Do you have an off-site self-storage unit that you rent each month?  Is this an extension of the clutter in your home?

Did you know that there is more than 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space in the United States, according to The Self Storage Association. Some of this space is used wisely — by people serving overseas, people storing personal things while they sell their homes, or for other temporary situations — but a lot of self-storage space is used as a very expensive extra room to hold people’s clutter.

Unfortunately, when people stop making payments on these units, they are sealed off and the contents are put up for auction. The television network A&E is tracking this auction phenomenon in a new series called Storage Wars:

"A&E presents the new original real-life series "Storage Wars," which follows four professional buyers and their teams as they scour repossessed storage units in search of hidden treasure. Part gamblers, part detectives, these seasoned veterans have found everything from coffins to the world’s most valuable comic book collection, paying as little as ten dollars for items valued in the millions."

The series began airing last night (Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. CST) with the episode "High Noon in the High Desert":

According to A&E it’s a showdown in the high desert as the buyers crack open a trove of abandoned storage lockers. Barry Weiss unearths the personal possessions of rap magnate Suge Knight. Jarrod Schulz and Dave Hester throw down their bankrolls in hopes of scoring a classic organ. And Darrell Sheets reveals a historic, one hundred and fifty thousand-dollar find. Classic items, wily personalities–let the storage wars begin!

I’m interested in seeing how A&E handles this material. I believe the editing of the show Hoarders ignores the mental health aspect of hoarding and instead focuses on wowing viewers with shock and awe. As a professional organizer who has worked closely with hoarders in the past, I think the show can be dehumanizing. (Please understand that it is the editing of the show that is dehumanizing this issue and not the actual professional organizers and psychologists who are working with the hoarders.) 

I am not sure whether or not Storage Wars is going to forget that there are real people involved who once owned the possessions that are being bid on. Although I missed the first episode, I’ll watch try to catch next week’s episode to see how this sensitive topic is handled by A&E. I hope they have found a way to highlight the self-storage problem in the United States without ridiculing or embarrassing the people who are losing their things.  I find it very sad.  It's an issue that can easily get out of hand.

If you get an opportunity to watch this show, let me know what you think of it and whether you believe it deals with the personal side of this issue.

Also, I am curious to learn whether you rent a separate off-site storage unit and what you tend to store in it. Is it for short-term or long-term storage? Did you rent it because you ran out of room in your own home to store your possessions?

Have you given any thought to eliminating the storage unit if it is intended for long term storage? I can't help but think about how much money you could be saving over the course of a year or more! But that’s a blog for another day!

In the meantime, watch the show, let me know what you think and have a great week!

As always, if you are feeling overwhelmed with your clutter and don't know where to begin, contact me at A BETTER SPACE and I will be glad to help.

For most, this time of year evokes a feeling of family.  You tend to want to reach out to those you have not seen in a while and catch up.  Perhaps they live close by and you just can't seem to get together often enough throughout the year.  Perhaps they live far away and the only way you would get to see them is to travel by plane, train or automobile for many hours.  Perhaps you cannot afford to do that.

A great way to stay in touch with your family and keep them up to date with what is going on in your life is to send out a newsletter.  Have you always wanted to write a newsletter to send out to all of your relatives during the holiday season?  Are you having trouble figuring out how to write it and where to start?

The first thing you need to do is create a list of everyone you want to send the letter to, including their full name and address is using traditional mail or email addresses if you are choosing to send it by email.  (I tend to be old-fashioned, I guess, and still believe that  traditional mail is more personal.)  

Next, you want to make a list of the topics or items of interest you would like to mention in your newsletter. This may include vacations you've taken this past year, notes about various family members about what they have accomplished this year or what they are doing these days, thoughts of the season and so on.  At first, don't worry about putting them into story form, or even sentence form.  Just jot down all of your ideas using bullet points on a piece of paper.

Once you have all the ideas written down, choose one topic at a time and write a few sentences about that subject.  This can be handwritten or done in a Word document on your computer.  (This is preferable because it is easier to edit what you write.)

After you have finished writing about each of the subjects, you can prioritize the subjects and put your paragraphs in order accordingly.  

Finally, return to the top of the newsletter document and write an introduction, putting your various topics underneath.  Then, finally, add a closing at the bottom.   

That's all it takes! 

It's nice to mail out your newsletter to each person but, the alternative is to send it via email with some graphics or family photos thrown in for good measure.  Encourage other relatives to do the same.  It would be fun to receive newsletters from them too! 

If you start preparing your newsletter now, you can have it done and sent out in time for the holidays.  You can send it out anytime in December.  It would not be too soon.

So get started and share your stories with your relatives (and even friends) to keep everyone abreast of what is happening in your life. 

Wishing those of the Jewish faith a Happy Chanukah!

Wishing everyone an organized week!  

Did you ever wonder about those people who seem to have it all together?  Contrary to popular belief, they are not perfectionists.  They simply follow a few simple rules.

