Organizing Your Finances {with a free printable!}

If you knew there was a simple step you could take that would add money to your family's bank account, wouldn't you take it? Today I'm sharing a finance tracking method that has done just that for me!

Money is a part of daily life in today's society. Whether we like it or not, we are required to use and have money on a daily basis. And I bet there is not one of us that is not concerned about our money to some degree – where it is coming from, where it is going, and what we are doing with it while we have it (however brief that might be!)

A couple years ago I became frustrated with the way I was handling my finances. In my case, I have no one to blame but myself! I found myself spending little amounts here and there, and finding out when it was too late that those innocent little amounts add up fast! Another scenario was not being able to remember where I spent the money…all I knew was that it was gone. Have you ever had that happen?

It was time for something to change. So I designed a printable Spending Record!

The concept is pretty simple. It keeps track of all my money, coming or going. Because I have bank accounts on both sides of the border, plus a paypal account, I wanted to be able to see all the balances in one place.

I made a colourful sheet with 8 columns. Five of them show my different personal accounts, one keeps a running overall total, and the other two are for the date of the transaction and the Activity and Purpose. This is where I log the amount spent or received, and what is was for. I then add or deduct it from the appropriate account and write the new balance in the column.

I've been using this system for quite some time, and it works so well for me! Being able to keep track of all my money and accounts in one place is so simple.

The best part of this system is that now I can see exactly where every dollar is going. I don't have a lot of income, and every dollar counts! I am sure many of you are counting your pennies just as carefully. With this system of recording every transaction, I can see where I'm spending more money and what I can do to save in certain areas.

Since starting this system, I have my “total balance” column grow and continue to grow more steadily then it did before. I think that is happening for a couple of reasons:

1. Knowing I will have to record every dollar makes me second-guess impulsive purchases or just unneeded items. I'm not saying that I don't ever spend money on little pleasures (Hello Dunkin!!) but I do rethink the purchases that aren't as important.

2. I believe the Lord honours those that strive to be good stewards of what He has given us. I Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” In addition, I Corinthians 14:40 states, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” I believe both of these verses can be applied to our finances! The money God gives us here on earth is simply a tool to accomplish His will and working in our lives. I believe the least we can do is manage it decently and faithfully!

I'd love to help you take control of your finances and see your bank accounts grow and grow, so I'm offering this printable, which normally is sold at So Sew Organized, FREE for any Imperfect Homemaker readers! Throughout the month of April you can get your own copy of this Spending Record at no cost just by leaving your name and email address in the comments of this post. (You can also email me directly if you prefer: soseworganized(at)gmail(dot)com. Just mention you are from Imperfect Homemaker!)

The printable you will receive will have blank columns for you to customize to fit your own needs, and of course I'll put your name on it instead of mine. =) I can do other customization you may prefer as well…just give me all the details in your comment! Be sure to request your copy before the month is up!

This method has saved me money, and I'm so glad I can pass it on to you! What other ways does your family keep track of your finances? Any other tips to share? What methods do you use to stretch those hard-earned dollars?

Freezer Cooking Guide: Tools for Successful Freezer Cooking

To be successful with freezer cooking it's important to have the right tools. Some of these things you likely already have; others you may need to purchase in order to make your freezer cooking go as smoothly as possible.

1. The Right Freezer — Although you can use the freezer over your refrigerator, it may be difficult to fit a lot of food in there.  We like to purchase meat in bulk, and we also freeze fruits and vegetables during the growing season, so our freezer tends to not have much room left over for freezing meals.  We purchased a frost-free freezer from Sears so that we would have room for all of our bulk purchases and bulk cooking sessions.  You could try searching on Craigslist for a used one, but I recommend getting a frost-free freezer.  We had one that was not frost free, and got really tired of defrosting it all the time!

2. Large Bowls — When you are preparing food in bulk, your job will be much, much easier if you have large bowls in which to mix your food. Shoot for at least a 32 cup mixing bowl.

3. Large Pots — If you're going to cook large amounts of food, you'll need large pots in which to cook it! 16 qts. is a good size; although you may like having more than one.

4. Freezer Bags — Freezing food in bags and laying them down flat is a good way to optimize freezer space.  Just make sure you are using freezer bags, and not just plain plastic ziptop bags.  The freezer bags are much thicker and will prevent freezer burn.

5. Glass Baking Pans —  If you're going to double, triple, or quadruple a casserole recipe, you'll need enough pans in which to cook it!  You can buy disposable aluminum pans, or just invest in several glass baking pans that you can use over and over.  (If you want to have meals in the freezer that you can take to sick or bereaved friends at the last minute, use aluminum so that they won't have to wash dishes or remember to give your pan back.)

6. Permanent marker — You need to label all your food, and a sharpie works best for writing directly on the bags. If you don't want to write directly on something then buy some masking tape, write on that, and stick it to the dish.

