Quick Home Organizing Tips

These quick home organizing tips require little to no planning, effort, or supplies. Say good-bye to excuses and get more organized today!

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General Home Organizing Tips

Donate, recycle or throw away one item a day.
Stop collecting things.
Think “needs” vs. “wants”
Get to the point where you can clean a room in 20 minutes or less. Time yourself and make it a game!
Use turn tables in cabinets to store spices, vitamins, medicines. Place in refrigerator for condiments etc.
When you return from the grocery store, take time to do all the prep work such as cutting the veggies, etc. It will make cooking so much faster and enjoyable.
Declutter your home, one room at a time. This breaks it down into smaller chunks and becomes less overwhelming. Learn how to declutter a room
Reduce the number of plates, cups, mugs, silverware, etc. One for each person in the family, plus 2?
Create simple routines such as turning the dishwasher on at night and emptying it in the morning.
Complete house chores during the week so you have the weekend to do fun stuff.
Store bed sheet sets in one of the pillow cases. This way you can grab the entire set at once! They also stack nicely! Lean how to fold a fitted sheet.
Fold shirts in a fun and efficient way. Learn how by watching this video.
Remove the exercise machines and other hobbies from your bedroom to have it become the restful place you deserve. Learn about more ideas for your bedroom.
Practice ONE IN TWO OUT. For everyone one item that enters your home, find two to donate, gift to a friend, or recycle.
Remove all the stuff on your fridge including magnets, artwork, photos, coupons, etc. This will immediately make your kitchen look cleaner. Try it for a week and see how it feels.

Home Organizing Tips for your PAPER

Ask yourself “Where will I find this?” instead of the common “Where should I put this?”
Files on your computer are best utilized if set up similar to the files in your filing Cabinet.
Forget the message “Only touch paper once.” Instead think of T.R.A.S.H. and begin to make decisions about paper—toss it, refer/recycle it, act on it, store it, halt it.
If it takes longer than 3 minutes to find something, the system you are using needs to be modified.
Have a folder of articles or other papers you want to read. Take this to appointments so you can catch up on your reading while you wait.
End your magazine subscriptions.
Create an Action File for papers you are not sure what to do with. Learn how to set up the right action file for you
Flip a stack of paper upside down and begin the sorting process. This will have you work on the oldest paper first which will most often be recycled or tossed.
Stop printing your emails.
Open your mail every day and remove the junk. Learn how to manage your daily mail
Reduce the amount of junk mail. Learn how to stop junk mail
Photo copy every card in your wallet and write the phone number of who to contact if your wallet is lost or stolen. Place in your safe.

Home Organizing Tips for your PLANNER

If you accomplish anything in your day, make sure you include something for yourself, your family, and your career.
Schedule the fun stuff first.
Create a short To-Do List. Try maxing out at 5 and see how that feels.
Use notes in Address Book to place directions, hours of operation, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Checklists are a great time savers. Keep them for packing, traveling, moving, and filling orders or other repeated tasks.
Use only one planner for your personal and professional life.
Go through your planner and remove outdated information you are carrying with you every day.
Create a day or ½ day for yourself. Mondays are a great day to claim as “MY DAY” because it signifies the beginning of the week and lets you look forward to it. Learn more about Theme Days
If you use the computer, you may want to consider using a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) for your portable planner. Learn more about PDA vs Paper Planners
Reserve alarms on your computer or PDA to remind you of appointments or tasks that are really important. Having too many will defeat the purpose since you will begin to ignore the reminders.
Give yourself permission to tailor your planner to meet your needs. You never have to force a fit to any system. Learn more about planners

Home Organizing Tips for your FINANCES

Use the library instead of purchasing books.
Plan meals once a week.
Grocery shop when you are not hungry.
Barter talents and resources—trade skills such as typing, yard work, decorating, etc. with a friend or neighbor.
Create a simple wardrobe.
Before purchasing clothing, check fabric label and care instructions—avoid clothing requiring special care such as dry cleaning.
Have an easy hairstyle.
Give gifts of service such as cooking a meal, child or pet sitting, car detailing, etc. Learn of other clutter free and earth friendly gift ideas.
Use auto pay for bills. Learn other suggestions to organize your bills.
Use a software program such as Microsoft Money, Quicken, or Quickbooks for easy balancing, budgeting, reconciling, categorizing, and filing taxes.
Organize your taxes before they are due! Learn how to set up a great system.

Home Organizing Tips for your LIFE

Limit the number of changes you make at a time.
Brain dump! Take some time and empty your brain of all the things you need/want to do. Include projects, dreams, and even the nitty-gritty such as repairing a door. List is ALL!! Now it is all in one place that is not your head!
Three times a day, ask yourself "Am I being productive or am I just active?"
If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it!
Stop trying to manage time and begin to manage your self!
Surround yourself with positive people.
Stop multi-tasking.
Block out one night a week to do absolutely nothing!
When you practice extreme self-care and put yourself first, you are then fully available to others without resentment or anger.
Work with your natural clutter spots. You know where they are. :-)
Turn off the TV. The average American watches 1,669 hours of the tube each year. That is about 70 days per year according to the Statistical Abstract of the United States. That equals...10 weeks per year of watching television. YIKES!
Plan physical activity into your day.
Say “No” to an activity that is no longer fun or requires too much of your time and energy.
When you add a new hobby, eliminate an old hobby.