Back-to-school season is almost here, are you ready? Here are some things to keep in mind that will make this hectic time go smoothly.
Changes in schedule
Switching from the relaxed schedule of summer break back to a school schedule takes some planning to minimize stress. Before school’s back in session, map out the plan with your kids so everyone knows what to expect. Pick a wakeup time that accommodates how long it takes everyone to get dressed and eat breakfast.
Are the kids buying lunch at school, or do you pack food from home? For packed lunches, it’s best to assemble them the night before. That way you’re less likely to forget something, and in the morning the kids can grab and go.
Supplies
Don’t buy what you don’t need; instead of heading to the store and guessing what supplies will be required for the year, wait until you have lists from teachers. To make it extra simple, combine all supply lists into one master list so you have one document to reference when you’re at the store.
Before you go shop, take a look around your house and see what you already have at home. Check off what you already have on your master list, then bring the list with you to the store. If you use lists and think before you shop, you’re likely to get everything you need in one trip!
This is a scary question. Is your financial disorganization costing you? Or worse, how much is your financial disorganization costing you? Because if your finances are not in order, I can virtually guarantee it’s costing you something.
Do you struggle to keep your financial paperwork under control? Do you have little piles of receipts all over your office? Or are they shoved in a box to hand over to your accountant at tax time?
There are two secrets to keeping on top of it all so you don’t miss important deductions–and your poor accountant is not pulling their hair out at the end of the year!
Set up a filing system that is easy to use and accessible.
Do a little bit often.
Paper systems
The simplest filing system mirrors your accounting system. The categories you use when entering expenses into your accounting system will be the same you use for your filing. Make a folder for each category of spending you get receipts for. Each week, after you enter your receipts and invoices into your financial tracking system (ledger, spreadsheet, Quickbooks, etc.), simply drop the receipts into the appropriate folder. You will keep track of your spending and your income and know where you stand each month.
Summer is a great time to spend outdoors. There’s the beach, sports, walks in the mountains, or gardening in your back yard. Most of the gear you need for your summer outdoor activities is stored in the garage. Why not make it easy to access so you spend as little time there as possible and more time out doing the activities you want to do? Get the most out of your garage by using these 6 tips.
1. Keep all the things you use for one activity together
It’s much faster to get out the door when all your gear for an activity is together. Let’s take going camping. It used to take us a couple of hours to get everything together from various places around the house and garage. Now we can have our car packed with all our camping gear for a weekend in about 20 minutes. We all have “camping clothes” that we can quickly throw in a bag. We have a separate box that we keep all our camping cutlery, dishes and kitchen supplies in that stays in the garage ready to go. All our camping gear is in one section of shelving within the garage, so we literally just have to back up our car and load everything straight in.
Have you ever had a pile of papers that defied being labeled? Or perhaps you’re worried that if you do file that important piece of paper, you’ll never find it again in your cavernous filing system. Yet some people seem to be able to put their hands on any piece of paper they are looking for within seconds. What are their secrets for labeling files?
Create one overall system and stick to it. If you forget what categories you have in your filing system, create an index so you can scan the index to file and find items.
Email–a blessing and a curse. It’s a wonderful way to reach someone without having to play phone tag. It’s a wonderful way to deliver necessary information. And it’s also an easy way for other people to send you the information they want to send you. Work reports that don’t actually pertain to your work. Marketing from a store that you bought one thing from 3 years ago and you might go back to one day. Reply-alls from well-meaning individuals in a group email. And spam! Managing it all can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you stay on top of your email.
Limit what comes in
It’s so easy to sign up for interesting and useful newsletters and subscriptions. Set up a separate email address for your newsletters and subscriptions that you can check on your schedule, not theirs. Be judicious about who you give your primary email address to. Use a spam service that automatically reduces the amount of spam you have coming into your inbox.
Congratulations! You’ve decluttered, packed, and moved. Now it’s time to put everything in its place in your new home. Here are four things I keep in mind I unpack with someone. Unpacking will be a breeze if you…
Have a staging area for boxes to arrive
Set aside an area for boxes to go when you and your movers (if you have them) arrive at your new home. That way everything is in a central place, and can be divided up into the right room from one location.
