How to Get Started Organizing When You’re Overwhelmed

Sometimes, to get started organizing is the hardest part. You want to start, but you feel overwhelmed because you’re just not sure where to start!

Today, I want to share some suggestions that may help you to get started organizing!

Make a list

Sit down and make a list of all the areas in your home that you would like to see organized. Seeing everything written down could help you to pick something, whether it be a small task or an area that annoys you! Simply pick one thing, do it, then cross it off!

Start small

For the overwhelmed person, starting with a small project, such as a single drawer, could be just the thing to trigger your resolve to keep going onto the next small project. You’ll find yourself moving from one small project to the next, until you’ve finished each area of your home! Here are some small project ideas to get you started:

• A drawer
• A shelf
• A closet
• One surface space
• Your spices
• One cupboard
• Medicine cabinet

Start in the room that requires the least amount of work

It’s a possibility, that by starting in an area of your home that requires a lot of organizing hours to complete, could turn you off before you start to see any results. I personally, love to see almost instant results. So, in a continuation of the tip above, when it comes to organizing, starting somewhere that doesn’t require a lot of effort will motivate you to carry on.

Start on the area that annoys you the most

Is there an area in your home that annoys you to no end because you can never find what you’re looking for? Start there. If tackling an area means it’ll make your life more manageable while you’re working on organizing other areas, that annoying spot could be a great place to start!

Just start

If you’re naturally a planner and you’re trying to get things just right in your head before you start, the planning process could actually scare you into doing nothing. Instead, clear your mind and tackle a drawer. Once you see how easy that was then you can move on to another, then another. Take baby steps and don’t overwhelm yourself by looking at the whole room.

Set goals

Set goals that will allow you to look at the big picture. Let’s say to want to organize your kitchen. You could leave it at that, but how overwhelming does ‘organize kitchen’ feel on your to-do list? By imagining how you want your space to feel, setting a timeline and breaking down the areas in your kitchen, you will be way more prepared to succeed! Let’s write the kitchen example out:

“I want my kitchen to feel clutter-free with each task area easily accessible so I can get my cooking/baking/cleaning done efficiently.

I will give myself one month to complete my kitchen, by spending 15 minutes a day on one of these areas:

• Pantry items
• Pots & pans
• Cooking utensils
• Eating utensils
• Cups/mugs
• Tupperware
• Plates/bowls
• Serving ware
• Baking ware
• Small appliances
• Dish towels/cloths
• Under sink cabinet
• Etc.

I will make time every day between 3pm and 5pm. I will also take before and after photos of each area so I can continue to be inspired.”

I hope that example helps you to see how setting goals for each room in your home will help you feel less overwhelmed!

Get motivated

Find yourself some motivation! Here are some ideas:

• Read organizing blogs – These blogs are full of useful tips for everyone!
• Read décor blogs – Maybe envisioning what your space could look like will motivate you?
• Watch an organizing show -Something like The Home Edit could really help light the organizing fire.
• Have guests over – Nothing gets your act in gear when you’re anticipating company! (or maybe this will only force you to shove things in the closets…)
• Lose something – hehe, but seriously, I’ve gone on organizing rampages when I can’t find something of importance!

Set the timer

If you know a project will take you 3 – 4 hours or more, you’re likely to put it off.  But, if you work at it and organize in small bursts, by setting a timer for 15 – 30 minutes, you’re more likely to get your project done!  Or how about doing a quick project (sorting the mail) while you’re waiting for water to boil or the microwave to finish?

Hopefully these are some ideas to help you get started with organizing your home to make it a place that you love being in!

What I really want to know though, is that I’m not the only person that tries to get as much done as I can while I’m waiting for the microwave to beep? 😉

Where do you start first when you organize?  Did these tips help?  Share your ideas in the comments below!

Related organizing articles:

• How to Sell your Clutter for Cash
• 5 Reasons you should let go of Clutter
• Thoughtful Home Organization Tips from the Dollar Store

40+ of the Best Planners to get you organized

I’m must confess. If I could, I would buy all the pretty planners out there. Just the idea of having all my to-do’s and ideas in one place gets practical old me really excited. I’m currently using an academic planner. Meaning it runs until June 2026. This suits my life because our summers are pretty unstructured. I can jot down my to-dos, appointments, reminders, menu plan, shopping list and even my ideas!

If you’re after a good planner, but haven’t quite found “the one” yet, this round up is sure to help you find one of the best planners that will work for you!

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

First of all, let’s take a look at some things to think about before purchasing a planner:

How to Pick the Best Planner

Purpose: Knowing what you wish to keep track of in your planner is key to finding the right one for your needs. Do you simply want to keep track of appointments? A monthly calendar might be great for you. If you want to keep a to-do list and appointments easily accessible, then a weekly planner could be the right fit. If you intend on keeping a to-do list, appointments, a meal plan, a shopping list and some thoughts or ideas, then a daily planner would be perfect!

Portability: Will you be carrying your planner around with you or will it just be sitting on your desk or counter? If you will be carrying it around, then the size of the planner matters. Make sure the size you choose fits into the bag or purse you will be using. I personally like the 8″ by 5″ size best.

The Best Monthly Planners:

WSBL Grow Wild 2026 Monthly Pocket Planner – This one is pretty, a great price and includes some extra features like a back pocket, to-do lists, address and phone number pages, and password pages.

Brownline 2026 DuraFlex Monthly Planner – This is a great basic 11″ by 8.5″ planner that would be great for leaving on a desk.

At-A-Glance 2026 Monthly Planner – Another great basic, monthly planner that includes thick pages so you don’t get ink bleed.

5 Year Monthly Planner – Because this is a 5 year planner, I think this would be great to use as a personal notebook, journal, or diary! Or, you can use it to set goals, important dates, or deadlines, as well as jotting down notes and ideas.

Staples 2026 Monthly Planner – This is a smaller 6-7/8″ x 8-3/4″ basic monthly planner that includes telephone and address pages, dates to remember page and more.

High Note Monthly Planner – I love the vibrant colours of this one! It’s even nicely decorated inside. Includes a pocket and monthly goal planning pages.

2026-2028 Monthly Planner – This is a large, three year monthly planner with lots of space to write!

2026 – 2027 Monthly Planner – This monthly planner offers generous monthly boxes without being bulky. Perfect for slipping into bags.

Blue Sky Day Designer 2026 Monthly Planner – If you enjoy seeing everything for the month laid out, this planner looks fantastic! Has some nice extras for goal setting and routine tracking.

The Best Weekly Planners

High Note Weekly Planner – This one is so pretty! It is slightly larger than a typical weekly planner at 9″ x 10″. It includes some goal setting and project planning pages for every month. Also includes monthly tab dividers, a handy pocket and some stickers.

Lonely Oak 2026 Planner – This planner is the perfect size for bringing everywhere. Includes Monthly Tabs, Elastic Closure, Inner Pocket, Yearly Overview, Contacts Pages as well as My Vision & Mind Map page.

Rozzby 2026 Weekly Planner – This planner includes monthly tabs, elastic closure, lots of writing space and a section for priorities on the weekly pages.

Valome 2026 Weekly Planner – In many weekly planner, Saturdays and Sundays have only half the space weekdays do. But in this planner, they have the same amount of space!

2026 Weekly Planner – With lots of room for planning, this portable sized planner might be perfect for you!

Blueline 2026 DoodlePlan Weekly Planner – This is a simple planner but it includes colouring areas! How fun!

Planberry Weekly Planner – This is a great undated weekly planner if you really want to hit some goals this year. Also unique to this planner, you will find built in budget planner sheets!

Paper Harbour Planner – This undated weekly planner is made and printed in Canada! Space for 12 months, 52 weeks, one bonus week, and lined journal pages.

Clever Fox Weekly Planner – Another undated planner great for hitting goals and reflecting on life.

Moleskine Classic 2026 Weekly Planner – This one is unique in the way that it features an entire week on the left and an entire page for notes on the right. Perfect if you love a lot of room for thoughts and ideas or note taking.

Action Day Weekly Planner – Each day offers hourly scheduling from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Also includes a 12-page teaching tool to see yourself as the person you want to be, what values you want to live by, your goals and actions. 

Blue Sky Sophie Weekly Planner – This beautiful simple weekly planner is perfect for a clean look at your week or adding fun doodles or stickers!

At-A-Glance 2026 Floral Weekly Planner – This pretty weekly planner is simple in its design and includes handy tabs to easily flip between months. This is the 8.5″x11″ size.

Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer – A planner especially for moms! Includes a big space for a weekly to-do list, tear off grocery and menu plans, motivational quotes and stickers!

The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2026 Planner – A simple weekly planner that includes interesting facts, quotes and helpful tips!

Passion Planner – This one looks great for goal setting as well as keeping track of your weekly to-dos. Their Instagram page looks like it’s full of inspiration on how to use it.

Emily Ley Simplified Weekly Planner – I have used this in past years! I love the colours and simplicity of it. I also like how each day is separated into two parts: My Day and To-Do.

Legend Undated Weekly Planner – This one is great for the working person that wants to track work to-dos and personal to-dos. Looks fantastic for goal setting and creating a better you.

Wordsworth Undated Weekly Planner – This one reminds me of the Simplified planner, but with a heavy dose of goal setting pages that look helpful!

Poprun 2026 Agenda – Includes Hourly Schedule & Vertical Weekly Layout! This one is a larger size, but there’s also a smaller one available.

GoGirl Weekly Schedule Planner – This undated planner also has a vertical layout with spots for goal planning.

2026 Weekly Planner – This one is just so classic feeling. Linen cover, simple lines inside, tabbed dividers, pen holder, inner pocket, ribbon bookmark!

The Best Daily Planners

Brownline 2026 Daily planner – This is the one I used for years, but then they added the times in 30 minute increments. I am personally not a fan of the times added, but that doesn’t mean it’s not perfect for you!

2026 Daily Simplified Planner – This is like a Weekly Planner that I have used in the past, but a daily version that includes time slots for each day.

Day Designer Daily Planner – This is a premium planner with a price tag to reflect. However, it has so many features that are laid out nicely! The daily calendar view page contains hourly schedule in 1 hour increments, top 3 priority items, to-do list, notes section and an inspirational quote, as well as a dedicated gratitude section.

To Do List Undated Daily Planner – If you are looking for a way to track your daily to-dos, fitness, meal plan, and top priorities for each day, then this planner is worth looking at!

Clever Fox Daily Planner PRO – This undated planner is unique in the sense that it lasts just 3 months if used consistently. Perhaps a great way to test drive a planner! This planner has everything though: create a vision for your life, define and break down your goals, and incorporate these goals into your schedule. It has a separate page for each day of the week, with an hourly schedule, daily goal, priorities, to-do list, daily reflection, and plenty of space for extra notes.

Blueline NotePro Undated Daily Planner – This planner has an undated daily planner on left side and is ruled with margin on the right side for note taking. Perfect for the working prfessional.

KESOTE 2026 Agenda Daily Planner – This soft leather-like cover daily planner is a great price!

