I discovered something totally fab last week.   It is called Lemon.  You might think that I have rediscovered the amazing powers of lemon.  I adore lemons!  I enjoy lemon in my hot water with fresh ginger in the morning.  I have never tried a lemon dessert that I did not like.  However, the lemon I fell in love with this time is completely different…it is for receipts and organizing… And it is quite appropriately related to our Boot Camp project for this week.  Lemon is a receipt management tool!

I cannot say it better than the way Lemon describes itself: “Lemon collects all of your receipts, paper and digital, into one simple and secure place, so you can be organized and know exactly where you’re spending your money. Lemon works by connecting all the computers, phones and tablets that you use daily, allowing you to send all of your receipts to one place and then access them from any other.”

There are two ways in which you can save your receipts to Lemon:

- email a receipt from an online purchase to your account@lemon.com

- snap a pic of your paper receipt (even if is quite long) with your smartphone or your iPhone and the free app will do the rest of the work for you.

Once your receipts are saved to Lemon, you can tag expenses by categories.  So, if you wanted to know how much you spend on groceries per month or the amount of your monthly budget going towards expensive lattes, Lemon will have the answer.  While the most important features are totally free, if you want to be able to generate reports, export data, or upload unlimited receipts, you will need to upgrade to a $9 per month or $50 per year option.  However, most of us will benefit greatly from the basic free version.

Try it out!  You might be able to shed receipt clutter, get better organized, and feel more in control of your spending.  Who knows, you might find it “refreshing!”

Have you discovered an app or a program that is helping you get more organized?  Tell me!

“How a Fat Wallet Makes You Spend More” in Smart Money grabbed my attention the other day.   To summarize, we lug too much in our wallets!   So much, that we don’t even know what we are schlepping around.  So much, that perhaps, it makes it difficult for us to be responsible with our money, to track our spending, and to pay our bills on time.

Although I regularly declutter my wallet, I knew that I still carried too much and that some things could be simply removed or eliminated.  I decided to check the weight of my wallet.  Almost 2 lbs!!!

I emptied, sorted, purged, downsized, and organized.  I did not exactly get down to this humble money clip.

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However, I did shed about half a pound.  Here is what helped me:

1.  Photos – I decided that since my iPhone is on me 80% of the time anyway,  if I need a pleasant reminder of my lovely hubby or kids, I can always look at their pictures on my iPhone.  Make some room in your wallet by removing the photos.

2.  Loyalty and membership cards – There are two great Apps that allow you to add your plastic loyalty and membership cards either to your iPhone, Blackberry, or Android.  So, if you are in possession of one of these gadgets, consider uploading either the Key Ring or CardStar App.  Both are free and very simple to use.  You just follow a couple of simple steps to add each card to your phone.

3.  Business cards – I now carry mine in style with the help of a cute Kate Spade business card holder, which is totally separate from my wallet.  Thank you, S. for such a thoughtful and practical gift!

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4.  Gift cards – I have a dedicated spot for all gift cards and am pretty good at taking them with me when I intend to use them.   If you need a more visual reminder, I recommend creating a spot for them near your house keys so that as you leave your abode, you are reminded to take a card out.  Another option, is to dedicate a small ziplock bag for them and store them in your purse.

5.  Receipts and coupons – Do not carry them in your wallet.  If you are a couponer and/or save your receipts regularly, invest in a small accordion pocket, which you can carry in your purse.  I love these ones from The Container Store:

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6.  Credit cards – Limit yourself to no more than two main credit cards.

7.  Social security or social insurance cards – Do not carry them in your wallet.  They should be stored securely in your home or in a safety deposit box.

8.  Cash – Financial Guru, Suze Orman taught me long ago to be feng shui about money in my wallet.  Show respect for the cash you earn by organizing it from small to large bills and all facing in the same direction.

9.  Inventory – As a precautionary measure, make a copy or photograph of all credit and debit cards and IDs in your wallet.  Store this paper copy or photos in a secure spot.  In the unpleasant event that your wallet is lost or stolen, you will have an inventory of its contents.

Have you decluttered your wallet lately?  If not, this weekend, give your wallet some attention and it might just shed some weight.

Happy Friday!