Your channel is always so cozy and motivating. While I am definitely not perfect, it helps to receive advice like this that’s realistic, gently encouraging, and useful. Your channel is a blessing.

Greetings Jane and Mike from Mississppi USA. Thank you for such good, common sense on your channel. Frugality is a journey, not a destination, and there is always more to learn. I am a semi-retired teacher and make the most of everything I learn about frugal living. I look forward to each new "episode" you post.

I like to wake up very early. So, that gives me time to prepare dinner in the crockpot. I get home from work and it's done!

Great video! We are list makers and followers ☺️. We meal plan and buy in bulk, have several go to meals on our list, but we try out other recipes regularly. We schedule meetings regularly....like a family meeting😊 (just the two of us). We also share what projects or activities we have planned on our to do list each morning over breakfast. If one is washing, often the other will step in and help to hang it on the line. Contunual communication, planning and execution of our list is probably the key for us.

I check my bank account daily in the a.m. frequently look at my budget & expenses.

I think you talk the absolute most sense on KZfaq. I love your videos and advice.

While watching this video, I realized just how much my daily habits have eased things in my life. Like you, I have things I do each day such as walking around and picking up, putting away, writing down, etc. I do this so automatically, I don't even have to think about it and that means I don't have to DREAD it. I learned when I was younger the wisdom in the saying, "it's easier to KEEP up than it is to CATCH up."

I’ve been going room by room to declutter and organise whilst on holidays from work. I’m in my office currently (paper clutter is the worst) and only have my back room and stockpile to finish. I am being sent for adhd testing as an adult. My biggest light bulb moment recently was ‘don’t put it down’. I’ve bought things to simplify my life E.G. my new socks are all the same now so I can sort and put them away easily. My home is already staying so much tidier as everything has a ‘home’. It’s also now saving me money as I know what I have as I’ve been ruthless and only kept what I truly use and need. I no longer feel the need to ‘escape and go shopping’.

I'm doing my best to get organized and saving more money. I have 4 kids 7 and under in rural WV and it can definitely be hard to keep organized.

Thank you Jane. After watching this video I got up and cleaned my bedroom, and then after that, I was on a whirlwind! I move the furniture around in the living room for tomorrow, our Thanksgiving, so my company would have someplace to sit. I then washed clothes and dusted the furniture. Then I sat down and had breakfast at lunchtime LOL!You gave me the kick in the caboose that I needed 😂!!

Thank you for another great ideas! I have been learning so much from you along the years - you literally helped me getting back on track after a terrible hard period of time! Now we are ok.

Today I'll do multiple errands while out. I've put things to return by my purse the night before & make sure I have the receipt in my wallet.

This is so good. We have weekly family meetings which really helps with family organization.

I try and do several errands whilst my car engine is warm although I don’t use it very often preferring to use my bicycle and trailer instead ,, I invested in a polytunnel (hoop house in USA ) during the lockdown in 2020 and I’ve grown so much food in it so far ,, I’ve had my money back in cucumbers alone and I love the warm space when it’s blowing a gale outside, Best wishes, Lisa

After 26 years in my house, it is fair to say that I have an accumulation of items that I no longer use or need. I I'm working to try and get through things by allotting a few minutes per day to just work on an area. I can set a timer on my phone for 15 minutes and just work until that time passes. If I happen to feel like working a little longer on a given day I will do that. Eventually I will get there. Thank you so much, Jane and Mike, for being so encouraging and providing great ideas for your subscribers to follow. It is a big Us holiday here tomorrow so I will wish my fellow Americans a Happy Thanksgiving. And hello to your adorable Mary and Dolly as always!

Whooo Hooo 23k - well done

I’ve worked out that meal planning 5 or 6 evening meals rather than 7 helped me reduce food waste and also feel less restricted. We might have a hodge podge meal of leftovers, we might have egg and chips, or soup for the unplanned meal. I used to find that there wasn’t space for flexibility when I over planned, and would then ‘fall off the wagon’.

Hi Jane and Mike, I think we are need to give our selves a reset from time to time.Totally agree being disorganised costs money.I put all due dates in my diary and also the week before to prompt me to research a quote or buy a birthday card or gift, or book an MOT or car service. This way nothing is left to the last minute or worse still missed. I too try to batch cook once or twice a week.saving time and fuel costs. I try to spread house work over the week leaving Sunday free as my rest day. Here in the UK it is dark by 4 pm as it is winter so I try to get things done earlier in the day. I learnt years ago that having a bin in every room in the house meant that rubbish went straight into a bin I then only needed to walk around with a garbage bag and empty the bins rather than having to go around picking up rubbish. Your videos always remind us that a bit of forward planning make our lives and are workload so much easier. Finding your channel a year ago totally changed my life.