Poprun 2026 Daily Planner – This daily planner presents spacious everyday planning with hourly schedules for your appointments, which makes your busy daily routines organized.

The Best Specialty Planners

The Meal Planner – This printable planner made by me, will help you plan every aspect of your meal planning!

52 Week Meal Planner – This planner contains space to plan a year’s worth of meal’s and grocery lists. 

Weekly Meal Planner – This is like the meal planner above but has dedicated spaces for breakfast and lunch ideas too.

Travel Planner – For every trip, track your budget, list must-see attractions, map out shopping and dining spots, and keep tabs on your itinerary.

Legend Travel Planner – This travel planner looks fabulous! Includes everything you need to help research and plan all essential aspects of your trips, including your travel budget, accommodation, transportation, things to see, packing list, and more.

The Cleaning Planner – This printable, step by step plan will help take the overwhelm out of cleaning.

Monthly Budget Planner – Keep track of your spending, plan monthly budgets and set savings goals with this planner!

The Budget Planner – This printable, easy to follow planner takes the overwhelm out of budgeting.

Teacher’s Planner – This planner will help you keep track of weekly lessons, seating plans, attendance, and grades!

CREATE Blog and Editorial Calendar – A planning and editorial system designed for ambitious bloggers and biz owners to create intentional content, grow and nurture an audience, and build a business around their blog

Mega Homeschool Planner – Whether you homeschool 1 child or many, this planner will keep you organized, hold your important records, make planning a breeze, track anything, is portable and conveniently stores away.

Coupon Planner – 52 Weekly (undated) shopping pages to plan which stores to hit, keep track of sales, and organize your coupons to make the trip as smooth as possible.

There you have it, the best planners you can get in Canada. If you use a planner, do you purchase the same one year after year or do you like to switch it up?

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• What the Heck is a Bullet Journal and How Can it Help Me?
• How to Create and Keep a Spending Journal
• How to Create a Budget Binder

7 Must Haves for Pantry Organization

Take a peek inside your pantry. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

If your pantry is anything like most pantries, you may be looking at mass chaos sitting on those shelves.

If your pantry door is kept closed because it’s not suitable for anyone’s eyes but yours, it may be time to start organizing that space. The good news? It can be simple to get it done and you will have your kids packing their own lunch in no time flat.

Here are a few must haves for pantry organization that will help you get that jump-start to organizing your pantry.

Do Away with the Packaging

Who says that your food items have to be stored in the boxes or packaging that they came in? Instead, check out these Airtight Clear Storage Containers for your pantry space.

Not only do they come in different sizes, they are clear so it’s easy to see what is in them. They also seal tight to keep the air out, keeping food fresher, longer. You can use them to store noodles, cereals, grains, coffee…anything! 

Organize your Cans

Cans can take up a ton of space. If you find yourself digging and digging to look through cans to see what you have on hand, you need a change.

Try using a 3-Tier Can Rack Organizer instead. It can hold different sized cans and allows you to place them in a way that they are easily seen. These can save a ton of space!

Use Every Square Inch

Remember that door that we talked about earlier that hides all those things that are lurking in your pantry? Use that space on your door! It’s an area that you might as well be utilizing to free up more shelf space.

Look at installing the Door Mount Cabinet Organizer! It hangs on the door to save space, and you can place your spices, plastic wrap, or other items in it for easy access.

End Bakeware Frustration

How much time do you spend digging around for the proper bakeware that you are wanting to use? If your answer was longer than a few seconds, then your current method of storing bakeware isn’t working. They should be easy to access and grab when needed.

Give the StoreMore Bakeware Rack a peek to see if it would fit well in your pantry. It has built-in dividers that help you organize your muffin pans, baking sheets, and other bakeware in a nice, neat, organized manner.

See All Your Spices at Once

Quit playing hide and seek with your spice jars. Get them visible, all at the same time! Nothing is more frustrating than when you are cooking and need to find the basil quickly. But where, oh where, did the basil go??

Eliminate the time spent searching by using a Spice Gripper Clip Strip. (Try saying that fast five times!) Not only does this allow all your spices to be seen easily, it keeps them all in one place as well. Sounds like a win to me! 

Use a Carousel for Random Items

Don’t let the small random items become your nemesis in your pantry! Instead, find ways to organize it better.

Look at implementing a Lazy Susan Organizer for your spices, baking supplies, oils, barbeque and picnic supplies, cleaning supplies or other random items. This handy little gadget is a fun carousel that spins for easy access.

Wrangle Food Wraps

Sometimes all those food storage wraps can be annoying to organize. Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, parchment paper, even plastic bags.

These self-adhesive door storage boxes look ideal for wrangling food storage wraps, storage bags or whatever else you think would fit perfectly.

Use Storage Baskets

I think the answer for many organizing conundrums, can be baskets. Specifically plastic storage baskets for the pantry.

I have my pantry cupboard full of baskets that hold snacks for the kids, pastas, grains, chips, canned goods, baking supplies and so much more! I simply pull out the basket with the item I need, grab the item and get on with my day! I like plastic in this situation because they are easy to wipe down.

Your pantry doesn’t have to get the best of you. You can control it, you can organize it! Try a few of the must haves for pantry organization above and see if they help clear that clutter! You may be surprised at how a few easy changes can quickly give your pantry more functionality. Less clutter in your pantry means less clutter in your mind!

Related articles:

• Eat from the Pantry to Save
• Basic Pantry Staples List (and Free Printable)
• How to Stock your Pantry on a Budget
• How to Organize Your Pantry

I’d love to hear your must haves for pantry organization. Let me know in the comments below!

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

15-Minute Decluttering Tasks: Quick Fixes for a Tidy Space

In our fast-paced world, finding time for long decluttering sessions can be challenging. Luckily, you don’t need hours to make a significant change! With just 15 minutes, you can tackle small but meaningful decluttering tasks that will help keep your home organized. Here’s a guide to quick and effective 15 minute decluttering tasks that you can easily fit into your busy schedule.

1. Sort Through a Single Drawer

Pick one drawer in your home. Maybe the kitchen junk drawer, a desk drawer, or a bathroom drawer. Empty its contents, discard expired or unused items, and neatly organize the remaining essentials. These clear organizers are perfect for drawers! A tidy drawer can not only make a difference in how cluttered your space feels but also make daily tasks way more efficient.

2. Clear Out a Magazine or Book Pile

Books and magazines can quickly accumulate. Spend 15 minutes sorting through a stack, recycling old magazines, or donating books you no longer need. You’ll free up space and make your reading area look more organized.

3. Organize Your Purse or Backpack

Our bags often become catch-alls for random items. Take 15 minutes to empty your bag, discard old receipts or expired coupons, and sort through the remaining items. Use pouches or small organizers like these to keep things tidy.

4. Declutter Your Desk

Your desk can easily become cluttered with papers, pens, and random office supplies. It can feel overwhelming, but spend 15 minutes sorting through these items and you’ll see it was not as bad as it seemed! File important documents, discard unnecessary ones, and organize your supplies into drawers or containers.

5. Clean Out the Fridge

The refrigerator is a prime spot for hidden clutter. In just 15 minutes, check for expired food, clean out spills, and reorganize shelves. This quick task not only declutters but also ensures your food stays fresh and your fridge remains sanitary. Try to make it a weekly habit so it takes no time at all!

6. Declutter a Closet Shelf

Choose one shelf in a closet and sort through its contents. Remove items you no longer use or need, and organize what remains. This quick decluttering task can greatly enhance the functionality of your closet.

7. Organize Your Entryway

The entryway is often the first impression of your home and can quickly become cluttered with shoes, coats, and mail. In 15 minutes, tidy up this area by putting away shoes, sorting mail, and hanging up coats. Adding a small basket for keys or other small items can also help keep things in order.

8. Sort Through a Set of Towels

In the bathroom or linen closet, towels can take up a lot of space. Use 15 minutes to sort through your towels, discarding any that are worn out or stained. Fold and organize the remaining towels neatly.

9. Clean Out Your Car

Your car can accumulate clutter just like your home. Spend 15 minutes removing trash, organizing the glove compartment, and clearing out any items you no longer need. If you have a little extra time, give the seats a quick vacuum to get rid of dirt and/or crumbs.

10. Organize Your Kitchen Utensils

Kitchen drawers can become a tangled mess of utensils. Take 15 minutes to sort through them, remove duplicates or items you rarely use, and organize the remaining utensils in a way that makes them easy to access.

11. Declutter Your Digital Space

Your digital life can be just as cluttered as your physical space. Spend 15 minutes cleaning up your desktop, deleting unnecessary files, or organizing your email inbox. This digital decluttering can improve your productivity and reduce stress. Whew!

12. Sort Through a Basket of Laundry

Laundry baskets can become catch-alls for various items. Spend 15 minutes sorting through the contents, returning items to their proper places, and dealing with any laundry that’s been piling up. Listen to an audiobook or podcast to turn it into a “fun” task!

13. Tidy Up Your Coffee Table

Coffee tables can quickly gather clutter such as magazines, remote controls, and random objects. Use 15 minutes to clear off the table, organizing or discarding items as needed. This will help create a more inviting and calm living space.

14. Organize Your Jewelry

Jewelry can easily become tangled and disorganized if you don’t take care of it. In 15 minutes, untangle necklaces, sort earrings, and put your jewelry back in its proper place. Using small containers or organizers, helps keep your jewelry accessible and untangled.

15. Purge Old Greeting Cards and Paperwork

Greeting cards and paperwork can accumulate over time. Take 15 minutes to go through these items, keeping only the ones that are truly meaningful and recycling the rest. This task helps keep sentimental clutter to a minimum.

There you have it! What 15 minute decluttering tasks would you add to the list?

By decluttering in manageable 15-minute tasks, you can maintain an organized home without feeling overwhelmed. Consistent small efforts can lead to big improvements, making your living space more enjoyable and functional.

Related Articles:

• These 12 Cheap Organizers are Very Useful
• 25 Brilliant Organizing Tips
• 31 Things to Declutter This Year

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

Cheap Road Trip Hacks You Need to Try

Will you be heading on the road with your family this summer? Road trips can be a great way to spend time with your loved ones or to get a brief respite from this crazy world. Whatever your reason for the trip, planning is key.

One of the most challenging things for a family road trip is just getting to your destination. Anyone who has taken a trip with kids knows there are constant stops for snacks, bathroom breaks and meltdowns over a toy or blanket that may have fallen beyond their reach. If you prepare for the situations you can control, your trip to your destination will go smoothly (and hopefully with as few stops as possible).

Before you hit the road, be sure to take a look at these cheap road trip hacks. The dollar store or even Amazon are great places to look for inexpensive items that can be used to make your trip run as smooth as possible. Here are some cheap road trip hacks using simple items that will ensure your next road trip adventure is a success.

Shower Caddies

These mesh plastic caddies are great for snacking in the vehicle. Use the compartments to put a juice box or water bottle, bags of snacks, napkins and utensils. Each person in the car should have their own. No more making stops to get everyone their snacks. They can help themselves as you drive. Or even a plastic Shower caddy would be great and more sturdy for meals from the drive thru.

