ORGANIZE A GARAGE SALE!

Let go of all of the “stuff” in your home, garage and basement that is not being used and get some $$$ for it!

TIPS FOR A GREAT GARAGE SALE:
* Best time of the year for a garage sale is SPRING or FALL.

* LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – The higher traffic volume you have (busy intersection, main road to town, etc.), the more customers you will have.  If you live in the outskirts of town like I do, your traffic volume will be lower.

* Ask your friends and neighbors if they would be interested in having a combined garage sale.  The more “stuff”, the better.

*  www.garagesalesource.com under “Garage sale pricing” will help you price your possessions.

*Allow plenty of time to price your garage sale items ahead of time with tags or stickers.  Placing specific prices on your items brings in more $$$.

* Advertise in your local paper and/or with large, bright signs at the entrance of your subdivision and near main streets near your home.

* Display your garage sale items with “like” things together.  For example, dishware, girls clothing, electronics, etc.)

* Be willing to barter for most of your goods.  Hey, it’s a garage sale!

Items that DO sell: All baby stuff (strollers, pack-n-play, learning toys, children’s books, etc.); toys; tools; electronics; computer games; children’s clothing; comforter sets in good condition; cookbooks; dishware sets; jewelry

Items that DON’T sell well: Christmas items; men’s clothing; shoes

Open your door early for those “really serious” garage sale hunters!  You will sell most of your items before Noon.

The more work you put into your garage sale ahead of time, the more money you will make!

Find moving and packing tips!

Do you have a move coming up soon?  Are you in the middle of packing or preparing for a move?  If so, then this month’s organizing focus is just for you!

Packing for a move can be overwhelming.  Planning in advance can alleviate a lot of stress.

Below are some moving and packing tips that will help you get through the whole process more easily.

1. Plan ahead!  Determine how much time you actually have.  It is to your advantage to plan your packing process so that you have as many days, evenings, and/or weekends as you can for organizing and packing your belongings.  You may have three months, one month or just two weeks.  Even if you are in the process of selling your home, you can still de-clutter and begin the packing process.

2. Begin accumulating boxes, packing paper, packing tape, etc.  You don’t want to be in the middle of packing a closet and run out of boxes or tape.

3. Purchase several “endrolls” (the plain rolls of paper used to print newspapers on) from your local newspaper distribution center to be used as packing paper for dishware and all of your breakable items.  I can get quite a bit of paper, which has been left at the end of the roll for a minimal cost.  You won’t have the black newsprint on everything from newspaper either!

4.  Begin packing one room at a time.  For example, begin with a guest room, or a room that may not be used on a daily basis.  Begin with the closet items and work your way around the room packing all of the items that can be packed in a box.  As you go through this process, take the time to weed out the items that you have not used in the last year, or do not need any longer.  Begin a box for donations, garage sale items and items to be tossed.

5. Packing/wrapping breakables:

Pack your breakable items in small to medium-sized boxes.  This will help prevent breakage.  Use packing paper or bubble wrap for each breakable item and wrap each item separately.  Use the packing paper to make a bed in the bottom of your box, acting as padding before placing breakables in the box.  Leave a small amount of space at the top and on the sides for additional packing paper padding.

6. Label each box with a black marker in the same place for each box (i.e., upper left corner), specifying the contents of the box and the room that the box is for at your new location.  Be sure to specify if the contents are fragile.

7. Pack items that are”alike” together, such as towels, linens, pots & pans, silver, books, toys, etc.

8. Keep important papers (passports, birth certificates, etc.) with you, instead of loading them into your moving van.

9. Pack pictures and mirrors individually with packing paper (endroll paper) or bubble wrap.  Large pictures should be packed in a picture box using crumpled packing paper in the bottom, sides and top to prevent any movement.  The picture should not move or shift in the box.  Smaller pictures can be packed in sturdy boxes, wrapping each one separately with packing paper or bubble wrap.

10. Wardrobe boxes are great for packing your hanging clothes in, especially if you are moving a long distance.  A less expensive option is to use travel hanging bags that you may have on hand, which will protect them from dust and dirt during your move.

Store your packed boxes in the garage, making it easier and faster to load the moving truck on your move day.  This also de-clutters each room as it is packed and helps each room look larger, if you are also in the process of trying to sell your home.

Allow your kids to help in the packing process by providing them boxes to put all of their toys, games, etc. in and label accordingly.

The best moving and packing tip is to de-clutter and get rid of the items that you do not use or need as you pack your home for a move.

Being organized and focused on one room or area at a time throughout your move will help you have peace of mind and it will allow you to see how much progress you really have made!

Pack with a purpose!

Organize your HOME OFFICE!

Do you use your home office to run a full-time business from your home?  Is it used for a quiet place to catch up on work outside of your normal workplace?  Is it used for a side business or part-time business?  Maybe you use your home office for all of the above.  However it is used, you should have it set up so that you are able to function efficiently while you are there.

In order to be productive in your home office, you should have a clutter-free work surface in which to work.  You should be able to locate important papers quickly, and not be distracted by piles of paper.  Therefore, you need a good filing system.

Setting up a Filing System:

Determine a filing system that will work best for your specific needs.  You can set up your filing alphabetically, numerically, by client, or by subject matter.  It depends on what you have the most of.  You can also use a combination of these (i.e., one for personal financial information and one for your business).

Determine how much storage you need.  Do you need a two-drawer filing cabinet, four, or maybe more?  It is a good idea to make sure you have room to grow.  It is also helpful to have a designated place for “current” work, items that need attention right away.  This should be placed near your work area, where it is visible, so that you can stay on top of incoming bills, urgent “to do” items, or current projects.

Purchase colored hanging files for clarity and recognition.  For example, you could use blue for financial information, yellow for client files, red for marketing, etc.  These, of course, come with labels you can either print out from your computer, or hand write.  I like the colored file folders too, that fit inside the hanging files, but you can use manila ones just as well.

You might want to invest in a good label maker like the Brother PT-1280, so that your file labels are uniform and legible. You can find the one shown below at Staples.com

Other Home Office Tips:

– Keep your personal files separate from your business files.

– Keep a current listing of all of your important personal financial information/files where your family can access it when needed.  Take a look at my October Monthly Organizing Focus for a great way to keep your personal information organized for your family.

– If you don’t already have one, invest in a good storage/shelving unit, similar to the ones shown in the picture above.  It allows additional space for storage, books and other office needs.  The two above have drawers below the shelving area as well, which provide more organizing space, keeping the desk work area uncluttered.

– Consider paying your bills online to reduce additional paperwork.

– Keep copies of all of those important tax receipts on your computer by using a digital scanner.  See neatco.com for information on how it works.

– Make a conscious effort to let go of paper and other items in your home office that you are no longer using or have a need for.

When your home office is organized and uncluttered, you will be able to focus on specific work items with more ease.  You will be able to accomplish much more in a shorter amount of time and this will help eliminate stress too!