Holiday Money Saving Tips & Tricks

During the holidays it can be a super stressful time for many people especially when it comes to money.   As a professional organizer and concierge I am always thinking with my clients in mind and trying to be several steps ahead of the game. Here are some various holiday money saving tips and tricks that you can start implementing and trying to get ahead of the game.

Start buying gift cards now to use towards holiday gifts, events, etc. in November & December. Often times gift cards go on sale through different retailers around holiday times like Father's Day, Labor Day, etc. or you can double, triple or quadruple fuel reward points at certain grocery stores throughout the year. Buy gift cards early for places you know you will shop, dine or attend events for during the holidays so you are not as stressed out when it comes to the holidays.

Paying for certain holiday services early will often give you bigger discounts. Many holiday light companies in Houston offer discounts anywhere from 50-75% off if you get your lights installed at the end of October versus in late November and December. Just because you have them installed doesn't mean you have to turn them on. Also, some Christmas tree companies will give you a discount if you pre-order your Christmas tree early. Many photographers will offer discounts for holiday photos if you book early.

Go to training schools to get self-care services like hair, massage, etc. Many people like to partake in various self care services during the holidays to prep for events, relieve stress, etc. If you are trying to save money consider going to training schools that offer services like massage, hair, etc. to receive their services at a greatly discounted price. 

Always ask stores for discounts and to price compare. Many stores will price compare, take expired coupons, discount various items if a box is damaged and sometimes you can even add on a coupon after price matching for even bigger discounts. It doesn't hurt to ask, and the worst that can happen is the manager says no. 

If you are hosting a party and are serving guests buffet style, put filler foods towards the beginning of the line. Start off the line with foods in the front like breads, pasta, chips, egg based casseroles, fruits  & veggies, etc. These are often inexpensive items you can get from the store and people tend to fill up their plates a lot with foods at the beginning of the line and then they fill fuller so you can spend less and offer less portions on more expensive food items like meat, fish, etc. 

Utilize neighborhood Facebook groups for various services. Many neighborhood Facebook groups post that their kids are off from college, need a little extra cash, etc. and offer various services like babysitting, yard work, light hanging, assembling toys, etc. I have personally used many high school kids that help various home projects. It is inexpensive and great way to help them out.

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Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Eco Modern Concierge Featured On The Zoe Report

Way back in June I was asked to contribute to an article for The Zoe Report on How to Organize Your Pantry, No Matter the Size (Or Budget). Of course I said yes! They asked because I am a professional organizer and needed quick tips. Pantries are probably one of our most requested organizing areas and we organize them ALL the time. Plus, with the holidays around the corner now is perfect time to start organizing your pantry. I love when I get asked to contribute to various articles. There are so many things you can do to help you get on organized pantry.

How do you organize your pantry?

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Houston Professional Organizer // Client Whole House Organization Jewelry Organization

Jewelry organizing is one of those things that there is usually not a perfect solution that we use time and time again because everyone has such a different amount and types of jewelry. With this client we slowly worked through her whole house last year and one of the times I was there we worked on her jewelry. I organized all her earrings (this is only one picture, there was actually a stack of acrylic drawers that had earrings in them as well) We put a lot of the statement earrings on this jewelry organizer and smaller earrings like studs in the acrylic drawers like these. 

Here is what I did to organize the jewelry:

1. Sort all jewelry
2. Match like pairs together
3. Organize on the accordion organizer or in the acrylic jewelry drawers

How do you organize your jewelry? 

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Houston Professional Organizer's Holiday Binder to Help You Get Organized During The Holidays

Every holiday season (and throughout the year) I use a holiday binder in order to help me stay on top of all things holiday and keep me organized. That way have a go to place to keep my calendars, shopping lists, card list, receipts, etc. I also like to keep envelopes with money in them for things that I want to do during the holidays or tips I need to give to service people during the holidays. 

I sell these holiday binders on the Eco Modern Concierge Etsy shop. 

