by Monica Ricci | Featured Contributor
If you struggle with disorganization, you’re not alone. There’s a reason you see “get organized” showing up on nearly every list of popular New Year Resolutions.
Disorganization might annoy and frustrate you but it can also present a financial issue. If your home, business or life is disorganized, do you realize how much it costs? Here are just some of the ways being disorganized can waste your hard-earned dollars.
- When you pay bills after their due date, you incur late fees.
- If you pay bills really late, you may lose your service which will incur a reinstatement fee.
- Late credit cards payments incur finance charges.
- When you “lose” items you end up re-buying them, so you’re wasting money and time shopping for things you already have.
- When you wait until the last minute to order something from a vendor, you may pay expensive “rush” fees.
- When you put off invoicing your clients and customers, you impact cash-flow and lose the interest you would have earned had you collected in a timely manner.
- When you neglect to drop important original papers into the mail on time, you incur expensive overnight mail fees just to get it to its destination on time.
I read an article telling of a family plumbing business whose cash flow was so affected by their disorganization to the point they couldn’t make payroll and the owners had to forgo their own salaries on a regular basis. Their plumbing business was plenty busy with customer work — but disorganization in their invoicing process was a roadblock that impacted their finances.
Here are five tips to help you save money by getting organized:
- Pay bills EARLY and automate the process. Many people intend to pay bills on time but don’t make it. For those who have difficulty with time management, “on time” rarely happens. Set your bill pay schedule up on auto-pay and schedule payments 24 to 48 hours early to ensure you’ll avoid late fees.
- Declutter your kitchen and bedroom. Those are the two areas of your home you use most frequently, so improving them makes an immediate impact. When you designate homes for your possessions, you can find things quickly and easily, so you avoid re-buying things you already own but couldn’t find.
- Create a process to make invoicing your customers and clients right away, when they are happiest with your service. You can’t use the money you never put in the bank, so when you get payment checks, choose a single spot to hold them until you can get them to the bank.
- Buy duplicates of consumable items when they’re on sale or when you have a coupon. You’re less likely to run out when you have a backup on hand, and you will have saved money at the register too!
- Balance your checkbook regularly. Bounced check fees can add up quickly, so take a few minutes per month to balance your accounts to be sure you’re not spending more money than you have.
The next time you think disorganization is just a mere an annoyance, think again. It costs more time, aggravation and money than you ever imagined. By taking these simple steps, you’ll be more organized and you’ll keep more money in your pocket!
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Monica Ricci – Productivity Pro and Speaker – Atlanta GA
I believe life and business should be as enjoyable and meaningful as possible and since 1998 I’ve been helping people create simple, joyful, powerful lives! I do this through productivity training, speaking, writing, creating content for blogs, social media and print publications. I love showing people how to get the most out of life by making it simpler and more meaningful using the principles of organizing and productivity, coupled with self-mastery and a dash of technology!
I write my own blog and I create content for other companies’ blogs and Internet channels too. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a great relationship with the media over the years. I hosted my own radio show, Organization Nation and you might catch me on re-runs of HGTV’s popular show, Mission: Organization, which was a lot of fun!
Teaching is one of my favorite things, so I offer results-oriented workshops that motivate participants to implement new strategies for effectiveness and productivity in life and work. As a keynote speaker, I share insights, perspectives and heartfelt stories that inspire audiences, challenging them to clarify their own priorities so they can live life in a way that makes a difference.
I speak at meetings, conferences, corporate events and I represent products on radio & television. My speaking and writing topics include time management, overcoming procrastination, organization, paper flow, life balance and productivity.