Mesh Pop Up Hamper

These small hampers fold up into a disc so they don’t take up much room in the car. Pop one up to be a catch all for larger toys or put a plastic bag in a small one and place in the back seat with the kids so they can throw their trash in it (and not on the floor).

Elastic Sheet Straps

Elastic sheet straps have little tabs that affix to fabric on each end. Tired of your kid losing their blanket and you have to pull the car over to find it? Do you want them to have a sweatshirt or jacket readily available? Attach one end to their clothes or fabric of their car seat and attach the other end to the blanket or jacket.

Plastic Mattress Protector

Plastic mattress protectors are a must have in your road trip arsenal. You can use them as a picnic table cover in a pinch if you stop to eat at a rest area or park. You can also use them to catch sand and dirt in the trunk or cargo area on gear, clothes or shoes. If your lodging on the way to your trip isn’t up to your usual standards, you can use these mattress protectors to keep you and the sheets separated.

Mesh Bags

Mesh bags are great for road trips. Most dollar stores sell them in a pack of two or three and they have so many uses. You can tie one to the back of a headrest and put your child’s blanket and stuffed animals for easy reach. You can also use mesh bags to air dry wet items or collect dirty laundry.  

Accordion Files

Sometimes your car can become a dumping ground on a road trip and before you know it you find yourself looking for everything from sunscreen to bug spray. Accordion files can keep everything in one place. Place the item in a gallon size plastic bag and label the top. This also works for games, coloring sheets, puzzles and other activities for the kids. Empty the pieces into a gallon zipped bag, label and place in each compartment.

Shower Trays with Suction Cups

Are you tired of picking up Legos or small toys and want to keep them together and in arm’s reach of your kids? Suction holders can be the perfect solution. Just suction the trays to your kids’ window and they have a place to store their favorite things.

Stacking Pill Organizer

When you take a road trip, space can be limited. One way you can save space is by using the stackable pill bottles. Put your eye cream, toothpaste and lotions in them to avoid having to bring larger containers. You can put over the counter medications in them. Or if you like to bring your favorite spices along, you can put them in there too. The possibilities are endless.

Shower Caps

Shower caps are also a great staple to have on hand. If you make stops and your kids get their shoes dirty, you can place them in the shower caps. Or if you don’t want to take their shoes off, place the caps around their shoes. If you stop to have a picnic, you can also use these to snap around a plate to keep the bugs away from your food.

Cupcake Liners

Grab a pack of cupcake liners to help keep cup holders clean! Place cupcake liners in each cup holder, and when they start getting filled with crumbs and dirt, you can replace them in just a few seconds. It will save you so much time not having to wipe your car down. Let alone avoiding possible sticky messes.

Cereal Container

Plastic cereal containers make for surprisingly good garbage cans. They’re narrow enough to squeeze into a smaller space, and the lids snap tightly into place. Plus, there will be minimal spillage if it gets knocked over.

Fishing Lure Box/ Small Hardware Storage Box

These small boxes can be used to keep things together in the car during travel, whether it is small parts for crafts, spare change or earbuds to your devices.

Cookie Sheets

No need for any of those fancy car desks for activities! Just grab some cookie sheets! The raised edges keep crayons from rolling off and the metallic surface is great for playing magnetic games and puzzles of all kinds.

Clip-on LED Light

For night driving, you may get distracted by turning the overhead lamps on for the kids to read. The clip-on LED reading light can come in handy. Clip onto seat belts so kids can have a reading light at their disposal. Clip onto your kids if you have to get out of your car at night to stretch your legs or go into a dark rest stop. These are portable and give just enough light for them to read, but not enough that it will distract you from driving.

Do you have any cheap road trip hacks to share? Leave them in the comments below!

Related Articles:

• How to Save Money on Food While on Vacation
• Planning a Family Vacation on a Budget

These 12 Cheap Organizers Are Very Useful

In a world where clutter feels like it’s taking over and chaos is always knocking at the door, staying organized is key. But let’s be real, a lot of the fancy organizing stuff out there can cost a pretty penny. That’s where cheap organizers swoop in and save the day!

They might not break the bank, but they sure know how to tackle clutter in clever ways. Whether you’re living in a small apartment, a bustling family home, going for budget-friendly organization can be a game-changer for everyday life.

So, let’s dive into the world of cheap organizers, where practical meets affordable. Below, you’ll find a list of 12 cheap organizers on Amazon you can get for $25 or less.

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

Over The Door Organizer – $20

I think one of these over the door organizers would be perfect for those kids who love knick knacks! Or for holding baby supplies. The option are endless, really. See it on Amazon.

Mop and Broom Holder – $20

We have something like this in our garage to wrangle the mop and brooms and I love it! This one from Amazon looks even better than what we have. I like that it has small hooks for hanging other small things! See it on Amazon.

Tea Bag Organizer – $18

If you have tea drinkers in your home, this tea bag organizer is going to be so nice to have! Say goodbye to stacking boxes that you have to individually move to get to the flavour you really want! See it on Amazon.

Pants Hangers – $20

If you are short on space in your closets, these pant hangers could free up a lot of space for you! There are ones especially for skirts too. See it on Amazon.

Hanging Shoe Organizer – $20

This is advertised as a shoe organizer, but I think this you could store so many different things in one of these! May hair care, toys, gift wrapping supplies, office supplies and so much more! See it on Amazon.

Purse Organizer – $12

Constantly finding it a struggle to find stuff in your purse? One of these handy purse organizers could be just the thing you need! See it on Amazon.

Mail/Key Organizer – $21

This organizer would make a great addition to any entryway or kitchen. Use the hooks to keep track of car keys, spare keys, and other small items, and use the main compartment to keep track of your mail. See it on Amazon.

Drawer Organizers – $25

I have these all over our house! I’ve got them in our bathroom drawers, kitchen, the girls’ craft desk… they are so good! These are interlocking and I find they slide around less than ones that aren’t interlocking. See it on Amazon.

Bunk Bed Organizer – $20

This is the first time I have seen one of these, but instantly I knew it could be very useful! My youngest has a bunk bed in her room and I like that she could have a place to put her water bottle, books and knick knacks. See it on Amazon.

Food Storage Organizers – $20

I have a couple of these in our fridge. One holds yogurt cups and the other holds apples/oranges. I love that these ones have removable dividers, making them great for organizing snacks in the pantry. See it on Amazon.

2-Tier Under Sink Storage – $27

These 2 tier under sink organizers are brilliant! I have one under our kitchen sink and one in each of the bathrooms! Highly recommend! This is a two pack on sale! See it on Amazon.

Water Bottle Holder – $22

How amazing would these be for easy access of all the water bottles and travel mugs? No need to take everything out just to get the bottle you’re wanting. See it on Amazon.

Want to see more of my organization picks from Amazon? Visit my Amazon storefront to see more than 50 recommendations! (Not every item is under $25 though.)

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

How to Organize Closets on a budget:

Organizing all the closets in your home can seem daunting, but I’m here to tell you that it is possible to whip them into shape in one weekend. Dedicate one weekend to closet organization and you will be so pleased with yourself come Monday morning! There’s also no need to order fancy and expensive closet organization systems. It’s totally doable to organize closets on a budget, in a weekend! While you may need to enlist a friend to be the objective voice of reason (as to whether to keep or toss something), it can be done!

Start with the clothes closets.

In each clothes closet (bedrooms, entry coat closet etc.), you’ll need to go through the contents and sort each into like piles (clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.). You’ll also want to make a few other piles for items to donate, return to original owner, or toss. Deciding what gets the axe can be hard, and is the most time-consuming part of the whole process. If you just can’t do it, this post I wrote might really help you out!

Next, you’ll want to hang everything by category (tops, bottoms, dresses, etc.). Keep in mind that if you hang everything on the same style of hanger, the clothes will line up evenly, which matters aesthetically, but also keeps clothes wrinkle-free.

Keep all of your shoes in one place, whether that’s a hanging organizer or a shoe rack. Some people use a cubby system, while others use clear plastic boxes. Whatever floats your boat!

Be sure to save room for accessories, hats, gloves, scarves and even jewelry. Use containers to keep them wrangled in one place, or hang hooks on the wall, if room allows. Your perfect solution to organize closets on a budget might be found at the dollar store!

Move onto the bathroom linen closet.

This is a closet that I highly recommend you take the time to sort, toss and donate from. It’s typically a tight space, so why waste precious real estate on expired medicines and cosmetics, or threadbare linens?

Once you have the items you are going to keep, designate a first aid container and label it so that anyone visiting your home can access these items if needed.

Keep cosmetics together and group them into containers based on what they are (This includes bath, body, and hair products.) Purchase an over cabinet door hair dryer & styling tools organizer to keep your tools off the counter.

Fold all of your linens as similarly as possible and as compactly as possible. I like to roll our towels.

Next, tackle the kids’ closets.

You’ll handle these the way you handled the other clothes closets with a few additions.

Stack any games or puzzles that live in the closet by size and put any other toys that would normally end up in there inside of containers on the top shelf.

Depending on the size of the closet, you can put a large, plastic tote on the bottom for outgrown items that you plan to hand down to another child, or you could set up a cubby shelf for toy, book, shoe or accessory storage.

Finally, organize that pantry!

Sort the items into categories and set aside foods you intend to donate. Check the dates on everything. You have to make sure all food, including spices, are still good. To really get on top of your pantry organization game, use matching containers (either labeled or clear) to house cereal, pasta, rice, flour, sugar, coffee and other items of this nature. If you have workout supplements, baby items or pet supplies, be sure to separate them into different spaces.

Now exhale! While your house may still have clutter to handle, you can focus on those areas another weekend. It’s totally possible to organize closets on a budget in a weekend! The main take aways are: declutter first, then group like items together. There may not even be a need to purchase any supplies to organize! You’ve got this!

Related organizing posts:

• Creative Ways to Use Ordinary Objects for Organizing
• Thoughtful Home Organization Tips from the Dollar Store
• 6 Essential Must Haves for Pantry Organization
• 7 Ways to Pare Down your Clothes

Printable 2024 Weekly Household Planner

Here’s a GREAT printable planner from The Confident Mom! It’s a printable 2024 weekly household planner!  If you are looking for help with getting household tasks completed, check out this planner and support a Mom working from home! 

Here is why the 2024 Weekly Household Planner is so amazing:

The Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner breaks down household tasks into manageable daily and weekly bite-size pieces, utilizing smaller increments of time to keep the tasks from becoming too large and overwhelming. Most of the items can be easily completed in 3 to 30 minutes, and you can select appropriate items to delegate to family members (after all, even with the household planner, you still can’t be “super mom”).

No stone is left unturned because the household planner has a variety of suggested tasks staggered at appropriate intervals and includes everything from meal planning to items often forgotten such as checking your credit report to school shopping. Taking care of yourself should also be a priority, so there’s even “you” time on the list! You’ll be able to efficiently keep up with the tasks that can often be forgotten and feel prepared each morning with a realistic “to-do” list.

