Still trying to keep track of your spending but haven't had a moment to spare? Check out Mint from Quicken. Its a online money manager that takes 5 minutes to set up and you can see your account activity in seconds. From Home loans, credit cards, coffee shops and doctor bills. It gives you alerts when something has posted to your account and breaks down your monthly budget.
One of the features I love is being able to split up your ATM withdrawals in order to keep track of that $50 in cash.
The thing I love most about Mint is its free!

Need a little help organizing your birthday wishes this year. Enter birthdays in your email account and set reminders to repeat each year so you never miss a birthday. Have the reminder sent to your email or text message to your phone. Another birthday reminder is birthday alarms. This service allows you to email your friends, they fill in the correct day and an email reminder is sent to you. You can also use the service to send greeting cards. No more running to the local card shop for "belated birthday wishes" because you forgot a birthday again!

Ever have one of those mornings, you are running a few minutes late and arrive to your bus stop just in time to see the buses tail lights going off into the distance? You try to backtrack and think about which morning routine backfired causing you to be late. But have you ever had one of the most perfect morning commutes where you step onto your bus just as the bus is pulling up to the bus stop? I must say that is pure bliss. You sit there with your coffee and newspaper so delighted you actually enjoyed your morning commute. Hooray for you!
Now you can have pure travel bliss every day with the new CTA tracker that allows you to see the bus routes on a map or get the estimated arrival times of your bus. It is an amazing new system here in Chicago. If you want to get estimated arrival times you log onto the site, enter your route, the direction you are going and the bus stop. It gives you the arrival times of the bus or you can view a map to see the buses on the route nearing the stops. You can subscribe to the Bus Tracker to get e-mails of predicted arrival times and service alerts. The best part of the service is you can get view the bus tracker on your phone. Technology is the best!

I am always looking for practical ways to get organized and save time. Yesterday I did a couple loads of laundry and realized how happy I was that I had a 2 in 1 bottle of laundry detergent and fabric softener. It might not seam like a big deal but wheeling a cart full of clothes, and detergents to the laundry room is a task in itself. Not having an extra bottle or box of fabric softener to carry to the laundry room is priceless. It is also one extra step I can take out of the chore. And a 2 in 1 product saves space and easier to keep organized.
What is your favorite time saving product?

At the end of the day, take a few minutes to organize your office space. Put everything away, make a "To-Do" list and please turn off your computer! Computers eat up a lot of energy when left on over night. Try about 2.8 billion a year and that is just the U.S! Computers that are kept on overnight and on the weekends omit 20 million tons of carbon dioxide. Yikes!
So please, start a new office organizing habit this spring and turn off your computer at the end of each day. Your computer will run better, you will save some money and get organized at the same time.

We are all busy these days and dont have time to waste or money. So the next time you are unsure about how to spend your entertaining dollars make sure you do a little research. We like to watch movies either at the theater or at home on netfix or our cable channel. But I must say there is nothing worse then wasting time and money on a flop of a movie. Make sure you check out At The movies for movies in theaters now or Rotten Tomatoes which also gives feedback on older movies out on DVD.
Just like organizing your closet you must organize your entertainment!

Use technology this holiday season to organize your gift giving. Big stores like Target, Amazon and Toys R Us have online wish lists that you can use to do your shopping for friends and family. A wish list is just like a bridal registry where you register for items you would like, but you can use it for other events like holidays, birthdays and graduations. Create your own online wish list to make it easier for your gift givers. Buy gifts that someone actually wants. You don't want to add clutter to someone else's home or your own.

Its important to stay on top of your home and office organizing. The more you get into the habit of putting things away after you are finished using them the easier it will be later when you need to find them. When you don't put things away you will only make more work for yourself later, create clutter an easily become disorganized. If you are working on a project, put away your files away and clear off your desk before you move onto another project. This way you can focus 100% on your next project. Get in the habit of putting things away now instead of later it will help you stay organized.

I just heard of this great new site where you can organize all those little pieces of paper of random information in an easy to use format. Convert documents into checklists for shopping or keep track of your health information and other personal information like hobbies or goals. Download templates for easy recording and share pages with friends and family. Check out Jibidee.com and it is free to sign up!

The cost of gas is at a all time high right now. So joy riding and running errands in the car is becoming a thing of the past. Here are a few tips to getting organized before you step on that gas peddle.

#1 Batch your errands in the same area so that you can drive straight to your final destination. Map out every other location to stop at along on the way. This is how the delivery drivers do it!

#2 Save your errands for one day so you are not going back and forth in the car.

#3 Before running out to buy more of something, check your home for possible replacements or other alternatives. Get creative!

#4 Buy online whenever possible

#5 Walk or ride your bike

#6 Share your ride with friends and family.

The kids are getting out of school soon. But before they unload their book bags full of crayons, paper, rulers and calculators find out what they need for next years supplies. Recycle this years supplies for next year by storing them for the summer away from the other art supplies. You may have to buy a few things things this fall but you will not end up with duplicate items that barely get used. You save money in the process and shopping time.

