An Easy Way to Save!!!

Hey, guess what?  YOUR PAYCHECKS HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY 2%!  (Find out why here.)  Have you noticed?  Maybe not; 2% certainly isn't a lifestyle-changing amount.  But it's something!  Think about it this way:

What if you put 2% of your gross paycheck into a savings account every pay period?  Let's say you make $2,000 every 2 weeks.  2% of that (and yes, I needed a calculator - don't judge!) = $40.  $40 per pay period multiplied by the number of pay period in a year (26 if you're bi-weekly) = $1,040, plus interest if you're putting it into a savings account, by the end of the year.  Even if you're making $1,000 every 2 weeks, you end up with $520.  Not bad, especially when you're used to that 2% going straight to the government.

Of course, you can also put this money toward any debt you may have.  That works, too.

But no matter how you slice it, we have a great opportunity here!  Saving without feeling it.  Can't do better than that.

More snow?

I am officially OVER snow.  I remember being in elementary school, middle school, high school and getting so excited at the prospect of a snow day.  I'd set my alarm for earlier than normal and when it went off, I would dial the hotline number and waiiiiiiit for the words "school will be cancelled today".  Then I would roll over, smiling, and go back to sleep.

But now I'm a grown-up.  And snow days are frustrating.  Because snow work days?  Yeah, not so much. Plus, even if there is a "snow work day", I STILL HAVE TO GET MY WORK DONE.  Deadlines don't get snowed out.

So, here I am - sitting on my couch.  Watching the snow fall.  And waiting for it to end.

While it's snowing pretty good out there now, it won't be a snow day for me.  But, I've already been snowed in THREE TIMES this winter.  Not cool, Mother Nature, not cool.  It's been rough for my work-life, but great for my house.  Why?  Because being housebound gave me the opportunity to face my closet demons, literally.  I've always wanted to go by the "one in, one out" rule, but let's be honest - its very difficult to stick to.  The result is over-stuffed dresser drawers, sagging closet bars and no where to put any more shoes (gasp).

Unacceptable.

But cleaning out my closet?  Wow, how unappealing.  Which is why I put it off for so long.  But this snow had other plans for me.  And after a certain amount of time being snowed in, cleaning out my closet didn't seem like such a bad alternative.  So I buckled down and I DID IT.  I focused and repeated the same questions over and over:

1. Does this fit?
2. Do I even like this?
3. When was the last time I wore this?

IF it fit, then I moved onto #2.  IF I liked it, then I moved onto #3.  If I couldn't remember the last time I wore it or if it was over a year ago, bye-bye.  (I admit it - I was a little more liberal with the shoes.  Isn't knowing you have a problem the first step?)  And ta-da!  A little effort, a little time, a little honesty and I have room in my dresser drawers, I'm no longer afraid that my closet will collapse and I now have room to buy a few more pairs of shoes.  

(Yes, I am most excited by the shoes...)

I'm baaaaaack!

When I grow up (I'll be 30 this year - is that grown up? Uh oh...), I want to be an organizer. Since the last time posted, I have done the following to try and achieve that goal:

1. Finished by MBA
2. Decided to sit for the CPA exam
3. Spent HOURS and HOURS and HOURS studying for the exam
4. Failed it
5. Let myself be sad about it (but not too sad)
6. Decided to do it again
7. Currently devoting my free time to studying for Round 2
8. But most importantly, I STARTED AN ORGANIZING BUSINESS with my friend, Jaci

Yep, not a joke. A2Z Organizational Solutions is legit! Except that between the time it was formed and now, I was hired as an in-house accountant for a management company that oversees a residential rental property. So have I had time to focus on my new business? Nope. Which sucks.

But I am recommitting myself to it. To A2Z and to this blog. I AM A WANNABE ORGANIZER, dammit. It's time I start acting like one.

What does that mean? It means that I will be sharing tricks, tips, as well as other resources here. So stay tuned, people! I promise it'll be worth it.