Don’t like one of the suggested tasks already filled out for you? Then simply digitally edit the file to remove or add your own task to create your own completely customized list.

The printable 2024 planner is only $24, but you can try a sample week for free!

25 Brilliant Organizing Tips

Isn’t it time to get a little more organized? You keep putting it off, but now is the time to buckle down and really get to it. These 25 organizing tips will help you get organized in no time, on a budget.

#1. Use old snack containers – If you’re strapped for cash, then using old containers is an excellent way to get a little more organized in your junk drawers or in your computer desk.

#2. Use a chalkboard – Do you often forget to use your calendar? Try writing your important to-dos on a chalkboard or a white board instead. Place it somewhere you can see on a daily basis. I like this magnetic white board for the fridge!

#3. Keep like items in one spot – Instead of storing like items in various spots around the house, keep them all in one spot. Finding magazines everywhere? Store them all in a magazine file on a shelf.

#4. Create a charging station – Don’t play the “find your charger” game. Create your very own charging station within your home. I like this DIY Charging Station from Four Generations One Roof. If DIY isn’t your thing, or you want something with a smaller footprint, a charging station like this is genius.

#5. Use a Magnetic strip – Place magnetic strips throughout your home to hang items like: knives, spice jars, and even nail clippers.

#6. Use old suitcases for storage – Using old suitcases as home décor will give you a vintage feel, but you can still store items within the suitcase. Double purpose!

#7. Use ice cube trays to store small items – Whether you have smaller toys or office supplies, consider using ice cube trays to store these items in.

#8. Use wine boxes to store your shoes – Maybe this organizational idea isn’t so conventional, but it sure is brilliant.  Here’s a picture for your reference.

#9. Leave reminders on or in your fridge – One place you know you’re heading today is to the fridge, so leave your most important reminders there.

#10. Use an organizer for the shower – Instead of having items fall everywhere as you use the shower, buy a shower organizer. I recently picked one up for $3.50 from Dollarama!

#11. Start recycling – If you’re trying to clear out some of the trash, you can get a little more organized by recycling some of your items.

#12. Clear out the clutter daily – Some people only clear out clutter once a year, stay organized by getting rid of clutter on a daily basis.

#13. Only keep a couple of your kids papers – School papers can really add up. Keep just a few of your child’s papers and put them on display on a cork board or a mini clothesline.

#14. Utilize hidden storage – Put your items into a hidden storage bench in the mud room, living room, and even outside.

#15. Put a grocery bag in your car for garbage – If you are tired of having garbage in your vehicle, then keep a grocery bag in there to collect garbage as you finish with it. Or an empty disinfectant wipe container would also be great!

#16. Organize by color – Make your house a little more fun by organizing everything by color. You might take your family and guests by surprise!

#17. Use mesh bags around your home – Instead of trying to put socks and undergarments in the laundry basket, have your family put them in mesh bags. If they’re all together in a mesh bag, there’s less chance to losing some.

#18. Use a shoe organizer for multiple purposes in your home – A shoe organizer can be used for bathroom items, little kid’s clothing, or even crafting items. Let your imagination run wild with this one.

#19. Organize your priorities – Everyone says organize your time a little better, but organizing your priorities makes more time for the things that matter.

#20. Ban clutter in your house – If you are tired of seeing clutter all over the house, then make a rule that no one can bring clutter into the house. If you bring something in, you have to get rid of something else.

#21. Sell your unwanted items – As you declutter, put the items of value up for sale so you can earn a bit of cash for your savings account. Donate all the other items if they are in good condition.

#22. Utilize under the bed space – A lot of storage can be found underneath beds. You can buy bed risers to raise your bed if you need more room underneath it.

#23. Donate your magazines – You may have a lot of magazines lying around the house. Instead of throwing them away, keep the pages you want and donate the rest.

#24. Utilize hallway space – If you have a long hallway in your entryway; utilize the wall space as much as you can.  Try baskets for mail, slim shoe racks, storage shelf with hooks underneath.

#25. Use one basket per person for laundry – Mixing everyone’s laundry together can make more work for you. Make it easier on yourself using one basket per person.

I hope these brilliant organizing tips help you get a little more organized this year. What tips would you add to this list?

31 things to declutter this year

I love decluttering. Not only do I love the feeling of having more breathing space in my home, but I always find decluttering to be a wake up call to my spending habits. It helps me realize just how much money I’m “throwing away” on things I end up not using or liking in the end. Ugh!

If you want to enjoy a more peaceful home and keep more money in your pocket (because you’ve realized how much you’re wasting!), then I’ve got the perfect list for you! 31 things you can declutter this year. Choose a few or choose all 31 and get to work! Maybe in the end, your list will hold more than these 31 items with all the momentum you’re getting!

Even if you choose just a few things off this list it will feel so good to lighten up! Most of these things are items none of us need but we hang onto “just in case” and feel panicked at the thought of letting them go. In my experience, it’s not often that I have needed something I decluttered. These days, it is so easy to reacquire that needed item by borrowing or repurchasing.

31 things to declutter:

1. Out of date makeup– It’s just unsafe for your skin and eyes. Toss it out and treat yourself to a new lipstick or eyeshadow!
2. VHS tapes– If you are still clinging to VHS it’s time to let it go, it’s not coming back.
3. Old cell phones– Many electronics stores or phone companies have boxes for recycling cell phones and batteries.
4. Spices that have expired– Check your cupboards and pantry, toss out old spices. Here’s an article with details about how long spices last.
5. Non working electronics– If you haven’t dropped off the stereo or DVD player to be fixed and have no immediate plans to do so, just get rid of it.
6. Old stretched out bras– Keep those comfy old jogging pants but stretched out bras are not doing you any favors.
7. Plastic bags– While it is handy saving your grocery store bags for other uses, we all wind up with an excess of them that we just don’t need. Toss them in the recycling.
8. Ragged towels and washcloths– If they can be upcycled for cleaning rags, cut them up into small pieces and find a new home for them. Otherwise get them out of there.
9. Clothes that don’t fit– Clothes more than one size too small/too big should be donated or sold.
10. Unused or duplicate kitchen utensils– 6 wooden spoons? 3 meat mallets? Unopened egg poacher? Clean it all out of those drawers!
11. Books– If you have read it and won’t read it again or you didn’t like it then it’s time to clean off your shelves and nightstand.
12. Single Earrings– If it has been in the jewelry box for a year with no mate, chances are it will always be a single, go ahead and set it free.
13. Single Socks– When you are all caught up on your laundry go through your odd sock basket and match up, get rid of any without mates.
14. Unloved toys– Donate or toss toys as needed. After the holidays kids have an excess and this is a great time to declutter.
15. Unused sports equipment– Ice skates from lessons two years ago that have never been picked up again? Donate them. Too small hockey gear? Sell it!
16. Items that don’t belong to you– If you have a spot that houses casserole dishes, borrowed books, etc. waiting to be returned to friends and family that you borrowed from,  go ahead and return it all asap!
17. Paperwork– Junk mail, old bills, or other out of date filing. Grab an inexpensive paper shredder or toss them in the fire.
18. Odd storage containers– You know that cabinet with plastic bowls that have no lids or lids that have no bottoms? Get in there and toss out mismatched pieces.
19. Old linens– While towels may be cut down and used for rags in the garage, other items like sheets that either don’t fit or won’t be used on current beds, excess comforters (keep one spare) etc., can be decluttered.
20. Blurry photos– If you have a box full of family photos through the years remove and toss the really bad ones, if that is the only one you have for an event you might keep it but otherwise just keep the best of the best.
21. Ink Cartridges– If you have a stockpile of old empty ink cartridges you can find somewhere local to recycle or many places like Staples let you use them for credit towards new ones.
22. Freezer items– Freezer burnt, well past their date, inedible or unappealing food should be tossed!
23. Dried up pens– Take 5 minutes to go through your various pens, test them all on paper quick and throw out the ones that are dried up or leaking.
24. Manuals– I used to be one that kept every single manual/instruction book for every piece of equipment i owned, I had a drawer full of them and rarely ever needed to look at them.  Then I realized that I could find them on the manufacturer’s website should I ever need them and I tossed those suckers out!
25. Spare change– Unless you are saving up for something really big, It’s time to grab that change jar, clean out  couch cushions, get that pile on the dryer and turn it all in. Treat yourself to a mani/pedi or add the cash to your savings account!
26. Craft supplies– Take an afternoon to go through them and donate items you won’t use in the next couple of months to a Children’s program or somewhere else that could use them.
27. Paint– Do you have a garage shelf full of paint that you keep just in case? If it’s just for touch ups pour some into a small mason jar with a lid to make it last. Otherwise dispose of it properly.
28. Personal care items– Old perfumes, lotions, and shampoo bottles with 1/2” left in the bottom-get them out of the bathroom for good.
29. Cards– Open your wallet or purse and declutter customer loyalty, rewards cards, empty gift cards and the like.
30. Pet toys– Toys that are shredded, dirty, and unplayed with should be tossed, just like kids toys they need to be decluttered and occasionally replaced.
31. Boxes– Do you have a big collection of boxes somewhere, either packaging or packing boxes for another just in case? Clear them out and make room.

Any other things to declutter that you would add to the list? Did you get any good ideas for a starting place?

Related articles:

• How to Sell Your Unwanted Stuff
• 35 Things to Declutter Now
• 3 Reasons Why Decluttering Will Save you Money

Back to School Tips and Tricks

If your summer is anything like ours, (late nights, slow mornings, unscheduled days), then the thought of school starting again is probably exciting, but might stress you out a bit. Going from no schedule to a structured day can be tough at the beginning.

Because I find the adjustment tough myself, I have come up with a Back to School Action Plan that I hope you will find useful as well! The plan covers three areas: shopping, meals and organization. By tackling these three things I know our mornings are going to run smoother and we’re going to save quite a bit of money!

Let’s get started with the back to school tips and tricks, shall we?

Back to School Shopping Tips:

Since the first year my oldest started going to school, we have implemented a tradition of going on a date together to get her school items. We both really look forward to spending some quality time together and I think the one on one dates we do is an investment into our future relationship. That being said, we don’t start our date day without a plan.

It can be so easy to walk into a store and buy whatever is on sale or super cute. But lets avoid that this year because quite frankly, it will be overwhelming to know how much money you actually spent on clothing that wasn’t actually needed and now has to be laundered. Ugh.

So, this is what we do here:

Inventory Clothes: This may sound overwhelming, but it literally took us less than 10 minutes. I simply pulled out every single item of clothing (including socks and underwear!) and asked her to say Yes or No to each item. If she said No, that item either got donated or put into the bin for her younger sister one day.

With everything that was a Yes, I took a mental inventory of what she needed. I discovered that all she needs is a pair of indoor shoes and a sweater. That’s it! I also purchase one (on sale) outfit for her first day of school and a “special” accessory.

School Supplies: This is the first year that we have to purchase school supplies since previously everything was included in the school fees for kindergarten and grade 1. Cost is more of a concern for me so, my thoughts for this is to shop the dollar store, home and maybe even Staples when they have a good sale going.

