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Unclutterer on BBC Radio
Earlier this week, in the hubbub of the holiday, I forgot to let all of you know that I would be appearing on BBC Radio. Do not fret, however! The show I was interviewed for, Pods and Blogs with Jamillah Knowles, on the Five Live station, still can be found online.
My segment is only a few minutes long and occurs just before the middle of the program. The whole show is terrific, so, if you have half an hour, I recommend giving it a listen. I talk about how I stopped being a clutterbug and give advice on how to backup sentimental data.
Enjoy!
Popularity: 2% [?]
The post-holiday tear down
I inevitably spot one every year — a house with Christmas decorations still displayed in mid-March. Granted, taking down decorations isn’t nearly as much fun as putting them up, but delaying the inevitable doesn’t make the process more entertaining later in the year.
Outdoor decorations can be a little more tricky to take down because of foul weather conditions in cold climates, but there really isn’t any excuse for keeping indoor decorations up through the spring. Here are some tips for making the tearing down of holiday decorations go more smoothly:
Lights: Gather up all of the lights in a systematic fashion. If you have misplaced the original packaging, wrap the cords around a flat square of cardboard to keep them tangle-free.
Inspect and repair: As you put away your items, inspect each piece to make sure that it is in its best working order and doesn’t pose any safety threats.
Keep all your holiday decorations together: Label all your storage boxes and keep them together in your storage space. It can be a good habit to limit yourself to a set number of boxes (in our house it is three). If you can’t fit all of your decorations into a limited space, it’s time to purge some of your items.
Donate: If you need to lighten your decoration load, take the lightly used ones to a consignment shop or charity. Nursing homes also can use some festive decorations. Regardless of the charity, be sure to call before you make your donation and make sure the group is interested and able to handle your gift.
What tips would you add to the list? Join in the conversation in the comments.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Organizing your personal finances
The state of the U.S. economy (and, realistically, the economy in most other nations throughout the world) has seen better days. Whether you need to or not, you are probably closely watching your money.
If you’re someone with “organize finances” at the top of your 2009 resolutions list, let me recommend a few products and services that might be able to help you keep better track of the money you earn, save, and spend:
- Online banking. Most banks and credit unions have websites that let you track your accounts online. If you aren’t already, I suggest signing up for these services.
- Online bill paying. To save money on postage, many utility companies and other service providers now allow you to pay your bills electronically. An automatic system can help you pay your bills on time, and also provide you with a second digital receipt of your money transfer.
- Quicken online. You can track all of your personal finances through a free Quicken account. The service allows you to import all of your financial information and display it in a manner that is useful.
- Mint online. If Quicken isn’t your style, you should definitely check out Mint. It’s also a free, online, personal finance program. Feel welcome to check out our review of an earlier version of Mint.
- Personal finance blogs. Websites like Get Rich Slowly, Awake at the Wheel, The Motley Fool, The Simple Dollar, and Wise Bread are fantastic sources for product reviews, strategies, and tips and tricks for managing your money wisely.
What services do you use to help you organize your finances? Let us know about any programs or services that work for you in the comments.
Popularity: 3% [?]
After Christmas shopping
My wife is rather thrifty. I figured this out long ago, but one of the things she is accustomed to doing is heading out to local retailers the days after Christmas to purchase deeply discounted holiday decorations and storage products.
In the past, she has scored a couple of ornament boxes, a wrapping paper storage unit, and she always comes back with a few new ornaments and decorations to replace ones that didn’t survive the season.
If you’re heading out to shop and take advantage of the sales, be sure to plan out a list before going on your journey. A list in hand will keep you from impulsively buying items you don’t need. Also, try to stay true to the one-in, one-out policy. If you do find a great deal, make sure to get rid of its replacement item already in your home. Before you take to the stores (if you go at all), check out our list of tough questions to ask of new acquisitions.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Take stock of your stuff during economic hard times
eBay and Craigslist have been on our uncluttered radars for quite some time, but during these tough economic times they have become important tools to make some extra cash. Weekend projects of cleaning out the attic, basement, or closets can help you find many items to sell or donate.
Donation is a great option these days, too. Charities are feeling the effects of a struggling economy, and the trimming down of your home’s inventory can help less fortunate folks.
