I’ll admit it: I am not a lover of household finance.

It’s a subject that unleashes Olympic-level procrastination in me.

Balance the checkbook? I have to go do some meal planning using Pinterest first. Pay the bills? Isn’t it time to organize the kids’ closets or bake some zucchini bread?

Shocking, I know, for someone who otherwise loves to be “buttoned up.”

But it’s something I have had to make my peace with over the past two years.

Up until the arrival of my second son, I was bringing home plenty of bacon with a full-time job of my own. When combined with my husband’s income, we we always had enough in our coffers with plenty left over to save. If I didn’t track every penny, it wasn’t a big deal.

But then, I got knocked up with baby 2 and decided to throw in the towel on my incredibly stressful job.

I was tired of having God-awful office politics hang like storm clouds over my head while I was at home. I was sick of phone calls and teleconferences interrupting the small windows of time I did have with my family.

But most of all, I was tired of feeling like the life I was living wasn’t in sync with my true priorities. I spent all of my time doing work, which while intellectually engaging, was hardly soul-filling. And at the same time getting far too little time with the beings that actually filled my soul.

So, when my second arrived, I held my breath and stepped off the treadmill to be a mom and make a go of Buttoned Up.

For the first time in my adult life, I had no guarantee of income. I had no choice but to get serious about changing my spending habits.

At first I tried to automate it all, using the fantastic, free services of Mint.com. But what I found was that the technology kept me one step removed from my spending. It gave me the illusion of being on the financial straight and narrow, when in fact my habits hadn’t really changed.

It was only when I started to track every penny using a simple pencil and paper taped to my fridge that I was able to get a handle on things. There’s something about physically having to write things down that truly connected me with our money in a new way.

I realized a lot myself (not all of it so pleasant). But the financial mirror has been worth it as I’m convinced that it has enabled us both to live lives that are a much better reflection of who we are.

You can download this budget tracking form for free in our tools section.

We still use Mint.com to keep the big picture organized (largely on autopilot since they link into most financial institutions), but both my husband and I now are pretty fanatical about writing down what we spend every day.

How about you? Do you track your spending? Are you pro-tech or do you do it old-school like us?

Clutter is easy to accumulate, but for many (maybe even the majority), it’s harder to pare down.

The reason I hear most often for hanging on to things that no longer serve you: I feel guilty getting rid of it. As if letting go of things you don’t want but that are potentially useful is wasteful. That’s excuse #1 from my DH.

But, in reality, hanging on to your clutter is more wasteful than disposing of it. I admit, that does sound counter-intuitive. But bear with me. When actually take a few minutes (set your egg timer for 10) and start to add up just how much money you’ve spent on things that you already had or that you haven’t worn or used, it can be very eye-opening.

In fact, Peter Walsh has an exercise included in his latest book, Lighten Up: Love What You Have, Have What You Need, Be Happier With Less designed to get you to quickly estimate just how much money you are wasting.

Try going through one room and make a quick estimate of the cost of what you’re not using. For example, look in your bedroom and consider the cost of unworn clothes and shoes, unread books, unworn jewelry, or unused makeup. Consider the unused toys in your den or child’s bedroom. If any particular item you come across tugs at your heart or makes you emotional, then consider that an added cost. Add up the cost of the items-I’m guessing that some of those clothes still have the tags on them so it won’t be that hard- and write down the amount. Is it big? How much of that are you still paying off? This simple exercise should give you a rough estimate of the cost of the clutter in your home.

Even though getting rid of things can seem, “wasteful,” when you look at it through the cold, hard lens of cash, it turns out it’s literally draining your pocketbook in a death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts kind of way.

I did this exercise yesterday and, even though I tend to be more of a minimalist, I was shocked at my waste in both toys and books. I promptly got out our donation box and put it out in the toy room. Our goal: by the end of this weekend, to have cut our toys down to just the ones our boys actually play with and enjoy. Ditto for the books.

Do you struggle with the notion that de-cluttering is wasteful? Have you ever gone through the exercise of calculating what it’s costing you?

You should have all of the items you need to prepare your taxes by now. Check to be sure you have everything you need, and contact any institutions or employers if you do not!

Are you still getting in all the paperwork from last year for your taxes? Create a drop zone at your home desk for those important papers so you are not searching when you are ready to complete your taxes.

If you resolved to save money this year, join every membership program at the stores you shop and sign up for their newsletters that can email you weekly and daily deals on items you want to buy!

Tax time will be here before you know it! If you use tax preparation software to do your taxes, get your update and load it now.

I was back in Philly this morning – chatting with the amazing Lu Ann Cahn on NBC’s the 10! Show about organizing your finances. While it may be a bit too late to do much about getting organized for tax time this year, here are a few simple things you can do to get ahead of the curve for next year (and generally be more in control of your money).

View more videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com.

