To begin to organize your kitchen, take a quick survey of everything you need to store in kitchen cabinets and drawers. You will likely find a few items you keep in the kitchen that you don’t actually use there; these items can be moved into another room. You also need to take note of your cooking habits and determine which items you need access to in each location around the kitchen area. For example, do you like to store pots and pans near the kitchen sink or near the stove? Where is the most convenient place to put dishes and glasses? What about utensils?

Once you decide where you really want things to be, look at the storage solutions you have at hand. If you don’t have a cabinet for pots and pans near your stove, you could place them on a hanging pot rack above the stove or kitchen island. If you want your utensils in a drawer next to the kitchen sink and the drawer there it isn’t big enough, try a drawer utensil organizer or hanging solutions for a nearby wall. You can draw a diagram (including measurements of existing cabinets, drawers, and countertop space) and take it with you to a store to see what options you might consider. Take your time to determine what you really need; consider whether you can make an organizer solution yourself, and if not then purchase helpful organizing systems. Here are a few kitchen organizer ideas to get you started:

Drawers
There are several drawer organizers on the market to help declutter drawers and make good use of space. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and are made of a various materials. It is best to measure your drawers before purchasing drawer units or cutlery trays, as well as the items you need to to store in them. Often drawer units are larger than you need and waste space. Some drawer organizers allow you to mix and match shapes for items that are different sizes (such as knives and teaspoons). Drawer dividers are on the market that allow you to buy different shaped compartments that then fit together. Expandable organizers are useful because you can set the size to match the size of your drawer. When comparing which material is best (e.g., wood or plastic) consider how you will clean the unit. If you are storing cutlery, it may be easier to clean a plastic tray than one made of wood.

Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets on their own require that you stack items vertically to utilize all of the space inside. Stacking can be cumbersome when you need the item on the bottom of the stack. A free standing rack or shelf can help with this problem, as it allows you to create two or more smaller stacks. You can hang hooks on the underside of a shelf for mugs, or metal hangers for wine glasses. Sliding drawer units are good for storing cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. Over cabinet organizers can be used for dish towels, pot holders and paper towels.

Walls
For frequently used items, you might consider hanging shelves on the wall near your kitchen sink or stove. Shelves come in a variety of sizes for things like spices and jars. You can even get decorative or colorful jars to add a little flare to the kitchen. Efficiently placed hooks can be used for pot holders or serving spoons. You can mount metal or wood rails on the wall horizontall and hang wire baskets or other storage containers off the rail.

Types of personal organizers

• Notebook – a book style organizer with paper templates in a variety of sections, such as a calendar, address book, and blank paper for notes. Additional sections can be added depending on the product and style preferred, including storage pockets and maps.

• Digital – a personal digital assistant, often referred to as a PDA, is a small hand held device that stores personal information digitally, much like a small computer. PDAs have sound and color which enables them to be used as phones and gaming devices, and they can even be set up to connect to the internet. Models come with touchscreens, pointing devices or mini keyboards.

• Computer Software – personal organizing software can be installed on your computer, and behaves much the same way as the notebook or digital formats. Because software is linked to your computer, portability and ease of access is limited unless you print information stored or synchronize it with your hand-held digital device.

Which one is right for me?

Personal organizer styles vary widely. The first thing to consider when selecting an organizer is what you will be using it for. Some important questions to think about are:

• Do you prefer to see your information on a computer screen or in handwriting?

• Do you like to use hand held digital devices or do you get frustrated with technology?

• Do you want to carry your organizer? If so, what size and weight requirements do you have? (i.e., what will fit into your purse or briefcase?)

• How much can you afford to spend on your personal organizer?

You should then consider what type of information you need to remember or organize. Some examples include: personal schedule, calendar, addresses, meeting notes, shopping lists, important dates, international time zones, maps, phone numbers, pictures, and family appointments. If you decide that a notebook style is best for you, it is especially important to carefully decide what is included in your organizer because weight can be a concern: more features can mean more paper and this could result in a heavier or larger notebook.

Used correctly, personal organizers should save you time if you have entered information in categories and sections efficiently. However, it is helpful to recognize that new tools can actually increase the complexity of keeping you organized.