We are all busy these days, its no secret and we have a million things to do. Plus we also want to save time and money. Make sure you organize your work, food and fun essentials to help you get through the week.

#1 Work - Don't get stuck without a full printer cartridge just before you have to print 50 pages of a presentation in color. As soon as you printer tells you your running low on ink, order a replacement online and have it shipped. You will be happy to have it when needed. You can also stock up at office supply stores like office max.

#2 Food - Online grocery shopping is the best time saver around! You can set up your delivery date and time, its saves all of your shopping lists and you can shop by price. We don't have to spend the time shopping, driving to and from the store, packing and unpacking the car. I can shop in 5 minutes and its done!

#3 Fun - Subscribe to online movie rental like Netflicks - Put as many movies as you wish on your list and you don't have to get stuck without a movie for the weekday or weekend. When a new movie comes out to the theater add it to the list. Sometimes we forgot to see them at the theater and before you know it its on video.

Groceries are getting pretty pricey these days so save a little money by eating what is in season. For a list of fruits and veggies check out the Food Networks guide to seasonal fruits and veggies
Before you head to the grocery store, get organized in your kitchen by making a list of everything in your pantry so you know what staples you have on hand and what needs to be replaced. This can be a big money and time saver.
With your list of seasonal fruits and veggies along with your staples on hand check out the food network, allrecipes or epicurious websites for recipes.

First, organizing is NOT about being perfect or neat. Nobody ever says I just love Jane or Joe – he or she is soooo organized. But they do love that they can depend on Jane. They like that Joe does what he says he is going to do. They like that Jane arrives on time and doesn’t leave you standing on the corner waiting – in the rain. They love that they remember birthdays or your pet’s name. They love the result of being organized.

So organizing is not a goal it's a tactic - a tool to help you achieve your goals.

Today's post is the final step in making organization a part of your daily routine

#3 Create an inspiration guidebook

Most people simply write a list of resolutions and some simply verbalize it. But getting organized is about developing new habits and making it a part of your daily routine. Create a visual picture of where you want to be by creating a collage with pictures and inspiring words. Incorporate your organization plan into it and then hang it somewhere you can see it everyday top inspire you – kitchen, office, near the medicine chest. The activity of creating your inspiration guidebook will reinforce your plan in additions to helping you maintain your daily routine.

Yesterday I posted step 1 of getting organized. Here is the 2nd step to help make organization a part of your daily routine.

#2 Make a plan.
Let’s say you’d like to have more balance in your life and spend more time with your children. So start brainstorming ideas on how you can achieve that. Look for ways to trim wasted time or do things more efficiently. Start with Larger concepts, such as stop wasting time looking for misplaced items, then drill down with specific steps to help achieve that goal. For example, you could determine a specific place to put away your keys as soon as you walk in the door and resolve to do it each and every day. Keep going until you have a plan.

Want to get organized in 2008? Here's how to make it stick.

Every year, getting organized makes the top ten list of New Year's resolutions. If so many of us want to get organized, why is it so hard to achieve? Here's the 1st step to help make organization a part of your daily routine.

#1 Get Perspective

Many people find it hard to stay organized because they don't have the right perspective. Getting organized shouldn't be a goal unto itself. Organization is a tool to achieve life's bigger goals. For example, someone might say they want to get organized but what they're really looking for is more balance in their life. By being organized, they wouldn't waste so much time looking for misplaced items, such as keys and glasses. They wouldn't get stressed by running late so often. The goal is much more than simply having a neat house. It's about quality of life. So before you start trying to get organized, ask yourself, what are the big picture goals you want to achieve? Do you want more balance in your work and personal life, to be more productive at work, or even get out of debt? Those are worthy goals. Your plan for getting organized should be centered on achieving a bigger goal.

I think its wonderful to send and receive a real card through the mail on your birthday or even the holidays. It's really easy to send an ecard to your techy friends and family but it's nice to see those colorful envelopes in the mail box with a handwritten address rather than the typical junk mail or bills. Their are cards for every occasion. We buy these cards with good intentions on sending but sometimes we forget to send the card! So now you have all these extra cards laying around that say "Happy 21st Birthday" or "Fifty and Fabulous". Now what are your going to do? Store them in your valuable space? Throw them away? You may have just wasted some valuable time traveling, shopping and spending money and the recipient may not ever see those good wishes.
My advice for dealing with the birthday cards is to have a personalize birthday card that you can send to everyone. This would say Happy Birthday on the front and whatever you want to say inside and list who it is from. This way everyone is getting the same card this year and you don't have to run out every time someone has a birthday. If you want to do this each year make a list of everyone you would like to send a card to and just order a small amount.

Bonus Tips
Make a folder for each month of birthdays and on a rainy day address all the cards, place a stamp on the envelope, add the send date on your birthday calender or use the birthday alarm as a reminder. Now you are sent for the entire year!

