5 no-cost strategies to gaining control of your home and save money

Lowcountry blogger, Stacey Crew, from The Organizing Mama Blog has some tips to help you get your home in order while saving money and helping others.

1. What you can do:
Donate. Other people need help more than ever. Box up clothing, cosmetic samples, extra office supplies, books, and linens. Donate those items to local organizations needing items. For example, a homeless shelter or a tent city if you live in Southern California.

How it will help:
Donating will eliminate items from your own home, make it clearer as to what you have. Only keep what you intend on using. No need to hang on to items just for the sake of hanging on. Sure, you may have spent some money on those items, but having them around will only remind you of the money you spent. Donating the items will help others and you can sleep soundly knowing that you've done a good thing.

2. What you can do:
Get a grip. Know what you've got. Sift through your attic and basement, taking an inventory of what you have. Eliminate excess, sell items you've been meaning to eliminate.

How it will help:
Knowing what you have can ease your stress. Generally, it's the unknown that we fret about. So get clear on what you own and what you can eliminate before spending more money.

3. What you can do:
Put like items together. Is your office scattered with paper that's disorganized? Do you have a plethora of office supplies strewn throughout your house? Putting like items together, be it papers in the same category or copy paper and pens in one place will let you see what you actually have on hand. Store supplies separate from items in use. Categorize paper and file Reference papers away, carefully considering what you actually need to keep.

How it will help:
You can see clearly what you have. When like things are together (Group Objects), you can easily assess what you want to keep and what can go (Purge), then give it a home (Assign), decide on what it will live in (Contain), and put the items back where they belong after usage (Keep it up).

4. What you can do:
Shop with a list. Marketers spend thousands of dollars for product placement. You know, the impulse purchases. We don't know or even intend to buy these items, but somehow they wind up in our cart. Make a list and stick to it! It won't be easy to begin with, but what new habit is easy at first? You may want to reward yourself for sticking to the list by putting what you've saved in a jar at home for a planned, fun purchase later on.

How it will help:
You'll be more conscious of what you "need" and "want." It's always a good idea to ask yourself if you're trying to satisfy a need or want. By sticking to the list, you'll be honest with yourself and your budget.

5. What you can do:
Find a new hobby. Is your hobby shopping or something that has a hefty fee attached to it? Try something new. Get together with girlfriends at each other's houses for a movie night. Make arts and crafts from stuff you have at home. Go to the library for books and movies, then make yourself a coffee drink at home. Be creative and challenge yourself.

How it can help:
You'll save money, number one. Number two, you can bask in the glory of having tried something new that is a budget buster!