Ready to get organized in the New Year? Take baby steps, use what you have and start with the thing that’s bothering you most. Here’s how to do that from my latest segment on KOIN Keep It Local:

New Year Resolution #3:
Better Money Management

This series is all about the top New Year Resolutions. One of those is “Get Organized”.  Have you ever made this resolution? How did it go? Did you do a “crash & burn” weekend on Jan. 2nd and everything was back to the way it was by Jan. 10th?  Try using organization as a tool for whatever change you desire.  You may surprise yourself!

Procrastinating won’t improve matters.

My husband is a great teacher.  When we were first married, he taught me how to think about managing money in a new way.  I used to hide my eyes, bury my head and pretend things weren’t happening.  It didn’t work.  Knowledge and keeping your eyes open is power, baby.  The first way to improve your money management is to keep your eyes open, and use the right tools.

Sometimes good intentions aren’t good enough.

I love technology and useful gadgets.  So, on the advice of a friend, I started using a well known financial register software, and I was frustrated.  I couldn’t get it to do what I wanted, and messed it up so badly that I finally broke down and called in an accountant to help me sort it out.  Let’s just say she was a little confounded as well.  At that point, she strongly recommended I start using Quickbooks.

Get help and do it right.

A few months later, I called her back to help me understand how to customize Quickbooks for my business.  She set some things up for me and left me with a “maintenance” tasks.  I now look FORWARD to doing my bookkeeping.  Crazy, right?

If your resolution is to stick to a budget, get out of debt or keep better track of your finances, go for it!  Here’s how to get started:

1. Open your eyes to the reality of your situation

2. Get help if you need it

3. Get and use the right tools

4.  Set up a simple system to make it easy on yourself

How are you going to better manage your money this year?

GIVEAWAY ALERT! Want to win the ButtonedUP Tax.filer? Leave a comment below, sharing your resolution and how you could use organization to help you achieve it. Enter by 1/10/2010! (Read the ButtonedUP giveaway & special reader discount details here.)

If you have papers laying around your home office, you just might need an Action Paper Management system. How does that work? Here’s a video segment I did for the KOIN Keep It Local show to show you how:

Tip #28: Set up an “Action Paper” file

Ever wonder what to do with the credit card statement that needs to be entered in your accounting software, the newsletter yet to be read, the conference registration needing to be mailed out or your travel itinerary?  Put them in an “Action Paper” file.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Get a set of six 3-tab cut folders
2. Label each folder with the following: Action, Data Entry, Waiting For, Read & Review, Travel and Meetings
3. Go through your inbox and file it in the appropriate folder
4. Put each task associated with that paper on your task list OR set a time to process each file

(Want more tips? Pick up my ebooklet, “101 Tips for Your Home Office” HERE.)

Did you know that you can save paper and ink by changing your print settings?

Double-sided printing: Using the double-sided print, black and white (or gray-scale, black cartridge only) and draft modes on your printer.   Most printers (if not all) have a double-sided mode.  This may mean you need to feed the document back into the printer to get both sides printed, but it’s really simple.

Grayscale printing: Also, set your color setting to “gray-scale” or “black and white” with the black cartridge only.  Did you know that some printers will use your color cartridge even if you say black and white?  So check it out.

Print in “draft” mode:  Also, printing in “draft” mode is best for everyday less important printing.  Important documents are really the only things needing to be printed in normal mode.

Save money & time. Double-sided printing saves half the paper produced by your printer, not to mention the time it takes to manage paper clutter accumulating in your home or office.  It also saves you money, since you don’t have to buy as much paper.

I’ve been using the double-sided and “black cartridge only” idea for a year, and it’s amazing how much of a difference it makes!  Also, print preview your document to make sure you’re not printing an ad or a few letters, which also wastes an incredible amount of paper.

Recycle used printer cartridges.  Were you aware of printer cartridge recycling?  Most manufacturers now have recycling programs.  They send you an envelope, you fill it with your used cartridges and mail it in.  In most cases, the shipping is free!  Keep the envelope right by your printer, so you’re more likely to remember.  Also, many office supply stores will take used cartridges and give you a discount or other credit.

Here’s a few resources:   HP, Canon, Earth911

Here’s a great article and some resources from Ideal Bite on this very subject!

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photo credit: isaac bowen

I happen to love antiquing and vintage inspired office solutions.  I also love to find original, budget friendly storage projects.  So, I thought I would share three great resources I found on the Better Homes & Gardens website.   So inspiring!

