Clean out your closets and save money

July 6, 7:51 AMLA Working Moms ExaminerJamee Tenzer

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  ©Nikola Hristovski Dreamstime.com

Summer is a great time to clean out and clean up.  It feels great to successfully say no to small purchases that we really don't need and take those few extra moments to think about whether there might be a lower cost solution to the challenge at hand.

It’s a great time to clean out closets, drawers and freezers. You may be surprised to find an absolute gold mine hiding in the forgotten nooks and crannies of your home. I’ve started actually USING the food that I had carefully labeled and stored in my freezer - I found some wonderful turkey soup, lasagna and so much more. Over the past month, I've substituted a few of these frozen masterpieces for dinners that would have been pizza or some other kind of "take-out," and saved a couple of bucks.

Once you've tackled the kitchen, move  to the closet! You won't believe what you will find in there: clothes! Shoes! Sweaters, oh my! You know that old phrase "So many clothes, nothing to wear!?" We actually do own clothes that we love and want to wear. The problem is we forget what we have.

And then it’s on to the drawers! Do you buy the same item over and over again because you can't remember if you have it already at home? I do this with cold medicines, Q-tips, tape, nail polish, and so much more. I also buy greeting cards that I think are funny and then forget to send them to anyone. At $3 per card, each time I use one I've already bought, I can earn enough for a good cup of coffee. Now that's a good trade-off!

COACH ME QUICK! TIPS FOR CLEANING OUT AND CLEANING UP!

1. Set aside 10 minutes per day this week to look in your drawers, closet or freezer. What will you find? What can you use?

2. The next time your child has a project due for school or needs a costume, take a minute to see if you have some of the supplies you need at home, before going to the store.

3. Celebrate the small savings. Make it a game. This is not about sacrifice; it's about saving money that you can use for something that holds real value for you or someone you love.

This is a great place to take all your gently used clothes and turn them in for shopping dollars.  They have a few locations in Los Angeles and Santa Monica:

Crossroads Trading Company