Home Economics: How to Set Priorities for Home Projects

My list of home projects resembles I-95 during rush hour. It's a mental traffic jam of ideas, thought-provoking detours and missed signals. Coping with that standstill traffic is a challenge as

I try to improve my home without overspending.
Professional space organizer Lori Abou of Vision & Espacios has a formula for setting priorities and tackling projects around the home.

• Take inventory of the kitchen. Many home projects are launched from there because that room often serves as the heart of family activities. Consider how your kitchen is used and then prioritize renovation, improvement or reorganization based on daily family patterns. For instance, if baking is important, allocate space to accommodate that activity.

• Identify your renovation personality. When it comes to home projects, some people function better by organizing their personal space before moving to common areas. If you fit that profile, begin with your home office or bedroom before tackling larger projects in other areas of the home, Abou recommends.

• Ignore price tags. When my children were younger, a sturdy plastic table with a built-in bench was the cheapest, but most valuable piece of furniture in my home. But too often, we allocate living space based on the financial value of an item, rather than the practical value. Under that flawed system, an expensive, but rarely used cheese fondue set is allocated prime cabinet space, but our everyday coffee mugs are stored haphazardly. Adjust priorities and valuations, Abou said.

• Start small; keep it steady. Go for an easy victory by reorganizing or renovating a space such as the household junk drawer. ''We can accomplish a lot by starting small,'' Abou said, adding that a daily commitment to home projects and basic maintenance cuts through roadblocks.


______________

Here's how to buy my book:

@ Amazon.com
@ Barnes & Noble
@ Borders
@ Target.com

Sort, Purge & Cash Out: A Frugal Guide to Organization

When household possessions push against the borders of our homes, the results lead to a crunch of space, time and money. But space-saving solutions can generate cash and restore sanity. That's the verdict from Gia Lipa, author of TheDigeratiLife.com.

''I was born a pack rat,'' she told me. "I come from a long line of pack rats.''
She developed a system for sorting, selling and storing household items. A clutter-free environment maximizes improves the quality of life, Lipa says.

Here's how she does it:

• Start a value system. Measure the value of your space against the value (emotional, financial or practical) of your possessions.

• Accelerate the sort-and-purge process by creating four buckets: save, sell, donate and toss. Periodically, place your possessions in one of those categories and take action.

• Sell castoffs annually through online flea markets, yard sales, consignment shops or classified advertisements. The venue is less important than the timing.

• Save space by using unconventional storage areas, according to Millie Kay Grand, a contributor at TheSmarterWallet.com. For example, in her home, a footlocker serves as a coffee table and storage for comic books.

• Recycle and reuse. Find new uses for traditional household items. A shoe bag, for instance, can be used to store accessories, Grand says.
______________

Here's how to buy my book:

@ Amazon.com
@ Barnes & Noble
@ Borders
@ Target.com

Spring Clean Your Money: 10 Laundering Tips

CCCS provided these tips for spring cleaning our finances, clearing out clutter and getting organized. Tips #7 through #10 -- about record keeping, identity theft protection and credit reports -- are especially helpful.


"Organizing your finances can reduce stress and save you time and money," said Jessica Cecere, president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

CCCS offers some simple steps to help jumpstart your financial spring cleaning:


1. Start by evaluating your current financial health- Log on to CCCS or www.cccsenespanol.org and take the financial health test. It will help you assess your financial risk and get a realistic picture of your current spending habits.

2. Create a system, and stick to it- You can organize your records in a filing cabinet, in hanging folders, or some other system, but choose one that works for you so that you will use it.


3. Develop a spending plan- Outline how you will spend, and save, your money. In addition to regular monthly expenses, such as housing, utilities, groceries, and insurance, you should also plan your spending for things like entertainment, lunches out, haircuts, and an occasional luxury. As rising gas prices continue to account for more of your monthly expenses, reduce spending where you can, such as eating at restaurants and your daily purchase of premium coffee. Don't forget to plan your savings too. If you have a spending plan, you are more likely to stick to it.