Vintage Home Office Ideas

This great series, Recipe for Vintage Home Office has some truly original vintage ideas.  I especially love the tea cup storage, pin board idea and the repurposed drawer pulls.  The thing I love most about using vintage items is their slight mystery – they all have a story, whether or not we know exactly what that story is.  And really, isn’t a little mystery intriguing to work in?

Budget Friendly Home Office Storage

I fell in LOVE with this picture!  It’s bright, happy and brilliantly laid out!  I love the lunch pail and the three tiered basket re-purposed as office storage.  Kitchen & bathroom storage items are great tools to get organized in a home office.  They look and function like a dream, and are very affordable.  If your home office organizing budget is tight, check out this Home Office Storage on a Dime series.  Love it!

A Little Bit Country

I grew up in a small town away from the big city.  Well, now that I live in a big city, I miss that relaxed style.  Over the last few years, I’ve fell in love with antiques and the casual cottage, country style.

When I saw the above picture, it made me sigh heavily.  Why?  Because I saw a yardstick exactly like this at a local antique show, and fell in love with it.  However, I couldn’t think of something to use it for, so I left it there.  You can BET next time I go, I’ll be on the hunt for one of these!

If you like casual country or cottage style like I do, you’re going to love this Country-Inspired Home Office Idea series!

What inspires you?

I had an incredible opportunity today!  I was interviewed by Rich Sloan of StartupNation, for their podcast.  It’s called “7 Tips to Get Organized & Be More Effective in Business”.  You can give it a listen by clicking HERE.

Do you ever feel like you are drowning in paper? Loathe the thought of getting it all put away? Is your filing system a force to be reckoned with?  Is it time for reboot?

There are many products out there that can help, but you can do it yourself with a little preparation, dedication and patience.   Here’s the basics:

1.  Gather supplies: Get yourself some banker boxes, manila folders (and hanging folders if you must), tab labels and paper clips.

2.  Unload your filing cabinet one drawer at a time, and…

3.  Sort, sort, sort! Sort out old paperwork that isn’t necessary (i.e. old utility bills), and start putting the “to keep” papers into categories. If you abhor filing, consider doing this project in 30 minute increments over a few days.

4.  Load your papers into your banker boxes as you go along. Use categories that make sense to you.

5.  When you are finished, reload your banker box contents into your old (or new)  filing cabinet.

Lastly, be sure to keep up with your filing.  Have a place for “to file” or put your papers away right when you get them.   Set aside one day per week to actually DO it.  Keep your filing system as simple as possible and keep on top of it.  Now, get to it!

Tip #5: Have a home for everything, and keep it there

Ok, ok, it might sound vaguely like something your mother would say, and for good reason.  Think about this: if you didn’t know where you lived, you would wander around aimlessly.  Eventually you would find a place, but it might not be a place you want to be.

It’s easier to find things next time when you know where to find them now.

Now, think of the mail that comes in each day.  Do you have a place for it?  Or is it stacking up in corners, on countertops and shoved in the bottom of your bag?  Imagine if you had a designated place for the mail.  It would be put there, bills wouldn’t get lost, letters would be read and frustration minimized.  Get the picture?

Now, go get the mail and find a place for it.  Then, find a place for the stapler, and the pens, and those bills…

If you live in the Portland, Oregon area:

Have lots of paper you need to shred?  Been putting it off?  If you’re in the Portland, Oregon Metro area, you may want to come check out this free event:

What: Community Shred Day

When: Oct. 15, 2008, 9am-5pm

Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square

Cost: Nada, zero…  it’s FREE!

Details:  You can have up to 100 pounds of paper shredded for FREE!

(Event sponsored by EFI Secured Shredding)

Announcement #1: The Home Office Organizer is now also blogging at SparkPlugging.com!

It is my pleasure to announce that I have joined a stellar list of authors at SparkPlugging.com. You may know this outstanding site by it’s former name, eMomsAtHome.com (go ahead, Google it). Wendy Piersall is the CEO, cheerleader, visionary and inspirational leader of this site. When she contacted me about writing for her site, I was honored (and a little star struck!). I started with this series about organizing paper, and then Wendy asked if I would consider writing a blog about home office organization. Gee, let me think….. Wendy recently decided to go thru a rebranding, and I’m happy to say the site has re-launched as of this week. The site is packed with information, and each week will launch two new blogs. (There is seriously TONS of information that I’m still trying to wrap my head around, and I’ve been reading eMoms for a year now!)

What is SparkPlugging.com?

SparkPlugging.com is a site dedicated to “Thinking Big In The New Work-At-Home Generation”. So, you might ask, what the heck does that mean? Well, you’re in the New Work-At-Home Generation if “…you use technology to free yourself from a 9 to 5, to do work that you love, to get more time with your family, or just want to make money in your socks, then you’re in the right place.”

