22/05/2013

Time, Energy and Space Saving Tips

#4 Declutter!!
It's nearly impossible to organize your cupboards when there is far too much stuff in them. You have to rearrange your cupboard every time you take something out!!
My kitchen cupboards were packed. There were dishes and appliances that had been sitting there unused since our wedding 3 1/2 years ago! I always thought I'd use them one day and of course noone likes to get rid of gifts.

This isn't my cupboard by the way. I wasn't quite that bad!!
I am learning to get rid of (sell or put in the opp shop) what I don't need and don't use, then there is enough space to organize the dishes etc. properly. It's so much nicer.
Clothes are another thing that are so easy to collect! But it's so hard to have drawers nice and tidy when you can barely jam the drawers shut. I was sorting out clothes for one of my girls the other day. Honestly, the amount of clothes I had! I had been given so much. I decided to just have a washing basket full for her. But even that is more than enough!
To get rid of clutter is especially handy if you live in a small house. It's also good because you can stock up on food or buy bulk because you've got the space to store it.
This is one lesson I am trying to learn, but I still find it very difficult!

#5Use boxes, containers or trays
This is a principle I'm finding very helpful.
For example, I now have all my herbs and spices in a container instead of standing by themselves in my cupboard. I can just pull out the container, use what I need then put the container back. It saves shuffling around cupboards. It's also a lot easier to clean underneath.
In my pantry I got 2 boxes, one for rice and pasta and another for leftover or spare dry ingredients. If I want to see what I've got, I just pull down the whole box. It's a lot easier than getting up on a chair and rummaging around!
This week I just started using this principle for on my dresser drawers in my bedroom. I used to hate dusting it because I had to first empty it of all the deodorants, hand creams, etc. Then rearrange them all afterwards. Now I have them all in a long lid actually! And it's so much easier to dust.


 
 

1 comment:

  1. Decluttering is a must especially when you have little busy body children as I do! Additionally, it's important for me to save energy costs. I usually keep my thermostat at 68 degrees F during most of winter which saves me a great deal of money on my energy bills. If you're feeling cold, put on extra layers of clothing to keep warm or buy an electric blanket. During the summer I put my blinds down as well and also use fans on some days instead of the air conditioner. I also wash my clothes in cold water instead of hot water. It's little steps like these that can help reduce the overall consumption of North American Power and therefore help save us all money in the long-run.

    ReplyDelete