Organizing Your Vehicle

Welcome to another Thursday organizing post!

If you are just joining us, we have been getting organized using Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now book.

It has some great info and tips on organizing various parts of our life and home. You can see past posts here:

Week 1 about Organizing Your Mind and Life Vision HERE,

Week 2 about Organizing Your Priorities HERE,

Week 3 about Organizing Your Schedule HERE

Week 4 about Organizing Your Cleaning Schedule HERE.

Week 5 about Organizing Your Personal Information HERE. 

Week 6 about Organizing Your Finances HERE. 

      Week 7 about Organizing Your Bill-paying System HERE.

        Week 8 about Organizing Your Receipts and Taxes HERE. 

Week 9 about Organizing Your Files HERE

                               Week 10 about Organizing your Magazines and Newspapers HERE.
                                               Week 11 about Organizing Your Email HERE
                                                Week 12 about Organizing Your Mail HERE
                                         Week 13 about Organizing Your Child's Toys HERE.

Week 14 about Organizing Your Crafts HERE.

Week 15 about Organizing Your Photographs HERE.

Week 16 about Organizing Your Purse or Wallet HERE. 

Today we are organizing our vehicles. This is another good one for me. I used to spend a lot more time in my car then I do now. That was when we lived in San Diego and I used my car to drive myself to my music therapy contracts all over the county. It was like my second office. It was a good thing I just had a little Corolla then because there was less room to clutter it up! lol

Now that we are a family of four, we upgraded to the ultimate family vehicle - The Minivan! I never thought I would ever drive one. But once we bought it, I could not see us in any other vehicle with our two small boys. We love the room and convenience it gives us.

But with more room of course comes more space for clutter. And with small kids, there are always extra toys, jackets, food, etc that seems to make its way into the van and stay there. Does this happen to you too?

 

This Week's Goals:

1. Clean out all things that do not belong in your car such as garbage, receipts, etc. Be sure to check the trunk too. Do this every month so it doesn't get out of control. Attach a trash bag to the back of one of the seats and be sure to use it:)

2. Clean the car: shake out floor mats, wash windows, wipe down the dashboard, clean the seats, wash exterior etc.

I really love my Basic H2 organic concentrate for this. It is not only safe for your car and everyone who drives in it, but it cleans really well, inside and out. It works great in the window wash fluid compartment too.  

3. Schedule an oil change and tire rotation if need be. (usually every other oil change) Keep a log of all maintenance you have done on your car. 

I keep a small book in my glove box (nothing fancy), where I record the date, mileage, place of service, service done and cost.

This is a habit I developed from my dad and it paid off big time when we moved from California to Indiana a few years ago. I took my car in for a check up to the local dealer (still under warranty) after driving it cross country. They told me I needed new brakes. I thought I had my brakes worked on not that long ago but I wasn't sure. when I checked my trusty record book, it confirmed that they were done a year prior! I took it somewhere else for another opinion and it turned out that my brakes were just fine! So keep good records. It may also help when you sell the vehicle in the future.

4. Put together or update your emergency kit. Do you have one of these? I don't but I realize that I should. Jennifer suggests keeping the following in it: first aid kit, road flares, flashlight with extra batteries, and everything you need to change a flat tire! I guess I need to brush up on my flat tire changing abilities! Or make sure that my AAA membership is current. :)

Tips:

1. Keep a small bag of toys or books in the car if you have small children.

2. Extra weight in the trunk can lower fuel economy. So try not to store too much there.

I think that does it for another week. What tips can you share? How has this organizing journey been for you so far? I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day!!

Rebecca