up your shoes, discarding any pairs that are old, worn, damaged, don’t fit or are missing a match. Remember, if you are getting rid of a pair of shoes that you personally don’t like, but which are still in good shape, consider donating them to a local clothing bank rather than throwing them away.
3. Once you have assembled all the matched pairs you wish to keep, take a picture of each pair.
4. Divide your shoe pairs by season. Take the shoes that are not going to be used for the present season, and place each pair in a shoe box (for instance, if it is winter, you will probably not be wearing your white open-toe sandals, so they get placed in the shoe box). Tape the picture of each pair to its respective shoe box and place the shoebox on a storage shelf (either in your closet or wherever else you store your seasonal clothing), making sure the picture is facing so that you can see it (the picture will make for easy identification).
5. Take the pairs that you intend to use for the current season and separate them by either color or type (your choice).
6. Once you’ve separated your shoes according to your chosen criteria, place them in the shoe organizer. The shoe organizer you choose should fit your particular storage needs. For instance, if you have a large, walk-in closet, you may prefer the horizontal “cubbie” type shoe organizer or shoe rack that sits on the floor of your closet underneath the hanging clothes. If you do not have much closet space, you may consider the over-the-door type of organizer, which hangs on the back of any door and contains numerous pockets for storing shoes vertically. You can find a variety of shoe organizers at super-stores such as Wal-mart or K-mart, or online at such sites as SpaceSavers.com.
7. When placing your shoes in the organizer, place the shoes you use most frequently at the most accessible spot. Place the shoes you use less frequently at the least convenient spot. For instance, if you are not that tall, you may want to place the most frequently used shoes at the bottom and middle of the organizer and the less frequently worn pairs at the top.
8. When the current season ends, exchange your seasonal shoes for the ones stored away. Place your current season’s shoes in their own shoe boxes for storage, again, taping a picture of the pair on the outside of the shoe box for easy identification. Arrange your new season’s shoes in the shoe organizer using the same system as you did in step 6 above.

Additional Tips and Advice

• This system of shoe organization will only work if you keep up with it. That means you must discipline yourself to replace your shoes in the proper spot when you’re done wearing them.
• Try keeping a laundry basket or crate by the front door if you routinely take your shoes off when entering the house. Keeping your shoes in that basket or crate until you have time (and energy) to put them away will keep them from getting lost or kicked around, and will keep your entranceway uncluttered.
• Along with your shoes, keep an extra jar of shoe polish and an extra soft cloth in your shoe organizer for quick touch-ups before and after wear. You may also want to keep some extra shoe laces, heel pads, or any other shoe accessories that you use periodically with your shoe organizer so that you have them easily available when you need them.
• If you don’t have, or can’t find, shoe boxes to store all your off-season shoes, plastic storage containers can be used and, although a little pricey, will last you a long time.
• If you have a lot of shoes, you may need more than one shoe organizer, so make sure you pick a spot with appropriate space.
• If you have an overabundance of shoes, you may consider designating a closet in your house specifically for shoes. Any small closet can be modified as a shoe closet by adding slanted shelves to hold your shoes (slanted keeps the shoes in place while allowing you to see what you have).

Scrambling through stacks of paper to find a receipt can be a frustrating, time-consuming experience. Whether it’s to return an item that doesn’t quite fit, or to support your deductions on your income tax return, eventually we all need receipts. For most of us, finding the right receipt at the right time can be next to impossible. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little preparation and a lot of determination, you can organize your receipts in a sensible, easy-to-find manner.