Here are  a few habits of highly organized people:

Rule 1 - Walk Away - Just because you can buy something at a good price doesn't mean you should.  You need to ask yourself "Do I already have something similar?" and "If I did buy this item, do I have a place to store it?"  The answers to these questions will help you decide whether you actually need to buy it or you can walk away. Remember, purchase with purpose.

Rule 2 - It's Okay To Not Be Perfect - Some people won't do a job unless they can do it perfectly.  Most people do a job that's "good enough".  That's fine.  It's okay to buy that store bought pie instead of making one from scratch when having company over.  You can easily get bogged down with the details of a task if you try to do every task perfectly.  You tend to be your own worst critic.  Lighten up!  It doesn't have to be perfect to get it done.  

Rule 3 - Never Label Anything Miscellaneous -  This term is too broad and only causes confusion.  If you randomly put a bunch of things in a file or a box and just write "Miscellaneous" on it, I guarantee that within a week, you will have forgotten what's in there!  Sort your items by specific groups and label them accordingly.

Rule 4 - Schedule Time To Declutter - Instead of waiting until you get in the "mood" to declutter (that will never happen!), create a routine that involves spending no more than 15 minutes a day.  Sort through your mail, pick up toys, clean up the dishes, etc.  Than, take one day of the week to tackle a new project in more detail.  You will find that the clutter will no longer build up and become another "project".

Rule 5 - If It's Not Broken, Don't Fix It -  Do you find yourself having to try out every new gadget or thing that comes down the pike?  Be happy with what you already have and stop wasting your time.  Stick with what you have and you will save a lot of time, energy and money. 

So, do you think you possess the habits of a highly organized person?   If you do, keep on doing what it is you do.  

Perhaps you aspire to be a more organized person and just don't know where to begin  If so, let me hear from you.  I am more than happy to help you become the organized person you have always wanted to be.

In the meantime, have a great Thanksgiving holiday! 

The past week was a tough one for me.  My PC crashed after being in the shop for 3 days and it was determined that  I needed a brand new hard drive.  I ended up losing a lot of information that I had saved to my desk top for the past six and a half years.  (I had no idea that when I took my new PC case to have my old hard drive installed into it, the entire system would freeze up and the hard drive would now become useless.  I was not prepared.)

Fortunately I had saved my documents and pictures onto my external hard drive so I am now getting my ducks back in a row, as they say, and moving on.

Well, I don't know how your week was - hopefully a lot better than mine - but I thought we can all use some inspiration to keep us going through those rough spots, so I am here to share.

Here is an uplifting poem:

If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't,
If you like to win, but you think you can't
It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the person who wins
Is the person who thinks 'I CAN!'

-- Walter D. Wintle

I hope you find this as helpful and inspiring as I did.

If you find you are in a state of overwhelm and don't know where to begin and you want to get organized, once and for all, contact me.  I can help.

In the meantime, I am wishing you a good week ahead. 

Who doesn't have pets?  Most of us have or have had a dog, a cat or other types of pets at one time or another.  If so, you know how expensive it can be when they get ill and need medical attention. 

Commercial pet insurance can be expensive.  Like traditional health insurance for people, it doesn’t cover all medical procedures and treatments. Also, keep in mind that if you never need the insurance (we certainly hope so), you wouldn’t be able to get the money back that you paid the pet insurance company, accrue interest or be able to apply the premiums to another pet.

A better option is to consider setting up a savings fund.  Consider setting up a medical saving account for your current or future pets you might adopt. 

How to create a specialized saving account:

Start by putting a large amount (such as $500) into a special savings designated just for this purpose and then continue to deposit $20 per month into the account.  By simply creating a specialized saving account for your pet, you avoid being in the position where money has to be strongly considered along with treatment options.

Use this method whenever you acquire a new responsibility.  Simply deposit an eighth or a quarter of your saving goal into a dedicated saving account as the account’s start-up fund (or a multi-use account that you keep records for what money in the account is for what purpose). Once the saving account is open and initially funded, you set up an automatic transfer through your bank to put $10 or $20 (or whatever amount you choose) into the new saving account from your checking account every month. This automatic deposit removes the temptation to spend the money on something else.

You could create a specialized saving account for your automobile — $20 a month can be put aside in an account to cover service needs for your aging car. You can create a fund to save for larger home improvement projects or home organization project.

These specialized saving accounts reduce your stress, allow you to cover large expenses when they arise, and help you to live with an uncluttered budget (a budget where you spend less than you earn).

Do you have specialized saving accounts? Would setting one up help you to prepare for an emergency expense? What reasons do you have to create a specialized saving account?

I would love to hear your ideas!

In the meantime, if you need some help creating a budget, why not consider my U Can Do It Budgeting System that I developed based upon the budget I have used for myself for over 20 years?  You can find it at my ABS Store (look for the tab) right on this website.

Enjoy your week! 

We all know the holidays are right around the corner and it is a time when we tend to focus on helping those in need (or at least I hope so!).

One of the ways in which we can reach out to families with life-threatening illnesses during this holiday season is to order a PIE IN THE SKY thru the Manna organization.