The economic downturn has undoubtedly made all of us take notice of the way in which we live and spend money. It also may be a wake up call to live with much more thrift in mind when bringing items into one’s home.
In an article in the Examiner, author Risa Sanders highlights some things that may make this economic downturn a little more manageable. She highlights the positives of these times with some of the following items:
1. Drink less coffee. My old habits included at least one stop a day, sometimes two, for a latte, or a double cappuccino. In order to save money (see below) my caffeine consumption is way down, causing my psyche, and body, to say “thank you”.
2. Spend less money. At better than $3 apiece for a tall latte (plus, usually, a muffin for another $2), I’m saving over $50 a week just by not making coffee stops during the day. I pour what’s left from my morning coffeepot into the darling, glossy, polka dot thermos I just “had to have” but hadn’t used in the two years since I bought it, and I have fresh, warm, cheap coffee all day long.
7. Spend more quality time as a family. Volunteering together, playing board games,going for walks, sightseeing in the city, renting movies instead of running to the theatre, even hunting for great coupons and bargains together, can be fun. See my article on volunteering for more ideas, at http://www.examiner.com/x-1561-DC-Family-Examiner~y2008m12d18-More-great-things-to-do-with-teens
9. Get rid of clutter. I notice I’m doing a better job of sorting through papers and keeping clutter to a minimum now that I’m home more. I like the feeling of calm that comes from being able to see the wood of my desk, and actually being able to find (and remember to use) all those wonderful coupons that are flowing in these days.
Number nine is definitely right up our alley here at Unclutterer, but the whole list is worth a look.
Popularity: 3% [?]
In with new, out with old
During the holiday season, you may get a few new gifts. Now is the time to take stock of what you received and what those new gifts can replace — one new gift in, one old item out. And, depending on how much use you got out of the old items, they should be donated or thrown away.
If you receive new slippers (very exciting I know) you should get rid of your old ones. In all likelihood, your received the new slippers for a reason.
One important area where we make a concerted effort to keep in check is our daughter’s toy collection. When she receives an above-average size gift, like an chalkboard/easel, we will remove a similarly sized older toy. For example, we would remove something like a kitchen play set. Toys are a constant struggle to keep in check. It is also a good idea to have your child take part in choosing what is to be donated and help them understand a toy they no longer play with is going to a less fortunate child.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Preparing your car for a road trip
Today we welcome John Walton, author of the British travel blog Voyagers, to give us incredibly useful tips for auto travel. Welcome, John!
This holiday season, with prices at the pumps lower but airline prices not really dropping, many of us are taking to the road instead of to the skies. But is your car, truck or SUV ready for the trip over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house?
If you’re like me, your car is normally pretty clean, but this time of year there’s stuff in it that you don’t need. (I live at Land’s End in Cornwall. That free map of Scotland isn’t much use, so I can take a digital picture of it and throw the paper version away.)
Loose objects in your car can be more than just an eyesore. They’re potentially lethal projectiles if you have to stop suddenly. So use those little nets, compartments and pockets wisely. Embarrassing holiday incidents shouldn’t include a coffee flask to the back of the head.
Often, a messy car results from not having anywhere to put things away. When I downsized to a smart earlier in 2008 it took me a while to figure out where to put my iPod, phone, maps, water and coffee. My tiny car doesn’t really have enough nooks and crannies, so I buckled an old daypack-sized backpack into the passenger’s side seatbelt so my stuff isn’t going anywhere if I have to slam on the brakes.
Take a look around your local auto supply store for things that would be helpful. I love my CD holder that holds elastically to the sun visor. Beware the temptation to acquire things just because they might be useful, though! You almost certainly don’t need a Hello Kitty Mirror Muff, but one of those FM transmitters that lets you play an iPod through the radio could be a great investment.
If you’re going far, make sure that everybody in the car has something to keep them entertained. Don’t forget that new gadgets will need power or batteries! That new iPod isn’t going to play for long if you haven’t charged it. Before it’s wrapped is the perfect time to load it with its new owner’s favorite music or that thirteen-hour set of The Lord of the Rings, and music gift cards let the recipient pick something new and interesting to listen to. Recent models even play video. And if you’re going for a seriously long drive, consider getting hold of a car charger that fits into that round 12v socket we used to call the cigarette lighter. It’ll be a lifesaver when your music player starts to lose power three hours from your destination.