Happy thanks giving Jane and Mike from Georgia USA. Giving thanks for all my blessings . Small meal but enough!!!

My husband and I were “gifted” the “€@¥!d uknowhat on Nov 1st. By the 3rd we were symptomatic. By the 5th we were bedridden for 5 days. We have lost a considerable amount of weight because we had no appetite and we couldn’t manage to fix meals. We’re finally on the mend… 3 weeks of being sick really knocked us over… I’m 70 and my husband is 81. Sadly, I had just stocked the fridge, so there was some food loss…. a few slices of lunch meat and a container of lettuce. But I’m giving myself some grace for that because it’s the first time in 2 years that I’ve lost food and we were quite ill for 2 1/2 weeks 😊 Your videos keep me motivated to better manage my food supply and home. Thank-you for sharing your thoughts.

Great advice. I always print 20 - 30 copies of "my" blank shopping list on paper. This list contains all food and items, which we eat or use daily. Like milk, cheese or tooth paste. Before I go to the supermarket, I will check the fridge and bathroom and just add the figure 1 on each item, that I need to buy.

Great idea to prep in the morning. So many times I'm too tired at late afternoon also. Will start this!!

Thank you as always for the good advise and timely reminders! Appreciate you😊

I put to do's in my calendar. Kitchen is a daily upkeep.

I really relate to your comment about getting food prep done early in the day while I have energy. Thanks for your insight!

Fab video thanks! I got really organised on Sunday and cleaned my fridge and cupboards - what a difference! 😀

Wonderful conversation! Its Thanksgiving morning here and I'm very mindful, more than ever this year, of how Thankful I am for the Turkey and Pies (not so much for the Brussel Sprouts but others like them). Approaching Thanksgiving this year with a more frugal mindset has actually helped reduced some of the stress and I think will result in one of the best feasts we have had.

Thank you Jane, never thought to put the chores in my diary, only ever used it for appointments, great idea.

Your kitchen tiles are wonderful! I love that look. Well done.

Thank you for this video 🙏 I've been a bit lax lately with meal planning, checking my bank account etc and this has given me the boost and kick up the butt to be a bit more organised. Especially with the food stock checks. Thank you and I always love you videos!

Thank you for the video!

I have set days I do selected house work and a day I do all my errands in town. I found that this organization saves time as well as money. I do not have these activities set in concrete because events come up that alter my time such as doctor appointments or unexpected visits from family and friends that live out of state. Thanks again Mike and Jane for sharing your time and ideas with us. Happy Thanksgiving from Texas {even though you guys do not have Thanksgiving as we do.} It is always good to be grateful all year long.

Great common sense tips. I have similar systems including a flexible 'do this week' list of bigger household chores, that I swap around as time permits. Also a very seasonal 'round the year' maintenance list of things like 'get chimneys swept', 'get boiler serviced' etc. It means key maintenance especially pre-winter prep tasks doesn't get overlooked.

Excellent this week. I’m very organised which means I get time to my self

This is such a helpful video. I got busy and somewhat disorganized before Thanksgiving, and it definitely impacted my spending. I'm taking some time this weekend to clean, organize, make lists, meal plan, and hopefully get back on track.

Thanks again Jane. It's always a pleasure to watch your videos!

Thanks for this useful video. Something I do each week is look at what appointments I have coming up. These are things that can trip up my time and energy routine. This week I have a hospital visit, a babysitting appointment, giving a lift, and a family member visiting. So I have to be careful to plan and prepare around the exceptions to routine. I’ll adjust the menu plan, shopping, and cooking accordingly. Sometimes the exceptions are more frequent than the routine days! I always keep a pack of nuts and a small bottle of water in my bag. So many times it’s been a lifesaver (and moneysaver).

Great video as always Jane and Mike. Cleaning wise, I really got on top of it using the 'fly lady method', with Diane in Denmark on youtube. It takes time to get your head around it, but its so quick now to get all that done (like you) in the mornings and have the afternoons free to do other things.

This is amazing thank you❤

Thank you, Jane and Mike, for your common sense advice! I use systems such as you describe. They are so helpful. Your explanations should help those who may not have implemented such tools to help themselves. Your presentation is excellent, realistic, and kind.

