Good afternoon, savvy savers! With a new week, comes new challenges, and among these challenges are way to bring peace and utility to our day-to-day lives, and here at the Lady Prefers To Save, we like to help you accomplish this task through a weekly blog series, called Organizational Ideas!  For this weeks Organizational Ideas Series Installment, we will be having a guest post by the very talented Bonnie Dewkett, blogger, professional organizer, and economist from The Joyful Organizer®! 

Here are Bonnie’s tips for creating organization, through economizing, as seen on her blog, The Joyful Organizer:

Getting organized will save you money.  However, we can all take it a bit further.  Here are a few tips that are easy to integrate into your daily life that will save you money.  Involve the family and you’ll have an even greater chance of success.

Go Meatless-Going meatless for at least one day a week helps you be healthier, save the environment and of course, saves you money.  Beans and other vegetarian products are much cheaper than meat.

Call your service providers-Give all of your service providers a call and ask them for a better deal. Most people are fearful to do this, but the worst thing they can say is that they have no better offers.  Don’t be afraid to switch providers if someone is offering a better deal that benefits your family.

Buy in bulk-buy the items you use frequently in bulk.  Good candidates are toilet paper, toothpaste and sponges.  Make sure you will use the entire amount before it expires.  Also, take the wholesale membership costs into account.

Use a programmable thermostat-This allows you to turn the heat down while you’re gone during the day and turn it back up before you arrive home.  Making these small adjustments every day can add up to a big savings.

Save with apps-Use coupon apps such as Coupon Sherpa and Retail Me Not.  These allow you to look for the best deal and sales even while you’re in the store.

Use grocery delivery-While there is usually a delivery fee it is often less than the time and gas you’d spend grocery shopping.  Plus, if you are going hungry or with kiddies, you’ll surely make some impulse purchases.

Make it visual-If you have a long term financial goal, such as a trip to Disney World, use a visual reminder to save.  A drawn thermometer that you color in or a jar full of coins.

Walk Away-If you’re shopping online and like something, put it in your cart and walk away. Since the store is probably using cookies to track you, they will often send you a reminder with a coupon in a day or so.

Use natural cleaners-Making your own cleaners with vinegar and water will save you a lot of money over time.  Maximize the savings even more by using cloths that you can wash and reuse over and over again.

Stay In-Instead of expensive family movie nights out, buy a Netflix subscription and stay in.  Make home made microwave popcorn and even bake cookies to make it an entire evening of fun.

Swap with friends-Swap kid’s clothing, toys, meals, and even baby sitting services with your neighbors and everyone saves time and money!  (You can also use sites such as Free Cycle.)

Library-Use the library.  It’s shocking that people forget it even exists.  They allow your o read books for free!  Most libraries have movies and music as well.

Thank you again to Bonnie for her wonderful organizing tips! To find out more about Bonnie, check out her blog  The Joyful Organizer, and her professional organization site, The Joyful Organizer®! Also be sure to check out  and subscribe to Bonnie’s iTunes Radio show, The Joyful Organizer as well!

Here’s to staying organized!