Sound like your cup of tea? Come, join in on the fun! Start here with my blog, “Home Office Organizer” and take a look around at the other outstanding blogs and articles in the two channels: Business & Lifestyle. Make a living around your life, that’s what SparkPlugging is all about. *

Announcement #2: Productivity 501: Group Interview, “Dealing With Paper”

I was also recently asked to participate in a group interview at Productivity 501, with a great group of organizers and bloggers. It was an honor to be asked to be a part of such a dynamic group of people!

Paper organizing is a big enigma for a lot of people, so it’s a timely (and useful) topic. We were each asked the same questions about deal with paper and staying organized. Check out the first of three in the series here.

What’s Productivity 501?

Mark Shead is the man behind the curtain (or keyboard in this case) at Productivity 501. He is a “consultant using technology to solve business problems”. His site, Productivity 501 is “a site dedicated to bringing you regular tips and tricks to help increase your personal productivity.”

Thanks for including me Mark!

Event tickets, maps, invitations, registration forms, oh my!  Paper with dates need homes where you can easily find them on the day of your event.  So, how can you keep it all together?  One idea is a tickler file, and there are lots of ways to adapt it to your personality and style (I’ve given you a starting point below).  Here’s how you set it up the framework of this system:

What you’ll need:

1 box of manila file folders, 1/3 Cut (you’ll need 43 overall)

Pen

1/2 vertical file drawer for storage

Here’s how you do it:

Take twelve of the middle tab folders and write the name of of a month on each, January – December.  Then, take thirty-one of the right tab folders and label them 1-31, for the days of the month.  Here’s what the setup looks like (I also used hanging files, but you don’t have to):

How to use it:

• Check your Tickler File each day, emptying the day’s folder and placing it behind the next month (see above).
• Store tickets, maps and other date sensitive information in the date folder so you know right where it is
• Use the month folders to store reminders
• Put a reminder in your calendar to check your tickler file, or do several days at a time.

Make it your own:

• Only use the month folders for an easier more streamlined system (reality check – this is what I do).  Using it this way also enables you to place this system on your desktop. 
• Store a list of special events like birthdays and anniversaries in each month.  (Be sure to check the month ahead so you don’t forget grandma’s birthday!)
• Use color!  Use colorful folders and label using letter stamps or rub-on lettering (found in most scrapbooking sections of craft stores).
• Hang it on the wall – if you need to see it so you remember it exists, put it in a series of wall pockets to keep it in your line of sight.

Have fun with this system!  If you have an adapted way of using a tickler file, I’d love to hear about it, so leave a comment and tell us what you do!

Have you seen the 3 Part Paper Management series I wrote up for Wendy from Sparkplugging (formerly eMomsAtHome.com) ?   If you’re drowning in paper, or need a few tips, go check it out!

Organize Your Home Office Paper: A Crash Course, Part One

Organize Your Home Office Paper: A Crash Course, Part Two

Organize Your Home Office Paper: A Crash Course, Part Three

*  Be sure to check out the entire site AND my Sparkplugging “Home Office Organizer” Blog – if you are a parent and work from home you’ll find resources galore!

It seems that paper is never-ending and it just multiplies itself with break neck speed!  What is the deal with that?  It’s easy to toss it in a pile or nearest horizontal surface and tell yourself you’ll get to it later.  Here’s the thing about paper, it’s usually….

“Horizontally hidden, vertically visible”

Ever wanted a piece of paper on the bottom of your pile?  Eek!  Not a pretty picture if you are holding coffee or a phone in one hand, and trying to retrieve that all important report at the bottom of the stack (insert dark gloomy music here).

So, how can you deal with the paper and be able to find what you need?  Here’s a few tips:

Use magazine files: Not just for magazines, these little guys are so handy and come in a wide variety of materials and prices.  A group of identical magazine files can transform a cluttered home office bookcase into a beautiful and functional storage solution.

A whole new way to pile. Pendaflex saw a need, and came out with a product line called PileSmart (above).    It’s a novel idea and easily integrated into your life.  Remember to figure out what to call those labels if you use this product.  (I really like the clip on labels!)

Give it a home. Paper can easily get out of control if it doesn’t have a place to go.  So, give it a home and put it there.  For example, things you only need to look at once in a while: put in a letter box or filing cabinet.  If you need to do something with it (read: Action Item), have a place for it to go until you are ready to deal with it.

Paper management doesn’t have to be difficult, and with the right plan you might even have fun! 

I just found the greatest post on making gift tags from paper grocery bags and had to share! Here is a slideshow to help you do it and my post about reusing paper bags on OnlineOrganizing.com. Enjoy!