4. Track your income and your expenses -Use a calendar to note when you will receive income and also record when bills are due. Avoid late charges and unnecessary finance charges by paying bills on time. If you are mailing your payments, allow at least a week for them to arrive. If you pay on-line, be sure to adhere to deadlines by your bank or creditor to ensure payments arrive on time.

5. Record all spending, not just bills -That daily trip to the coffee shop, the few dollars you spend on lottery tickets, your highway tolls, and other "forgotten" expenses can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars each month and can stand between you and financial freedom.

6. Tax Organization-Start a tax folder for 2008 and start gathering information that will help reduce your stress at tax time. Include receipts for charitable gifts and out-of pocket medical expenses, documentation of work-related expenses like travel/mileage if not reimbursed, educational or child care costs, etc.

7. Out with the Old - Do you really need to keep that water bill from 1998? How about your tax returns? Keeping good financial records is a critical part of managing your household finances, and spring cleaning is a great time to review them, purging what you no longer need. These records can help you ensure timely payment of bills and avoid late fees, dispute errors on credit card statements, apply for retirement or disability benefits, file insurance claims, and more.

Bankrate (www.bankrate.com) has an excellent table that summarizes how long to keep financial records. Here is a summary:
*Keep any tax-related records for seven years.
*Keep records of IRA contributions permanently.
*Keep quarterly retirement/savings plan statements until you receive an annual statement. If the numbers match, shred the quarterlies and keep the annual summaries permanently.
*Shred unimportant bank records after one year; keep the rest permanently.
*Keep brokerage statements until you sell the securities.
*Most of the time you can shred bills once you get a cancelled check. Keep bills for big items permanently.
*Keep credit card receipts to reconcile with your statements; then keep the statements for seven years.
*Paycheck stubs should be kept until you receive your end-of-year tax statements.
*Keep house records permanently.


8. Don't just throw away statements and other records you no longer need to keep. Discarded financial records are a prime target for identity thieves, who look for account numbers and personal information to use. Purchase an inexpensive cross-cut type shredder and make sure it is conveniently located so that you will use it-like right next to your garbage can. Shred all documents that contain personal or financial information, including credit card offers and receipts.

9. Review your insurance coverage - Review your life insurance policy to ensure it provides adequate coverage for your family. You can also save money by raising your deductibles on auto and homeowners, or renters, insurance. Every several years, shop rates, comparing policies point for point.

10. Request a credit report- Request a free copy of your credit report by logging on to www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228. Carefully review your report and promptly address inaccuracies in writing. By regularly getting reports, you can keep tabs on your credit standing, address questions and protect yourself from credit fraud or identity theft."

source: CCCS
______________

Digg!

Cheap & Easy Ways to Organize the Garage

The family garage is probably the most used and abused room in a home.

''The average two-car garage has basically become a no-car garage because it's crammed full of so much clutter,'' says Barry Izsak, author of Organize Your Garage In No Time (Que Publishing, $11.50).

Fortunately, it doesn't cost much to organize the family garage, says Izsak, who is also the past president of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Here are a few low-cost solutions:

• Think. How is the garage used (workroom, storage, extra kitchen)? Do you want or need to change its use? Are you effectively using the floor and walls?
• Pick easy targets. Toss out the rusty wheelbarrow and the 10-year-old magazines.
• Learn from the kitchen. Kitchens have built-in organizational systems such as the refrigerator, cabinets and drawers. Create a system for organizing your garage.
• Create zones. Use a hardware store model to solve the turf war among craft materials, sports equipment and lawn supplies. ''Keep similar things together,'' says Suzy Wilkoff, owner of Tasks Unlimited, a professional organizational service in Miami.
• Find a new purpose for the old furniture in your garage, Izsak says. A discarded entertainment center can be recycled as a work bench. Compartments in baby furniture or old desks can be used to store items.
• Organize a garage sale or donate unwanted items to charity. The family garage should be purged and organized once or twice a year, Wilkoff says.

And finally, ''Save room in your garage for at least one car,'' Wilkoff says. ``That's what it was built for.''

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.


