1. Size Matters. Too big or too small a size, or waiting until you are that size again? Dress for now, if it doesn’t fit, it needs to disappear. If you lose weight and a few sizes, you DESERVE new clothes. Shop thrift stores so you don’t feel guilty about spending the money. You can get great tops and jackets there at least. If you’re really lucky, skirts and pants, but I don’t waste too much time looking through them. There are a few things you need to buy new.
2. Not Fitting in. Poor Fit. Certain items of clothing you would wear if they didn’t pucker, or make your tummy or behind look ‘this-way’ ‘or that-way’. Notice that our loved ones don’t like it when we complain about ourselves? Maybe it’s because they love us more than we love ourselves at that time.
3. The dating Game. Clothes outdated? Purge them. If and when those particular styles come into fashion again, be assured that new colours and textures will be used by current designers. Guaranteed.
4. True Colors. It’s a bad color for you. Every time you put it on you get asked if you feel tired. Truth is, you are tired of the item. Then it just sits in your closet.. You know what to do with it. Purge it.
5. Hate it. Don’t know why you bought it. Out it goes to some needy woman who can appreciate it.

 

This is all pretty harsh stuff, but don’t forget that old adage: when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. Now you have more space to put your new purchases, and the education to know when to spend your money and when to keep it in your wallet!

I found a great link to a nice point format for cozing up for the winter. Now that the snow is really here, and we’re booking ski days,,,, it feels like we’re home in Canada

http://interiordec.about.com/cs/seasonaldecor/tp/top_cozywinter.htm

The Great Papers Debate
by Jim Lange
Which ones should you keep and for how long?

Who doesn’t feel like they are drowning in paper? Receipts,
bills, deeds, tax returns, pay check stubs, the list goes on
and on, we keep them because we are too afraid to throw them
away. You never know when you might need them, and there is
always the growing threat of identity theft that makes you
think twice before tossing them in the garbage (invest in a
shredder!). We may be keeping these papers, but many of us
aren’t organizing them in a way that they can be retrieved
quickly when needed. If you’re like many Americans, any time
you go to organize your pile of important papers, its size
overwhelms you, and you decide to tackle an easier task.

Don’t worry, there is a way to chip down that paper pile so
that organizing your important documents won’t seem like such
an uphill battle.

Many people have no idea which important documents they should
keep and which they shouldn’t. So they end up either keeping
everything or throwing away documents that they should have
kept. Simply knowing the time frame for keeping certain
documents is the first step to getting organized.

Here’s a summary of tax and accounting documents with rough
guidelines of how long you should keep them. Keep the list and
post it somewhere, preferably where it won’t get buried:

Documents you never want to part with. There are some
documents everyone knows to keep for life: birth certificates,
marriage licenses, and wills, for example. And others that you
may know are very important, but aren’t quite sure what their
shelf life should be, particularly those tax related
documents, such as tax returns, the cost basis of investments,
and records of non-deductible IRA contributions. The bottom
line, you should keep them all. These documents may not need
to be readily accessible, but you should definitely find a
safe place for them. You may want to keep birth certificates,
death certificates, wills, and insurance policy information in
a safety deposit box at your local bank.

Records that should go out with the old. This category
involves documents such as house deeds and car titles. With
these documents, the general rule is that as long as you are
responsible for the item related to the document you should
keep its papers. What falls into this category? These
documents are high on the list of important papers. But there
is no need for you to keep them forever. When you sell your
house, chances are you will be buying a new one and will
therefore have a new deed to keep up with. Don’t let the old
one clog your filing cabinet.

Records with a seven-year itch. These are documents that you
can get rid of after seven years. When filing these, you may
want to file them by date to ensure you don’t keep them longer
than necessary. Documents in this category include canceled
checks/receipts with tax implications (alimony, charitable
contributions, mortgage interest and retirement plan
contributions) and credit card statements if tax related
expenses are documented.

Records to toss after the ball drops. Generally, the fastest
growing piles of documents are those records that should be
purged at the end of every year. These include quarterly
statements of retirement plans, bank statements and bills with
no long-term tax importance. These documents generally make up
the bulk of those that are piled up in your home or office
because they are coming to you repeatedly throughout the year.
It’s silly to keep them indefinitely. After a year, they
become trash and that is where they should go. Just remember,
with the increasing threat of identity theft, shredding,
rather than tossing, is the way to go.

