Aaaah, nothing like a complete lack of organization

[siercia]

All through December, I put off bill paying because I was almost out of checks. Now, it's January, I *still* have no checks, and I have bills that are due right now. Anyone know any good "help yourself get organized" tips?

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I like Citizen's online bill payment system a lot. I do my credit cards that way, and I have auto insurance auto-billed as well. The only checks I write anymore are to Lorac--of course she does our bill paying.

But one caveat is, if you schedule the payment, you just about have to do it a week in advance. Lots of places take a check on the phone now, which may cost you a little money.

My suggestion:

[pantsie.livejournal.com]

Visit one of my favorite sites in the universe:

http://www.organizedhome.com/

Sure, I don't follow everything that they suggest, but the site's ideas and printable forms have come in handy. It's a good place to start.

I also highly recommend the book "Home Comforts" by Cheryl Mendelson (sp?). It's for housekeeping in the same way that "The Joy of Cooking" is for cooking. The book very carefully explains the art, history, and science of keeping house. Her standards are a lot higher than mine, but it's definitely an interesting read. It makes for a great reference book when tackling cleaning and organization project.

Best of luck with the organization! I stink at keeping my papers in order myself and I'm hoping to do a clean-out of my filing cabinets and desk in the near future...

Re: My suggestion:

[siercia]

Thanks! I'd seen that site before, and I wasted a good sized chunk of Thursday afternoon on it. Sadly, living with the uber pack-rat, I will never ever have a clutter free home. But I did get some good ideas, and some inspiration for doing some shovelling.

Home Comforts has been on my wishlist forever. I keep thinking about buying it for myself and haven't yet, but I'm getting closer to giving into the urge.

good news

[pantsie.livejournal.com]

"Home Comforts" was 50% off at the Barnes and Nobles in Framingham. I'm not sure if this is true across the boards at all the Barnes and Nobles, but it would mean you could get the book for, like, $17.

I purchased it after the holiday rush and have been reading it before bed in the evenings. Parts of it are dry and sort of common sense, but I find the historical stuff informative and her writing style comforting.