Ten home organization tips

Greetings! With a condo refresh project going on, and a family home to manage, I use the following ten tips to help me in my quest to stay organized:

1. Designate a place for everything that’s worth keeping, and get rid of clutter that may claim a place as soon as possible. The risk of not getting rid of the clutter right away is it will become part of our home and will accumulate over time.
2. Return things to their “home” location after each use. This habit keeps things in their designated spots and makes it easy for me to retrieve them when I need them.
3. Make it convenient for my family to stay organized. For example, I have a basket in the hallway for quick pick-ups and drop offs of keys, hats, gloves, sunglasses, etc.
4. Label clearly. I label whether it’s a file, a bin, or a box so I know what’s in it at a quick glance. On some of my storage boxes, I even tape a picture of the contents at the front of the boxes.
5. Use a calendar or a planner. I use my electronic calendar and colour codes extensively so I can keep track of my daily activities.
6. Create a list or check list. I usually use a list when I go grocery shopping. For repetitive activities such as travel, I create a travel checklist and use it every time I’m getting ready for a trip. I may modify it based on the destination, local weather forecast, and the trip duration but the essentials are pretty much the same.
7. Group relevant or similar things together. I keep a folder for each travel itinerary including air tickets, accommodation, transportation info together. In my closet, I keep pants in one section, skirts in another, etc. By doing this I can see what I already have and find it easier to choose what I want to wear. I also organize clothing and bedding by season and keep what’s in season accessible. I live in Toronto where we have distinct seasons so at least twice a year, if not quarterly, we have to change from light clothing and bedding to heavier covers.
8. Follow “one in one out” rule as closely as possible. I am not always successful at following this rule but it is on my mind whenever I think about bringing home new things.
9. Declutter quarterly or at least twice a year so the clutter does not become overwhelming.
10. Buy more “experience” and less “things” to have less physical things to maintain.

We can all learn from each other. Leslie from Once Upon A Time & Happily Ever After has five grocery shopping tips here. Please share what organizational tips have worked for you.