If time is more of a concern for you, try doing all your school supply shopping online at Walmart, Staples or even Amazon. Pick it up in store when your order is ready or have it shipped to your door!

Back to School Meal Planning Tips:

Meals can be a big stress inducer for me so that’s why this year I have a plan for school day breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I even made some printables for you to use!

Breakfast: My kids never know what they want to eat each morning so this year I will decide for them by creating a menu. Every day of the week will be the same thing all year long. For example, Mondays I will serve muffins and fruit. Tuesdays will be pancakes or waffles. Wednesdays will be toast and fruit. And so on.

Find the Breakfast Printable here.

Lunch: This year, my girls and I are going to sit down to brainstorm all the items that they would like eating in their school lunch. I’m going to divide it up into categories:

• Main dishes
• Veggies
• Fruit
• Snacks/Treats

Find the Lunch Printable here.

Dinner: If I don’t have a dinner plan, dinner will either be take out or grilled cheese and tomato soup! 😛 And neither of those are healthy or good for the budget on a regular basis.

Find the Weekly Dinner Plan here.

Back to School Organization

Morning Routines: Rushed, hectic mornings are not my favourite. Admittedly, they happen way more often then I would like.

However, both of my kids still find having a morning routine written down really helpful. To help them along, I’ve made up a list of these steps I need them to follow:

1. Get Up
2. Get Dressed
3. Eat Breakfast
4. Pack lunch (I like to do this while they are eating, but they can put it in their backpacks.)
5. Brush teeth & hair
6. Backpack & Shoes on
7. Out the door

Set out outfits for the week: One thing I found super helpful last year was putting aside 7 outfits for each day of the week. This made getting dressed every morning so easy. My oldest tends to shut down when she has to decide so this has helped her tons.

Labels: With all the money that is spent on school items, it’s not a good feeling when something goes missing! Make it easier to find important and favourite items with labels. We love the labels from Mabel’s Labels so that’s where I ordered ours from.

I’d love to know your back to school tips and tricks. Leave them below in the comments!

Can you believe we have reached the last day in the No Spend Declutter Challenge? It’s so hard to believe we’ve been working away for nearly a month! I still have areas of my house that need some fine tuning, but overall, I’m quite happy! I think I brought in 5 boxes/bags to the second hand store.

One thing I wish I would have been better at, is using stuff we already have in our pantry and freezer. I feel like I still spent the same amount on groceries as I do every month.

Day 18 Declutter Task:

We’re going to close out the month with something that I like to do about once a month or so. A digital declutter. This is when I go though my email accounts and delete emails I no longer need. Unsubscribe from newsletters that don’t interest me any longer. Unfollow social media accounts and delete photos off my phone and computer that are no longer needed.

It’s sort of a mindless task, but feels so good to have only the stuff you need and the stuff you love in the end!

How often do you do a digital declutter?

Day 18 No Spend Task:

Remember when a couple of weeks ago, our task was to create “wants” list? Well, today, we’re going to revisit that list.

When you revisit your list, cross off the things you realize you no longer want. With the items that are still on the list, I want to encourage you to try buying used, borrowing from friends or family, or asking in a local Buy Nothing Facebook group.

I know you will will feel just as satisfied with those options when you receive the items you want!

I’d love to know, after nearly an entire month of not spending unnecessarily, how many things do you no longer want or need?

Thank you so much for joining me this month! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Day 17 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re going to tackle our desk areas. Now this year, things might look different than normal. You may be using a table as a make shift desk for school or work at home. So I guess you can tidy up the spot you call a work area!

In our home, I have a desk, but the girls are the ones who use it right now for making crafts and colouring. (We are fortunate to have in-class school!) My husband also has a desk that tends to get cluttered up with toys because it’s in our basement where most of the toys are. So today, I’ll tidy them up and make sure all the random items are in their proper place.

Day 17 No Spend Task:

Well, once again, we’re going to intentionally not spend money on unnecessary things! But we are almost finished! Have you noticed a big change in your mindset? Are you less tempted to purchase random items now?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Day 16 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re going to declutter and organize our craft/hobby supplies. While we don’t have a dedicated craft room, I still find it very helpful to occasionally go through our craft supplies! I seem to have bins all over the house. I’ll be sorting through my daughters’ craft supplies too. Actually, mainly their supplies. I’m still trying to figure out what my hobby is. 😛

When we moved into our house almost four years ago (!!), we purchased a few of these ALEX drawer units from IKEA. My husband created a desk out of them by placing a piece of pine board overtop. It has been the most wonderful set up for the girls!

Here are some links to great craft organization tips that I thought you might enjoy:

• Oatmeal Box into a Ribbon Holder
• Toolbox into Craft Storage
• Stool into Wrapping Paper/craft Storage
• Amazing Ways to Store ribbon
• Pegboard Craft Organizer
• Clever Craft Spaces
• Use the Back of a Door
• Filing Fabric

Day 16 No Spend Task:

Once again today, we’re going to keep it simple, and not spend money on anything unnecessary. What did you do yesterday for your self care? I ended up with an hour to myself so I forced myself to not do any chores and read a book!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Day 15 Declutter Task:

Today we’re going to start a task that I dread. Filing paper. I’m not sure why I don’t like it so much, because when I do take the time to to it, it really doesn’t take that long. Once it’s done I’m always left feeling satisfied too! I just don’t know…

I think it was about a year ago that I overhauled our filing system and I’m really liking it! If you are in need of some filing system inspiration, here are some great links:

• How to Set up a Filing and Budget System that Works
• Organizing the Most Thorough Home Office Filing System
• Create File Folders that are Self Maintaining
• Filing System Organization from A Bowl Full of Lemons
• A File System that Actually Works
• This is a great video to help with paper clutter

Related: Tips to Tame the Paper Clutter

Do you have a system that works well for you?  Care to share your tips in the comments?

Day 15 No Spend Task:

I definitely think it’s time for some intentional self-care, don’t you think? If you can’t find time today, make some time this week! Here are some ideas for self care that you may enjoy:

• Journaling
• Reading
• At home pedicure
• Facial masks: Clay, Avocado, egg whites, or oatmeal made into a paste
• Epsom salt bath
• A walk
• Baking
• Homemade scrubs: Strawberry Lemonade Lip Scrub, Whipped Vanilla Coconut Body Scrub, Homemade Grapefruit Scrub

What do you do for self care?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Can you believe we are starting our final week of the No Spend Declutter Challenge? I’m finding it hard to believe, but I’m also ready for February! 😀

This week, we’re going to jump around the house a bit with the decluttering tasks to work on areas that I think, will have a big impact.

Day 14 Declutter Task:

Today’s activity for the Declutter portion is to sort through our books and magazines.

I’m so torn with books though. I have some I’m keeping only because I loved reading them when I was younger and I thought my daughters might enjoy them one day. Silly? I’m not sure! However, today, I am determined to declutter at least a few books.

I’ve been buying (and borrowing) less books lately because I bought a Kindle a couple of years ago. I avoided those electronic devices for so long, but in the end they really spoke to my “wanting less clutter” side. And now I’m in love with the thing. I actually read more often! And I love that I can have so many books when we go away! (That day WILL come again!)

Do you have any books or magazines you can be rid of?

Day 14 No Spend Task:

Well, once again, we’re going to keep things simple. No spending on unnecessary things.

In full disclosure, yesterday, I bought groceries for the week. However, I did purchase a pair of $6 pajamas for my daughter because all of her one piece pj’s have holes. Could I have waited another week to get her a pair? For sure. But, Walmart actually had her size (in the boy section) so I snapped it up. I’m feeling okay with that! 🙂

Have you had any slip ups lately? I’d love to know!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Ah yes, the weekend is nearly upon us! How did your week go with the decluttering tasks and the No Spend? I managed to find a small pile of clothing to donate yesterday. Even that makes me happy though because some of the items I have been holding onto for a while thinking that I could make them work.

Let’s get on with today’s tasks shall we?

Day 13 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re going to tackle our outerwear and footwear. That means we’re finally going to let go of jackets, snow pants and footwear that no longer fit or we just don’t care for any more. Donate or sell the items you no longer need to keep. Outerwear also includes winter gloves, hats, scarves, etc.

This shouldn’t be too hard around here, especially in the footwear department. I don’t have many shoes and my husband has even less!  I think my struggle is going to be convincing my husband that he needs to finally throw away his old broken soccer cleats. (He thinks he might use them one day as backup shoes??) I think if it’s been a year and he hasn’t needed them, they’re gone. 

As for my daughters’ outerwear and footwear, the too small items and out of season ones will go into storage or get donated.

Day 13 No Spend Task:

Today we’re going to take a look again at our No Spend Weekend Ideas for some fun, free things we can do this weekend!

I’d like to do some baking with my oldest. I’ve got a nice big stash of bananas in the freezer that need to be turned into banana bread!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

So, here we are at Day 12, and I realized I made a mistake. For some reason, I added too many tasks to the list! Somewhere along the line I counted the number of days wrong. LOL. While that doesn’t make much of a difference for you, I’m now choosing the tasks from my list that I think are most important. At the very end of the challenge, I’ll leave the list of tasks that we never got to, so you can continue on if you’d like!

Day 12 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re still in the bedroom and tackling something that may seem overwhelming to many of us. I’m talking about clothes. I always find the task of decluttering clothes somewhat daunting. That’s why I loved this video from The Minimal Mom about the easiest way to declutter clothes. You should watch it!

Also, here’s a post I wrote about 7 Ways to Pare Down Your Closet that may help you today.

While I don’t think my declutter pile will be huge this time, I know I’ll have something to donate or sell! I always do!

If you have children, you could also take the opportunity to go through their clothes, if you’d like. I recently went through my daughters’ closets and put away too small clothes and donated stuff they don’t wear, so I’ll skip this today!

Day 12 No Spend Task:

While we’re still not spending on unnecessary things, I thought today would be a good day to make use of our local libraries.

Take the time today to request a few books from your library on a subject that you have been wanting to read about. Perhaps some financial books, cook books or even crafting books. Even a fiction book or two would be great with the weekend coming up! Whatever it is, the library is a fantastic free resource!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

We’ve reached the middle of the week! Yay! We’re also moving out of the bathrooms and into the bedrooms. Yesterday I managed to rid my linen closet of a couple of things, but not much because it wasn’t that long ago that I went through it. I guess it was just maintenance for me!

Day 11 Declutter Task:

We don’t have enough room in our kitchen for a junk drawer so I’d have to say that my nightstand does the honours well. But it’s all useful junk! You know, chocolate (when I need to escape the kids), flashlight, chapstick, notebooks…

Honestly I’m not sure how good I can make the nightstand look, but I’m going to try! I’m sure I can find a proper home for some items. The bottom drawer was full of books, but I actually moved most of them to the bookshelf the other day.

I think as long as I have the top nicely cleared off, I’ll be happy. Now I hope my husband will get on board with his side!

How’s the state of your nightstand?

