Clutter and taxes

This isn't my normal type of post but when I find something I think is helpful, I want to share it with you. I just finished doing my taxes this afternoon. And what does that have to do with clutter? Well, ask my hubby. We spent a considerable amount of time looking for a 1098 that was misfiled, but that's another story.

We all know one way to eliminate clutter is to sort and purge. Some of you like to make a little extra money by having yard or garage sales and I'll do in once per year(or two), but I prefer to donate clothes and household items we no longer need or use. When it comes time to do taxes, those donations can be taken as deductions.

I haven't been paid to say this, but I use Tax Act to file my taxes. They have a calculator built in that helps you value your donations, but you've got to have a list of how many and what you donated. I used to make a generalization on my receipts and then estimate, and I've been cheating myself! Last year I kept handwritten lists on whatever I could find to scribble on at the time, but this year I'll be using this donation tracking sheet I found at  The Clutter Diet. The sheets will go in my tax file folder with my receipts. I can total the sheets as I go or use the Tax Act calculator again next year.

Have your recently discovered something small that will be a big help to you?

Interested in more organization tips? Check out how I organized my desk last year here.