The size and location of your storage space is important to how you will organize your belongings. Some storage spaces are an odd shape, such as under the stairway or in an outdoor shed. Some spaces are more exposed to the elements such as excessive heat, cold or damp conditions. Ideally you want to protect the items you are storing so you can use them in the future.

Protecting your belongings from the elements

If your storage space is located in an area that is exposed to extreme cold or hot temperatures or moisture, you should avoid storing valuable items such as documents, photos, VHS video tapes, or candles. Consider storing these items indoors in a closet. If you are storing items in spaces that can be damp, valuables should be placed in air tight containers to reduce the risk of mold forming.  Traditional cardboard boxes will mold in damp conditions eventually, which poses a health hazard and can damage your goods. Also consider whether your storage space has the potential to flood, either from pipes leaking nearby or weather. If there is a risk of water entering your space, protect your goods with waterproof containers or bags.

Types of containers

There are many types of storage containers available on the market, in a variety of sizes and materials. Try PVC-free containers for items that need to be protected from moisture, as they are healthier for people and the environment. Cardboard boxes are inexpensive and sufficient for items stored in dry places. For added protection, you can place paper goods such as books in a tied plastic or waterproof bag first before placing them in a cardboard box. Clear, see-through storage bins or boxes are nice for storage in that you can easily see what’ inside. It is best to label the outside of each storage container with its contents. Labeling takes time, but over the long run you will save time when searching for things in storage.

As you are selecting and packing your storage containers, keep in mind the size of your storage space. If it is an odd size, you will need to fit your items inside creatively. You also need to keep in mind the quantity of goods you will need to store, and whether they will fit nicely in the space. Consider which items MUSt fit, and which have alternative homes elsewhere in case you don’t have room.

How to place items in a storage space

Place items and labeled boxes/bins (hint!) that you will need frequent access to close to the front of your storage space. Items you only use once a year (such as holiday decorations) can be placed towards the back as they are not often needed. If your storage space has a window where light can come through, consider moving any clear containers with documents or pictures away from the light to reduce the potential for fading.

Also, it is wise to move valuable items away from windows to deter thieves. Items should be stacked neatly to make the most efficient use of the storage space (i.e., more will fit if neatly organized).

It is possible to organize your garage so that you can find your belongings easily when needed, and in a manner that looks tidy. You should be able to organize your garage in a weekend if you stay focused. Here are some useful tips to organizing your garage.

Tip #1:

• Stand back and survey the situation in the garage. Are your belongings packed in boxes or is there a lot left out in the open? Try to determine which items you need easy access to on a regular basis, and those that you can store for longer periods. For example, if you play golf frequently, you will need easy access to your clubs. Create a mental image of how you want your garage to look.

Tip #2

• Start the garage organizing project by sorting through items to see if you can give anything away or get rid of unused items. If you haven’t used something in several years, think about whether you really need to keep it. Go through any tools, old paint, garden supplies, books, memorabilia, etc. and start making stacks for things you will give away and those you will dispose of properly (toxic chemicals and paint need to go to the hazardous waste facility).

• Use boxes and label them efficiently. This will come in handy later when you forget where you’ve put things.

• Once you are done sorting, you will have a clearer picture of the amount of stuff you need to organize.

Tip #3

• Make a plan. If you want to free up some floor space, you can build or buy shelves and wall storage organizers. Do some research either online or at your local hardware store about the type of garage organizing systems available, such as wall mounted bike racks, tool boxes/hooks, or shelving units. Do you want to build shelves yourself or would you rather buy a system that just needs mounting?

• You don’t have to buy anything – you may chose to put your belongings in labeled boxes stacked them against the wall. That’s fine as long as you know where everything is located for easy access.

• Next you’ll need to measure your garage to match the type of storage you want, and buy the materials.

• If you decide to build shelves or wall mounts, you will likely need to move your stuff aside to access the wall. If you don’t have space inside the garage to move things to one side while you work, you may have to move them to the driveway or yard temporarily.

Tip #4

• Make sure your garage is clean before you stack everything in its place. You can move everything to the driveway or yard, sweep out the garage, then patch and paint as needed.

• Once the garage is clean, start moving your stuff into place. Try to put everything on the sides of the garage so you have room to walk or put a car inside. Place items you don’t use regularly up high or towards the back.  Place those things you use frequently within easy reach.

