Can you become organized? I would say yes! I was not always an organized person. Maybe it was a pure rebellion from growing up in a house where everything had to be spotless at all times.
My first space that was my own was a complete disaster. Literally, you would have to clear a path to walk through the clothes on the floor in my room.
I don’t know when things changed for me. I’m guessing it was when we bought our first home, and I started to take pride in how our home felt.
Once we started having babies, I think you have to become organized to stay sane! Or that’s how I felt. I have always loved beautiful spaces and home design. But I think a cluttered house can disfigure any residence.
So tip #1 is to declutter! I try to do this a few times a year and rotate different areas in my home.
Do things get messy when we get busy with life? YES! Absolutely. But once you create spaces for things, it’s easy to put everything back together. I love hosting parties, happy hour, or doing a last-minute impromptu dinner party because if my house is a mess, I can legitimately have it ready for company in 15-20 minutes, only because I have created space for every item in our home.
This year has been a big challenge for our space. We went from a 5200 sq foot house down to 2500 with no basement. We have a crawl space but limited kitchen storage, a small laundry, and small closets. We are literally using every inch of wall space. We also went from a 3 car garage down to a 2 car. I’m not gonna lie; this house has been tough! We still have systems to put in place, but we are working on it. Some things we are implementing to create more storage:
Ceiling racks in garage
Wall mounts in garage
Built-in closet systems for every closet
Pull-outs in all cabinets, including pantry
Baskets labeled
Shelf helpers under bathroom cabinets
Clear glass or plastic storage containers so you can easily see contents
Dividers in all drawers to keep them tidy
Clear bins for refrigerator
There will always be less waste and cost savings when you can see what you have and have a system for rotating food.
Tip #2 is to take time every day to put things away.
Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and get it done! Once everything has a place, it is easy to pick everything up.
If you have small kids, limit how many toys are out, put some away in storage. I love multi-purpose furniture, like a stylish ottoman that lifts for storage or nice baskets that make it easy to pick up quickly.
So can a disorganized person achieve organization? Absolutely! Just follow Tip #1 and Tip #2, and watch what both can do for you!
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
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Martha Wild King, M.Ed., Author
The Frugal Catholic: Learn to live on less to give and save more.