I’m hoping I’m not the only person who hasn’t perfected a clutter-free lifestyle.
I don’t want to spend a ton of money, but I am interested in inexpensive and simple ways people handle keeping things neat and organized.
For example, I don’t want to spend the money to hire a company to create a perfect closet space for me, but I am going to buy shelf dividers to organize the sweaters and things that end up on the top of my closet.
Posting here relieves de-cluttering stress:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1599005-the-bag-a-week-club-p1.html
Here’s one tip: don’t buy any storage containers until you’ve gone through your “stuff” and decided what to keep and what to get rid of. If you buy storage containers first, you’re apt to overbuy and you might also decide to keep things that otherwise you’d have disposed of.
And another one (this too from a professional, not my original idea): when deciding where to store items, focus on ease of putting things away, not ease of finding them. That is, decluttering will occur naturally if you’re putting things away regularly, and you’re more likely to put things away if doing so is easy.
And try to store things as close to where they are already getting dumped as possible! I’m still scratching my head why my kid walks past the closet where he can put his coat on a hook and instead puts it on a chair in the living room. I finally made a place for my car keys next to the door I actually use when I drive the car. It really helps.
Thanks. I tried the bag a week for a little while, and still donate a fair amount each season. I need help with things like keeping all the paper crap from accumulating on my dining room table and how to keepmy closets neat.
Maybe open your mail over the trash can?
Just yesterday I was thinking that the best way for me to live would be to have eye level hooks all the way around my house and attractive open baskets lined up on the floor…it would certainly be different.
@rosered55 is correct. I have containers of containers. Yikes!
I have containers labeled shorts, white capris, earth tone capris, swimsuits, etc lined up on my closet shelf. The reality is that I will not swap out summer for winter clothing each year so I might as well have them lined up and ready for the next year.
My favorite bathroom and laundry room storage containers are the white rectangular ice cube bins that I get at Target. They look amazing all lined up and labeled and they are deep enough to hold things like sunscreen, glue, etc.
I dump all mail in a very attractive looking leather basket I got at TJMaxx where I put all mail accumulating during the week. On Saturday, I go through the basket, pull the bills out, flip through the catalogs, and throw out the rest, either in the shreder box or in the recycling bin. Catalogs usually get tossed the moment I am done looking at them. That way, I am not too behind to dread sorting the mail, but I do not have to touch it every evening.
One thing that H and I work at is donating or discarding an item if clothing for each addition. It really helps prevent accumulations.
A problem with hooks and open air bins is that clothing gets dusty and hanging on a isn’t the best way to retain good shape of items. We out quite a few of out things in drawers, rolled and sorted by color and type of clothing. We hang dressy things and slacks.
I’ve cut back a lot on containers, even for my nonprofit. As I use up materials in containers, I repurposed the containers for other materials. Containers really can be space hogs.
Yes, containers are “cute,” but I rather have things in dressers or hanging on hangers in closets.
Re: paper crap accumulation. Limit the number of times you touch each item. In other words, when you open the mail, or obtain a paper from elsewhere, but it where it belongs immediately instead of making a pile. This was a habit I had to force myself to start. It was too easy to just put it on a pile.
If you don’t know where it belongs, then that would be a place to start. Determine what needs to be saved and what can be tossed.
When I bring in the mail, I sort it by family member and also make judgements on what gets recycled immediately. Then I go through my pile and place the items I need to read on th coffee table. My husband pays the bills so he opens the bill, then writes the due date on the outside of the envelope, and puts them in chronological order in a special compartment of our desk. He then writes checks according to the due date, about twice a month.
Sometimes I sort the mail while I’m still outside and immediately put recyclable items in the bin in the garage.
“Just yesterday I was thinking that the best way for me to live would be to have eye level hooks all the way around my house and attractive open baskets lined up on the floor”
Sounds like the Shaker way.
Flylady.
@intparent, interesting. I had to look that one up.
Declutter/organize one area (say one closet) at a time. Breaking it down is less overwhelming than trying to organize an entire house.
Years ago I knew it was time to get rid of stuff. However I needed some motivation so I went and bought
“Clutters’s last stand” by Don Aslett. It worked. Now every couple of years when I need to get rid of some stuff I reread the book. I think you might be able to get it free on the internet.
If u haven’t worn an item in over 2 years, then donate and take a tax writeoff.
Oooh…I forgot about Flylady. Shine my sink!
I second @intparent 's Flylady recommendation. She’s corny, she’s maybe too religious for many,and she’s lately selling too many products, which kind of flies in the face of decluttering. But Flylady saved my life about 10 years ago, by getting me to focus on things “15 minutes” at a time, not to worry about being perfect, and to let go of clutter and be kind to myself. Her dopey-seeming “missions” helped keep me from being overwhelmed by the endless flow of clutter that seemed to be streaming through my door. I was going through a very tough time, and those dopey little steps seemed so doable that they pulled me out of the mire.