There comes a time in all of our lives when the roles reverse. Suddenly, we are no longer the child and the parenting skills we’ve so carefully honed with our own kids now need to be turned toward our aging parents. It can be one of the most emotionally trying times of your life, especially if you don’t know how your parents feel about certain issues. Unfortunately, too many people wait until it is too late to sit down and have a discussion to learn their needs and wishes. Don’t wait for an emergency just because you feel uncomfortable discussing topics like finances, wills, and funerals. Nobody ever wants to watch their parents age, but if you have everything buttoned up ahead of time, it can ease some of the stress.

Alicia on “caring for an older parent”

“My Dad died 15 years ago and my Mom is almost 90 now. I’m the baby of the family by many years, so I’m seeing my mom age well before my friends are experiencing it. I’ve learned that it’s never easy, but having everything at our fingertips is vital. My Mom, who has dementia, just broke her hip a few months ago. It’s stressful when something like that happens and you’re worrying about their care and recovery. My sisters and I put together her living will and power of attorney documents years ago, before the dementia set in. We’ve also compiled all of her medical and insurance information and all three of us have it at the ready. I can’t imagine not having it all together. It would just make things that much worse. Now, when emergencies arise, we can focus on her care and comfort instead of scurrying around for paperwork.”

Even if you do nothing else, complete the first three tasks and keep the documents and information in one spot (Life.Doc or Medical.Doc binders are available at www.getbuttonedup.com) and get organized:

1. Legal:

In addition to a standard will, have a lawyer draw up a durable power of attorney, which allows you to make financial decisions on behalf of your parents. Additionally, each parent needs a health care directive, also known as a living will, that spells our their individual wishes for medical care.

2. Medical.

Everybody should have a family history, but in addition to that information, keep a detailed list of all of the medications your parent is taking. In addition to the reason and the drug’s name, be sure to include dosage amounts. Additionally, keep a list of doctor’s names and contact numbers, since many elderly patients are under the care of several doctors and specialists at once.

3. Insurance.

In addition to your parent’s Medicare policy number and 800 information number, be sure to keep any information on supplemental or secondary insurance, as well as long term heath coverage, if they have it.

4. Finances.

It’s always advisable to discuss finances with your parents to learn more about their situation. Will they require financial assistance from you or will you need to know how they want their estate distributed? While a will can tell you how it will be divided, if you have a record of all of their accounts and policies, account numbers, and contact information, it can save you a lot of time and frustration later.

5. Coordinate Care.

Will your parents live at home, require live-in assistance, or opt for assisted living? Either way, aging parents require a lot of help. Whether it’s picking up their groceries or taking them to doctor’s appointments, their needs can be overwhelming for one person alone. Create a spreadsheet with various tasks and divide the work among various family members or friends.

Getting a divorce can be one of the most difficult periods in anyone’s life. Aside from the heartbreaking end to the marriage, often there are many difficult decisions that need to be made. Where do the kids live? Who gets the house? How do you divide up the assets? It’s exhausting emotionally and financially and can make an already trying time seem almost unbearable. Sarah and Alicia recently sat down with Alicia’s sister Susan, who after 38 years of marriage was caught off guard by her husband’s plans for divorce and found herself thoroughly unprepared for what came next.

“It was Mother’s Day and my husband of 38 years was in New York on business. I was planning to have a nice day to myself and hopefully catch dinner with him later that evening when he called with the shocking news that he wanted a divorce. I was totally speechless. I never saw that coming. We had raised our family together and were enjoying being grandparents and I just never expected to hear those words. What came next was even more shocking. Sure, I handled the household budget, but he was responsible for overseeing the general finances. I had absolutely no handle on our overall financial picture – things like our bank accounts, retirement accounts, and other financial responsibilities. Worse yet, not a single account or policy was in my name. When he later withdrew money from one of our accounts and then swiftly canceled my credit cards, I was left with virtually nothing. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. Emotionally, I couldn’t get past the fact that the marriage was over, but then when I was left feeling helpless financially. It went from bad to worse and I was helpless. Luckily, I was able to turn to my supportive family and my sisters were there for me every step of the way, helping me get my feet back on the ground. Now, seven years later, I can’t believe I was that person. I tell everyone I know that even if you’re happy and think it will never happen to you, you need to know the basics when it comes to your finances. You just truly never know.”

No matter how happy you are or secure you feel, here are the basics that everyone needs to know to get organized:

1. Be your Own Finance Whiz.

You don’t have to love it, but you do have to learn it. Nobody should be without the basics of their particular financial situation. Don’t let one person handle everything. Set up a recurring “State of the Union” meeting once a year to discuss the entire financial picture with your spouse. It’s more than just the checking account. Find out about your life insurance, retirement accounts, college savings accounts, etc.

2. One-Stop Shopping.

Get organized by putting together a binder or folder that functions as a one-stop spot for your most important information. Buttoned Up’s Life.Doc binder is a perfect example, but anything that keeps track of your account numbers, contact information, policy numbers, and other vital information will work. It seems rather simple, since it’s really just a compilation of information such as bank names, account numbers, contacts and their numbers, but it’s a lifesaver if ever needed.