What You Will Need:

• Notepad
• Large Expandable Folder (with sections)
• Small labels
• Pen/Marker
• Manila envelopes (clasp-style)
• Business-size envelopes
• Large, uncluttered workspace
• Time, patience and lots of coffee (coffee is optional)

How to Organize those Receipts:

1. Start at the beginning of the month.
2. On your notepad, make a list of receipt categories that apply to your circumstances, such as utilities, telephone/cell phone, groceries, car repair, fuel, clothing, entertainment, medical, home improvements, travel, business expenses, charitable donations, childcare expenses, loans, insurance, mortgage payments, veterinary expenses, large purchases (i.e. computer system, appliances, etc.), and internet services. Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive, and your particular categories may differ.
3. The first step is to organize the receipts you already have. This is the most tedious part of the process and requires a good deal of time and patience.
4. Gather all your loose receipts (or at least as many as you can find). Don’t forget to check your car, purse, wallet, and other obscure places you might stash a receipt.
5. At your workspace, you should have 12 manila envelopes, a large stack of business size envelopes, and a pen or marker. Oh, and don’t forget the coffee.
6. Label 12 manila envelopes by month for the current year (i.e. July, 2008).
7. Go through each receipt in your pile, one at a time, separating them by category. If you have a lot, it may be helpful to label your table with strips of masking tape marked with the name for each category, so you can more easily keep track of the sections where you are placing your receipts.
8. Once you have the receipts separated by category, separate each category by month (anything that is not in the current year should be set aside and handled separately).
9. Working one month at a time, place the receipts for each category (for the month you are working on) in separate business envelopes. The business envelopes should each be marked with the appropriate category (i.e. “Medical Receipts,” “Utilities,” “Car Repairs,” and so on). Then place the business envelopes into the larger manila envelope for that PARTICULAR MONTH. For instance, start with January. Take all the Utility receipts for January, place them in a business envelope, mark the business envelope “Utilities” and stick the business envelope into the Manila folder labeled for January. Take all the Medical receipts for January, place them in a business envelope, mark the envelope “Medical Expenses,” and stick it in the Manila envelope for January, and so on, for each category of receipts. Then, move onto the next month. Repeat for each month, so that at the end of this process each month’s manila envelope will have receipts inside pertaining to that month neatly divided by category.
10. Seal each Manila envelope that you have filled and store it in a safe place.
11. If you have receipts dating to prior years, you may want to repeat the sorting and categorization process for each year.
12. Once you have organized the receipts you already have, the trick is to keep all incoming receipts organized.
13. Make and affix a label for each category to a section of the expandable folder (depending upon your circumstances, you may need more than one folder), and label the folder for the current year. Keep this expandable folder in a convenient, easily accessible spot.
14. Each time you get a receipt, file it in the expandable folder under the appropriate category. You may need to add more categories as time goes on.
15. At the end of the month, remove the receipts from each category in the expandable folder, place them in a business envelope marked for that category, and place the business envelopes in the larger manila envelope labeled for that month. Store it in a safe place.
16. Your expandable folder is now ready to receive the receipts for the next month.
17. Continue the process outlined in the steps 14-16 for the rest of the year, and by the end of the year, you will have all your receipts clearly labeled and categorized.

Additional Tips and Advice

• Keep an envelope in your purse and in your car for when you are handed a receipt while you’re out. Place the receipt in the envelope so that you don’t lose it and file it away immediately when you get home.
• If you have some extra patience, before placing your receipts in their respective business envelopes at the end of each month, you may want to add up the totals and mark them on the front of the business envelope. This is especially useful for keeping track of income tax deductions. It is also helpful if you have a hard time keeping track of your budget as it will give you a clear indication at the end of each month exactly where your money is going.
• If you run across a receipt that is small or difficult to read, staple the receipt to a larger piece of paper, writing out the relevant information on the paper.
• There is an online company called “Shoeboxed” that will help you keep track of online receipts. For a fee, they will also help you keep track of hard copy receipts. If you don’t have the time, energy or patience to stick with your own system, you may find this type of service very helpful.
• It is recommended that you hold onto important financial records (including receipts) for at least seven years. This is because the IRS generally has three to six years to initiate an audit. Some receipts and records should be kept for a longer time, such as home improvement receipts (which should be kept until you sell your house). For more information and good advice on how long to keep specific financial documents and receipts, visit Bankrate.com or Kiplinger.com.
• Of course, not all receipts are worth keeping. For instance, you can get rid of ATM receipts as soon as the information shows up on your bank statement and you can toss most credit card receipts when they appear on your monthly statement (so long as you don’t need them for tax purposes). As a rule of thumb, when in doubt, keep the receipt - the extra clutter may be worth it in the long run.