______________

Shredding Paper, Holding Receipts: Financial Organization Tips

This guest post from Consumer Credit Counseling Service CCCS has great tips about getting our finances organized:

• "Review your current system. If you pile your bills on a desk and aren’t sure which have been paid and which are still pending, or if you have trouble locating receipts or invoices, it’s time to make a change.
  Start with these basic steps:
• Save all credit card receipts in one place. A box or file folder is a great place to store this month’s credit card receipts and will give you quick access to compare them to your statement when it arrives. You should keep all receipts at least until you have verified that the charges are correct on your bill. Create a "Receipts to Keep" folder for those receipts for items that may need to be returned or that have a warranty or service plan in effect.
• Organize your bill paying. Set up a regular time and place to pay bills each month. A good rule of thumb is to coordinate it with you pay schedule. If you are paid on the 15th and 30th, make plans to pay bills at those same times each month. If it makes it easier, you can log your due dates on a calendar. As bills arrive, organize them into "To be Paid" folders and when you pay them, document payment on the statement and file under "Paid."Paying bills online can be a great timesaver. Whether you use your own financial institution or pay through the vendor’s website, you can often schedule the payments to occur on the day of your choosing. Be sure to jot down the confirmation number as proof of payment.
• Pay off credit cards. Make a log with each of your credit card and credit accounts, and list the outstanding balance for each. Set up a schedule to pay off the ones with the highest interest rates first. When that one is paid off, apply that money to the next card until all balances are paid. Avoid using credit cards to charge more than you can reasonably pay off at the end of the month.
• Balance your checking account. At least twice a month, reconcile your bank statement to the bank’s records. This can be done in just a few minutes online, checking off what has cleared your account and making sure you have accounted for any debit card purchases or ATM transactions.
• Review your insurance policies. January is an excellent time to review all insurance policies to make sure you’re covered properly. Review your life insurance policy to ensure it provides adequate coverage for your family. You can save money by raising your deductibles on auto and homeowners, or renters, insurance. Every few years, shop rates, comparing policies point for point.
• Tax organization. While you’re pulling together information to file last year’s taxes, note which categories have the most activity. Make specific folders for such things as out-of-pocket medical and drug costs, work-related expenses like travel/mileage if not reimbursed, educational costs, etc. Designate one location for all tax information and keep up with filing regularly. Next year, the tax-preparation process will be much easier because all the records and receipts have been kept together.
• Shredding – purge old files and shred the contents to protect yourself from identity theft. Keep a shredder near your desk and deal with incoming mail immediately. While you should check with your accountant about how long financial records should be retained, a good rule of thumb is to keep tax records and credit card statements for seven years. Keep pay stubs until you get your year-end tax forms, and keep key banking information permanently.
• Check your Credit Report. Consumers can request a free copy of their credit report from each of the three bureaus each year. Set up a regular schedule to get reports from www.annualcreditreport.com . A good rule of thumb is to get the report from one bureau in January, another in May, and the third in September. Notify the bureaus immediately if you find any errors or unusual activity, such as accounts you did not open."

source: Consumer Credit Counseling Service CCCS

______________





The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store

Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__

How to Get More Value From Your Home

There's a simple mathematical formula that will help you calculate the hidden value in your home. Divide your mortgage or annual lease by the total square footage in your home and use that value to calculate the cost of your living room, dining room or other underutilized rooms.

''You may be spending thousands of dollars for space that you use only twice a year,'' says Standolyn Robertson, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner/founder of Things In Place, an organizing consulting company in Massachusetts. You can increase the value of each room by finding new uses for the space.

Myscha Theriault, a personal finance and home-living blogger at http://www.wisebread.com/, knows the value of space. After relocating from Arizona, Theriault and her husband David -- a retired military man -- moved into a small New England cottage, a temporary home until their permanent house is built. Faced with limited space, Theriault developed several tricks for expanding her living quarters.

• Use the restaurant model. Vertical wire shelves and racks popular in industrial kitchens can serve several functions in homes. In her cottage, Theriault uses vertical shelves in the kitchen, entertainment area, bathroom and on a porch.

• Experiment with lofts. Medium-density fiberboard, plywood and other affordable materials can be used to build a platform, stage or bilevel lofts in an attic, bedroom or garage. Raised platforms can create a teen hangout, entertainment zone, craft work space or storage for sports equipment.

