Partners in Clean: Week One!!!

Ok, ok, the bills didn't get paid yet. Tuesday's mail, I promise. Really. Strange but true, we spent our six month anniversary visiting my parents. We even had fun! But, bills didn't get paid, since I napped in the car both ways. Ah well...

That said, I didn't get any suggestions for a kick in the butt for this week either. So - I figured that I would give us all three choices/tasks for the week.

You can do several things from one category, or one thing each from the three categories, or, for the seriously-lacking-in-willpower and/or time, try and do one thing from one of the categories! We'll be tackling habits next week, so keep your thinking caps on this week as you work on: Finances, Magazines, and Counters!

FINANCES:
*Pay bills - hopefully without late charges!
*Actually *read* bills to make sure they accurately reflect the services you have received.
*Balance checkbook.
*Make an extra payment against debt, if you can.
*Look into consildating student loans before the rules change and you can't anymore.
*Check on how your investments are performing, if you have any!
*Check the assessed value of your home/rent amount against other homes of the same type in your area.
*Start an IRA, especially if your company offers matching funds - free money is GOOD!
*Check around for better insurance rates and make sure that you have the coverage you need, ie is your fancy sewing machine covered?!
*Work out a payment plans with a creditor - local folks might take barter, but value of said is still taxable...
*Start a savings account (even just in a jar in your dresser if it doesn't add up to much yet) - and make it for something specific if that helps motivate you!
*Read a personal finance magazine. Money is good for starters, or Bottom Line or Kiplinger's if you are more advanced...
*Suggest something equally financially savvy to the group!

MAGAZINES:
*Check expiration dates, and decide if you want to re-up.
*Organize them for easier retrieval or just to get them out of the way. *Donate/recycle issues you no longer need.
*Actually photocopy or rip out articles/images you *really* need and then file them or do something with them, other than just pile them up!
*Check the magazine section at your local bookstore and read them over lunch to save money (NZ Quilter anyone?), or see if you can find one that would be a special treat for yourself if you want to bribe yourself with goodies or have a title ready to provide the next time someone asks what you want for your next gift giving celebration! You might even find one with useful info for your organizing or business needs, like the Craft Report!

COUNTERS:
*Do dishes so you can actually see them!
*Bleach nasty stains out if needed.
*Check out if you really need all that stuff OUT instead of IN cabinets!
*Buy yourself a new sponge. They hold germs like you wouldn't believe.
*Get a lid/mug/tea/other rack to keep things less cluttered.
*Put dirty cutlery all in one bowl or jar for easy loading/washing later.
*Actually wash the drying rack. Otherwise, why bother washing *anything?*
*Wash and refill storage containers. Trust me - whatever was in them is NASTY by now.
*Make sure that your dyeing and painting equipment is NO WHERE NEAR FOOD or anything that will ever touch food again. That includes not rinsing brushes in a sink with eating stuff in it! Hint: I tied yarn around the handles of the measuring spoons and cups that I use for dyeing, so I know never to use them for food again...


For my part, I will tend to:

-Finances: Pay bills (really!), read Money Mag (done already), put mad money Mom gave me into savings towards new bolts and upgraded sewing machine.

-Magazines: Recycle remaining Time Mags, buy more holders and continue magazine avalanche prevention project, get renewal notice to Dad so he can re-up me AND save money with pre-expiration rates (done)!

-Counters: Do the blessed dishes (it is a wonder the cats didn't shatter them all over the weekend!), bleach counters, break out new sponge, keep pans out of the sink for easier disposal of paint-polluted water.

Not too bad for a plan for the week. BTW - I am going to start putting up PICtures (pictures with a Partners In Clean spin to them). Who wants to see my dirty dishes and counters, before and after shots! (we'll save dirty laundry for another week - yikes!) Sounds scary, but it will motivate me, and you all can feel really good about yourselves looking at my messes! BUT, if you want to put up your OWN PICtures, go right ahead! I don't know if you can put them in comments or not, but you can a) put them in your own blog and give us a link, or b) send them to me and I'll put them up here for all of our motivational pleasure.

So, get working folks, and let us know how it is going for you!