We were out and about in the car the other day buying supplies to make the cutest bags that will we are giving for gifts. We wanted to check with some other stores before driving all over town to see if they had the supplies we needed. Fortunately I had my planner with me that includes my address book. I had every phone number for each store we were planning on going to. Some of the stores I hadn't called in over a year but because I had their number in my book we saved hours as we found out before going to their store if they had what we needed.

We are creatures of habit. By using this to our advantage we can save ourselves time and frustration. Here are 8 practical ways that are fool proof to help us save time and organize clutter while we're at it.

1. Every time you look up a phone number record it in your address book even if you think you will never use it again. This is what I had done with the stores I needed to call. I remember thinking as I wrote their number in my phone/address book I will never call them again and yet I did have the occasion to do so.

2. Record business numbers separate from your personal numbers. This saves a lot of time and effort. Use a phone/address book that has two pages for each letter in the alphabet and on one side record friends and family. On the other side write business and non-personal phone numbers.

3. Organizing clutter is simple by assigning a place for everything. When you or someone in your home needs to use that item they will always know where to find it. For instance keep pens and paper near the phones in the home. If you use a cell phone exclusively designate places in your home for message recording just as though you had a phone on a desk.

4. Set up a good working filing system so you have a place to put all of the paper that comes into your home. You will no longer have to hunt for information you need later as you will be able to find any piece of paper in less than 10 to 15 seconds. As a professional organizer FreedomFiler is my preferred filing system to use as it is so simple to find everything after filing and it is easy to set up.

5. Do you ever have parties? If you do keep a list of what worked and what didn't. Then when you have another party you can refer back to your notes without having to rely on memory.

6. If you travel a packing list is essential. Type up a list of things you need to take. Break them into different categories such as clothes to take, documents, snacks etc. Then check them off as you pack. Keep a master list on your computer and print it off when you travel again rather than needing to make up a new list. When you get home from a trip write on the list things you wished you had taken and remove things you took that you didn't need. A couple of different lists may be helpful depending on the time of year you are traveling and if you are traveling by car, or plane and traveling with children.

7. Make a grocery list template and make separate headings such as meat, produce, dairy, bakery, frozen, canned, dry goods, cleaning misc. This saves a lot of time when shopping.

8. Birthdays and anniversaries for friends and family come around once a year. Yet how many times are we scrambling at the last minute to purchase a card or gift and get it sent to them? Set up alerts on your computer to remind you of important dates. This can be done through Outlook or other programs such as "Memo To Me" which is one of the free services available to remind you of dates you want to remember.

Organizing clutter can be simplified and your time will be more productive by using these proven tips and ideas.