Author Topic: Are you more organized since FIRE?  (Read 4915 times)

Gone Fishing

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Are you more organized since FIRE?
« on: August 26, 2015, 11:32:25 AM »
One of the things on my FIRE to do list is to go through and clean out/reorganize my paperwork, books, and workshop/basement.  Right now, it seems like I never have time to slow down and organize non-essential areas.  I'm really looking forward to tidying up a bit.  Have you become more organized since FIRE?

Static Void

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2015, 11:49:54 AM »
Ha! Great question and one I was asking of the future, as well.

A friend told me a cautionary tale. "I took six months off in order to work on my novel. At the end of six months, all I'd accomplished was organizing my video collection." (Related: my parents retired over 20 years ago and still "haven't gotten around to" "going through all that stuff in the garage.")

Me six months in. I'd like to say, "Yes, made a spreadsheet, working my way down it, totally keeping up on the schedule!"

But the reality is a little less formal. Have (indeed) organized the video collection. Me and the partner have pruned our book collections by about 50%, and now they all fit spaciously into our bookshelves. Have done a couple other overdue fixup projects (replaced a toilet, routed a drier vent so it doesn't merely steam up the utility room). And I dumped a few file drawers of paperwork (phone bills from 20 years ago, uh huh, what was I thinking? basically only kept a few maintenance receipts and tax return hardcopies).

But haven't quite gotten around to making an actual list...

But our plants are watered more reliably, and I quite often hang laundry out to line-dry, and we eat happily at home all the time.

So, maybe a little more organized, yes.

kerik68

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2015, 12:38:06 PM »
I've been retired less than a month and I am not one bit more organized. It's in the plans but I'm just enjoying doing whatever the hell I want until the snow flies. I think I may be more apt to organize in the crappy weather months.

pdxbator

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2015, 12:43:31 PM »
My parents in their 70s are retired. My dad actually retired just a few years ago. What has helped him get all that paperwork organized is he has hired a professional. All those things you meant to put in file folders but sit in a stack will get organized this way. It might cost some and you think "But I could do it myself." Sure but are you? It has given my parents great peace of mind that all that crap is now accessible and isn't sitting piled up.

TheFrugalFox

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2015, 10:06:29 PM »
Besides being a bit more organised I have also gone out my way to give my day structure. I did this this because I can be quite lazy, but then get very pissed off at myself for being lazy. It's tough being lazy but having goals. :)

So now I detail work units on an excel spreadsheet using colors for work type. Being doing it for quite a few months and it definitely works for me. Makes me a bit more accountable plus I often squeeze in a small job/task here and there

Cassie

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2015, 10:32:05 AM »
Yes I did a lot of decluttering, etc. I really love how it feels. I like to take whole days dedicated to this instead of doing a little at a time. Then you see big results quickly & are motivated to keep going.

Static Void

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2015, 02:17:07 PM »
... to take whole days dedicated to this instead of doing a little at a time...

+1. And being able to start a purge-ey project on a Sunday afternoon just because... Oh, it just feels naughty!

choppingwood

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2015, 02:25:08 PM »
One thing I promised myself was that I would not spend my time in retirement on decluttering or getting organized projects or on domestic work. That being said, because I am around the house and yard more, things are gradually becoming more organized.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2015, 04:26:56 PM »
Definitely more organized but not in any hurry to be that way!

Dicey

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2015, 11:43:48 AM »
Nope.

Exflyboy

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2015, 11:46:10 PM »
I finally pulled all my accounts together in one place so my Wife (who has very little interest in our money) so that is anything happens to me she can find her way to all the accounts.

Just today I finally got fed up with all the crap in MY shop.. note I said MY shop.. the implication being is that 90% of the crap in there is not stuff I put in there. The shop is meant to be kept clear so that I can drive the cars, tractor or do short term projects and I'm fed up with having to clear away crap for half an hour before I get to use it.

So just today I announced the "monster dump run" that will be happening in 2 weeks time.. The truck and flat bed trailer will be loaded with all this stuff we will never use again.. I mean two artificial Christmas trees.. really?

I have support for this because my Wife wants to move in maybe 5 years time and the shop has become this dumping ground for stuff we have nowhere else to put and dealing with it now will be much easier than having to do it as part of a house move.

smiller257

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Re: Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2015, 06:28:34 AM »
When we retired 3 years ago, we moved from Colorado to Florida into a furnished condo. That meant we pretty much had to go through everything. We sold things on Craigs List and gave the rest away. That was actually pretty freeing, we ended up with 1 Uhaul full of stuff we kept and we organized it well.

Fast forward 3 years later, we sold our condo and began building a house. We reduced the belongings to what would fit in a 5x10 storage space, so now we are even more organized.

I like the feeling of simplicity and keeping things organized so I think we will continue this as we move into the new house.

pbkmaine

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Are you more organized since FIRE?
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2015, 07:39:36 AM »
I've always been organized, but I am married to a clutter bug. We made two moves in preparing for retirement, and that helped A LOT. His den is still a disaster, and there are 40 Rubbermaid bins stacked against the walls of the garage, but I try not to think about those two areas, and the rest of the house is in good shape.