Jewish Life Organized.com's Weekly Organizing Checklist for January 9-January 14th
_____ Printable Checklist Tip #1-We'll dedicate this checklist to the idea of cutting back on spending and being more frugal, up there on most people's New Year's Resolutions! On most money websites, the first thing you'll be advised to do is to get off credit cards. We actually got off credit cards and switched to debit cards. We know how much money is in our account so each time we use our debit card, we check back to see how much $ is left in the account to use making sure we're not going "over". It's easier to get into better money spending habits using a debit card rather than a credit card which can feel endless.
_____ Printable Checklist Tip #2-If your Mortgage rate is over 5%, you may want to inquire about refinancing or asking for a loan modification. Sometimes the costs of refinancing are just so high that it is not worth it and you can ask for a loan modification instead to see if that may lower your monthly payments a bit.
_____ Printable Checklist Tip #3- Get your Library fees under control. Find a way to make taking books out of the library work for your family. Designate a bag that hangs from your close door handle that is ONLY for library books and make rules that library books must always stay downstairs instead of making their way into bedrooms.
_____ Printable Checklist Tip #4-Work on planning healthy meals to eat during the week that are meatless, saving you $$$. If you look at what you've been feeding your family over the past 30 days, chances are you'll come up with at least 10 recipes that they absolutely love. Make sure you always have the ingredients needed to make those 10 recipes on hand by using a pantry checklist or whiteboard on the refrigerator and replenish whenever you run out. If they are meat recipes, see if you can replicate the recipe using tofu or soy because Kosher meat is just so pricey! If not, buy family packs of ground beef or chicken cutlets and use 1/2, making another round for the following week.
_____ Printable Checklist Tip #5-Try to DIY (Do it yourself) whenever possible. In fact, I love to DIY so much that I've included a new DIY section in this website up on the top navigation bar. I'd love to hear things that you DIY. In my house, I paint, fix insulation, install shelving, nothing too major and I do try to challenge myself to learn how to fix things whenever something goes broke :) You'll save a lot of money that way. (I do know my limits, plumbing is one of them)