Tip #5

• Stay focused – try to finish the project in one or two weekends. The more time you take, the less likely you are to finish. Keep at it until everything inside is where you want it, and the rest is removed and handled (e.g. make a trip to the donation station or hazardous waste site).

Organizing Digital Pictures

When you transfer your digital pictures from your camera to your computer, the easiest way to organize pictures on your computer is to create folders that are easy for you to browse and search in the future. You will have to decide what works best for you and customize your directories; for example, do you tend to recall events by date or occasion?

If you organize pictures by date, start by creating a folder for each year. Then create subfolders for events occurring in that year, organized by date. Your file directory could look something like this:

• 2009
  • Visit with Denis_May 2009
    • Yosemite_8 May 2009
    • Yosemite_9 May 2009
  • Disneyland_11 May 2009
  • Chad’s 20th Birthday_June 2009
• 2008
  • Family Vacation_August 2008

When you download your pictures, try to label them immediately. Searching for pictures later can get out of hand if you are always in a hurry and miss this step. The label should include the names of people or specific places captured in each picture. If you took several pictures of the same scene (the benefit of having a digital camera!) you can label them with the name of the shot and a number after each one – so the label could be ‘Lake Geneva View 1’ then ‘Lake Geneva View 2’ and so on. If the angle of the view changes, you can include a new description.

Organizing Pictures, Negatives and Slides

These days negatives are typically from pictures taken before digital cameras were widely available. It is a good idea to go back and organize your pictures and negatives now to make sure they are safely stored in acid-free sleeves, boxes or scrapbooks to prevent fading and deterioration.  There are several companies that sell archival quality picture, negative, or slide materials.  You will need to decide if you want to store them in boxes or scrapbooks.

The best way to organize negatives is to put them in archival sleeves.  You can label each sleeve according to the year and event of the negative, and then place them in boxes labeled with the year(s) of the negatives inside.  It is good to store pictures separately, labeled in the same fashion as the negatives to allow for easy searching.

Pictures can be stored in archival boxes or scrapbooks. Ideally you should label the pictures on the back with an archival pen. You can then place them in the box organized by year or event with separator index cards.  Scrapbooks can be as easy or complex as you’d like – make sure you find archival quality, acid free sleeves/books to protect your pictures.  Again, you should label pictures either on the back (with an archival pen) or on the book sleeves.  You can create one book for each year, or fill the book and then label the date on the outside.

Always store negatives and slides in a cool, dry place to prevent damage.

Safe Storage and Backup

• Pictures often capture treasured moments or people in our lives. Home fires can be devastating if family pictures are lost. If you want to minimize the chance you will lose your pictures, you can follow the following easy steps.
• Create copies of digital pictures on a backup drive or copy pictures onto several CDs. You can then either give copies of the CDs to friends to hold for you, and/or place the CDs in a safety deposit box.
• Store digital pictures online. There are a variety of websites where you can upload and organize your pictures, such as Snapfish or Flickr.
• Older pictures without negatives/slides, or those where you’ve lost the negatives, can be scanned into a digital format. This step takes more time, but these older pictures are often the ones that mean the most (typically black and white pictures of family from previous generations).  You can then follow the tips above to replicate them for safe-keeping.

Step one in the process of organizing your bills is to get a clear picture of everything you pay during the year. Start by making a list of all of the bills you pay, whether they are monthly like an energy bill or yearly like car registration; it is up to you what to include or excluded on the list. You can use a piece of paper or a spreadsheet on the computer. Write down the name of the company you pay, what the bill is for, how much is due if it is fixed or space to input the actual amount, and the date of the month or time of year the bill is due. Once you have the list, you can think about what type of organizer works best with your lifestyle.

Which bill organizer is right for me?

There are a variety of bill organizers to chose from, each with their own benefits.

• Online bill payment: Paying bills online has become very easy and popular. If you prefer this payment method, you can set up automatic withdrawals on your merchant’s website that will debit from your bank account or charge your credit card, or you can chose to pay manually. It is still important to keep track of the exact amount of the bill so you are sure your bank account is not overdrawn accidentally.

• Spreadsheet: An inexpensive and easy way to track bills is in a spreadsheet. Simply list all of your bills as mentioned above, and keep track of each payment in a separate column (date paid, check number). If you pay online, you can keep track of your payment confirmation number in the spreadsheet as well. If you do pay online, you can save paper and reduce clutter by opting out of paper bills through your merchant’s website. Instead, you will get an email reminder from the merchant notifying you when your bill statement is ready and you can view it online.

