Guest post by Lou Manfredini, of Ace Hardware.
Your home’s entry is the next thing people see after they walk up to your home. Think of it as curb appeal… but for the inside.

This is Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man,” and if you came to my house about six months ago you would have found a pile of shoes, which my four children seem to think belong right by the door. I found that having a place designated to store things gives you a better chance that they will actually get put away. If you have the space, place a …read more

We’ve officially been in our new home for two months now.  We’re pretty settled and it feels like home, however, we’re still working on finding a place for everything.  Today I tweeted saying, “Putting away more stuff and organizing a little more.  Will we ever be totally unpacked?”.
Finding a place for everything is definitely a challenge.  Another challenge we have faced is affording the organization supplies that we need. Here are some tips for saving.

1)  Plan out your purchases.  This month we bought closet organizers.  Next month, I’m hoping to purchase some shelving for one of the closets.  An extra …read more

I remember when I was pregnant with my first child and it seemed like I was spending a lot of my free time in the doctor’s office.  Now that I have kids, I’m spending more time than I’d care to waiting for appointments.  Here are more tips for saving time while at a doctor’s office.  Ironically, I wrote them while waiting. 

7)  Take something to do with you.  This one isn’t going to get you seen any quicker, but it can help save you time especially if you have a recurring weekly appointment.  I have cleaned out my purse, …read more

Unfortunately, we can spend a lot of unnecessary time sitting around waiting at the doctor’s office.  Your time is valuable so here are some time saving tips to help:

4)  Find out the best way to communicate with the doctor.  Some doctors are now conversing with patients by email.  Some prefer to have you leave a message with the nurse who usually returns your calls within a few hours.
5)  Be willing to see a nurse practitioner or other physician on staff.  If my kids are sick and need to be seen right away then I know that I can probably get …read more

Here at Thrifty Mommy we sometimes provide tips on saving time as well as saving money.  After all, your time is valuable to you just like your finances.  Unfortunately, one of the places where you might spend and waste a lot of your time is in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen.  Ironically, I am now sitting at a doctor’s while my son is being seen. 

Here are some tips to save you time:
1)  Be on time.  This one may sound simple, but so many people are late for their doctor appointments.  Being late can cost you time.  Many offices …read more

Are you a messy? Do you want to move through indecision and fear and begin clearing your house of clutter? If so, you may want to attend this free teleclass from Messies Anonymous Headquarters.
Sandra Felton,The Organizer Lady® will be speaking about the ideas found in her 24 page booklet I’ve Got to Get Rid of This Stuff.
WHEN? Wednesday, March 18, 2009
TIME? 9 PM Eastern Time, 8 Central, 7 Mountain, 6 Pacific
HOW LONG? One hour has been set aside for your burning questions.
COST? FREE There is no charge for the teleclass.  Of course, regular telephone charges will apply just like when …read more

We redid our kitchen 4 years ago and have had the cabinets from our old kitchen sitting in our garage ever since.  I finally got tired of them sitting there and put them on Craig’s List yesterday.  I got 10 emails in less than an hour and I now have a check in my hand!  I even got what I was asking for them.  They didn’t even haggle the price.  I posted the listing exactly 24 hours ago.  I am SO HAPPY! Now we can use the money to fix up our next project to sell.

If you have school aged children, then papers are probably a major issue in your home.  Here’s a video from Real Simple with some simple tips to help get those papers organized.

Today’s Thursday Cleaning Challenge is a painful one.  I am totally willing to admit it.  Get out all those mismatched socks and match them up.  Do this while watching your fave show or listening to a great CD.  This shouldn’t take 10 minutes but we all know we put this off way too much.  You will feel better for it.

My kids love puzzles.  The problem I have with it is that we loose pieces and then the puzzle is no good.  Ever try to work a puzzle with a few pieces missing?  Very frustrating!  So I want to challenge you to spend time with your kids and put together their puzzles.  Once they are put together, get out a Ziploc bag and put the entire puzzle in it and ZIP IT UP!  This way you don’t waste money or space with puzzles that you can’t put back together.