20 Days of Organization

Yesterday was the first day of my Operation Organization Project. This is a personal plan of mine to get my home organized by the end of the month. It gives me something to do and passes the time while I wait to start back working. (I am a substitute teacher.) I gave myself to the 31st of August to make some things happen. I created a large laundry list, though it probably won’t all get done, but at worst I will have completed more than whats already done.

To the naked eye my home can pass for organized but behind cabinets, in drawers, and in closed closets there is pure chaos. I want all of the stored junk to have a place, more importantly I need it to stay in its place. The areas that will get the most attention are as follows:

– My bathroom cabinets under the sink need true attention.
– My closet needs some reorganization
– My drawers
– The toy area
– My entry way table
– The inside of my credenza (thing the TV rests on)
– My Junk Coat Closet (Its made for Coats but it has enough room for junk so thats what I put in there. All the things that I can find a place for)
– The Garage
– Outside of that I want to organize my pictures and my coupons.

My hopes in doing this is that I will find things that I have been looking for, things I havent been looking for and things I can rid of to decrease clutter. I have been going insane with an open of every drawer and of every cabinet. Wish me luck!

Photo found at blog.pfisterfaucets.com.

4 Ways to Keep Motivated While Paying Down Debt

I’ll be honest, Im a little burnt out on the finance talk. I want to continue to pay down debt and pay it down fast, but the excitement is fading. So I have come up with four tips that will keep you motivated.

Forgetta Bout It (In my best Italian voice)
If your half as bad as me, you are calculating and recalculating your numbers every single day. I have calculated my loan payments probably 70 times in the last 4 months. That is not an exaggeration. I want to find every extra dollar and apply it to my loan and in doing so my calculator on my phone became my best friend. I am sick of these numbers, so I have decided what I will do is check my bank account once a week, and continue to pay the $1000 -$1400 monthly and in September I will check my loan totals. This will help me focus on other things in life not just adding numbers all day.

Read or Listen to Debt Free Stories
I listen to Dave Ramsey Debt Free Screams when I get burned out. Its nothing like listening to an individual in a more difficult position and with way more debt talk about their sacrifice and determination to pay off debt. Many times they are able to complete the task in less than 30 months. I remember a couple who had about the same amount of debt I have and whose family income was almost exactly the same as ours. In about 2 years they payed off their debt. Heres the kicker this family had 10 kids ranging in ages from 12 years old to 6 weeks! How can you feel sorry for your self now. You can’t, you just can’t!

Give Yourself A Treat
Im so busy coming up with ways I can deprive myself or shrink our grocery budget that I forget to treat myself. Everytime you meet a monthly goal or weekly goal treat your self to something small. My something small is this White Out Cupcake from Sweet by Holly here in Jacksonville. It is awesome and its $3. And twice a month I plan to go and get one. I also go to one of my fav discount stores and pick up a shirt or two. This makes me feel like Im living instead of drying out at home like a prune. Whoa what an analogy.

Imagine Yourself at the Finish Line
This is what really gets me through. Thinking what life will be like when you owe no one. Aahh, I feel it now. It feels like wind blowing through my hair, kinda of like the Michael Jackson pose where he is screaming. If feels like you’ve birthed a new life. Like you,ve finally wrangled that loose pig, that you have been trying to wrangle for two years. Okay too much? Well you get the point, it is an awesome feeling and I am currently chasing that feeling.

What motivates you to pay off debt? Have you have an enough moment where you don’t want to see another bill in your life?