Get out Your Pencil 2-THe BIG KAHUNA and Monthly, Weekly and Daily to do lists

This is where the rubber meets the road-
I ALWAYS have MORE items on my lists than I can humanly accomplish in the time frame allotted and that doesn't bother me.  If it bothers you then use 2 pages-one for the absolutes MUST do and the other page for IF TIME PERMITS

We are what we repeatedly do. 

Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

The BIG Kahuna LIST
This is my list of ALL drawers, cabinets, and closets that I hope to tackle during the year
It is written by rooms
For example
Kitchen-

• Refrigerator
• Silverware drawer
• Under microwave drawers 1, 2 (because I have 2 drawers that each need attention)
• and so on

I do this for each room in my house and include the basement, attic and garage, storage shed IF you have them and want to tackle them. 

Monthly Goals-
These are things that need to be accomplished during the specific month

• Yard Work
• Big cleaning or decluttering jobs from the BIG KAHUNA list--I usually work by room
• Filing taxes, getting the kids passports, etc.
• Making or Buying gifts needed by a specific date

For example- I had clean out pine cones and stick from under pine-trees on my February list but 8 inches of snow derailed my plan! so I picked something else from the BIG KAHUNA

Weekly Goals-

These are specific to what needs to be done that week.  

• Pickup dry cleaning
• Order birthday cake
• Clean out 1 desk drawer
• Make pillowcases using fabric stash 1 2 3 4 5
• etc.

Daily Goals-

These are the things that MUST be done or I HOPE to get done if I am not to tired or KARMA doesn't get in the way.  I also include my meal plan for the day.

• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Write blog post
• Take picture for Buy, Sell Trade posts 1 2 3 4 5
• Shovel show off driveway

I don't include things that are done every day such as Make bed, go to work, personal grooming habits but IF you struggle with getting those done then ADD them to your daily list because you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete the task.

Cresting HABITS-

It takes about 30 days to create a new habit so if you want to become more organized commit to creating a system that works for you for 30 days.  

Here's some additional reading to help you

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/18-tricks-to-make-new-habits-stick.html

http://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-trick-your-brain-to-create-a-new-healthy-habit-868231704

31 day$ to a Le$$ Cluttered Life #3

If you've completed the first 10 challenges you are over 1/3 of the way through the month!  Congrats.  It takes 30 days to make a habit!

11) Listen to something you enjoy as you de-clutter.  Perhaps your favorite rock and roll tune or classical music gets you motivated.  Maybe it is a book on tape or your favorite pod cast...

While you are at it, clean out the apps on your phone that you no longer use.  Technology needs de-cluttering occasionally too!

12)  Tackle the coat closet next.
Donate or consign those items that are too small or are never warn,
Repair items that need a button secured.
Launder or dry clean other items.
Place baskets or bins in the closet to house scarves, hats and mittens or gloves.  Find the missing mates or toss.

13)  I love to cook and I regularly tear recipes out of magazines and the newspaper.  I find the change of seasons an ideal time to purge my files and pull out recipes I want to try for the coming season.  Toss recipes you KNOW you'll never make and file the rest in an accordion file by type (chicken, pasta, breakfast).  Purge any cookbooks that just didn't live up to their color photos on the front cover.

14)  This is also the perfect time to purge the spice rack of that cardamom (or any other spice) you bought 3 Christmas's ago and the pantry of expired canned goods .  I make a "bucket list" of 3-5 recipes I want to make and put the special ingredients on my shopping list.    

The pantry purge gives me ideas on how to use up what I have.  This Frugality girl hates to wast good food!

15)  And now to purge the baking dishes and cookie sheets.  I may never really get rid of that pumpkin shaped cake pan but I do remember that I have it and make a plan to use it for the next Halloween neighborhood potluck!

Discipline

Many people think that saving money requires some special theory, trick or formula but I am here to dispel that myth!  Sometimes saving money is more about discipline that it is any fancy formula!Saving money, from my perspective requires only a couple of things:

1) Desire or lack thereof
Often I find that spending money is a result my desire.  If I don't window shop, peruse the Internet or mall walk I am not tempted to buy things I don't need.  Amazingly simple...

2)  Reality Check
I have challenged myself to USE it up or GIVE it up.

I have a pantry and freezer full of food.  It makes me feel secure to have "enough" on hand and I feel like I am saving money when I buy canned goods on sale for half the regular price--but IF those go to waste, I have not saved anything.  Therefore, I occasionally go through a phase where I use up most of that which is lining the pantry and freezer shelves.  Waste not Want not...

Likewise, I collect items like fabric, craft supplies like beads, scrapbook paper and rubber stamps.  I have to challenge myself to use up the paper and beads before I buy new (a great motivation to finish a craft project which has been languishing).  This helps me create Christmas gifts, teacher gifts and other items to give away just because I have the supplies.  This mentality feeds my "Be Generous" goal too.  It feels good to give away something I have created to friends, family and co-workers out of my abundance.  Just this week, I cleaned off my craft table and made 34 pair of earrings (I could probably make 3400 more pair...) to prepare for a craft event I am participating in in early November.

I am also participating in a consignment event our church hosts.  This allows me to consign and donate items (that do not sell) in one easy process.

Since I have a multitude of stamp sets that I no longer use I will e-bay those to make a place on the craft shelf.

If I haven't worn an article of clothing, I pack it away for 6 months.  If I need it, I retrieve it.  Other wise, after the season change, i consign, sell on be-bay or donate.  Eliminates the clutter that use to accumulate in my basement and in drawers and closets.

Socks without mates?  Every few months we have a find a mate event and if no match is found, they get donated to a local charity that make money on used clothing that is not wearable.


3)  Make Do
If I need something new, can I replace that with something I already have?  I need a new iron and NO, the waffle iron will not make do-therefore I need to purchase a new iron.  However, I want a new white polo but will make do with a collarless white t-shirt I already have in the closet...

4)  Put it away
I don't know how many times I use to have to buy new because I couldn't find the (fill in the blank).  If I put something back it is always there when I need it next.

Sometimes saving money REALLY  is more about discipline that it is any fancy formula!
Please share your ideas

Have a Frugal day!
Diana