In the home office, space is at a premium. For most people the home office is usually an afterthought, or a room that was never intended for such intense paper processing and electronic equipment. Here are some tips to organize, rework your home office and increase your productivity!

1. Build up: Utilizing the walls, and rearranging the storage can help. If you don’t have a large footprint in your office, consider using the walls, and build up!
2. Reposition your desk: Consider creating a “u-shaped cockpit” with everything you need at your fingertips. (Just make sure not to have your back to the door!)
3. Move those files! Reference materials should be within reach of your chair, but archives should be moved elsewhere – ideally relocated out of the room.
4. And there was light! Bad lighting can really put a damper on your work – not to mention your eyesight. Have ample overhead lighting, as well as task lighting to brighten your workspace.
5. Ergonomics: Start with the chair, and get one that fits you perfectly. You’re going to use it a lot, so make sure you’re comfortable in it!
6. Boundaries are key! Working at home is no picnic with constant interruptions, but it can be done with communication. Talk with your family, partner or roommate about when it is and isn’t OK to disturb you in your office. It’s a shift worth making, and everyone will be happier for it!

What’s your home office challenge?

I was reading through Megan Spears post about our organizer meeting, and how we were sharing our own personal clutter challenges. I was there too, it was a great reality check and open communication about clutter. Guess what? Everyone has it to some extent, and if you learn to deal with it and laugh at yourself you won’t lose your mind.

I am instigating a challenge, it’s only fair I offer up my personal challenge first. And for me: it’s PAPER. Good gracious I struggle with this naturally, which is probably why I love to help other people with it! Our society is supposed to be going the way of “paperless”, but we are also in the age of information overload! Internet, books, audio, podcasts, newspapers, mail, advertisements, magazines, oh my! There is so much information in our world that you could never get to it all in a lifetime! So much to know and learn, so little time! I have dealt with my paper woes by dealing with the stuff on a daily basis. I also love David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” approach, as well as tips from zenhabits.net.So, I’m putting out a challenge to my fellow organizers and you, dear readers:

What’s YOUR personal clutter challenge, and how do you deal with it?

Monica Ricci

Ariane Benefit

Megan Spears

Jeri Dansky

John Trosko

Jessica Duquette

Aby Garvey

Marcia Francois

Are you a “piler”? If you are, you know just what I mean (I’m naturally this way too!). If you aren’t – a piler is someone who generally uses “piles” (most commonly of paper) to remind themselves of things yet to do, things they don’t want to forget about or just plain stuff that is in a holding pattern until its fate has been decided. Most pilers are visual, thus, the piles.

Well, if you are one, or you know or love one, here’s an easy tip for you Pilers out there. Instead of stacking your paperwork, try this:

Paper generally stores better horizontally, rather than vertically. If you use a magazine file like this, simply categorize your paper into things like: To Read, To Do, To Mail, or whatever categories make sense to you.

Don’t like that? Love your piles, but they are taking up too much space on your desktop or kitchen counter (or, eek – your bed)? Here’s another one:

This is another option, but still is the same concept if you still categorize. Inbox on top, with categories that make sense to you. Remember, put “like” things together and you’ll be less likely to lose stuff!

So hey, it’s not that you have to color code everything, be perfect – just do what you do in a more efficient way, and use what works for you!  Anyone a piler out there?

Update:

Pendaflex has come out with a great line of products for those who “pile”. Check them out HERE. There are lots of options that help you organize your piles, and use what works for you. If you have used this product, let us know what you think!

Ok, go get your purse, handbag or briefcase…..go ahead…..I’ll wait……*game show music*…..Ok, got it? Now, OPEN it. Do you have papers floating around, hiding in corners or filling up your pocketbook? Most of us do. But, there is a simple thing you can do that will corral all those little tidbits into one place. We’ll call it the “Pocket Organizer On-The-Go”.

Use an expandable file such as the one above (from www.officedepot.com). Some categories to get you started:

• Receipts
• Coupons
• Stamps
• Reference Material
• Decorating: such as paint chips, fabric samples, pictures, measurements
• Business cards: of people you meet and to enter into your address book
• Business/Personal Expenses: receipts
• Future: maps, invitations or tickets to future events – these will be handy and ready to go when you get there!
• Shopping or To Do List

Keep this file in your hand bag or briefcase, and all those little papers will have a home. And you’ll have space for things you need, like your wallet.

I found this pretty all-inclusive link for getting yourself (address, email, phone) off the Direct Marketing Association lists. Getting off these lists will cut down on the junk mail you get coming in the door that clutters up your counters!

Check out this link to do just that:

DMA Choice: Consumer Information and Preference Services