Getting Organized Can Actually Help You Save Money

Hopefully, the holiday season has brought you joy and treasured moments with friends and family. Yet we at TRINITY know sometimes the holidays come at a price – namely, all the extra expenses for gifts, entertaining, décor, holiday attire, greeting cards, you name it…that typically pile up at the same time.

Many people recognize the wellness benefits of getting organized, but did you know that getting organized can also help you financially? It’s true. So, if you’re looking for a way to feel better about your finances as you start the new year – not to mention improve your stress level and state of mind – keep reading.

Stop Buying Things You Already Have

How many times have you bought something only to find out later you already had something like it? It’s easy to do when your organization systems break down. Either you can’t remember where you put something, or you can’t even remember you had it because it was put in an unlikely place, is hidden from view, or is hard to get to.

This can happen with smaller items like cooking spices and large items like gardening tools, and everything in between. It happens a lot with clothing, say for instance the cute new sweater you decide to buy in red…only to realize over the next few weeks you already have three other red tops in various places and really could have used something in blue.

To put an end to this, take some time to think about areas of your home that have spun a little out of control. Take a few hours to pull everything out and handle each item one by one. Make separate piles of items that belong there, items that are no longer good and should be discarded, items that are in good shape but no longer needed, and items that belong somewhere else.

Before you put back everything that will stay, evaluate if your storage system is working. Do you have like items all in place? Can you see all of them, and are they easy to retrieve? If you answered no to any of these questions, now’s the time to update your system and/or purchase some new organizing solutions.

Sell What You No Longer Want or Need

What to do with that pile of stuff you weeded out that’s in good condition but no longer wanted or needed? You can absolutely drop it off at Goodwill or countless other not-for-profit organizations. But if you’re willing to invest a little time, there’s likely money to be made here.

A yard sale is probably the easiest and quickest way to sell that stuff. You can also find a number of websites for online yard sales. Other options include bricks-and-mortar consignment shops, as well as online resale sites (many that specialize in clothing) that will pay you a percentage of what your items sell for. If you have bigger ticket items like tools, sporting equipment or toys, you can sell them yourself through sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. No matter which method you choose, the resale market is very popular right now.

Keep Better Track of Bills, Receipts, Rebates and Returns

Even if you do your finances online, you’re still likely to have a good number of money-related papers and items to keep up with. That $100 contact lens rebate that requires two different receipts and the end panels from two boxes of contacts? What about that the phone case you need to return – by next week, and the pair of shoes you want to exchange – by the end of the month?

When you’ve got all your financial “stuff” in one place, it’s so much easier to stay on top of what’s needed. We at TRINITY recommend a station – whether it’s a desk or portable cart – that is your designated go-to place for money-related stuff. Think of it as one-stop shopping for all your money-saving needs.

Need an organizing solution to help you keep better track of money matters and/or all of your stuff? View TRINITY products by type, room, or collection.