Lastly, and perhaps most important of all, be sure your vehicle is mechanically prepared for the season — whether you’re below freezing in Norway or Nebraska or sunning yourself in Argentina or Australia. Make sure you are comfortable driving in the weather conditions. Check your local automobile association’s website for tips appropriate to your region — and remember to check for your destination too, if you’re traveling!
Happy travels and happy holidays!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Wrangling newspaper recycling
As a devoted environmentalist and pragmatist, the circles labeled “recycling” and “convenience” don’t always align on my Venn diagram of life. Sometimes what is most convenient, isn’t great for the environment.
Stak-N-Tie stacking bins solve two household problems for me:
- a rugged container for storing read newspapers awaiting recycle pick-up day; and
- a can’t-miss device to single-handedly twine-bundle your stack of papers.
The elevated corners of the Stak-N-Tie leave enough room underneath the newspaper pile to slip your bundling twine. Once knotted, the whole stack lifts easily from the crate. Until recently, my town made me separate newspaper from other recyclable paper, so I bought two. My town now lets me co-mingle all my paper and no longer requires a twine-knotted bundle, so the entire crate gets toted to the curb on pick-up day. And, if I ever need to dispose of the crate itself, it’s recyclable, too: #2 HDPE.
Available from the Recycling Center for $12.95 plus shipping, it’s a great way to keep old newspapers from cluttering up your home.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Uncluttering your schedule to keep clear of unnecessary stress
Being human can be difficult some days. I most often notice the difficulties when I’m stressed, full of anxiety, things are chaotic, and/or under pressure. Little problems that are usually dealt with easily turn into big issues because my abilities to see the whole picture or keep my cool are gone.
Last week, I completely unhinged in front of one of my colleagues. I was quietly working at my desk one minute, and the next minute I threw a tantrum because a project we were working on took a turn I didn’t expect. Instead of reacting like a normal person, I chose the path of awful person. I used my “outside voice” for at least a full minute before I realized I was being a complete idiot. Thankfully, my colleague burst into laughter (instead of yelling back or quitting) and asked if my outburst helped me feel better.
It took me two hours to calm down and figure out what had happened. Many elements in my life were to blame:
Stress + Anxiety + Disappointment + Poor Planning = Awful Erin.
As full disclosure, one of these elements was completely out of my hands. I had no way to control the event that happened that triggered my disappointment. No matter what the day or how prepared I possibly could have been, I still would have been disappointed.
The other elements were all my fault, however. My poor planning resulted in stresses and anxieties that were wholly unnecessary, and which made me blow the incident with my co-worker completely out of proportion. If I had planned appropriately, I would have been able to move with the ebbs and flows of the day and not let the stress and anxiety overwhelm me. More precisely, I wouldn’t have been experiencing stress and anxiety — at least not at the level I was.
Later in the afternoon, I made a heartfelt apology to my colleague, we had a good laugh, and then I headed home to re-evaluate my schedule. This time, I needed to be realistic about my abilities.
I revisited my initial estimations and doubled them. What I thought would take one hour, I doubled to two. What I thought would take a day, I scheduled to two days. I made phone calls and adjusted others’ expectations of my timeline accordingly.
With all things in life, the more stress and anxiety you feel, the less able you are to think and respond to the best of your abilities. Proper planning — being honest with yourself about how long it will take to complete action items, setting a schedule, and having the diligence to keep to that schedule — will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and in control of the things you can control.
Since my tantrum last week and retooling of my schedule, I have noticed a significant decrease in my stress and anxiety levels. I am not super human, and my new schedule is realistic and maintainable. Unfortunately, it took making a fool out of myself to realize I needed a change. How do you organize your time to keep stress and anxiety at bay, and how do you avoid potential stress meltdowns?
Popularity: 4% [?]
Sharing space and dealing with moments of chaos
Today we joyfully welcome Alex Fayle, author of the blog Someday Syndrome, as a guest author. He is a former procrastinator who now helps people break the procrastination obstacle so they can find freedom and start living the life they desire. Also, he’s a really nice guy. Welcome, Alex!
There are many wonderful things about living with others, but dealing with their clutter is most certainly not one of them. Living with my partner (and before that roommates) has always been a special challenge during times of emotional stress.
