Allen - Live Well on Less

Ever heard the saying , a cluttered house reflects a cluttered mind? It is so true. Being organised will not only make your life much easier, it will also save you an enormous amount of money.

Tip from a SAHM

We have a finance meeting at the beginning of each month and allocate a specific dollar amount to each activity we have on that month, such as birthday parties, dinners out and day trips. It helps us budget and ensures we dont overspend.
SUSIE B-J

For instance, when your house is clean, neat and everything is in its place, you wont buy replacements for things you already have but cant find. You will also have backups planned so you dont need to run to the shop at midnight for bread and milk.

Dont get me wrong, organisation will take time. But believe me, it is definitely worth it. I have sorted this book into rooms, which is how you should tackle your house room by room.

A habit takes 30 days to establish just think, in 30 days, your house will be spotless, and you will know where every cent of your money is. And once you are organised, your mind is clear enough on ways to make more or save more money! Its all in the mindset.

So how do you get organised?

Choose a spot in your house where you usually do all the bill paying, letter reading and document storing. For me, it isnt in the office but on my kitchen counter. Choose a place that works well for you.

Have a desk caddy and a clipboard folder hanging up somewhere, with maybe a paper tray. This is your home central control system!

Bills can be placed on the clipboard folder in the order of the day they are due (closest to the front is the closest due date). I also like to get a nice bright-yellow highlighter and highlight the due date and amount to be paid.

Tip from a SAHM

Ive found writing a list and taking a calculator shopping helps to not overspend, especially when you literally dont have the money to go over your budget.
KALI Q

Keep all your mail together in the one spot and only deal with it ONCE. Got a letter from the school? Read it, action, then file in your filing cabinet. Keep the most current items at the front of the folder. If you get junk mail, bin it right away!

A filing cabinet is not just a place for paper to go and die. It is the information hub of the family. Get to know it personally, because there are so many ways in which you can save money in this little baby!

I easily saved over $5000 a year when I went through my filing cabinet thoroughly. Boring job?Hell, yes. Filing is not fun. But it is a treasure trove of your finances and the best place to start saving money.

First get it organised! A good two-drawer filing cabinet will suit most families. Buy some cheap folders and sort into the following categories:

• Telephone/Internet
  • contracts
  • latest bills
  • information booklets
• Electricity/Gas
  • bills
• Car
  • insurance
  • service information
• School/Day care
  • fees
  • letters from the school
• Mums Job
  • tax information
  • pay slips
  • letters of employment
• Dads Job
  • tax information
  • pay slips
  • letters of employment
• Bank
  • bank statements
  • letters from the bank
• House
  • mortgage information and documents
  • house repair bills
• Credit Card
  • statements
• Purchases
  • any receipts for household purchases, such as domestic appliances (clip the receipts to the front of the user manual, and store the user manual in the filing cabinet)
• Important Documents
  • birth certificates
  • marriage certificate
  • tax file numbers

Of course, make a new folder for investments, savings and anything else that affects your family finances. If you deal with an item as you receive it and file it away in an organised manner it is always on hand and you know where to find it when you need it.

Important things like birth certificates and mortgage information should be kept forever. Tax receipts and just about all other paperwork should be kept for seven years.

Well, Ive told you how to get organised, but not how to save money. Heres the fun bit.

Most people just file their information without really looking at it. Because we are all busy, and filing is boring! But have a closer look are you really getting value for money?

Check out your bills. Are you being billed correctly? If you are, great. If not get on that phone!

It does pay to give your provider a call and ask them how you can save money on your bill. They will look at your usage and see if there is a more appropriate plan for you to be on.

Just the other day I called about my internet usage. I was paying over $200 a month! They were only too willing to help; I ended up with a plan that cost $120 a month, and which had four times the data usage than before!

HINT: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Even if the person on the end of the phone is wrong, never ever yell or lose your temper, as tempting as it might be sometimes. Remember, they are doing their job but you are also doing yours. Take down their employee number and a reference number for the call. This is great if you need to put in a complaint, or to write to tell their bosses how great they are (it does happen!).

HINT: It doesnotpay to stay loyal to an insurance company.

Sad but true. Every year insurance companies offer new customers incentives such as gift cards, discounts or free gifts to join. They do not offer them to the people who have been paying their dues for year after year. So shop around.

Make sure you get everything you need in an insurance policy. Yes, this means reading the policy document thoroughly. Dont necessarily just go for the cheapest policy, but choose the one that will suit you and your family best.

Never go without insurance, particularly for your car, home and contents.

If you dont like talking on the phone, get on the internet. Its an easy way to shop around for a good deal, and often if you purchase through a website, you can get anything up to an additional 15 per cent discount!

If you have many different policies, it can be cheaper to bundle them together with one supplier for a bigger discount you will need to get on the phone. Ask the company what sort of discount you will receive for insuring your car, boat, house, contents and dog altogether.