• Filing: if you prefer to receive and keep paper bills and avoid the computer at all costs, you can set up your own filing system to organize your bills and keep a notebook to track them. You can use an accounting notebook with a preset template, or create your own. Think about a system for filing your bills when you receive them so they will be easy to view when you sit down to pay your bills. A filing cabinet or binder with pockets might be useful. You can also use a wall mounted or desk organizer with slats or shelves to file your bills each day. Once you’ve paid them, you can immediately place the paper statement in a filing cabinet for easy reference and tax preparation.

• Software: if you prefer to use a computer versus paper, several companies make financial software that will organize bills, expenditures, and other financial information. You can import financial information from banks or merchants directly into the software for easy reporting. You can view your spending, track your budget, prepare tax information, and much more. Software like Quicken® can be purchased online or in a store, but there is also free online software available such as Mint.com.

If you struggle to stay organized, you may find the tips below useful to get you on your way to an organized life!

1. Start small

If you aren’t used to staying organized, or if you feel your life or home are out of control, start with small steps. Focus on one room, closet, or activity at a time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get everything done in one day. Set a target for yourself that fits in with your schedule, allowing small steps to lead towards achieving your goal.

2. Make it a habit

The best way to stay organized is to make it part of what you do every day. Spend just a few minutes each day on little things: do a load of laundry while you cook dinner, clean the dishes before you go to bed, pick up your living space each night, put clothes back in their place or in the laundry bin, take your trash with you when you leave your car, put junk mail into the recycling bin when you bring the mail in each day, put your morning newspaper in the recycling bin after you’ve read it, or take the trash out when you leave the house. These actions can take anywhere from 30 seconds to just a few minutes, and you will notice the difference in the way you feel (more organized) and the way your home looks.

3. Deal with it now

Dealing with laundry, mud tracked in on the floor, mail, dishes, paying bills, cleaning, and taking out the trash are not necessarily fun activities, but we all have to do them at some point. Rather than leave a task for later, deal with it now! Typically it will take you only a few minutes to do whatever it is you’d rather not – then you can go about your day without carrying that little nagging feeling every time you see the stack of bills or grass that needs mowing. It’s not always fun to deal with things when they arise, but putting it off until later won’t be fun either.

4. Get rid of clutter

Clutter can make you feel like you are unorganized. It only takes a few moments to look around a room or your desk to see the things you don’t use or appreciate often enough to keep out. You may need to go through a stack of papers, create an organized stack of mail, remove extra pillows from the couch, or put things away in a drawer or filing cabinet. The kitchen counter is often cluttered with oils, pans, soap dispensers, utensils, mixers, etc. You’d be amazed at how nice your kitchen can feel when you move most of this stuff to a cupboard or drawer. A work desk can feel so much better and more organized by simply moving papers and reports to inbox trays or filing cabinets, clearing the desk space to actually use as a work space.

5. Create a place for everything

It will be much easier to stay organized if you create a space and place for everything. You will then be able to put things away easily and it will take less time. If you find you don’t have enough space, maybe you can go through what you have and get rid of what you don’t need or use. Or maybe you need a few more boxes or bins to store things efficiently. Once you use something, you can then put it back where it goes soon after.

6. Creative storage solutions

Marketing ads try to convince us that we need high end organizing systems, trays, bins, boxes with colorful lids to store our stuff. While some may prefer these options, and storage doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. What about using old jars to store nails, tacks, pens, or any other small items? If you like making things, why not get some wood to create shelves in the closet or garage? Shoe boxes are typically thrown out (or hopefully recycled) and they actually make great storage for papers, toiletries, or even old receipts.

7. Weekly reminders

Our lives are getting increasingly complicated, making even the smallest activity or chore hard to remember. Try setting weekly reminders of the things you typically forget. The act of writing the reminder down may actually help you remember without you even needing the list. There are a variety of ways to do this, from paper lists to putting a white board on the kitchen wall, or creating reminders in your calendar or personal organizer. One nice idea is to keep a list of grocery items needed on the frig – every time you run out of something such as milk, you simply write the item on the paper and take the paper with you when you head to the store.