Good Luck!

Did you host a holiday party this year? Then you already know the getting your home ready for guests, preparing food and trying to time it all just right so you can enjoy the evening with your guests can be hard work. This year we hosted dinner for eight and my goal was to have everything ready before my guests arrived. Everything went well except for a few things I would have had done differently. I’m making my list for next years party.
Here are a few tips:

1. Keep your shopping receipts from the grocery store and indicate which items you purchased for the dinner or party.
2. Make notes on quantities used in recipes, appetizer treys etc. My shopping receipt shows the size so it’s easy for me to note “used 4 oz” from the 16oz package of mushrooms. Now I have the notes for next year and I will buy a smaller amount. I hate wasting food and with leftovers and during the holidays your refrigerator gets packed.
3. Make notes if you didn’t purchase enough of one item so you don’t have to run out to the store in the middle of your food preparations.
4. Indicate items that were a big hit so you are sure to purchase again next year.
5. Indicate items that nobody ate, drank or you overbought. This year I bought egg nog and forgot to put out so it sat in the fridge. One guest likes a particular cola so I made sure I had this on hand. This year he chose a different drink so I had an extra 2 liter. Next year I will buy 1 can of cola. We had too many crackers and they didn’t fit on the cheese trey. They were never opened so they too will not make the list next year.
6. I store my lists, and receipts in an envelope and pack with my holiday decorations. If you have the time scan and copy to your computer.



I hope these tips help you in your next holiday party.

I have 10 nieces and nephews ranging from 7 – 22 years old. I can remember only 1 year that I gave them Christmas presents they actually enjoyed. I usually fall into the trap of getting the wrong gifts and I can tell they are really not interested. I don’t buy the coolest or the latest for them because I just don’t know what to buy. So this year they are all getting gift cards to Starbucks and Mcdonalds. I figure its just like money and they will actually use them. It took me all of about 30 minutes to buy for ten people. That was easy for me and I’m sure they will all be happy.
I will keep you posted on the Christmas gift reactions!

This weekend is Fall back, so don’t forget to change your clock and catch a few more z’s. I’ve heard you should not only change the time on your clocks but also change the batteries in your smoke detector.
Try to think of some other things you can do twice a year that happen the same weekend as Fall back and Spring forward. One easy tip is change over your summer & winter wardrobe.

Everything in my email inbox is something I need to do. If I need a new email message for a later date I will archive the email.
If the email is a large task than I will create an event on my calender. With this system if I come up with an idea or something I need to do I send myself an email.
I just remembered something I need to do tomorrow for work so I sent myself an email so that it will be in my inbox tomorrow morning.
The goal is to not leave emails in my inbox. Create a system so you empty out your inbox every day. Use your inbox for a tasks you need to address

While getting organized is a BIG goal, don't forget that mastering small habits can have a big payoff. For most of my clients, that starts with their keys. Who knows how much time we all lose looking for keys each day? I suggest setting up a key station by the door you use most. This could be an attractive box or key hooks.
It takes 21 days to establish a habit, so for the next three weeks, focus on putting your keys in this spot as soon as you come in the door. I promise you, a month from now, you'll be on your way to saving hours of time and frustration. An added benefit: seeing how breaking down a big goal into small steps leads to success establishes the way to make positive changes in all aspects of your life.

This morning I walked into the kitchen and turned on the tea pot for my morning cup of tea. There I saw a sink full of dishes and everything leftover from the weekend. Instead of just standing around and waiting for the water to boil I decided to tackle that pile of dishes. I knew it wouldn’t take long so I dove in and in no time the whistle blew and I had already unloaded the dish washer. I through a tea bag into my cup and brewed for 5 minutes. In that time I quickly re-loaded the dishwasher, cleared off the counters, and gave them a clean sweep. I was immediately ready for my morning with a hot cup of tea and admiring my clean kitchen.
This only took a few minutes and I used my downtime to get things done. Its easier to do quick tasks when you know you only have a few minutes. Next time you are standing around waiting, make use of those extra minutes and get things done by organizing a drawer or clean out a bag. And as always keep it simple.

As a Professional Organizer I often hear the comment "I bet you are SO organized", "I bet your home or office is just perfect"! My answer to this is "yes, it's organized and works for me and my lifestyle but it does take a lot of work to keep it that way".
We all get busy, so in order to get and stay organized we need to set aside time each day to do the important tasks in order to stay on track. And whenever possible look ahead to see if their is a way to prepare yourself for the day, next task, or activity.

In the article “How to actually get things done” I found some great tips on how getting excited about doing something may help you complete tasks. Also, trying to incorporate something fun in your list of to-do’s is a great motivator.
Try adding something fun to your to-list and let me know if it helps!
I know I am looking forward to badminton in the park tonight after dinner ! I just have to get through at least 3 items on my to-do list.
Have a great day!
Karli