As a professional organizer, I practice what I preach. That means that between my work for and with clients of Personal Money Manager™, I am always looking for ways to streamline and declutter my own work and living spaces.
I’ve lived in my house for 38 years. And while I keep clutter within bounds, believe me when I say there are always extra items that I can easily live without. (And while my client work is with financial paperwork exclusively, I have to deal with “three dimensional” stuff in my non-work hours.)
The easy part is often deciding I just don’t need something anymore: Cookie cutters my kids have outgrown, the flip-top vinegar bottle I intended for salad dressing but never used. It’s simplest to start with the things that you may not even remember you had!
Some of those items are tucked away in my supply closet (the over-flow one in my basement). There sits three half reams of pink card stock. They were “gifted” to me about 25 years ago by my boss in the insurance agency where I was a broker. I think it was left over from a promotion. One morning she handed them to me saying: “You have small children. You enjoy doing “crafty” things with them. These are for you.”
Over the years, we enjoyed cutting and gluing with the paper creating cards and paper chains and more. But most remained neatly sealed in their wrappers.
Fast forward to earlier this month. I received an invitation to a networking event for professionals working with older adults. The planned activity: making Valentines for clients of Meals on Wheels to be delivered with their meals.
Bingo! A match could be made between something I no longer needed and the exact place where it would be appreciated! How satisfying! (Making the match even more perfect is that my boss had been chair of the board of the local Meals on Wheels, then went on to become its director. The pink card stock was coming full circle.)
Of course, when things need to go pronto, it’s not always possible to find the perfect place. It takes time, thought, and research. So best to start early. In my work with older adult clients, I encourage them to make as many matches as they can while they have the time and energy to do so.
Have you made “perfect matches” of your own or for clients? I’d love to hear about it.
While not exactly in my bailiwick as Personal Money Manager™, I enjoy helping others make “the perfect match” by collecting and sharing “niche” outlets for donating, selling, or recycling items. Here are some recent finds: An auction house that specializes in textile arts, a place to donate vintage Playbills for charity. And this tip: when clearing out an older home, offer the telephone books you may find to the local genealogical society.
And, of course, Happy Valentine’s Day from my home to yours. It’s a heart-felt sentiment I hope you will recycle and re-use!
Copyright 2025 by Karen R. Caccavo, all rights reserved
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