8. Organize highly trafficked areas of the home

Every home has its areas of high traffic or use; stairways, hallways, and entryways all fit the bill. When we enter our homes we usually have things in our hands, such as keys, a purse or wallet, bags of stuff, books, mail, etc. We then tend to designate an area where we drop these things (kitchen tables, countertops, or any nearby shelf). These areas of frequent use tend to be the dumping ground and are often unorganized. Keeping them clean and creating a place to put things such as keys can help your home feel less cluttered. You can use hooks for jackets, purses, and keys, and trays or baskets for mail.

9. Keep a personal organizer

Keeping too many details in your head can make you feel like you are always forgetting something. A personal organizer will allow you to keep track of important dates (like birthdays), appointments, sports schedules, phone numbers, and more. If you get into the habit of checking your calendar each day, you will be reminded of important information and feel confident you aren’t forgetting something. As mentioned previously, you can keep lists here as well.

10. Organize personal bills and documents

Bills, mail, receipts and personal documents are hard to keep track of and can end up sitting in stacks around the house or in your office. It is a good idea to spend the time once to create an organizing system that will work for you to organize this paperwork. Once you do, it will be easy to file, sort and deal with mail, bills, and other documents each week in much less time.

Shoes are just inherently hard to store without some type of organizer. Tossing them on the floor of the closet just makes them hard to find and they will likely get damaged. That may be fine for running shoes, but not for dress shoes or leather boots. Stacking shoes doesn’t work very well either because shoes are different shapes and sizes and just tumble off their pile. So what are the options to keep your shoes organized and stored in the smallest possible space? 

There are hundreds of shoe organizers on the market, but their variety is mainly due to type of material used, colors, and the number of shoes they can hold. The main types of shoe organizers can be broken down into just a few categories. As you read through the various types of shoe organizers below keep in mind how many shoes you have, and the amount of space you have (and want to devote) to organizing your shoes.

Different types of shoe organizers

• Shelves: Simple shelves can be built into the closet wall to store shoes. You can buy pieces of wood (natural or painted) and fix them vertically on the wall spaced every foot or so, or horizontally across the bottom of the closet or above the clothes bar (up high but within reach).

• Free Standing Shelves/Rack: Freestanding shelves/racks can be metal mesh or plastic, and are typically stackable to accommodate more shoes. Some of these shoe organizers expand horizontally to fit more shoes as needed; others are a fixed width.

• Hanging Shelves: Hanging shoe organizers hang vertically from a hook or ties with pockets that each hold a pair of shoes. They can be placed over a door or attach to a clothes bar.

• Standing shoe tree: Shoe trees are rather unique organizers. Smaller shoe trees hold fewer than 10 pairs of shoes, and larger varieties fix to the ceiling and floor and can hold more than 30 pairs. The toe opening of the shoe is hung vertically over metal branches, hence the name tree.

• Shoe Bins: Shoe bin organizers are basically boxes with lids. Some bins are clear so you can see what’s inside. The problem with these organizers is that shoes don’t tend to breathe, and you may end up with a stinky box. Also, shoe bins actually use much more material than you need to organize your shoes.

• Drawers: If your closet is short on space, you might try a drawer that can be placed under the bed or dresser to organize your shoes. These drawers don’t typically have lids, and just slide under furniture hidden away.

• Most unique: While you can’t typically pile shoes on top of each other and have them stay in place, check out this solution to the problem.

The closet is not a place where people spend much time. In fact, the faster we can get in, find what we need, and get out, the better. Typically things get tossed in, shoved in a corner, or thrown on the closet floor because we are in a hurry. If you can organize your closet so everything has its place, it will be easier to keep it tidy on a daily basis. Organizing your bedroom closet, for example, can ease your morning routine and actually make you feel good when you open the closet door. Imagine your clothes neatly hung and your shoes orderly and available to view. Organizing your closet doesn’t take long, and the benefits can be lasting. Here are a few ideas to get you started, even if your closet is very small.

Only keep what you need

Most closets have more inside than what we actually use or need. The first step in organizing your closet is to take everything out and put it in the middle of the room (on the bed or table works well). Go through each item and decide whether it needs to be kept, thrown away, or donated. Once you have a pile of only those things you want to keep, think about how best to organize them so they are easy to access. If you have a lot of little things, can you create or buy a container to put them in? Do you want to hang your clothes and coats, or fold them on a shelf? Determine what is right for you based on how you typically need to access things in the closet.

