Street Insight

Being Disorganized Is Costing You Money

 

13. Tax deductions: There are quite a few tax deductions that you may qualify for but can't take unless you kept the proper records. Did you keep track of the miles you drove in relation to charitable work your performed? Did you keep a list of all the items you donated? These things and more may be deductible if you keep the proper records. With the Internal Revenue Service now requiring proof of donations valued at under $250 to charities beginning this year, this becomes even more critical.

14. Time: Your time has value. All those little things being disorganized force you to do add up over the course of a day. How long did it take for you to find your keys? How about your glasses? While it may have been only a few minutes here and there, it adds up to a lot of time lost over the course of a day, a week and a month.

15. Lost productivity: If you have ever wondered why some people seem to be able to do an amazing amount of work compared to the average person, chances are the reason is that they are highly organized. It's amazing how much productivity gets wasted each day simply due to lack of organization. When you are able to increase your productivity, this can lead to better opportunities at work or give you time to seek out other interests.

This doesn't even take into account the relief from stress that comes with knowing where things are and not having to search high and low for everything you need each day. Taking the time to get yourself better organized will not only help your finances, but also give you the opportunity to do a lot more each day.

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Jeffrey Strain has been a freelance personal finance writer for the past 10 years helping people save money and get their finances in order. He currently owns and runs SavingAdvice.com.

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