Get organized for the holidays with this holiday binder

28 pages include:

• Thanksgiving timeline
• Thanksgiving menu planning
• Thanksgiving grocery list
• Thanksgiving gratitude list
• Frindsgiving guest list
• Hanukkah menu planning
• Hanukkah grocery list
• Christmas menu planning
• Christmas grocery list
• New Years grocery list
• New Years menu planning
• Shopping list
• Holiday packing list
• Holiday mailing list
• Holiday bucket list
• Holiday kids to-do list
• Holiday to-do list
• Holiday interior decorations plan
• Holiday exterior decorations plan
• Holiday party planning checklist
• Holiday party planning notes
• Holiday restock list
• Holiday ideas
• Holiday gratitude list
• Holiday notes
• Holiday give back ideas
• Holiday travel itinerary 
• Holiday travel tips
• 4 recipe cards with sheet protectors
• 2 clear letter sized pocket pouches
• 1 clear zippered pencil pouch
• 2 blank calendar pages
• 1 binder

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How to Stay Organized During the Halloween Season

I don't know about you, but once October hits in our business and household things start to speed up a little more than usual. We are constantly helping concierge and organizing clients during the holiday season and it is important to stay organized in order to make sure you get everything done and stay a little less stressed, including during the Halloween season.

Use a blank calendar to keep track of everything you will be doing in regards to Halloween. This includes parties, making costumes, school events, fall festivals / carnivals, etc. I know things my look different this year for some cities and states because of COVID, but it is still good to have a plan.

Set deadlines and goals for yourself. If you are making your costume &/or your kids costume, plan ahead on a calendar of when things to get done by. If you are hosting a party plan on the calendar what you need to do, days you need to start prepping, supplies, etc,.

Pick and day and time you will get pumpkins. If you are usually last minute and are a hurry to just pick something up in order to carve pumpkins or you feel obligated, then plan day you will actually go and get pumpkins.

Gather and organize Halloween decorations. Gather all of your decorations if they are spread out in different areas and organize them, get rid of what you don't need and make a list of things you want to get.

Make sure you have a plan for the night of Halloween. Will you be taking the kids trick or treating? Will you be staying home passing out candy? Will you be going out to a Halloween party? Will you be staying home with the lights turned off?

Make sure your pets are safe during Halloween. Make sure there are not plants or food within reach of them if they are prone to getting into things, make sure to keep them inside on Halloween night, etc.

Clean up your messes. Whether you are cooking, doing school projects, prepping for a party, making costumes, etc., be sure to clean up as you go.

Opt for eco options. Take reusable bags or pumpkins when trick or treating, opt for healthier candy options, buy used costumes, etc.

Have an easy dinner ready to go for Halloween night. Have something easy and quick to make for Halloween night. Growing up we always had chili and now my husband and I usually make Frito pie on Halloween night.

Organize and store everything at the end of the season. At the end of the season get rid of broken, torn or no longer wanted Halloween items. Properly store, organize and label Halloween bins, so you know exactly where everything is for the following year.

Photo by Scott Webb from Pexels

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Houston Professional Organizer // Holiday Closet Before & After

A professional organizer's dream is looking at organized spaces and this holiday closet organization project does the trick. We always have so much fun at this client's house and have made some fun transformations in this River Oaks Houston home. They wanted all of their holiday supplies organized and easily accessible, so that is what we did. We organized each box by holiday or type of event like Christmas, 4th of July, etc. Are your holiday decorations organized?

Here is what we did:

1. Took everything out of the closet.
2. Sorted by type like all ornaments together, Thanksgiving, etc.
3. Wrapped all the ornaments and made sure they were secure. 
4. Organized into bins. 
5. Labeled. 
6. Put like holidays together on the shelves.

Here are some items we used for this project:

• Crinkle paper
• Cushion wrap
• Big clear containers
• Index Labels
• Label Maker
• Clear labels for label maker

Before:

After:

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Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

If you are a home owner then you know that maintaining a home is A LOT of work. As a professional organizer and concierge, I help clients maintain their homes through all seasons. It is important to put home maintenance reminders on your calendar, as to make sure they do not go by the waste side.

• Check your winter outdoor equipment and make sure everything is working properly.
• Fix any drafts that are in your house, like doors and windows.
• Drain any hoses and faucets outdoors. 
• Insulate pipes.
• Clean your chimney and make sure it is in great working order.
• Clean your gutters.
• Change batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. 
• Organize and clean your kitchen to prep for the holidays.
• Clean and make sure all heating systems are working properly.
• Change air filters. 
• Change the direction of the ceiling fans.
• Stock up on fire wood.

What fall maintenance tips do you have?

Photo by Scott Webb from Pexels

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