I don’t have much physical storage space. I live in a small townhouse and storing anything means investing in it.
I’m in a continual battle to keep our stuff contained. These are the three steps I try to follow:
Step 1: Continually Purge — I’m by nature a pack-rat. I find letting go of my stuff tough. So my approach is to donate my extra items to charity. I don’t personally go to the effort of getting a tax-receipt, although I have heard that it is a possibility.I take the easiest route and let an organization such as Big Brothers pick up my bagfuls of extra clothes etc and remind myself that it is going to a good cause.
Step 2: Sort and Organize — In a house of any size, sorting and organizing is key to being able to find what you need, where you need it and when you need it.Since I’m not a woman with a passion for organization, it is a chore for me to sort through piles and find appropriate homes for each item. So I try to invite over a friend to chat with me while I work or at least turn on the TV for a little distraction.
Sure it may slow me down, but it helps make the job a little more fun.Another trick that helps me is to assign a certain day of the week to tackle my household projects. On our blog 5 Minutes for Mom, we have a weekly feature called Tackle It Tuesday where our readers can all share their household tackles and have fun together.
Step 3: Store Items Efficiently and Label — Personally, I think the best part of organizing is shopping for all the great containers and storage systems available these days. Heck, there’s even a store called The Container Store. I just love browsing through that site and imagining my house all organized.I also am a big fan of Space Bags that let you use a vacuum to compress bags of linens and clothes.
For me and my tiny home, those are a must.And in the end, it all comes down to the label. Whenever I don’t bother to label a container, I kick myself later. Especially when you’re packing away something in the garage or you’ve shrunk it down in a Space Bag, you definitely want to know what’s in there. And no, you won’t remember six months from now.
Tackling those three steps a couple of times a year will help keep your household’s storage under control.
These are great ideas for organizing and decluttering the house. We especially like the idea of donating old items to charity, thanks for sharing.
good points there!! i never label my storage containers and invariably forget what i had stored in them a few months later!