Day 11 No Spend Task:

Once again, we’re going to keep it simple. No spending on unnecessary things!

I would also love to hear about one thing that is really tempting for you? What are you missing the most? Or are you missing it anymore? I am missing our occasional stops at Tim Hortons after school! But my daughters have been enjoying homemade hot chocolate instead!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Here we are. At the 10th task in the No Spend Declutter Challenge! How is your house feeling so far? Are you seeing some progress? For yesterday’s declutter challenge, I managed to throw away a shopping bag full of stuff from our three bathrooms! Yay!

Day 10 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re going to work on our linen closet/storage. Take some time to organize and declutter any extras or never used items. Turn any worn items into rags for cleaning or spills!

I’m happy to report that our linen closet is actually in pretty good shape! I think I may have a few extras that I could donate, but other than that I’ll just do some reorganizing. Oh and once Spring is closer, I have to purchase another set of sheets for our bed because I tossed our last set because they were getting really worn! (Currently we have flannel sheets, but those won’t do once the weather warms up!)

Day 10 No Spend Task:

Today, we’re going to keep it simple. No spending on unnecessary things! I would also love to hear how you are doing with the No Spend Challenge. Are you struggling? Is it starting to get easier? Tell me all about it in the comments!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

I hope you all had a great weekend? Did you work on decluttering projects or did you find time for fun and relaxation? Also, I’d love to know what you did to reward yourself according to Friday’s task!

Day 9 Declutter Task:

It’s time today to see what kind of scary things are lurking in your bathroom cupboards!  I’m sure I’ll find a few long forgotten items because bathroom stuff just sort of gets shoved in the cupboards! One thing I know for sure is that the cupboards and drawers in our bathrooms are in need of some organization. I’m also looking forward to tossing quite a few things!

Here are a few links to inspiring bathroom organization ideas:

• Organize your entire bathroom with dollar store products
• 15 Lifehacks for your tiny bathroom
• DIY bathroom storage case
• Master Bathroom Organized
• 10 ways to squeeze more storage out of a small bathroom
• 25 Space Saving Bathroom Organization Ideas
• How to Maximize Bathroom Storage
• The Flat Surface Rule for Bathroom counter Clutter

What is your bathroom cupboard situation like? Will this be an all day task or a short one?

Day 9 No Spend Task:

While we have been spending a lot of time ridding our home of excess, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have actually found yourself wanting a few items. Perhaps it’s baskets that would make your organized spaces look more beautiful, or a small appliance that caught your eye while you were getting groceries. Or maybe you found yourself browsing Amazon and found a book you would like to read.

Whatever those ‘wants’ may be, I want you to start an ongoing list. Every time you see or think of something you would like to buy, write it down.

At the end of the No Spend Challenge, you’re going to revisit your list of ‘wants’.

I’m going to bet that there will be items on your list that you realize you no longer want or need. Why? Because on a day to day basis, outside of a No Spend Challenge, most of our wants are impulse purchases. We see something we like, we add it to the cart. We get a dose of dopamine that instantly makes us feel happier. But that dopamine can wear off quickly. So learning to walk away from something you want, can help you feel happier with the state of your (decluttered) home and with all the money you’re saving for the things you really want!

So far, what have you found yourself wanting?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Woo hoo! we’re at the end of week two! I’m enjoying the extra space I have cleared up in the areas we have worked on! On Fridays, I like to end the week with an easier task. Something that won’t loom over you all weekend. 🙂

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 8 Declutter Task:

I am a one purse only kind of gal and a backpack every now and then when I have to tote my laptop along.

However, life with kids means my purse is currently a catch-all for snacks, toys, my wallet, appointment cards, shopping bags, receipts, garbage and so much more. Sometimes I have no idea I have so much in there!

Despite the mess that is in my purse, I think today’s task should be quite easy to get finished. I actually just purchased a new backpack from Mountain Equipment Co-op on clearance so I actually have to add a few things to it! (Pens, notebook, ear buds…etc.)

While I don’t have many tips for purse organization, I think a purse organizer from Amazon like this would be wonderful:

So, how messy is your purse or bag?  How do you keep it organized?

Day 8 No Spend Task:

You know what? I think it’s time for a reward. But don’t worry, we’re still not going to spend money. 😉

Since we just cleaned out our purses/bags, you may have come across a forgotten gift card. Today, you’re going to use it on something to treat yourself! I recently came across a gift card for Blenz coffee shop, so I’m going to stop there today!

If you didn’t come across any gift cards, I have a post I wrote with 16 Ways you Can Treat Yourself for Free!

What are you doing to reward yourself?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

How is your kitchen coming along? Are you enjoying the slowish process we are going through in the kitchen? I know for me personally, once I’m in the decluttering mood, there is no stopping me. I just want to get it all done! However, that’s not always practical because there are still other things that need to be done! Like careers and taking care of our families!

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 7 Declutter Task:

Since the last few tasks have been somewhat intense. today, we’re just going to clean out our junk drawer, or junk spot.

We have a couple of small spots in our house. A drawer in the kitchen and a tiny drawer/shelf by our front entrance. I’m going to clean both of those spots today. Should take no time at all!

I’m going to put like items with like items, test some pens and use containers I already have to bring some organization.

After cleaning out your junk drawer, what’s the weirdest thing you found?

Day 7 No Spend Task:

We’re going to keep it super simple today. Today’s task is simply to not make any unnecessary purchases!

This far into the No Spend challenge, what has been your biggest obstacle?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Day 6 of the No Spend Declutter Challenge! I’m sure you are seeing some progress in your home and bank account! When I did my very first No Spend Challenge, it was at about the one week mark that my mindset started to shift. I was starting to find other activities to occupy my time and didn’t feel the draw of sales as much.

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 6 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re still in the kitchen! Since we started in the kitchen on Monday, you may have felt the need to just keep going. And that is awesome! But in case you haven’t, or only have little increments of time to work, we’re going to tackle two drawers or cupboards in the kitchen today. Perhaps you’ll do more than two because sometimes it just takes starting a task to get on a roll!

To start, pick either the cupboards or drawers that are least messy, if you’re feeling drained. Or if you feel like you have lots of energy, then start on the two most messy!

Here are some suggestions on things that you can toss:

• Broken appliances
• Tupperware with missing pieces
• Ratty dish cloths or towels
• Unused cookbooks
• Unused/old kitchen utensils or tools
• Chipped plates, bowls or cups
• Extra oven mitts
• Old bakeware (scratched cookie sheets, etc.)
• Extra mixing bowls
• Cleaning supplies
• Unused small kitchen appliances
• Old spices
• Vitamins/medicine
• Fridge magnets
• Flyers and take-out menus

As you’re going through your cupboards and drawers, be sure to put like items with like items. Also, be thoughtful with where you put items. Don’t put your most used items way back in the dark corner cupboard. Make your kitchen work for you by having the things you need most, the most accessible.

Day 6 No Spend Task:

Today’s main task, once again, is to simply, not spend any money on unnecessary things. However, since we’re in the kitchen, I want to talk about grocery shopping.

When it’s time to get groceries, I want to encourage you to try out online ordering if you haven’t already.

I am a big fan of ordering my groceries online. The main reason is that it is so convenient, I can bring my kids without bringing them in the store. The secondary reason is that it saves me so much money on impulse purchases! 😀 I create my shopping list before I sit down at my computer to order. Because I have a list, I only order what is on my list! I’m so guilty of being in the grocery store and finding things that I think would be good to buy, when I never intended on purchasing that item in the first place! Sure, it probably is great, but I didn’t need it to complete the meals I had planned. (It’s probably a treat of some kind…haha.)

Have you tried ordering your groceries online? What do you think of the service?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Here we are, at Day 5 of the No Spend Declutter Challenge! How are things going for you so far?

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 5 Declutter Task:

Today we tackle the fridge and freezer! Good thing because I’m sure I have some old things that need to be tossed. Plus, I’m sure I’ll probably find a few meal ideas!

Normally I would try to defrost our deep freezer, but it’s actually not too bad at the moment so I’m going to leave it today.  As for the organization of the freezer, I’m still pretty clueless on how to make it work well. But I can find things so I guess that’s a good thing!

For the rest of my day, I’ll be tackling the fridge and fridge freezer. (Won’t take too long, but the drawers really need a wipe!)

I have a couple of things that may help you today:

• Free Printable Freezer Inventory Checklist
• How to Clean Your Fridge and Keep it Organized

How often do you clean out your fridge?  How often do you defrost your deep freezer if you have one?

Day 5 No Spend Task:

To go along with our kitchen endeavors, yesterday in the pantry and today in the fridge/freezers, we’re going to brainstorm meal ideas! I’m sure you have discovered a bunch of things that you have forgotten about! This is also a useful task to do several times a year since food is a huge area of the budget. Using what you already have will save you a bundle.

Here’s how to brainstorm meal ideas:

First of all, take a quick inventory of what you have on hand already by taking a look at your pantry inventory sheet from yesterday and your fridge/freezer sheet from today. 

Next, with your inventory sheets in hand, think of one meal that corresponds with each ingredient. For example, if tomato sauce is on your list, you could write spaghetti, sloppy joes or lasagna. Or if you have an abundance of oats, you could make baked oatmeal, granola bars or oatmeal pancakes.

Finally, find more inspiring ideas by taking a look though cookbooks, magazines or browsing the web!  Pinterest is a great way to find recipes as well.

Here is a free meal ideas printable to help you brainstorm:

I’d love it if you left a comment listing at least one meal idea from the list you just made!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

How was your weekend? Did you work on decluttering? I took my big box of donations in, but that’s it! What sort of No spend activities did you do? We had a quiet weekend. But did make a quick trip to the city over to go to Costco and make some Christmas returns.

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 4 Declutter Task:

In our home, I have a few cupboards and shelves devoted to pantry stuff. No official pantry, but it works for me! However, after a while, things start to get messy in those places because I tend to get a bit careless when I’m putting things away. (Mainly because I’m trying to hurry, since putting things away is not one of my favourite things to do.)

I think I can do so much better with getting like items with like items. So that’s what today’s decluttering task is going to be. Decluttering and organizing our pantry areas.

In case you’re looking for some inspiration on how to organize your pantry, here’s a post I did that has a bunch of links to pantry organization ideas.

Day 4 No Spend Task:

Once again, we’re going to try our hardest to not spend money! But also today, since we’re organizing our pantries, we’re going to take inventory of what we have found. This is going to help us with our No Spend task tomorrow.

For your convenience, I have a printable pantry inventory list here.

What is the weirdest thing you found in your pantry?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Here we are, at Day 3 of the No Spend Declutter Challenge! How is it going so far? Have you seen a little bit of progress in your mind and in your house?

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 3 Declutter Task:

Today’s task for the Declutter portion is one that is definitely needing some attention in our home. Toys. We’re going to work on organizing and decluttering the toy situation! If your home isn’t overrun with toys, then you could concentrate on sporting goods and pet items if either of those apply.