• Forget room titles. ''If you're stuck on labels, you're losing a lot of available space,'' Robertson says. A formal living room, for example, can double as a home library or rehearsal room for family musicians. Likewise, a buffet credenza in a dining room can serve as a work space for a home office during non-meal hours. When it's time to set the table, tuck office supplies into decorative baskets.

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.
~~~~
Previous Posts

Four Millionaire Moms Tell Their Secrets

Weekly Reading: My Favorite Links

My Teenage Son Paid Me 16 Cents To Clean His Room

Kiplinger’s: Tips for Retiring Rich: A Guest Post

~~~~
Sharon Harvey Rosenberg is the author of The Frugal Duchess of South Beach: How to Live Well and Save Money... Anywhere! , which will be published in the Spring of 2008 by DPL Press.

______________





The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store

Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__

Organize the Living Room; Organize Your Life

We all hope to fulfill New Year's resolutions, and an organized home could be the key. Standolyn Robertson, and owner/founder of Things In Place, an organizing consulting company in Massachusetts, claims that is the secret to accomplishing our goals.

To get a better grip on your home -- and your life -- pay extra attention to the kitchen and the living room. Last week, I wrote about the kitchen.

Likewise, a well-organized living room or the family den is also important to fulfilling other goals, such as quality family time and frugal entertainment. Here are some tips from Robertson, who is also president of the National Association of Professional Organizers:

• Create a few basic rules, especially for a living room. It's important to maintain order because the proliferation of high-tech toys can turn a living room into chaos. Keep your system for maintaining living areas simple. Make sure everyone buys into the plan and complies with the rules for storing games, gadgets and reading materials.

• Study the furniture in your living room or den and evaluate how the room fills your family's needs. If the room is used as a library, evaluate the adequacy of lights and bookshelves. Is the room primarily a place for home entertainment? Then arrange the furniture and accessories to accommodate that purpose. Seating areas should be comfortable and adequate for family and guests.

• Give gadgets a home. DVDs, video game accessories and other trinkets should be tucked away when not used. Robertson recommends storing television remotes and other hand-held devices in an attractive basket. This eliminates the frustration sparked by missing remotes and game controls.

• Supply baskets, bins or other attractive containers for storing newspapers and magazines. Establish a family policy for recycling periodicals. Robertson suggests a one-week curfew for newspapers.

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.

~~~~

Previous Posts

My Broken Cow Handles: Milking Cheap Ceramic for Frugal Lessons

Extra Income & Other Strategies for Digging out of Debt in 2008

~~~~

Sharon Harvey Rosenberg is the author of The Frugal Duchess of South Beach:How to Live Well and Save Money... Anywhere! , which will be published in the Spring of 2008 by DPL Press.

The Financial Power of Clean Countertops & The Hidden Costs of Chipped Mugs

It's an annual ritual. We make promises on Jan. 1. And within a week, our resolutions look as promising as the discarded gift boxes.

But there's a secret to making your resolutions stick, according to Standolyn Robertson, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner of Things in Place, an organizing consulting company in Massachusetts. Make organization your top priority, she says.
''An organized life is really connected to every goal,'' she told me during a recent telephone chat.


She suggests that we take a room-by-room tour of our home's public and personal living spaces. But the kitchen and the family room demand special attention.

The kitchen is the hub of the home, Robertson says. And she literally means business when she discusses the room's core value. She calls it the headquarters of the family business. The following steps will help you organize:

• Define your family goals. Do you want to increase the number of meals the family spends together? Are you trying to save money? Are you on a diet? Write down your goals (financial, health and entertainment).

• Brainstorm for ways the kitchen can support the family goals. If eating more meals together is on the agenda, examine your dining room table. Is the table cluttered and uninviting at mealtime? Are there enough chairs for everyone in the family to comfortably sit? Are your cabinets and refrigerator organized enough so that it's easy to take inventory and prepare healthy and/or frugal meals?

