Less is More

                                                    Photo by Ben Oh. Flickr Creative Commons

I have always been a neat freak.  I knew that I preferred to live in a tidy space, but it wasn't until after my divorce a couple of years ago that I have learned that, for me, less is more.

When I moved into my cute little 1962 ranch house in 2011, I brought only a few pieces of furniture from my old dwelling: a chest of drawers my step-mother had given me that I had refinished myself, my hope chest from my high school graduation, a handmade bookshelf from my parents, and my beloved elfa shelving and desk for my home office.  I knew that these core pieces would serve me well for storage.   I also brought with me my beautiful antique radio and my favorite pieces of art.

From there, I decided to be very particular about the rest of the things that came to live in my home.  Practicing what I preach to my organizing clients, anything I bought or was given had to fit well in the space and be either something I used or loved.  I also made it a point to buy very little brand new items.  For one thing, I have a taste for mid-century modern furniture like the kind you might see on the set of "Mad Men".  This stream-lined style fits well with my desire to minimize visual clutter.  Also, I love the idea of giving a second or third life to things.  So, besides new linens and some kitchenware, most everything else came from consignment and antique stores at a fraction of the cost of buying retail.

And I continue to be vigilant about minimizing how much stuff comes into my life and my home.  I do this because I have a strong sense of calm when I am surrounded only by what I need, use, and love.  And as an added benefit, this more simple and practical lifestyle has allowed me to save tons of money.  Before I add a thing, I think about where it will live in my home.  If there is no room for an item without cluttering or cramping the space, I will often get rid of something else either by reselling, donating, or trashing it. 

Through this life of voluntary simplicity, I have come to value the zen calm that flat, open spaces bring.  I appreciate the flow of energy and creativity that is allowed to occur when my closets, drawers, countertops, and shelves aren't filled to capacity.  I have also found that I am more grateful for what I do have.  By purposefully minimizing my possessions, I believe I have left room to attract more positives into my life. And the good just keeps pouring in.

Simplify Your (and Your Kid's) Wardrobe

Fellow organizer and blogger, Jeri Dansky, recently wrote in her fabulous blog about the trend toward simplifying your wardrobe by finding a uniform that works for you.

This reminded me of a conversation that I had last week with a client while we were organizing her second-grader's room. Mom told me that, after realizing that her daughter only wore about 20% of her clothes with any regularity, she decided to only buy what the daughter liked to wear. It's sounds so simple, yet so perfect! Mom donated the 80% of the clothes her daughter never wore and bought a few new core pieces (in her daughter's case, that meant more pants and cute t-shirts). Now she has tons more closet and drawer space. Plus, mom says that her daughter still gets complemented all the time on the 6 or 7 outfits that she mixes and matches.

My own wardrobe follows a similar path. I tend to invest in well-made basics with colorful tops and jackets to jazz things up. My mother-in-law taught me years ago to stick with the classics, find colors that flatter you, and invest in quality clothing. She always looks smashing, so I try and take her advice.

When it comes to developing a practical, signature look, I think Jamie Lee Curtis said it best in this May/June 2008 AARP magazine interview:

"My style is a distillation. I've etched out who I am through myriad haircut attempts, outfit attempts, beauty attempts, diet attempts. It's been an evolution. I've let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I've given away all my jewelry, because I don't wear it."

Wow, now that's a woman who's comfortable with her uniform!

Photo from alllovelpy-2' flickr account

What papers should you keep?

"What papers should I keep?" This question comes up over and over again when I'm helping residential clients organize their papers. Most businesses have a record retention policy that dictates what papers you should save and for how long. But many people are unclear about what they should be saving in their personal home files.

The lists below contains suggestions from Clark Howard, the consumer guru from Atlanta, and financial planner Ric Edelman. Prudence dictates that I tell you that I am not an accountant or lawyer. These suggestions should serve as guidelines to get you started, but you should also consult your accountant and possibly the Internal Revenue Service's web site (see IRS Publication 552: Record Keeping for Individuals) to see if there are other suggestions that better fit your situation.

Clark Howard says:

WHAT RECORDS TO KEEP:

* Tax returns, keep forever
* Tax return documentation (receipts, supporting documentation), keep for six years
* Contracts, forever
* Real estate records, forever
* Last pay stub of a job if you leave the job
* Last pay stub of the year of your current job
* All mortgage payment checks (statements), until the mortgage is paid off
* All student loan payments, until the loan is paid off
* Car loan payment stubs, until the car is paid off
* Canceled checks, for 7 years
* Bank deposit slips, for 7 years
* Bank statements, for 7 years
* Home Improvement records, ownership period plus 7 years
* Investment records, ownership period plus 7 years

WHAT RECORD TO TOSS:

* Credit card statements that are more than three years old
* Past insurance statement
* Old utility bills, except the most recent one from your old address if you've moved
* Recently paid bills (statements), once you have something saying they have been paid

Other suggestions from financial planner Ric Edelman's web site:

• Birth certificates, Death Certificates, and Marriage Certificates: never discard
• Health records: never discard
• Stock and bond certificates: discard or shred when sold
  
• Vehicle titles: discard or shred when vehicle is sold
• Wills, trusts, and powers of attorney: discard or shred when a new one is signed
• College financial aid and other loans: shred ten years after loan is repaid
  
• Insurance policies: keep copy of existing policy as long as policy is in effect. Then keep a copy for one year after your replace the policy
• Investment account statements: seven years after the last investment held in account is sold
  
• Pension documents: never discard
  
• Receipts for items under warranty: shred after warranty expires
• Receipts for expensive items: shred after item is sold or donated
• Social Security statement: shred old one when new one arrives
• Transcripts: shred old one after you complete another course
• Vehicle registration: shred old one when the new one arrives
• Vehicle repairs: keep until vehicle is sold

Most of these documents can be placed in a locked filing cabinet, though you may consider purchasing a fire and burglar resistant safe for some of your important, but hard to replace, documents. Consider using a safe deposit box for originals that you rarely need such as adoption papers, citizenship papers, lawsuits, divorce decrees, household inventory lists, photos of possessions, military discharge and veteran's papers.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help liberate your filing cabinet of all those non-necessary bits of paper that may be inappropriately squatting there now. Of course, they aren't going to jump out of there on their own. Sometimes you gotta go in there and throw them out.