I’m going to try to involve the kids. Especially my oldest, but she tends to get attached to everything. I will give her some guidance and encourage her to really choose the toys she actually plays with and loves. Even if we only discuss the possibility of one day donating an item, I find that she can part with the item when she’s had time to think about it. I also think I will be decluttering some, but storing others so I can rotate them.

Do you have any toy storage tips? Share your ideas in the comments!

Day 3 No Spend Task:

Before I did my very first No Spend Challenge way back in 2008, one of the reasons why I would spend impulsively was because I was bored. I’d find myself at the mall wandering around and getting caught up in the sales I would find.

So, with boredom in mind, today we are going to talk about fun! After all, I think a key aspect to a successful No Spend Challenge is learning how to have fun for free! We don’t have to spend a lot of money, or any money at all to have fun.

Since it’s Friday and the weekend starts tomorrow I’m going to list a whole bunch of ideas for a No spend weekend. Of course, these ideas will work any day of the week, but typically the weekend is when most of us have more time for fun! These ideas should also work with our current world situation. 🙂

No Spend Weekend Ideas:

• Make a time capsule
• Have a game night with board games and cards
• Movie night – grab a movie off the shelf that you haven’t watched in a while and make some homemade microwave popcorn!
• Read books
• Try Minute to Win It games (ideas found all over google)
• Do a puzzle
• Learn a new skill
• Have a theme night/day – Mexican, Italian, pirate…the list goes on. Plan dinners and activities around your theme!
• Go for a hike
• Build a snowman
• Have a craft night – paint, sew, draw…etc!
• Go sledding
• Visit the library
• Go sit by the water with a hot drink
• Play on a playground
• Try a science experiment
• Make homemade pizza
• Make something from old magazines
• Bake a cake
• Start a home project
• Try geocaching
• Look through old photos
• Go bird watching – see how many different types of birds you can spot. Maybe bring along a bird book from the library.
• Go for a walk around the neighborhood
• Do some summer planning
• Take a nap
• Prepare a meal for a friend (drop it off outside)
• Have a picnic, inside or outside depending on the weather
• Shovel a neighbors driveway

I’d love to hear your ideas for free weekend activities in the comments below!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Here we are, Day 2 of the No Spend Declutter challenge! Since yesterday’s task may have been a doozy, today’s task is quite a bit simpler. Yahoo!

Day 2 Declutter Task:

Today, we’re going to evaluate our cleaning supplies. Yes, we’re going to assess our supplies. Haha! Pull out all of your cleaners and tools and make a note of items you need to replenish. This is important to do because we’re going to clean as we go along each day. It’s no fun realizing you’re out of something halfway through the task!

This is also a perfect opportunity to put everything together in one easily accessible spot.

Simply Frugal has a few homemade cleaner recipes that may interest you! Here they are:

• DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
• DIY natural Soft Scrub
• Super Citrus Cleaner
• 3 Ingredient Drain Cleaner
• Homemade Dryer Sheets

I’d love to know what your favourite cleaners and tools are in the comments below!

Day 2 No Spend Task:

Before we get too far in to the No Spend Challenge, I thought today would be a great day to go over some ways we can set ourselves up for success. After all, it’s one thing to tell ourselves we won’t be spending money on all the things we normally do, and actually following through. Here are two steps to your No spend success:

Step 1: Write down your goal

It’s time to get clear on what your goal is with the no-spend challenge. Is it to pay off debt? Save for a new home? A trip? (when we can travel again…) A more positive relationship with money? Great! Write down your goal on a piece of paper! Put that piece of paper somewhere where you will see it every day. It will help you stay motivated and keep you moving forward.

Step 2: Think about your obstacles

You will definitely want to consider the obstacles you will face throughout the No spend Challenge. For example, I anticipate the obstacles that I may encounter are my family members (kids) and meal time fatigue. (I just want to get takeout!)

In order to overcome these particular obstacles, I will have to have a conversation with my kids about what we are doing and why. Get them on board and remind them it’s not forever. Also make sure they know necessities will still be allowed. As for my meal time fatigue, I could have a list of super easy meals that everyone likes on hand for those tired days. Or, I could perhaps, allow myself one night of take out and support a local business.

You may need to unsubscribe from store emails if you are tempted by sales. Or maybe you need to avoid certain places (the mall, craft stores, home décor stores) in order to eliminate your obstacles.

Regardless, it’s important that you know what your obstacles will be so you can be successful at reaching your goal.

What is your goal with the No Spend Challenge? What are some of your obstacles? Let us know in the comments below!

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

Are you ready to start the No Spend Declutter Challenge? (Read all about the challenge here.) I know I sure am! Have you started to prepare your mind for some changes? Do you have empty boxes set aside for all that stuff you’re going to get rid of? Even plastic bags will do! Let’s get right to it!

Download and print the No Spend Declutter Checklist here. Check off your completed decluttering tasks and color in a square each time you successfully have a No Spend Day.

Day 1 Declutter Task:

The first task of the challenge is to do a Whole House Quick Declutter. This is where you will run around the house and clear all the surfaces including the floors and counters. It meant to be done fast. Try to fill three bags or boxes with stuff that will leave your house. (Either donate or give to friends & family that will appreciate it.)

To help you out, I created a list of 38 things that you can quickly toss or donate. You’ll also love the Clutter Checklist I created to help you track your progress!

Now, I think this can go either way. It can be a quick task or a more time consuming task. My suggestion is to not think too hard about each object. If it’s staying in your home put it away in it’s place. If an item annoys you, consumes too much of your time or doesn’t get used, time to get it out of the house.

What do you think? Can you do it? Tell me about your results in the comments below!

Day 1 No Spend Task

Obviously, each day from now until January 31, the task or goal is to not spend money.

However, it’s not so black and white as to just not spend money. So today, I thought I’d go over the rules for the No Spend portion of the challenge. For the January 2021 No Spend Challenge, I’ve got one rule:

No spending on anything that isn’t absolutely essential.

Of course, the challenge is a No Spend Challenge, but it’s impossible to cut out all your spending. Bills still need to be paid and mouths still have to be fed! But in January, we’re going to be trying our hardest to live well, while using what we already have and being creative with our time and resources!

For our family, that means paying our regular bills, as well as purchasing some groceries and gas. These are essentials for us, but we will be more mindful when we do spend money on those things. For example, we have quite a few things in our pantry and freezer so we’ll most likely get away with buying only fresh products like milk, eggs and fruit & vegetables for the month.

No spending on anything that isn’t essential will look different to each family. Here are a few examples of expenses you can cut out for the month:

• Eating out (at restaurants)
• Coffee from coffee shops
• Clothing
• Entertainment
• Toys
• Cosmetics
• Hobbies—crafts, sports, classes, etc.
• Alcohol and other vices
• Home décor
• Apps for your electronic devices

What do you think is going to be the hardest thing to let go of?

I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.

I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!

If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!

If you have been visiting Simply Frugal for some time, you will know that every January we embark on some sort of decluttering challenge. This year is no different! However, this year, there are going to be a few additions.

After my recent reader survey, it was very apparent that the majority of you would love to combine a No Spend Challenge with a Decluttering Challenge! To be honest, this never crossed my mind, but it makes total sense to combine the two! After all, I am a firm believer that being organized is one of the keys to saving money. Decluttering only emphasizes the need to cut waaaaay back on impulse spending.

Why do a Declutter Challenge?

If you choose to join us this month, we will be completing 21 decluttering tasks together. When all is said and done, you will have a home that is much lighter, peaceful and clean.

Decluttering not only frees your home of excess, it has a huge impact on your mental well-being. It is way easier to make decisions, handle stress and feel less anxious and despair in a home that serves us with the items we have thoughtfully chosen to keep. Decluttering may also help you feel better about yourself, because it is an accomplishment!

Clutter-free living also allows us to complete daily tasks more efficiently. It allows us the space to be on time for appointments, cook at home more often, and even complete cleaning tasks in less time. It also allows us guilt-free time of enjoying our hobbies!

Why do a No Spend Challenge?

A No Spend Challenge is a great way to reset our spending habits. The end goal for me personally, is not to deprive myself, but to reframe how I spend money. Completing a No Spend Challenge helps me to make more intentional purchases that align more with my true goals.

Speaking of goals, a No spend Challenge is also a great way to kickstart your financial goals. Once you reset or reframe your spending habits to serve you, you will be well on your way to completing those goals you never thought possible!

Why combine two challenges?

As I mentioned above, I believe being organized and feeling content with your home, is a key aspect in saving money. Decluttering is something we can control. As we learned from 2020, there are financial aspects we cannot control, like job loss. However, we can control how we spend the money we do receive. That can require some rewiring of our habits. Challenges like a decluttering challenge will help us discover that we already have plenty, thus the desire to spend can be greatly diminished. A No spend Challenge will help break the habit of impulse spending by allowing us a peek into our spending triggers.

How are we going to do this?

Quite honestly, I’m flying by the seat of my pants on this idea! With that in mind, we will be starting The No Spend Decluttering Challenge on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

• I will provide you with a decluttering task each weekday, Monday – Friday until the end of January.
• I will also give you a No Spend task on many of those days too.
• Each decluttering and No Spend task will vary in effort required, but they will still be very achievable.
• Print this checklist and gather empty boxes and bags
• If the idea of combining these two challenges is not appealing to you, by all means, pick just one challenge. It will be easy to separate the two.

Where are we doing this?

• Here on Simply Frugal (Every task will get posted here to the blog first)
• In the private Facebook Group (This is where the main discussion will happen)
• Instagram (I will post the tasks there as well. Along with some stories.)

Who wants to join? 🙂 We start January 6!

Here are the posts to far in the challenge:

• Day 1: Whole house quick declutter / No Spend rules
• Day 2: Evaluate cleaning supplies / No spend success
• Day 3: Declutter toys / Make a list of free weekend activities
• Day 4: Organize pantry / take inventory
• Day 5: Organize fridge and freezer/brainstorm meal ideas
• Day 6: Declutter two kitchen cupboards or drawers/order groceries online
• Day 7: Clean junk drawer/ no spending
• Day 8: Clean out purse/ Reward Yourself
• Day 9: Bathroom cupboards/Make a Wants List
• Day 10: Linen Closet / no spending
• Day 11: Nightstands / no spending

Here we are, week five of the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series.  That means there are only 28 days left until Christmas! Hopefully you’re feeling a bit more organized than usual because you’ve been following along with the series?

We have a “rule” in our house.  One that I actually grew up with so it sort of just stayed in place now that I have a home of my own. Christmas decorating (and Christmas music listening) doesn’t begin until December 1st.  Maybe you have that same “rule” in your home?  Either way, December 1st happens to be this week.  Thursday to be exact.  So that puts the focus of this 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas post on Christmas decorating!  (I’m going to add in Christmas baking planning too since it’s nice to have a plan for all those parties and gifting opportunities.)

It’s easy to get carried away with Christmas decorating.  After all, the stores are really good at displaying Christmas decorations juuuust right, so you want to buy them all.

