Whether you’re drowning in a sea of emails, or you just can’t seem to find the time, everyday life can easily get out of control. That’s why we’ve made a list of some easy and affordable ways to stay organised so you can enjoy the things that make you happy without spending a penny.
1. Use a Planner
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It’s time to put one of those empty notebooks to use and get planning, and if you don’t already have one, then it’s worth investing in a good planner. You can find a variety of affordable planners from the likes of Papier, which can be adjusted to your personal preferences, as well as Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, The Works, and supermarkets.
2. Create a Master To-Do List
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With daily to-do lists, it is easy to feel overwhelmed if you’ve got a list that seems to go on forever. Create a master to-do list, whether that’s on your phone, an Excel spreadsheet, or with a pen and paper, with all outstanding tasks that need to be done, making sure to order them in terms of priority.
Take no more than six tasks from your master list and transfer them to your daily to-do list with the intention of completing them that day. From insuring your car and taking your pet to the vet, to buying yourself a new pair of socks, you’ll be able to easily keep track of all your tasks however important, knowing that you’re slowly chipping away, little and often.
3. Organise your Workspace
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Whether you work from home or need some budget-friendly organisational tips for students, organising your workspace is key to a stress-free life. Get yourself kitted out, and if you don’t know where to start, we’ve got a whole host of handy articles telling you how to do it all without breaking the bank.
Routines are key to improving your productivity in every aspect of your life. Not only do they help you stay motivated and focused, but they also help reduce anxiety because of their predictability.
So, if you’re struggling with a certain aspect of your life, whether that’s getting jobs done, exercising at home, trying to find the time tolearn a new skill on a budget, seeing friends and family, or doing a self-care activity, try implementing a routine to help divide your time better. Repetition is key here, so the more you stick to your routine, the easier it will become.
5. Use a Habit Tracker
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Trying to develop new hobbies, learn new skills, or simply just stay motivated to do the things you enjoy can be hard in such a fast-paced world. A great, creative way to do this is by creating a habit tracker in a bullet journal.
If you’re new to the concept of bullet journals, check out our handy article on how to bullet journal and save money, as well as a variety of videos on YouTube and TikTok, to help you get started.
6. Employ a Night-Time Tidying Routine
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As we mentioned in our article on affordable tips for keeping your home clean, having a night-time cleaning routine can be the key to getting your day off to a good start, and it’s no different with tidying.
If you work from home, take some time to tidy your desk area so you can enjoy the feeling of an organised space when you start work the next morning. Load your dishwasher, put things back where they belong, and pick your clothes up off the floor - you’ll be so grateful in the morning when you wake up to a neat home.
7. Utilise a Collaborative Calendar App
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This one is for friends or family members who can never seem to coordinate their calendars with yours. Since my friends have started working full time, some even with night shifts, it’s been virtually impossible to make plans.
That’s where a collaborative calendar app such as Timetree comes in handy. Simply download it for free from your app store so you can view all of your plans in one place and find out when everyone is available.
What’s more, you can have separate calendars for yourself and your partner, family members, friends, and work colleagues to help keep track of all aspects of your life too.
8. Keep Your Home Clean & Tidy
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You know what they say - a tidy home means a tidy mind! Whether you’re a complete cleaning novice, or you’re looking for ways to maintain a home that feels fresh and organised, we’ve got an entire article dedicated to affordable tips for keeping your home clean & tidy to help you out.
9. Get Up Earlier to Plan Your Day
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If you’re guilty of sleeping in and then struggling to get through your to-do’s, especially on the weekends, this might be the tip for you. Get a good night’s sleep, and set an alarm to get up a little bit earlier or take the time to plan out your day the night before. That way, you’ll have a better sense of direction on what you’d like to accomplish.
10. Make a Collaborative To-Do List with Housemates
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Now that both myself and my partner work full time, it can be tricky trying to stay on top of chores. Especially because it’s easy to leave things until the weekend, and then when the weekend comes around, not knowing what needs to be done.
As a solution, we created a collaborative to-do list that we can use to make notes during the week of what bits and pieces need to be done on the weekend. From the weekly food shop and taking the bins out to wrapping birthday presents and booking the car in for an MOT, it has been a lifesaver.
I’m Layla, the home and garden editor, and I started working at MyVoucherCodes in November 2022. I have always loved to write, especially after getting my degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, and since getting my own place, I’ve gotten stuck into all things home and garden.
When I’m not writing about saving money on homely purchases, I’m either sitting with my head in a new book, painting a piece of art for my walls, or binge-watching an interior design programme on Netflix. I love to get inspiration and transform my space, usually with the help of a few Pinterest boards and a couple of tins of paint.