Thank you Jane and Mike, this morning i had a thought on the way to work, ‘ooh its Wednesday Jane and Mike will have a new video out today. That’s because every video really males a difference with your sensible, helpful, and honest advice.Thanks to you we have lots of choice of frozen left overs, which are often our first ‘go to’ , and we only shop to a list (well mostly). Thanks again 😊❤xx

Good video today. Thanks for sharing and have a good day.😊

I totally relate to all of this! Tried and true and trying still. The part about putting things off.. 😩 that would be painting the rest of the house. I painted the kitchen last year. The ceiling killed me, and I literally was recovering for more than a week after that. I have two more rooms to paint of the same size and I haven’t worked up the motivation to do it. One pointer that I can offer is for grocery shopping. I write my list of things we need in order to the isles and Patti take in the store. More efficient shopping time and I’m not milling the isles and thinking about buying extra that’s not on the list. Love your videos as always 💕

I just love ur channel, n all ur tips

You are the one person who inspired me to start budgeting and tracking all my expenses. I never could have imagined that I actually would like doing this, but now I set up my money organising system, I really like the good feeling of being on top of it. We also check our bank account daily and track every Cent… and I like it 😉 What I need to work out now is a way to meal planning…. not my thing at all, but I will make a restart this week. Thank you so much and much love from Vienna 🙏❤️🇦🇹

Thanks for another great video Jane. Whilst I try and do a pick up around the house daily and deep cleans on a rotational basis, if I loose motivation, I highly recommend The Secret Slob power hour with music on The secret slob channel. What I can get done in an hour is amazing!

Wow! This has been on my mind lately. I have to get better organized.

Always motivating. Thank you, Jane! Every point is valid. Food usage for me needs to be the focus. Especially dry goods. Have you done a segment on how you track your on hand food? Suggestion? Is it categorized, listed or just recorded? Do you mark it off, adding the need to your fro list? Thank you for your positive energy with living this frugal life!

I love your videos. They are so helpful, supportive and down to earth. Thank you so much. You have certainly helped me on my frugal journey and helped me to answer "friends" who feel sorry for me or try to hijack my frugal intentions. I shall keep watching in 2023. X

My Nov budget got stretched with repair to a cpap mask, a large xmas present purchase (1 to go), and an unexpected guest. Lucky, thanks to your advice, the sinking funds were ready! I use flylady system for house mgt which is marvellous for me. I love your idea of a quick tour thru every room every day Jane, will adopt that one too. What I love about being more organised is that it makes my environment more pleasant and life is stress free with the things I can control/be prepared for. Thks again for the advice and reminders to be consistent!

I have a schedule on my white board, With the Plan Of the Day (P.O.D.) next to the schedule. I work my way down both of these every day, But I'm prepared to drop the plan in case of emergency. Schedules, Plans, Lists, Budgets, Inventories, And recipes all help me to organize.

Something I have adjusted was meals. Our children are grown and when they were still at home we had 3 meals a day. Turns out I don't need to do that any more. My husband will have a slice of toast in the morning with his coffee. I will usually just have coffee. I may have a peice of fruit around 10 am. So when lunch time came around I would make lunch because that was what I have always done. Turns out neither of us were hungry at that time. So what we have been doing is having a main meal around 3 in the afternoon. If we are hungry later ( hardly ever)we will have a salad. Works great for us. No waste that way and I use any leftover salad up with the next days main meal.

One small thing I do is have an upstairs box and a downstairs box. They are not big - about 35cm x 25 cm by 20 cm deep. As I go round putting stuff away say downstairs, i put anything that needs to go up in the upstairs box and vice versa when upstairs. The boxes aren’t large but they take all the small things I keep meaning to put upstairs or downstairs. Also as my kitchen is in bits at the moment, I find meal planning very necessary because the crockpot, air fryer and microwave oven have come into their own; Love your videos Jane and Mike.

Jane&Michael; i love the reminders you share on your channel to help us get organized! I am a rather disorganized person when it comes to preparing our daily meals. Oh yes,i have a mental idea of what i have by way of ingredients in my cupboards but not in my freezers so much. We do eat simple meals,stir fries,soups,sandwiches,power bowls and we also have fridge meals. Smorgasbord offerings! I tend to cook on the fly or according to what sounds appealing to us at the time of cooking. I know I'm a mess!🤪

Organization is the key. When you are tired or something comes up and don't have a contingency plan it's all to easy spend money you really don't have. Great video!

Jane and Michael, thank you for this video. Have you noticed that the sound or acustics on your video is better in your livingroom with soft furnishings than in the kitchen with hard surfaces? Ps. I write down my main meals and the new recepies I make up and gather a meal plan that way. Next year I will have a long list of my own favourites of frugal, self-sufficient and tasty meals.

We live in a rural area with only one major grocery store, a Dollar General, and a small pharmacy so we batch errands when we go to an other town, 20 miles away. Our record was 13 stops on one excursion!