How to choose a closet organizer?

Ideally you should design or buy a closet organizer around what you own and want to store. It is best if you can see everything in the closet you typically use – if things are buried in a bag or on a shelf out of reach, you will either forget you have them or spend unnecessary time looking for them. Most closets don’t come with a lot of organizing systems (shelves, hooks, etc.). There are a variety of affordable additions you can buy or make in order to fit more into your closet efficiently. For example, you may need an additional bar to hang more shirts. Do you like keep your shoes on the closet floor, or would you prefer to leave the floor space empty? Do you need more shelves or small compartments to store items like socks, jewelry, or workout clothes? For clothes closets, it is best to move unused hangers out of the closet or into the laundry room so they don’t take up valuable space. You should also think about moving items in your closet when the seasons change, so that only appropriate items are in view (for example, move ski equipment out of the way when summer arrives).

Affordable Closet Organizer Tips

Below are some ideas for closet organizers that can help you put more into your closet efficiently.

• Try a hanging shoe organizer - you can get them to hang over a door or onto a clothes rod.
• Free standing shoe organizers can be placed on the ground, or you can easily mount small shelves just above the floor and rest shoes on top.
• Add another clothes rod below the main rod for extra hanger space. If you are using a hanging shoe or sweater organizer, make sure to leave enough room for it to hang without hitting the extra rod.
• Clear bins with lids or baskets can be stacked on the closet floor for more storage.
• Tie and belt hangers come in handy and save space.
• Additional shelves can be added quit easily. Make sure to measure the closet, and then either buy wood at the local DIY store or get free standing interlocking shelves.
• Hooks are nice for hanging hats, scarves, purses, coats or other items. You can get hooks to screw into the wall or door, or get one that hooks over the door (tThese also work well for towels).
• If you don’t want to buy a traditional jewelry box, a clear craft organizer that has small compartments works very well.

The definition of clutter is a personal one. In general, clutter is an unorganized or unused collection of things. Some people think that nicknacks or papers sitting on the table are clutter. And all those gifts and candles that you just didn’t know what to do with so you put them on the shelf - that can be clutter too. Clutter can make you feel you’re your home or workspace is crowded or dirty, and can impact your productivity as well. Too many picture frames or glass vases stacked on a shelf will eventually get dusty, because it is annoying to clean them and the spaces in between. Clutter can be in a closet or a junk drawer (we all have at least one of those), the front yard, your office, or your living room. It can even be items you actually value that are hastily placed in a messy manner out in the open. You can get rid of clutter by following a few simple steps.

Steps for getting rid of clutter:

1. Get in the right frame of mind – make sure you are feeling relaxed, not rushed, and focused on the task at hand before you attempt to get rid of your clutter. You are going to be making many small decisions about what stays and what goes, and if you are feeling annoyed or rushed, you may end up getting rid of something that you regret in the future.
2. Start small – pick one section of a room, one shelf or one drawer to start. You don’t want to get overwhelmed by taking on a whole room all at once. Small victories will keep you going!
3. Prepare – set up a few empty boxes for things you want to get rid of and those you just want to put away. Have some cleaning supplies handy, like a dust rag to wipe down things you will keep and clean off the shelves/drawers you are working with after the clutter is gone.
4. Get started – begin by picking up each item on the shelf, in the drawer, or on the floor. As you do, think about whether or not you use this item frequently, rarely, or not at all. Those things you don’t use at all need to be either stored away or given away to your local charity shop – keep in mind that someone else in need will use that item! Place things you want to keep for use or enjoyment in a separate pile. Once you are done going through all of your stuff, clean the surface area and start placing those items you want to keep back in some organized fashion.
5. Stay positive – if you find that you just can’t get rid of every book you’ve ever read or every birthday candle you’ve blown out, that’s OK. Get rid of a few things, and box up those items you don’t need right away. After that box has sat in the garage for a year, you may be ready to part with a few more things. Even if you just make incremental progress, you are still heading in the right direction. Chances are, you will start to feel more comfortable in your home or work environment with less clutter hanging around, and you will begin the process again at a later time.