Have you ever been in the spice aisle of the grocery store and thought you need Paprika but aren’t quite sure? You know you need it for dinner with your in-laws tomorrow night so you grab a jar, and toss it into the cart, only to find while unloading the groceries and putting them away, you actually have TWO already unopened in the spice cabinet.
You're not alone.
Purchasing duplicates of items (everything from food to tools) is one of the many ways that your disorganization costs you money.
I'm going to show you why being organized doesn't only save you time and stress, it also saves you money both personally, and in your business if you're a business owner.
Your Disorganization Costs When You Purchase Duplicate Items
Since we're already walking the aisles at the grocery store, let's continue there, shall we?
We own a vacation home in Maine and recently, we had a situation where five bags of flour were staring back at us from the pantry. Usually, I'm very organized and keep an inventory of what foodstuff we have there and need, but this was at the beginning of the pandemic, and the list got lost in the fray.
In the case of flour, it was ok, because we would eat it. But, I see this happen all the time with clients where they buy a bunch of produce that they think they're going to eat, without having an actual meal plan for how they'll use it, or they load up on items that they end up not being able to eat before they expire.
Without a meal plan or inventory to keep track of what you have so, you can make a list to accompany you to the grocery store, you can end up with a whole lot of food that goes to waste. You might also revert to takeout or choosing more processed foods, simply due to poor planning and a lack of organization.
Purchasing duplicates also happens with clothing too. You love picking out new clothes and browsing the racks at TJ Maxx with your girlfriends, but when you bring it all home, you find that you already have five pairs of the same black pants that you bought. And you only wear two of them. I see this all the time when people have a closet so disorganized, they aren't even sure what's in it!
When you can't find something you need at the moment like a hammer, nails, stapler, tape, or extra light bulbs, you grab another at the store, only to realize later that they were just in the wrong place and not organized.
Your Disorganization Costs When It Comes to Your Finances
Our finances are an ongoing flow of income and expenses. When it's all in balance, it's a beautiful thing.
However, when you aren't keeping track of your spending and budget, due to disorganization around your finances, things can go awry, quickly.
Spending too much, not having a budget, not keeping track of where your money is going, matching up credit card or bank statements, and not paying attention to bills, debt, extra interest, and late fees are all ways in which being disorganized can cost you money.
Sometimes a lot of it.
I've seen clients lose money on their flexible spending accounts because they weren't keeping track of it properly, and others who've had uncashed checks and gift cards expire.
It's important to pay attention to where your money is going every month and to check in with your finances regularly to see what's costing you.
Here are some little things that if we're not using and not paying attention to every month, can add up quickly:
- Subscription boxes and other subscription-based services
- Magazines or online newspapers
- Memberships
- Online tools
At the end of the month, take a look at your credit card and see where your money is going. Are you utilizing the services you're paying for? Even if it's only $5/month, cancel what you're not using, and reclaim your cash. If you're using a business tool with an annual or semi-annual renewal, put it on the calendar BEFORE it renews. That way you can evaluate it before it automatically charges your card for another year.
If you're looking to get in on Early Bird pricing or a bonus, put it in your calendar to make sure you don't miss the deadline.
Your Disorganization Costs You Money in SPACE
The self-storage industry is huge right now.
Everywhere you go, there are multiple companies offering space, and the space just keeps getting filled up. I understand that we all need to use self-storage in certain circumstances like moving, storing something temporarily, or storing something seasonally if your home or apartment is too small. But if you're just holding on to things that you're too afraid to let go of (think Grandma's couch that you're most definitely not going to use to furnish your home), it might be time to evaluate how much money the storage unit is per month and whether or not you really need it.
The same is true for cloud storage. Most of us have far more virtual storage and space than we need and because we do... we keep filling it up and getting more and more disorganized.
Just remember, the additional space comes at a cost.
Your Disorganization Costs You Money in Your Professional Life
Not only can disorganization cost you money when it comes to business expenses, but it can also create problems around your networking and client relationships as well.
I frequently hear people tell me they miss out on opportunities because they met someone at a conference and can't find their information now or lost their business card.
You may never know what opportunity was missed in failing to follow up with that connection.
I watch disorganized business owners forget client appointments, slip on their billing deadlines and practices, and miss reminders. If your clients don't feel well-cared for, or you're constantly dropping the ball and not attentive to their needs, they will eventually look somewhere else.
Maintaining great client relationships comes down to strong organization.
"I just spent an hour looking for that..."
When you work for yourself, time lost looking for misplaced documents, files, and items is time you could've spent working in or for your business.
Losing receipts can cost you chances to write things off for your business, and when your records are not accurate or not in order, you might end up paying your accountant extra to go through and organize it all for you.
It Pays to Be Organized
Have I convinced you? Can you see all the ways that being disorganized can cost you cash?
You work hard for your money and likely spend a lot of your time earning more of it, so make sure to value what you have by keeping these often-forgotten things in mind.
If you read this and were nodding along because you know you struggle with organization in some of these areas, contact me today, and let's get started!
Let's save you some money!
Also check out my Sensibly Organized and option membership where you get the strategy, coaching, and accountability you need to declutter and get organized in your home, your business, and your life!
Learn more here >>> https://joannkrall.com/sensibly-organized