This year, focus on decorating simply. Bring out only your favourite decorations.  If you must buy something new, limit yourself to one or two things thing.  Find contentment with what you already own. (Ahem, something I’m telling myself…)

Here are a few ways to decorate frugally for Christmas:

Buy Secondhand

Head to your local thrift stores to see if you can snag any good deals on Christmas decor, Christmas linens or even objects you can transform into holiday decorations!

Get your Craft on

Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get the whole family involved in creating some cute homemade decorations. Pinterest is full of family friendly craft ideas to help make your home more festive.

Shop the sales

Even before Christmas you can find some great sales on Christmas decor.  There seems to always be some sort of Christmas light sale going on, especially at hardware stores.  You might even find some clearance deals on last years stock!

How do you save on Christmas decorations?

Now for the baking.  Start making a list of everything you want to make this year.  At some point this week, purchase all your baking supplies so you’re good to go whenever you have a spare moment.  When you start baking, make the items that can be frozen, first.

Here are some ideas from Simply Frugal to get you started:

• Peppermint Bark
• Ginger Crinkles
• Gingerbread Oreo Truffles
• Whipped Shortbread
• Homemade Marshmallows
• Candy Cane Reindeer
• Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Here is a free Baking List printable for you to download that should come in handy!

What will be on your Christmas baking list this year?

It’s about this time of year when I really start to get excited about the Christmas season.  I get a bit of an urge to turn on the Christmas carols and swap out my fall decor for some winter decorations.  Also, have you seen Pinterest lately? This is the time of year when amazing Christmas stuff gets pinned!

Alas, it’s so easy to get carried away dreaming about all the projects you want to do. Adding too many crafts, baking and activities can be overwhelming!

Every year I struggle with wanting to make all sorts of neat things to feature on Simply Frugal.  But the reality is, I have limited time with two very busy little girls underfoot and other responsibilities to deal with. So any project I do accomplish has to be simple and quick.  Preferably something I can do in about an hour, including picture taking!

All this to say, you don’t have to pack your schedule full of Christmas activities, baking, crafting and shopping in order to have a festive and memorable season.

This is why I’m breaking down the steps to an organized Christmas by one task a week.  It’s good to have direction and a plan in place! I know without a plan, I become quite scatterbrained! 😛  8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas is about creating a more relaxed Christmas season with just the right amount of extra projects and activities.

Here’s this week’s task:

Order Christmas Cards

Now, I realize that many of you are not likely to order custom Christmas cards but for those of you that do, now is a great time to do so!  Custom Christmas cards can take a while to arrive in the mail and if you want them to be sent out to friends & family in a timely fashion, I’d get on it this week. 🙂

Here are a few designs I love, along with some deals!

Vistaprint Canada has a great selection and currently offering their Christmas cards for up to 50% off for a limited time.

Shutterfly usually has some great coupon codes going that should save you a bundle on high quality cards!

Pink dot Design has a wonderful selection of Christmas cards!

Etsy also has a ton of shop owners who create beautiful custom cards and templates!

If you aren’t the type to order custom cards you can of course buy a set of boxed cards and add a photo and a letter if you wish!  That’s what I’ll be doing this year. I bought a box of cards last year on clearance so I’ll be sticking in our family photo and hand delivering to friends and mailing to out of town family.

This week along with ordering/buying Christmas cards, take care of these tasks as well:

• buy stamps, envelopes, if necessary
• write Christmas letter, if desired
• put family photos inside, if desired

Do you send out Christmas cards each year?

Here are the posts in the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series so far:

• Create your Holiday Budget
• Plan your Gift List
• Plan your Holiday Calendar
• Checklists for a More Organized Christmas

**This year is going to look different for all of us. So while we may not be doing all the parties and events, there is still plenty to do!**

There are so many fun things to do throughout the Christmas season.  Gingerbread house making, caroling, Christmas plays, cookie exchanges, dinner parties, Christmas light looking, craft making and even holiday movie watching. There is so much to do, there may not be enough time to do it all!

Why won’t you be able to do everything you want to do?  Well, because there’s grocery shopping, laundry, dinner making and everyday life stuff that still has to happen!

This is where planning comes in really handy.  After all, life is busy, and it’ll be hard to get the fun things on the schedule if you don’t plan ahead.

Here are the steps to take if you want to do a lot of fun holiday things this year:

Grab your Calendar

First of all, grab your calendar and mark down all the things you know will be happening regardless of the holidays.  Doctor’s appointments, school activities, office parties…etc.

Talk as a Family

Next, you’ll want to gather the family to discuss all the activities each of you want to do.  Sledding? Cookie decorating party? Christmas play watching?  Brainstorm to your heart’s content.  Make sure to write down all the Christmas movies you want to watch and even the crafts you want to do. (I have a cool Holiday Bucket List included in the Holiday Planner (only $1!) that’s available in the Simply Frugal store that should come in handy!)

Prioritize

Since there are likely more ideas than time, take a look over the calendar again and plan for the activities you can realistically accomplish.  Even with the regular everyday life stuff added in.

Back to the Budget

Before you get carried away with grandiose plans, go back to your budget.  What did you allot for fun?  The case may be that you’ll have to save some activities for future years.

Fill in your Calendar

Now fill in your calendar with all the activities that you can set in stone. Buy those concert tickets and finalize plans with friends, then put them on the calendar.  Make sure to allow for some quiet nights/days at home!

Holiday activities are supposed to be fun so don’t stress about doing everything.  Just make a point of doing the things you want to do instead of wishing they would happen. Planning in advance will make the season more relaxing.

I’d love to know, what’s one thing you’ll be adding to your calendar this year?

Sign up for the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas newsletter to receive a FREE Christmas Dinner Checklist!  This checklist is quite detailed and will help you remember all the details needed for a memory filled dinner with family and friends. You’ll also receive a weekly email with each week’s “task”.

Here are the posts in the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series so far:

• Create your Holiday Budget
• Plan your Gift List
• Checklists for a More Organized Christmas

Here we are, week two of the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series!  I hope you had time to do last week’s task: your Holiday Budget!

While I’m fairly certain that many of you are striving to live daily life more simply in terms of less stuff, less waste and less expenses, this series is focusing on simplifying the process of Christmas.  Focusing on the organization aspect so that you don’t give too much of yourself in terms of finances or time.

Christmas can become a nuisance rather than a joyful, meaningful time if we’re constantly feeling stressed. This goes to say, I think the best way to have a more organized, more peaceful Christmas is to do your holiday tasks a little at a time. Tasks on our holiday to-do list can easily morph from fun to miserable when we’re too busy or wandering without a plan.

This week’s task is to plan your gift list.

It’s definitely not too early to plan your gift giving, especially if you plan on making some homemade gifts. Since you’ve hopefully planned your holiday budget already, you should know exactly how much money you have for gifts.

This week you should:

• Write down all the names of the people you have to purchase gifts for
• Add gift ideas for each person

Take a look at this year’s Simply Frugal Holiday Gift Guides that are available!  I hope it will help you find a ton of great affordable gift ideas!

But for now, what’s the hardest part about gift giving for your family? What are your solutions?

Sign up for the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas newsletter to receive a FREE Christmas Dinner Checklist!  This checklist is quite detailed and will help you remember all the details needed for a memory filled dinner with family and friends. You’ll also receive a weekly email with each week’s “task”.

Are you excited to work your way to a more organized Christmas?  Today marks the first day and task in the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas series that I hope will be super helpful to you!

Before we get started, I have a whole bunch of printables and checklists for you to print out to help you along:

• More Organized Christmas Checklist
• More Organized Christmas Checklist (blank-fill in your own tasks)
• The Holiday Planner (available for $1.00 in the Simply Frugal Store!)

Alright, on to the first task, an important one. 🙂 This week, if you haven’t already, sit down with a hot cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate… and create your holiday budget.  This is what you think your holiday season will cost and will allow you to put limits on your holiday spending to keep you from shopping regrets if a credit card bill comes your way!

Related: How to Have a Merry Christmas Without Spending a Dime

Here is an extensive list of things you should keep in mind when you create your holiday budget:

Gifts:

• spouse
• kids
• parents
• siblings
• nieces/nephews
• grandparents
• neighbors
• coworkers
• friends
• secret Santa gift exchanges

Activities/Events/Parties:

• tickets
• dining out
• clothing

Food (not including regular groceries):

• baking ingredients
• dessert ingredients
• Christmas eve
• Christmas dinner/brunch
• Boxing day
• parties

Cards:

• stamps
• cards/envelopes
• stationary for family newsletter
• photos

Clothing:

• outfits for photos
• parties
• Christmas day outfit

Decorations:

• tree
• lights
• ornaments/candles/wreath/etc.
• craft supplies

Giving:

• charities
• volunteering

Now, these suggestions are just a guideline. Every family is different and has different needs. My intent is to bring to mind every possible thing that could incur an expense during the holiday season.  I’m sure many of you won’t even spend money on half of these things this year. Also, in my mind, the more planning you do, the more money you will save and the saner you will feel. 🙂

As for my family, we only buy gifts for immediate family and a couple of close friends. My husband and I only exchange stockings. I make some homemade gifts as well as collect credits throughout the year so I can do some online shopping for “free”. Of course, I search for deals too. I will probably buy a few inexpensive Christmas decorations this year. This year, I’m toying with the idea of having a cookie decorating party with the girls’ friends. I think that would be fun! As for any party that we are invited to, I like to bring some baking along.

But enough about us.  🙂

If after writing down your expenses, you’re scared of the number you see, you have two options: Decrease your expenses or increase your income.

Decrease your expenses

To make a happy holiday season, you really don’t need to spend a lot of money.  In fact, I’m daring to say, that being extravagant in your spending can be overwhelming not only to you, but the recipient as well. When I was a child, one set of grandparents used to be quite extreme in their gift giving.  It was SO exciting, but I remember being quite overwhelmed with all the gifts once Christmas was over.

Gift giving is probably the easiest expense to cut back on.  If you have a large extended family, consider drawing names so each member is only responsible for one gift.  Or do what our family does and only give gifts to the children.  My parents have also started to set a $20 limit on each other in recent years.  Jesse and I exchange stockings.

Setting a price limit on each gift will allow you to shop within that budget.  If your limit on sister Sue is $30, then that $50 purse is off limits.

It’s possible to decrease your food budget too by shopping the sales and limiting the baking and Christmas dishes you prepare.

When it comes to decorations, why not create some memories by making some homemade decorations?  (I’ll be featuring some ideas in a few weeks)  Or read my Fond, Frugal Christmas Memory post for a fun Christmas tree idea.

Increase your Income

If decreasing your holiday expenses is not an option, then consider increasing your income.  Many retailers hire for the holiday season (and may offer an employee discount!).

A couple of other ideas are to:

• Sell extra baking to those that may not have much time to create their own.
• Sell unwanted household items for cash (make room for new stuff too!)

What are your tips for staying on budget at Christmas time?

Sign up for the 8 Weeks to a More Organized Christmas newsletter to receive a FREE Christmas Dinner Checklist!  This checklist is quite detailed and will help you remember all the details needed for a memory filled dinner with family and friends. You’ll also receive a weekly email with each week’s “task”.