7. Quality knives — Don't skimp on the quality of your knives. You want to be able to cut veggies easily and quickly.

8. Two Large Slow Cookers — Use one for a freezer meal and a second one for dinner the night you're cooking all that food for the freezer.  You'll thank yourself at dinner time!  (I prefer an oval shaped slow cooker, because I can fit larger items in it, such as a long roast.)

9. Ice Cube Trays — Great for freezing left over broth and stock to use in recipes later.

10. Mesh Colander — I prefer mesh for draining since very little other than water can go through.

11. Large Food Processor — If you are going to be chopping large quantities of vegetables, a food processor will make the process go much faster!

12.  Cutting Board Set — Having cutting boards dedicated for meat and vegetabes will keep you from contaminating your food.

13. Apron — This is not a necessity, but it's  nice to have something clean to wipe your hands on instead of your clothes. Plus, it's fun to put on an apron and get into the mood to cook.

14. Comfortable Shoes — You're going to be standing for a while, so you need to wear something that will keep your feet from aching.  I have these and wear them all day, every day without any foot pain.  My favorite shoes ever!

Take the time to ensure that you have what you truly need before giving freezer cooking a try. It will be so much easier with the right tools!

Be sure to check out the other posts in the Freezer Cooking Guide:

4 Reasons You Should Be Freezer Cooking

Which Foods Can You Freeze?

Tips for Success

Apparoo App of the Week

I've partnered with Apparoo, the app discovery service for busy moms, to bring you a new App for kids each week!

Each week I'll be sharing the ‘Apparoo App of the Week' with you. Very often they've negotiated to bring you great paid apps at heavily discounted rates and sometimes even free.

This week's app:  Rio Read and Play

Shake your tailfeathers and join blue macaws Blu and Jewel for a colorful read-along adventure set in Rio de Janeiro. This delightful app, featuring characters from the popular animated film Rio, will appeal to fans of the film and newcomers alike. The narrated storybook will encourage your child’s reading skills, the coloring tools will foster their artistic talent – and the bonus activities will grant you peace and quiet over at least two extra states on your next cross-country flight. A feast for the senses, this bright, fun-filled app is like a tiny little Brazilian vacation on your iPad!

Download the app here. (Free for a limited time!)

Disclaimer: I know nothing about this app personally, so I am not necessarily endorsing it by posting here.  You'll have to check it out for yourself and determine whether it's right for your family.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Apparoo.

Save Money on Toilet Paper

Want to help with a project that will save us all money?

I'm on a quest to find the cheapest and the best toilet paper. But there are so many kinds to compare! If you're willing to share some information about the kind you use, I will compile all of the results to help us determine which is truly cheapest and best.

(Some kinds cost less, but they don't last as long.  Some kinds cost less, but are horrible quality.  We're going to figure out what kind to buy to get the most bang for our buck!)

Need Some Homemaking Motivation?

Last Friday I live posted on the Facebook page different assignments to help you get your house in tip-top shape for the weekend.  We all worked together and got our homes clean in a hurry!

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the challenge, so we decided to create a group to keep each other on our toes to keep our homes clean and organized.

If you need some accountability in this area, come join us!  We have a new habit to work on every two weeks, as well as a focused project to complete each week.

Click here to join the group.

Help for Disorganized People: What to Do When You Get off Track

Last week I shared a number of tips to help you overcome your organizing roadblocks, but no matter how good your plan is you may occasionally find you have slipped back into old habits.  Or perhaps something threw you off your schedule, such as illness or another emergency. However it happens, you will sometimes find yourself back into your old habits of disorganization and procrastination.

Here's what to do when  you get off track:

• Don't give up — You can choose to let the interruption cause you to fall off the cliff or you can grab control and start from now climbing your way back up the mountain.

• Be honest with yourself — Determine what caused you to lose your focus. Are you overly tired; are you eating right; is something else wrong causing you to go back to your old ways of procrastination and disorganization?  Or are you just being lazy?

• Start small — Tackle one small thing to get it reorganized. It's especially important to go back and reorganize the things you've already organized that have gotten off track. Don't tackle anything new until you've at least gotten back to where you were.

• Go back to your calendar — The easiest place to start is your calendar. If you've been writing things in it, even the minutia, then you should have a place to start right there in today's date. If not, start writing in your calendar again.

• Let go — Don't beat yourself up about falling off the path. The important thing is that you're willing to admit your mistakes and start again from where you are.  Baby steps will get you there just as well as leaps and bounds.

• Do what works — If you've discovered a way to do something that works, stick to it. You don't need to reinvent the wheel or try to force someone else's methods upon yourself. If it works, it works; so do it! (Just be mindful that you're not letting disorganization and procrastination be what works!)

If you've gotten off track with your organization efferts, take heart!  You've realized you have a problem and that  fact alone will help you take the steps to correct it.  You can take control again simply because you've accepted that you need to. Even if all you do is start with something small like organizing your purse, filling in your to-do calendar, or cleaning off your desk at work. The fact is, starting is half the battle.

Have you gotten off track with your organizing?  Where do you need to start to put yourself back on?