As financial organizer / daily money manager, my objective is to bring more ease and order — to make a difference — in my clients’ lives. I achieve this in a variety of ways. I often start by tackling the big issues that are making life difficult for a client. Erratic bill-paying? I create a system so bills are scrutinized …
Making a New Year’s resolution? Chances are it’s to get better organized. So, as a financial organizer / daily money manager, how can I possibly ignore this topic? Here are my thoughts: Why pass up an opportunity to hit the “refresh” button? Along with the first signs of spring, the first day of school, etc., a new year gives us hope …
There is nothing like a new kitten to lighten things up and provoke a smile or two. That’s what I found when my family adopted Rosie Mittens two years ago. And since I have a home office, the furry bundle of joy follows me into my financial organizing workplace. Little did I know that her most endearing characteristics could be …
I recently spoke to a local Rotary about my best tips, as an experienced financial organizer / daily money manager, for working effectively with seniors on their financial paperwork. Not everyone chooses, as I have, to make working with clients and their paperwork their career. But, with the aging population, you may find that you are called in help a …
“Clutter” is one of those words that gets tossed around (guilty as charged!); but what exactly is it? A gardening friend recently told me: Do you know what a weed is? It’s a plant you don’t like that’s growing where you don’t want it. As a financial organizer, I’ve transplanted this definition from the garden to the house. After all, …
No question about it, the financial paperwork that accumulates on my clients’ desks and kitchen tables—from tax documents to medical bills—is no laughing matter. It all has to be taken seriously. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t also have fun. As a financial organizer, I get my best results by actively engaging clients in the process, and making the …
Recently, my Personal Money ManagerSM workweek included discussions with three of our clients. At ages 68, 78, and 92, each of those clients has differing degrees of health and capacity. But for them and many other seniors, the issue of how to maintain independence in a way that meets both their needs and those of their families dominates the discussion. …
This blog was inspired by the longest day of the year (June 21st). While we are so used to being “crazy busy” and making the most of every minute, sometimes we have the leisure to do the opposite — to take our sweet time. But if you still can’t shake the desire to be productive, why not tackle a longer, …
A few years ago, I was asked to speak about decluttering and organizing. As my audience took their seats, I offered a basket of letter openers bearing my company name, and invited them to help themselves. Then I began my talk. I mentioned the trap of freebies, suggesting that “a freebie isn’t really free.” Once we take them home, they …
It was a typical assignment for me as a financial organizer—help a senior couple simplify their paperwork and household finances. The husband had recently been diagnosed with dementia. Now that she had to handle all of the work herself, the wife wanted to streamline the bill paying and more. The discussion over his stopping driving had already taken place before …