So you’re trying to get organized, but you’re not sure where to start: the attic, the living room, your office?  It all seems so daunting and confusing, but I’m here to help.
I always tell people that the easiest room to start with is the room that you spend most of your time in.  Why, you ask?  Well, let’s say you spend most of your time in your bedroom; once your bedroom is clean then it will encourage you to organize the other rooms, and it will also help brighten up your attitude.  Like I said a few weeks ago, clutter in your life can lead to a very irritated and stressful person. 
Now, we’ve decided to organize your bedroom, but where do we start?  My advice is to start with a small project and work your way up.  There is no need to try and tackle your entire room in one day because that will only frustrate you and make you not want to continue. 
When I first started organizing I found that the best system was to simply clean the entire room before trying to organize anything.  Throw away any trash, put like things together, fold the blankets, etc.  My apartment looked terrible when I first started.  I had DVDs, clothes and books everywhere!  However, once I got them all grouped together I realized it seemed much simpler.  Yes, I had a pile of laundry in the corner but at least they weren’t strolled all over the place! 
Once you have this done then you can start with each section (or pile, depending on how you group things).  For example, now that all your books are in a pile, sort through them and place them in any particular order in a bookcase or on your desk.  I have so many books that I’ve got several on a bookshelf and then the rest in a bookcase.  I keep the books I refer to most on the bookshelf where I can easily access them.  Oh, and a little side note, I keep most of my pens, markers and highlighters in a coffee cup that sits on my desk.  When I need one it’s always within an arms reach, and the “Cup Method” keeps them all together.  If you’re like me and have a desk in your bedroom then you probably have a stack of papers lying on top.  My papers got so bad that I had bills that were almost three months late because they were on the bottom of the stack and I had forgotten they were there.  So let’s focus on organizing your paperwork.  Six stacks work best: Receipts, Pending Bills, Paid Bills, Medical, Vehicle, and Trash (You can add or take away from this list depending on your family or lifestyle).  I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to that have missed paying a bill because they didn’t realize they hadn’t paid it, if that makes sense?  After I pay a bill I always write “Paid – Date via Check/Card/Cash” at the top.  I then place it in an expandable organizing binder that I purchased at Walmart under the “Paid Bills” tab. 
If you’re not one of those people that documents stuff then you should probably start.  I never kept receipts until about a year ago and it paid off when I realized that I had been charged twice on an order I purchased on the internet.  The company tried to argue with me, but I had printed off the receipt I received after I placed my order and they had no choice but to refund my money.  So needless to say I keep record of just about everything now. 
After you’ve sorted through your paperwork and separated each stack you can now sort through them and place them in an expandable binder or in a labeled folder.  I promise, paying bills will become much easier now that you’ve got them organized. 
    My challenge to you this week is to go through some of your paperwork (receipts, bills, etc.) and get it organized!  If you have any questions or would like some extra advice feel free to check out my column on Facebook by searching “Saving Dollars & Making Sense."  Good luck!