The Money Corner: Let’s get organized
If you’re like me and you adore a well-organized room and keeping things in order, this is your week. And even if you’re more of the ‘controlled chaos’ sort, rest assured that it’s not too late in 2015 to get started down the path of well-structured living. This week I want to share some tips for creating your own home organization systems for everything from holiday storage to your own ‘kitchen command center’. Yes, it can exist!
A Place For Everything
I have to admit that I am a little, shall we say, stringent when it comes to organization in my home. Everything should have a place and if it does not, I’m forced to ask myself if I really need it anymore. Secondly, there is nothing more frustrating than looking for something you know you have, but can’t remember where it was placed (or worse, misplaced!). Organization makes me breathe a little easier and puts a smile on my face.
http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2014/12/home-organization-30-day-detox-diet-2015.html
For toy chests, closets and that infamous junk drawer we all have in our kitchen, the best plan of attack is separating your junk/toys/clothes into three categories: often-used, sometimes-used, and rarely-to-never used. Once you’ve decided which pile each item belongs in, you either tidily return these things where you found them or even better, get rid of or donate what you no longer need.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-ways-to-organize-your-bedroom-closet-43236
And Everything In Its Right Place
By taking this approach, not only do you clear up space in your home, you may even be able to make a tax-deductible donation. For items and articles of clothing that are, for instance, specific to a season, will be packed up and stored away in the back of the closet or the garage.
My ‘sometimes-used’ items will go somewhere accessible, but out of sight. For instance, under the bed. You can purchase plastic bins that are specially made for this hiding spot and will easily slide under and out of the way and keep them safe from dust. My often-used items like kitchen tools, mail or electronics need to be accessible, obviously. With this being said, too, I do not like clutter. If the item is in sight, it has to be organized and appealing to the eye.
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/underbedStorage
Clean Up Your Clutter
Creating a system for your often-used items can be as simple as adding a basket or dedicating a single shelf on a bookcase to your everyday items. Or, you can organize more than your stuff and systematize your time, too. Home ‘command centers’ have becoming increasingly popular in the past few years. A corner of the kitchen or den devoted to syncing up schedules and keeping clutter to a minimum is a great to keep everyone in the home on target. Some command centers include magnet board, hooks for keys, wall-mounted file folders and even USB docks.
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modular-home-organization-daily-system
Think about what will work best for your family and get started. After all, the most important step toward organization is the first one. Decide what will make your life easier (and your house cleaner) and enjoy the uncluttered life!
Kat's Money Corner is posted on Dollars & Sense every Tuesday. Tina Mapes is an assistant branch manager with CommunityAmerica Credit Union. For more financial chatter, click http://twitter.com/savinmavens.
This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "The Money Corner: Let’s get organized."