Manna provides Thanksgiving dinners (for 4) to those with life-threatening illnesses.  Their website can be found at https://www.manapies.org

Their mission is focused on people with acute nutritional risk due to life-threatening illnesses.  Manna prepares and delivers delicious nourishing meals and counsel, empowering individuals to battle illness and improve their quality of life.

So, share the holiday spirit and provide Thanksgiving dinner for a family of four.  For a donation of only $25 you can order a delicious pie and help a family in need at the same time!

Simply order your Pie In The Sky pie by noon on Friday, November 19, 2010 and pick it up before Thanksgiving.  They have locations where you can pick up your pie throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Let's make this a Happy Thanksgiving not only for us but for others as well.

You can place your order by calling 1-866-SKY-PIES (1-866-754-7437)

All other questions, call 215-49-MANNA (215-496-2662)

These pies are not only delicious, but tax deductible! 

For those of you who prefer cake, purchase a Classic Cake instead and still help those in need.

Let's make our world A BETTER SPACE this holiday season and support a great cause.

Thank you for helping out!

AND, if I can help you this holiday season by getting organized, contact me.  I am glad to help!

Have a great week!

Does everything in your home "have a home"?  Most likely not.  The problem that most people run into is not only finding homes for the things they already have, but finding homes for the new things that come in the door.

Where is everything supposed to go? 

You cannot expect to have an organized home in which to live if you don't have a place for everything.  That old adage still holds true "A place for everything and everything in its place". 

Whether it belongs in a drawer, a cabinet, a closet or a specific room, finding designated space for items you possess is vital in order to stay organized.

Group like-things together when storing items so that it's logical and easy to find when needed.  Don't keep your toothpaste in the kitchen.  Don't keep your snacks in your bedroom.  You get the idea. 

Once you have created those places to store your existing items, you are now able to bring in new items.  (Use the "one in, one out" rule as often as possible to help maintain balance.) 

Always remember, when making a purchase, you want to ask yourself "Where am I going to store or place this item?"  If you don't have an answer, then now is not the time to make that purchase.  Create the space before you buy!

You might be able to afford the item, but if you don't have a home for it, it's not the right time.  This is especially true for large items, for example, small appliances in your kitchen, snow blowers or ride-on mowers for your garage or artwork for your walls.  Once you figure out where the item will live, you are ready to make that purchase.

I have plenty of suggestions on how to store your "stuff" so if you need some assistance, contact me.  I'll be glad to help.

Want more tips on how to get organized, sign up for my free monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use" right on the Home Page.  Just look for the newsletter icon on the right.

In the meantime, have a great week!

Ever since I can remember, I have always advised my clients that an important aspect of paper management and budgeting involves keeping an eye on your provider billing statements, your credit card statements and bank statements.

So many people do not take the time to look at the itemized bill or statement and that is a problem.  The tendency is to look at the total and just pay the bill or not even look at a bank statement at all and just file it away.  It’s important to understand that mistakes are made and if you do not keep track of your statements, the mistakes go un-noticed.  As a result, you could be getting charged for items you should not be getting charged for or you could possibly not get credit for payments made.

A perfect example of this was mentioned in the news this week.  It involves Verizon Wireless and how they charged millions of customers for services they were not receiving.  Verizon Wireless is now required to reimburse those customers a total of more than $1,000,000.

Verizon Wireless was banking on the fact that so many of their customers do not check their statements and just pay their bills based on the total.   It is your responsibility as a consumer to make sure you check your bills, credit card statements and bank statements each and every time you receive them to make sure they are accurate.  If you don’t, no one else will.

So, do you check your statements?  If not, start now.  The next time a bill or statement comes in the mail or is sent to you on line, take the few minutes necessary to make sure your statements are accurate. 

Until next time, have a great week.

My first husband passed away more than 13 years ago at the young age of 40 following a battle with cancer.  Although no one likes to think about losing a loved one, unfortunately, it is a reality. Fortunately, my husband were able to prepare for that day by getting the pertinent information together that was needed in order to handle his estate.

I recently learned of a website www.about.com that I would like to share with you. I found it to be an extremely helpful site with a set of downloadable PDF files that you can print out to aid in organizing all of the events after a loved one has passed away.

The Death, Dying, and Bereavement Guides include six forms to help plan the events after a death: compare funeral/burial/cremation options, information for writing a eulogy, data needed for an obituary and death notices, and flowers and donations thank you note wording suggestions.

Although it might sometimes be unexpected, I think it is a good idea to fill out the forms that can be filled out while you’re still alive and put them in a safety deposit box or other fireproof location in a folder called "In the Event of My Death". (Please note that safety deposit boxes are sealed upon death until such time as an audit can be done so a fireproof box might be a better option.)

I don’t think it is too zealous to plan ahead for something such as this. If I can spare my loved ones some work following my death, during their bereavement, that will perhaps help them get through the process much easier.

Do yourself and those you love a favor and prepare ahead of time. The site I mentioned above is an easy way to get it all organized.

On a brighter note, I hope you have a great week.