• Study your countertops. Too often kitchen prep areas are crowded with clutter. ''Don't underestimate the value of having a clear counter,'' Robertson says. ``It's your pallet for creating your meals.''

• Are your tools sharp and available? Dull knives and inaccessible pots will not encourage meal preparation. Without the right tools, the family is more likely to order take-out food, skip meals and splinter into self-involved groups.

• Toss your chipped mugs and purge your cabinets of dishes that are damaged or not used. ''Life is too short to drink out of a chipped mug,'' Robertson says.

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.
~~~~
Previous Posts
Yesterday:
Finding Hidden Profits in Mistakes: a 10-Step Program
Year in Review: My Best Posts in 2007

~~~~
Sharon Harvey Rosenberg is the author of The Frugal Duchess of South Beach:How to Live Well and Save Money... Anywhere! , which will be published in the Spring of 2008 by DPL Press.
______________



__

Storage Solutions: My Bathroom Looks Like A Sports Store

An unused shower stall in one of our bathrooms has become a sports center. Hidden behind an elegant shower curtain are scooters, bikes, roller blades and other small items that once cluttered various rooms of our home. The spare shower provides a creative solution to our lack of storage.

Finding hidden storage in unconventional spaces is an ideal solution for apartment and condo dwellers or families in small homes. Even in large homes, unused bathrooms can solve many organizational challenges, according to Rivka Caroline, owner of SoBe Organized in South Florida. For instance, a spare bathtub can be converted to a small hidden laundry room, Caroline said. Here's how: install a second shower curtain rod over the tub and use that rod to hang either wet or dry laundry.

''The trick is to think unconventionally,'' Caroline said.

In other areas of the home, ornamental accessories and furniture can provide places to stash things. Near her front door, Caroline uses a beautiful antique desk to keep her family organized and equipped as they walk out the door.

She has it neatly stocked with water bottles, ear pieces for electronic gadgets, phone chargers, flashlights, rain jackets, suntan lotion and other items for family or school outings.
Elegant piano stools also offer options. If the piano is rarely used, consider using the stool for storing other items needed around the home, Caroline said.


Myscha Theriault, a contributor at http://www.wisebread.com/, a popular frugal living blog, has compiled a helpful list of unusual storage spaces.

Her list includes:

• The space below shelves. Mugs, dishes and utensils can be hung on hooks from the bottom of a kitchen shelf. That same wall space can be used for storage if pegs are installed in the wall below the shelf.
• Use ceiling racks. In the kitchen, garage and other rooms, ceiling racks offer extra layers of storage. Sold at home improvement stores, these racks are great for storing pots, holiday decorations, tools and sporting equipment, Theriault said.

But avoid creating new clutter corners, advises Suzy Wilkoff, owner of Tasks Unlimited, an organizational consulting firm in Miami. Think before storing.


This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.
______________





The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store

Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__

Homework Help: Frugal Organization for the School Year

During the school year, students often have special assignments that demand time, energy and money. Fortunately, with a few time-saving steps, homework duties can be less stressful and time-consuming.


Sort home supplies. Take the divide-and-conquer approach when stashing home supplies, said Suzy Wilkoff, owner of Tasks Unlimited (http://www.tasksunlimited.com/), which is based in South Florida. She recommends separating pens, pencils, erasers, tape and staples into plastic containers or storage boxes of different colors. Use labels. In my house, school supplies are sorted into clear, vertical drawers. Having supplies on hand reduces the need for late-hour shopping trips on deadline.


Use a bookshelf. These are ideal for storing supplies, paper, notebooks and tablets.


Create a homework center. Whether it's the dining room table or a formal desk, homework needs a designated site.


Make a file box for each child. Wilkoff recommends establishing a file box for each child with color-coded or labeled files for each subject and after-school activity. ''It is very important to continually go through papers and discard what is nonessential,'' Wilkoff said, suggesting a monthly review.


Use a bulletin board. School notices, invitations and other announcements can be posted in chronological order and removed after the event is over. A wall calendar and a dry erase board are also helpful.


Color code events -- games, tests, tutoring sessions -- with a different marker for each child. While computer calendars and electronic reminders are great, a large family calendar or bulletin board keeps everyone up to date.


