You may think that getting organized is actually an expensive task. You might even think that you have to go out and buy all those organizing neat holders, baskets, bins, and whatever else they tell you that you need to get organized and stay organized. Nope! I’m here to inform you that you do not need any of that stuff.
Do not confuse “getting organized” with “buying stuff”. It is simply not the same thing!
Several months ago I posted a couple of articles about having a household notebook. If you do not have a household notebook yet, or are unsure as to what that is, the articles are here:
Household Notebooks – Explained
Household Notebooks – Getting Started
Household Notebooks – Further Explained
After you have your household notebook, you can begin the de-cluttering process. It is a process not a purchase 🙂 Cute phrase huh? Yeah well it’s true!
Look around you! See all that stuff? The clutter? The stack of clothes that needs buttons, or has a rip. The stack of artwork and school papers in the corner because your child cannot part with their little “gems”. What about that pile of papers on the kitchen island – oh come on – you have it! And all those magazines! What are you going to do with all of them? I can guarantee you that a) you don’t need most of it, and b) you can use some of it to actually get yourself organized! So let’s begin with looking around us for mundane everyday “often trashable” objects that we can organize with.
Magazine/Catalogs
I’m starting here, because it seems most of us have this problem. Everyday the mail contains a plethora of cute catalogs or great magazines that we ordered. Since you probably aren’t prepared to get rid of them yet, let’s begin with storage for these items.
First, you can purchase fairly inexpensive cardboard magazine holders from just about any office supply store. I have even seen them at Wal-mart.
HOWEVER, there is a cheaper way to organize them. Open your pantry. See all those boxes of cereal? Pick a few up, shake them! Is there even enough for another bowl of cereal? One thing you can do with that problem, is combine cereals with like tastes. Experiment a little, but we do this a lot and my kids actually love it.
THEN after those boxes are empty – get rid of the bag and shake those boxes over the trash cans. Don’t want any little cereal bits left to attract bugs – slightly defeats the process of a clean and organized home.
Then cut the boxes into a magazine holder! Put your magazines in the boxes. At least organize a little at this point – separate them by “Magazine Title”, and place all catalogs in one.
Once each box is full, don’t allow yourself to put another magazine into it until you toss one out. (unless you’re a scrapbooker like me – but that’s a WHOLE different article!)
Related Articles:
Tips for Not Confusing Organizing With Buying More Stuff
Don’t Confuse Organizing With Buying More Stuff (3)
Don’t Confuse Organizing With Buying More Stuff (2)
Don’t Confuse Organizing With Buying More Stuff (1)