Here are some easy-to-follow suggestions about basic household organization that you can use to immediately start saving money.

• Don't procrastinate!

  If you leave it today for tomorrow you will still have to do it, so just do it now and get it off your mind.

• Pay your bills on a regular basis.

  Twice a month or once a week. When a bill comes in the mail open it immediately. Keep all your bills in one place with pens, pencils with working erasers, calculator, envelopes, and postage stamps.

• If you are unable to pay a bill.

  Call the place to whom it is owed BEFORE it is due. Explain your situation and see if you can work out a payment plan. Most places would be more than happy to work out a payment plan rather than not receive the money or have to call a collection agency.

• Keep a master to-do and to-call list.

  I keep a small spiral notebook. I divide each page in half with a line and everyday I write down what needs to be done. One side of the line is for the "To Do" items and the other side is for "To Call" items. If you like you can use one page for each day. If you need to do something on Wednesday and it's Monday, write it on your to-do list for Wednesday.

• Look at your list from a priority standpoint.

  What needs to be done first? Number items on your list according to their importance starting from 1 and then work on the most important things first.

• Don't over schedule yourself.

  Be flexible and allow yourself some room for illness, unexpected appointments etc.

• For appointments...

  Always plan to be early and bring something to do (like a magazine or novel you want to read). Make sure that you bring something along for the kids also.

• Keep a master list of weekly housecleaning duties and assign a day for them to get done.
  If you clean the bathrooms every Monday, you don't have to worry about wondering when they were last cleaned.

• Create a place for items waiting to leave the house.

• Create a place, preferably by the door, in the house for everything that needs to be returned, including library books, dry cleaning, letters to be mailed, etc. Then you won't have to search for things when you are leaving.

• Put the children to bed at least 1 hour before your bed time.

  Use the time to relax and get things done that would be easier and faster to do without their "help". There is no reason that the kids need to be up late and the quiet time will reduce your stress level.

• Try waking up 15 minutes earlier each morning.

  This gives you a little breathing time before you have to start hurrying for the day. Take time to enjoy your cup of coffee.

• Children want quantity time not quality time.

  They can help you with the lawn work, dishes, laundry, dusting, vacuuming and other household chores. They will learn the things they need for life while spending time with mom and dad.

• Make your kitchen utensils accessible.

  Put frequently used kitchen items like ladles, wooden spoons and spatulas in a container on the counter near the stove. It frees up storage space and makes them easier to access.

• Cut knives from your silverware drawer (pun intended ;-).

  Instead of storing knives in a drawer, try putting them on a rack on the wall.

• Store linens in the rooms where they are used.

  Try different storage areas. For example, store kitchen linens on a cabinet shelf instead of stuffed in a drawer.

• Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of http://www.LivingOnADime.com and authors of Dining On A Dime Cookbook. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

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