This past Friday I did something that is making me so annoyed at myself. I forgot to check if I had any hand-me-down shoes in the next size up for Abby. You see, as I was putting on her sneakers to go grocery shopping, I realized her shoes were too small. So we just picked up a pair of sneakers and a pair of dress shoes at Walmart while we were there. She had some birthday money to spend anyway
Then the next day I had to spend some time in our basement. Our basement is the bane of my existence. I need shelves. The storage room is a mess. Anyway, I spent some time in the basement, gathering all the donation stuff to one location for my trip to Goodwill in a couple weeks. While I was downstairs I re-discovered the bag of hand-me-down shoes. I opened it up and there were two pairs of sneakers and two pairs of dress shoes….in the new size.
The bed is covered with donations but the rest…all me. :/
Seriously? I am one of the most organized people I know but I completely forgot about an entire bag of shoes. My lack of organization and forgetfulness cost me $19. If I had the room better organized, and had the extra clothes cataloged better, I could have just grabbed Abby the correct size sneaker and been on our way.
I keep my pantry and freezer organized and cataloged. Now it is time to do that with my basement and the hand-me-down clothes for Abby. Sometimes it takes a situation such as this to make us realize a weak point in our lives or homes.
May this be a lesson to the rest of you. Keep your homes, including your storage areas, organized so you don’t end up buying something you already own. Without a doubt, organizing saves money and helps you stay on your frugal journey. Every $20 you save by being organized is $20 for your grocery budget, emergency fund, debt payoff, etc.
Gentle Joy says
It is so good to have everything organized and be sure of what we have… it is an ongoing goal though… thanks for the reminder. π
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Julie says
It is ongoing for sure. I don’t think anyone, anywhere, truly has everything organized all the time. π
Theresa Hemsath says
So helpful! Found you through Equipping Godly Women Linkup. I’m so disorganized because I’m so busy and easily flustered. Appreciate these tips. One thing I do when cleaning up is the Kathy Lipp strategy of using three boxes: One to put stuff in that goes in other rooms, Another that is for trash, and the other for putting back in that same room. Quickly run through a room and throw everything in its proper box. Dump the trash. Return the items to their place. No time yet? Put the three boxes in a backroom for that temporary time (guests arriving, etc) and then put them away when finished. π
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Julie says
I hadn’t heard that box tip before. Thanks for sharing!
Misty says
I have done this! I bought one of the kids new shoes, thinking that I should have had hand me downs somewhere… .lo and behold a week later I found them. I was so aggravated. My weakness is organizing the kids hand me down clothes…. everything else I keep up with, but that :/
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Julie says
I am so glad I’m not alone in this! π
lauren says
I am FAR from an organized person but just spent my day doing spring cleaning and tidying. the final result so makes me wish I were a more organized person! this post was a great reminder that even if organization doesn’t come naturally for you, there are still good reasons to try to achieve it! (Visited from the SHINE Blog Hop)
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Julie says
I love spring cleaning and tidying up. Doesn’t it makes the whole house seem so much bigger? Thanks for visiting!
Anna @ Feminine Adventures says
Oh yes! I’ve done this too. I keep all the girl and boy shoes in a tub and go through them each season, which helps… but this year I discovered that my youngest has only the right or only the left shoe/sandal in his size. So now I know that I DID have them, just not where they are. Lol.
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Julie says
Oh no! I hope you find the shoes matches soon!
MM says
I think we are all guilty of your $19 spend for something you already had. LOL… Don’t beat yourself up too bad, and plus, think of all the organizing you will get done now, and maybe you’ll find more things that will equal out the $19 you spent π Have fun spring cleaning, it is always enjoyable to reduce, reuse, or recycle!
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Julie says
$19 can be quite a bit for us some weeks. I actually think I might have some things in a friend’s yard sale so maybe I’ll make that $19 back. π
Brittany at Equipping Godly Women says
Do you have the receipt? Take them back!
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Julie says
I took the tags off and put them on her in the parking lot since her’s were so small. Plus, she prefers the velcro to the ties. Not to mention they are sparkly! π So I’ll just consider it a lesson learned. π
JES says
This is so true! If I don’t keep on top of things, I will end up spending unnecessarily. When I find shoes in the next sizes up in good shape, (and other clothing items) I put them aside. But, if I don’t write the sizes down, BOOM, I end up doing exactly what you’ did! GREAT REMINDER! π Thank you for sharing this on the Art of Home-Making Mondays!
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Julie says
I really should start writing down what we have too. That would probably help quite a bit. π
Bridget/The Recipe Wench says
Bless you for showing us your basement!!! Hahaha! Your basement would keep me up at night! We’re used to moving every few years so I haven’t had the luxury of hanging onto things. My daughters’ childhood mementos have been reduced to a few tubs and are currently in a storage unit in San Diego. I am in complete agreement with you as far as organizing goes. Not only does it save money — it saves time. Thanks for sharing your post (and your basement!) with us at the Inspire Me Mondays Link-Up!
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Julie says
Oh, trust me. I hate my basement. The rest of my house is far, far more organized. I can’t wait until renovating that room finally makes it to the top of our priority list. π