Even if you know which papers to keep and which you can get
rid of, there will still be a lot of important documents for
you to manage. What’s the best way to keep everything
organized? If you have access to a computer and a scanner, you
can make electronic back-up copies of all paper documents by
scanning them into your computer and saving the file to one of
those handy-dandy portable memory sticks.

Then, in the event of an emergency, you can simply grab that
little memory stick and know that you will have numbers and
records at your disposal. The sticks are also a great place to
store your information for online accounts. Some of the larger
capacity memory sticks also come with password protection so
you don’t have to worry about other people getting access to
your information. It may be one of the best little investments
of your time and money.

As for the hard copies of these important documents, be sure
to keep them in a fire proof storage box. The best case
scenario would have you saving your information both
electronically and in hard copy form. Either way, be sure to
develop a filing system that is easy to use. If your system is
too complicated, you won’t keep it up. Once you’re organized,
you will be thrilled with the peace of mind that comes with
knowing you have all of your important documents organized and
that they are ready any time you need them.
____________________

James Lange, CPA/Attorney, is a nationally recognized IRA,
401(k), and retirement plan distribution expert. 

Take the Next Step:
- If you don’t have one – invest in a shredder!
- Tackle the paper pile! Make a list and start getting rid of
what you don’t need

1. I resolve to create a new closet experience
Go through your clothes and anything you don’t wear anymore, bag and donate to a local charity. If you have clothes that don’t fit, please don’t keep them! If you lose weight you deserve new clothes! By then they will no longer be in fashion anyway.  Also, get rid of clothes you haven’t worn in a year, and those worn out and/or uncomfortable shoes you no longer wear.

2. I resolve to purge my plastics cupboard.
 For all of those plastic containers and Tupperware items, dedicate one cabinet or drawer. Try to purchase square stackable containers to maximize your space. Store containers with the lids on so you don’t waste time matching them up. It may take up more space, but the time you save will be worth it, and you won’t seem to need as many.

3. I resolve to tame the trash.
 Put wastebaskets in every room and place several unused trash bags in the bottom of each one. This will eliminate countless trips to retrieve new trash bags and give all family members a place to throw away their trash.

4.I resolve to format the food.
Make a master grocery list on your computer from a spreadsheet or Word document. Categorize the groceries into sections such as frozen, dairy, and so on. In each category, list the most frequent items that you buy. Organize the grocery list according to the way your favorite grocery store’s aisles are set up. Print copies and keep one copy handy for the current week. When you see you are low on a product or you’re preparing your grocery list for the week, simply highlight whatever items you need. Keep the document current by adding new items and/or deleting items you no longer buy. Also, create a space on the document for Misc. items where your family members can write down what they need that is not on your list.

5. I resolve to plan my personal time.
Purchase a day-timer with 30 min. slots, and bracket your appointments in with travel time included. (Never rely on your memory for time sensitive tasks.) You will then notice the gaps between your bracketed times. These are the times that you can fill in with organizing a hot spot in your home, or just time to have a relaxing hot bath. Book it as an appointment also and treat it with the same priority as you would treat an important client.  As the company L’Oreal says in its advertisements, “You’re worth it!”

6. I resolve to be a bag lady.
If you have repetitive activities every week such as Yoga every Monday evening or a creative writing class every Thursday morning, dedicate a backpack or sports bag for that specific activity.  Always keep the items required for that activity in that bag even if you need to duplicate items. You will be ready to leave on time knowing you have all your stuff in the same bag.  Have an overnight bag packed and ready to go for a spontaneous fun weekend away or even an emergency trip to the hospital.

7. I resolve to tackle my TV time.
Record your favourite shows. Fast-forward the commercials and watch a one hour TV drama in 45 minutes. If you’re like me, though, and can’t figure out how to record stuff yet, at least mute the ads and get up and do something for 3 minutes.

Clearing your home or workspace of clutter can improve the flow of energy in your life, giving you the momentum you need to stay true to your resolutions. Add more of your own personal house resolutions, and before you know it, you will be creating habits. Good habits to live your life by and allow you time to do what you really want to do.