Long weekend Thanksgiving so spreading out household cleaning. A little every day is planned.

Hello J&M, My daily reset is called DO THE 3, I do 3 things each day not overwhelming & one of the three is a daily reset, which now only takes minutes. Great advice to your viewers. Thank you ❤

I'm like you. I need to get dinner started in the morning.

Hello greetings from Arizona, I love your videos

I find I’m more disorganised after a health trauma ie hubby’s heart attack, me a cancer journey. I find the trauma just pulls the mat from underneath me and I just have less energy. It’s a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. Plus the medical follow up appointments are travel and time consuming. And now I’m on new medication I’m stuffing up as I have brain fog eg paid the credit card twice ..result a $10 dishonour fee, I missed the last date to book a covid delayed once, twice flight and threw away $300. My problem is that I lose my resilience and mojo as I struggle to get back to my old fit life, both physically and mentally. I find I’m organised for a while, then “shit” ” happens and I’m thrown side ways again. Finding the balance of staying home and getting organised v catching up with loved ones, is tricky when I have low energy levels. Plus, since covid, I hate listening to other people’s negative conversations...it zaps my energy even more. So yes being organised is great, but for me it’s a juggling act.

Hi Jane, I cannot live without making lists,every one who knows me thinks I’m mad! I would hate to get to 3 in the afternoon and not know exactly we’re having for dinner! Plus,as you know ,how much money you save by batch cooking ,or making enough for 2 nights dinners saves gas etc .I think exactly the way you do x love from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I rather enjoy planning, I write a list of what I need to do daily, and weekly tasks if I write it down then normally 9 times out of ten I get it done, if I talk about doing something without writing it then it remains in my head or gets lost to the ether and procrastination sets in , I use the flylady system for keeping my home clean and tidy and do regular decluttering., I really don't like food waste and try to use up what we have, things don't always go to plan but I think it's important to have regular habits, it brings a sense of self control, and the small regular things done promptly add up to feeling less overwhelmed.

Since the price of petrol soared we always plan our trip out to do as many things as we can while we are out and about! Planning is certainly the key for most things!

Hi from Iowa, USA

New subbie from the UK. I also do budget videos... absolutely enjoyed this video. Thank you 💞. Gillian

As I watched this the old rhyme ran through my head... Monday is washing day, Tuesday etc. I find I have more energy in the morning so do a few hours of either cleaning, decluttering, cooking prep or gardening. Since COVID I need a nap after lunch so factor that in. Then an hour or so in the afternoon is spent with a neighbourly catch up, folding washing or watering. I have always hated going shopping so do it once a fortnight and because it involves driving I will drop off donations, pick up garden supplies etc on the same trip.

We see many KZfaq channel being perfect and when our life is not to that expectation we give up. I write down a to be list with no deadlines and when I accomplish that task I cross it off write the date track my progress

Worse for me is dishes and sweeping floor. My body not always let me do as I want. Thank you for not judging

For those of us who are highly distractible, putting your main points on a list and putting it on the fridge would be helpful.

Words to live by

As a business owner I have to plan everything Christmas andholidays even already planning for next year if business slows that I save for the months that are quiet so I have the rent saved already. X

I am very organized, married to someone who is not. Sigh. Hello from Michigan USA.

Oh!putting laundry away! This is my downfall.😢. My new resolution. 😊

Fail with your spending, pull yourself up and dust yourself off and start all over again, is very true Jane.

I just eat pumpkin ravioli for brunch because I'll be out for several hours. I always have water an nuts in my purse.

Do you collect paper, metal or other reusable stuff? We here in Germany can sell old newspaper and get paid per kg.

💖💖💖

You are like having a sister who gives good advice.

👍👍👍

The less "stuff" we have, no matter what it is, the easier our lives can be. Organizing and cleaning is very simple, if we choose to let it be.

Dobrý večer, pro můj život a organizaci dne a věcí kolem mne, je velice důležité ,aby každá ,ale opravdu každá věc v našem domě měla své místo, potom když je položená někde jinde, tak také projdu dům a sbírám a ukládám na své místo, potom se nikde nic neválí a důležitá věc, vím kde to najdu a nemusím nic hledat, když je to vrácené na své místo. Děkuji za dobré rady. Good evening, for my life and the organization of the day and the things around me, it is very important that every, but really every thing in our house has its place, then when it is placed somewhere else, I also go through the house and collect and put it in its place , then nothing is rolling around anywhere and the important thing is, I know where to find it and I don't have to look for anything when it is returned to its place. Thanks for the good advice.

Hi Jane and Michael from wet and damp wirral