You see, when I’m sailing through life, everything finds its way back to its place quickly because I put everything away as soon as I use it. However, when I’m feeling chaotic, you can’t see the bedroom floor and nothing goes back where it belongs. I nest using clothes and papers.
When I lived alone, it didn’t bother me. When I was feeling this way, I’d just wade through the clothes to find the bed, knowing that I’d get out of the funk and get things cleaned up sooner or later.
Now that I live with my partner in a very tiny apartment, I can’t let the chaos take over too much.
We’re both human, though, and the chaos does hit, sometimes at the same time but usually at different moments (meaning one wants to clean while the other is in a nesting mode).
Living with others offers a challenge to staying organized because if one person is feeling chaotic, their clutter encourages others to let their own organizing slack off: “If his stuff is all over the place, why should I clean up mine?”
Say you’re in a chaotic moment and your partner starts ranting at you about the mess you’re leaving around. What would you do? In my case, my inner teenager comes out and I want to make the mess even worse just to get back at the unfair authority-figure ranting.
Let’s say however, that you’re more mature than I am, and recognize the ranting is not an attack on your intrinsic goodness. Instead, you use it to move yourself out of the chaos, dealing with the physical side first and letting the emotional clutter clear itself out. How wonderful, no?
But what happens if it’s your companion(s) that let the clutter take over? How do you deal with it?
Here are 3 Definitely Don’t and 3 Possibly Do actions.
Definitely Don’t:
- Don’t nag. It’ll just bring out the inner teenager and they might rebel and do things on purpose just to piss you off.
- Don’t get judgmental. People in a negative state don’t need negative reinforcement. Besides, it’s not like you’ve never had moments of clutter, hmmm???
- You can re-order the place yourself, but don’t do it with a “how great am I?” nor with a martyr attitude. Do it because you want to or not at all. A superiority complex will only cause more problems in the end.
Possibly Do:
- Live with the chaos and hope that the person will snap out of it soon. After all, you go through chaotic periods too, I’m sure.
- Suggest an order the house day and make it a big fun event. Put on music, dress up in maid outfits (or at least tie funny colored scarves on your head) and do a re-ordering.
- Re-order the place on your own and hope that the calm space will bring calm to the other person/people.
Now it’s your turn. How do you deal with the clutter in the home caused by multiple people experiencing the ups and downs of life at different rates
Popularity: 6% [?]
Uncluttered search results with Google SearchWiki
In November, Google introduced its SearchWiki to public use. Now, you can customize your search results by “re-ranking, deleting, adding, and commenting” items in your returned list.
Here’s how it works:
The application makes repeated searches more efficient and gives you the power to clear the cluttered, unwanted results from your searches.
(via Steve Rubel)
Popularity: 5% [?]
Unusual storage spaces
I have a secret. See this cookie jar:
Are you imagining that it is filled with scrumptious chocolate chip cookies? Mmmmmm, cookies. Let’s take a peak inside of it:
Wait, those aren’t cookies!
Now you know my secret. I store garlic, potatoes, and onions in our cookie jar. It’s dry and dark in there, and no one suspects that Cookie Monster’s belly is full of healthy vegetables. Plus, I don’t have to sacrifice drawer or cupboard space to store these items that shouldn’t be refrigerated.
I’m not the only one with unusual items in my cookie jar:
Reader Sharon stores all of her chargers in her cookie jar, which sits right next to an electrical outlet. The chargers are where she needs them, and nicely stored when not in use.
Do you have any storage spaces in your kitchen that you use in creative ways? Let us know about them in the comments.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Easily limit e-mail access while on vacation
I love Lifehacker because 1.) Gina, Adam, Jason, Kevin, and newbie Jackson are rock stars, and 2.) I constantly find ways to improve my life from reading the site. Recently, Gina wrote about AwayFind, and this post has revolutionized how I approach e-mail.
Here’s how AwayFind works: When you set up your auto response message in your e-mail client, you write a few words about how you aren’t really checking e-mail. Then, you stick in a final sentence that explains if there is an emergency that you can be contacted via AwayFind. You put a link to your AwayFind page in the text of your away message, and then people receiving the e-mail have a way of getting emergency messages to you without you having to publicize your cell phone number.