Give each child a manila folder. Too often important notices and letters from school get lost in backpacks. A manila envelope is 'a great way to keep the `pertinent' paper-type items organized inside a book bag that may have a habit of getting messy,'' Wilkoff says. Just be sure to check the envelope weekly.

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.
___________



The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store

Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__

My Costly Clutter: How Organization Saves Time & Money

I've let the balance on gift cards and vouchers go unused. But that wouldn't happen if I were better organized. An organized home saves time and money, according to Standolyn Robertson, (pictured on the left) president of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and president of Things In Place. Here's how organization can save resources around the home:

KITCHEN
• Generate lists: Standardized shopping lists reduce waste by eliminating duplications, impulse purchases and shortages. Type a shopping list onto your personal digital assistant (PDA), cellphone or home computer. Or keep a notepad near the refrigerator and write down food staples as supplies dwindle. ''Buying what you need and using what you have eliminates waste,'' Robertson says.
• Organize cabinets: With a well-stocked, streamlined kitchen, you're less likely to spend money on gourmet coffee, junk food and takeout meals. A system for organizing food shelves and tracking supplies will encourage you to cook more meals at home.
• Create morning routines: Use kitchen space to organize breakfasts, keys, backpacks and even travel mugs of coffee. A morning routine -- with designated locations for supplies and tools -- saves money and increases your productivity.

HOME OFFICE FILES

• Establish a rebate folder: Create a system for checking deadlines and storing documents -- receipts, UPC codes and other files -- needed to redeem rebate offers.
• Monitor gift card balances: Get the most for your money by creating space and procedures in your home office for tracking the balances on gift cards, vouchers, store credits and frequent shopper/flier bonuses. Too often those perks are squandered because consumers fail to track and use store credits and card balances.
• Store documents: Extra time and money is often wasted when consumers replace lost vital records such as passports, birth certificates and Social Security cards. Create a designated space for those records.
• Maintain a deadline calendar: Save on registration fees and travel expenses by establishing a calendar of early-bird deadlines for personal and professional commitments, conferences and travel. They typically feature significant discounts.

CLOSETS

• Buy missing pieces: Purchase the accessories and garments needed to fully use your clothes.
• Donate clothes that don't fit: Request a tax deduction from a nonprofit organization.
• Shop selectively: Don't purchase items that need to be altered or repaired.

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.

______________



The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store

Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__

Low-Cost Closet Organization Tips

Like an unruly rugby match, shoes, belts and hangers fiercely compete for space in many walk-in closets. Fortunately, you don't have to spend a fortune to create the perfect closet. Discount stores, home improvement chains and upscale home boutiques offer many options.
Professional organizers recommend these steps:

• Know yourself, says Standolyn Robertson, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and owner of Things in Place, based in Massachusetts. ''You need to make sure that you're really considering a system that will work for you,'' Robertson says.

• Consider your finances. Professionally installed projects range from $300 to $15,000, according to Mort Malis, owner of the Miami franchise of California Closet. Pre-fabricated do-it-yourself shelves and closet materials from home supply stores are a budget option, says Efrain Machado, owner of Luv My Closet in Miami Beach. Although Machado sells closet units that can cost up $8,000, he has also created attractive solutions using trays, wicker baskets and decorative boxes priced from $5 to $14 at Target.

• Sort and purge. Empty out your closet and make some ''hard decisions,'' about each item, says Robertson of NAPO. Your give-away pile should include shopping mistakes, ill-fitting garments and worn out items, she says. Malis of California Closet says to discard or give away anything that you haven't worn in the past 12 to 18 months.

• Create groupings. Clothes and accessories should be organized by function and season. Rotate your seasonal items, with out-of-season clothes in the back and high-use items in the front. Store folded sweaters and T-shirts on open closet shelves.

• Double Up. Use shelves and different levels of horizontal rods to create layers of space.

• Discard wire hangers. In humid South Florida, metal hangers can leave rust stains. Opt for plastic, wood or fabric-covered hangers.

This is from my latest column in the Home & Design Section of the Miami Herald.
____________





The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store

Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__