I have always been the kind of person that is just always late. I am terrible. I forget important events, and am always unprepared. During school, my mother would always hear, "Beth is a sweet girl, but she is very disoriented"! My life has always been chaotic and busy, just how I like it. Unfortunately, this side of me drives EVERYONE around me crazy. (If you know me stop laughing!)

When I was assigned an article with the topic of organization, I got sick to my stomach. Do these people even know me? I realize that in order to write an article about organization, I would probably need to be organized. I must follow my own advice. So, right here and now, I am enlisting myself on a 10 day challenge of organizing "my organization skills." Over the next few days, I am going to improve my scheduling and calendar skills. I am going to reorganize my bill payment system. I dream of becoming more skilled and efficient in cleaning the Norton Haven, our home. I am no longer going to let my disorganization of my social events let me be tardy, unprepared, or absent. My bills are going to be paid and my house will be cleaned in an even and timely manner.

OK......so maybe I am overreaching here, saying that from this point on I will be perfect. I am determined to learn. I am going to scour and poor over organization web pages and tons of "HOW TO" organization books. I am making a promise to you that I am going to change. I need to change, my friends will agree, my parents will agree, my husband will agree, and if you happen to be a loyal reader of the "Cape May Family" blog than you probably will agree. Change is good especially when change means organization.

Paying the bills is my favorite thing to do(at least for now)

Direct withdrawal means one less thing to talk/think about: I set up for direct withdrawal for all of my predictable amount of bills, such as mortgage, car payments, and Cable/Phone/Internet.

Bind up the rest: I bought a 99 cent binder and a pencil case that is made for a 3 ring folder. I also purchased a plastic envelope with Velcro that can be held in the binder as well.(THE HUGE TOTAL PURCHASE OF $4.25) I already had plastic paper protectors and wrote on loose leaf the name of every other bill: cell phone, electric bill, credit card, etc. I use these to record the amount of the bill, the date that I wrote it, and the check number (all the info required if one day I need to put a stop payment on a lost check). I write this info in my register as well but I am able to record it in a recordable fashion in case I have a dispute with one of my invoices right there in front of me. I put a calculator, my checkbook, and my pencils in my case, stored and ready for the next time I pay the bill.

The mail: I now have a designated place to put the mail until I sort out the junk from the bills. I place the pending bills, waiting to be paid, in the plastic Velcro pocket. This works out well because I know the bills will not get lost somewhere in between the office and the kitchen table.

Storage of invoices: Now that paperless invoices are being sent, I store the remaining amount in my file cabinet, rubber banded together with the date paid written on the top.