If someone believes that they can’t wait until you return from your vacation to get into touch with you, they click the link and are taken to an online form where they can customize their emergency message to you.
I like the program because you don’t actually have to go on vacation to use it. If you need to do some heavily focused work for a few days, set up an away message and only receive emergency messages. Once your schedule returns to normal, you can weed through all the non-emergency messages that came in for you. You stay focused, but not out-of-contact when you’re truly needed. You remain in control of your e-mail with AwayFind.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Increase productivity by learning a lesson the first time
One of my major productivity challenges is that I have a difficult time learning lessons from my mistakes the first time they happen. I’ll get an idea in my mind for how something should work, and then when it doesn’t go as planned, I take little or no notice that my procedure was flawed.
Here, let me give you an example: I’m currently working on an article for a magazine. According to my calendar, I should have been working on this article every morning this week from 8:00 until 10:00. So far this week, I have yet to work on the article between 8:00 and 10:00. This is the busiest time of my day. I have been interrupted with important endeavors every time I’ve tried to work on the article. But, did I adjust my schedule to work on the article at a different, less chaotic time? Nope. Not a bit. For FOUR DAYS this block of time hasn’t worked for me and this article, but I haven’t done a single thing about it. Instead, I’ve stayed at work an extra two hours every evening to get the work finished.
This is what I should have done: On Monday evening, before I left work, I should have rearranged my schedule for the next day so that I could try working on the article from 2:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon. If things went well, then I should have rearranged my schedule for the remainder of the week. If they didn’t go well, then I should have tried a different time slot for the next day.
To help overcome my inability to learn lessons the first time, I have devised a new strategy for the end of my work day. I’m going to keep up with my practice of preparing my desk and materials for tomorrow’s work day, but I’m going to add a routine before this process.
I’m going to take five minutes to ask myself questions and evaluate my work that occurred during that day:
- What processes went well today?
- Why did those processes succeed?
- What processes didn’t go well today?
- Why did those processes not succeed?
- What changes can I make in the future to turn these non-successful processes into successful processes?
How do you analyze your work to keep from making the same mistakes repeatedly?
Popularity: 6% [?]
Black Friday: Tips for staying organized
My wife and mother-in-law have a tradition of waking up at an absurdly early hour the day after Thanksgiving to brave the crowds for the best deals of the season. I’ve never taken part in this tradition, mainly because I really don’t enjoy shopping and these days I do most of my shopping online. I have become more understanding of this tradition in the last few years since about 90 percent of our holiday shopping is completed with about a month to spare. It is the Band-Aid strategy to holiday shopping, fast and a little bit painful.
My wife adheres to a strict regimen when doing the holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and these are her rules:
- Always make a list of what you are planning to buy and for whom.
- Check out all the holiday ads for the best deals and what time these deals end.
- Plan your day. After looking over the advertisements, plan your shopping agenda.
- Remember to eat. After hitting up the early morning sales it is good time to go eat breakfast.
- Don’t buy just for the sake of a deal. This leads to unnecessary purchases. (Remember to stick to your list. See #1.)
- Be sure to conceal your purchases in your car by covering them with blanket or putting them in the trunk. My wife, after meeting my dad and me for breakfast, gives us her early morning purchases to make room in the car for new purchases.
- Be sure to have all of your coupons organized and ready, ($10 off at Macy’s, 10 percent at JC Pennys) don’t take all those sales ads with you, but do keep them in the car.
- Clean out your purse and/or wallet the night before and have cash or credit cards ready. Don’t hold up the check-out line digging through your purse.
- Be sure your cell phone is charged. If you’re shopping with a friend and you spread out and need to locate each other, a low battery could cost you that special purchase.
- Don’t limit your purchases to just Christmas, if friends or family member’s birthdays are around the corner, add them to your list.
This year, due to the poor economic climate, the Black Friday deals are supposed to be especially enticing. Remember #5 from the list above when going about your shopping and try not to buy for the sake of a good deal.
Black Friday isn’t for everyone, especially me, but it is an efficient way to get your holiday shopping finished in a timely manner. Just remember to be patient and try not to get in a scuffle. No one said shopping on Black Friday was painless or even very enjoyable, but the process will get a bulk of your shopping out of the way in a span one day.
Popularity: 5% [?]