3. Shore Up Your Support.

This is not the time to be a martyr and go it alone. If you do find yourself in divorce proceedings, you are doing to need lots of advice. This isn’t just about your best friend’s shoulder to cry on (though you’ll certainly need that too), but it’s about finding the right lawyer, talking to the right real estate professionals, etc. Ask your family and friends who may have gone through a divorce for their advice on seeking the right counsel. You’ll also need support in other ways, so see if you can get your best friend to watch the kids while you schedule your conference with the lawyer. Divorce adds a lot of pressure to already busy lives, so be prepared in advance with the right support system.

4. Divorce File.

If you thought your paperwork pile was out of control before, try getting divorced. It is a serious undertaking with plenty of legal documents, correspondence, meeting notes, and other papers. It can be tempting to throw everything in a box. But we recommend getting a binder or accordion folder to keep everything organized. That way, you’ll know you have everything you need where and when you need to access it and won’t waste precious time looking for a piece of paper you know you have but just can’t put your finger on.

Life is busy and difficult enough.  Make the regular, recurring events in your life easy with these 5 steps.

1.  Get a perpetual calendar

I have had one for about a decade and honestly, I don’t know how I managed without it before.  Birthdays and anniversaries land on the same day every year, so why have to always struggle to remember when it is, or transfer it over and over again to different calendars?

A perpetual calendar takes care of it all for you.  Each page has a month and a line beside each day.  You simply write in the occasion on said date and voila – you never have to write it or try to recall it again.   You can add and delete as time goes on.

Nearing the end of the month, I look ahead to see what birthdays and anniversaries are coming up.  Then, I keep an eye out for appropriate presents and get cards if I have to (though I try and always keep some on hand).  This way, a celebration never sneaks up on me.  I always have a card in the mail and a present wrapped.

And it took writing it down once all those years ago.

2. Use an online calendar for reminders

There are a ton of things that we do daily, weekly and monthly.   So why try and remember them all when you can be reminded as often as you wish.

With an online or email calendar (such as Gmail), you can set up reminders to be either emailed to you or texted to your phone.  You can put in your regular lunch with the girls every second Sunday, your weekly appointment with your therapist and your kid’s soccer practice every Tuesday and Thursday.

But you can also use it for things like deadlines – work project due dates, “Visa bill must be paid by the 20^th” every month (put this in on the 15^th, not the 20^th so you’re not scrambling), and things that you do regularly like taking back DVD rentals, returning library books, shopping at a weekly farmer’s market, etc.

You’ll never have to strain to remember an errand or appointment again.

3.  Make a master grocery list

You’re at the grocery store almost as much as you’re at work, it seems sometimes.  So why are you making a list from scratch each and every time?  Chances are you’re getting much the same stuff, so why not make a master list and simply check off you what need today or this week? Sarah wrote about these cute ones but there are a ton online (I like these ones too).

Imagine how much time you’ll save.  Whether you print it out or have it on your phone, a comprehensive list that you can use over and over will truly change your life.

Seriously.

4. Use your contacts list more wisely

We all have these bulging contact lists in our email but they just sit there for us to click on the email address, check a phone number or occasionally look up a mailing address.  But why not use it to your advantage?

I use the notes section to put in information I don’t want to forget.  I’ve inputted everything from shoe sizes of friends (in case I see something for them on sale), names of their family members, transit or driving directions to their house, everything and anything you need to recall at some point.

I record if someone’s paid me or if I’ve paid them – how much and when.  When it’s in their contact information, you don’t have to go sorting through reams of emails to find what you need.

I even have my best friend’s many middle names recorded and her many, many siblings.  You should see how impressed she is when I can recall all of them!

5.  Pay your bills online

There is always a lot of resistance to this at first.  It seems so weird, after either mailing in your cheques or lining up and paying them in person at the bank.  It feels uncertain somehow – no physical paper trail.  But I’m telling you, it is amazing.

First of all, it saves you time – no more going to the bank or the mailbox.  Secondly, you are actually seeing how much money you have, how much you’re paying to whom and how much is leftover, all in a matter of seconds or minutes.  You are interacting with your money and your expenses and perhaps like me, for the first time you are really aware of what’s coming in and what’s going out.  What a feeling!

It only takes a few minutes to pay a whack of bills and you can do it at any time of day, whenever it’s convenient for you.  You can also set up automatic payments to come out of your account, making even less work for yourself.

Suddenly paying bills doesn’t seem like such a chore anymore.

Stephanie Dickison is the author of the recent book, The 30-Second Commute: A Non-Fiction Comedy About Writing & Working From Home, which covers her career as book, music and restaurant critic.  She has been a journalist for over a decade and now spends much of her time writing about travel, food, beauty, style and celebrities for various publications and websites.

When she’s not writing, she’s eating, cooking, organizing, filing, making lists in sumptuous notebooks (you must use your beautiful journals) and colour-coding her ever evolving calendar.

She is one of the few writers still using technology AND paper.  But at least her paper is organized into pretty file folders…

http://www.stephaniedickison.com