Specific Organizing Rules You Can Use - Here’s #1
There are several simple rules for organizing you can use to maintain order in your home. The key of course with all these rules is in the word “specific”. When you’re organizing items or clearing clutter in your home you have to be specific when making decisions and taking action. I’ll be sharing several of these rules with you at this site. The first “specific” organizing rule is…
Organizing Rule 1: One in One Out
This means that when you bring something new into your home (even if it’s a used item but new to your home), then something else already in your home needs to go. It’s that simple. This rule will prevent clutter chaos in the future in your home.
Try this rule for items like books, shirts, shoes, electronics and more.
Books
For instance, if you buy three new books, don’t get more book storage. Just donate three books you’ve already read from your bookshelves that aren’t keepers. The library will love them. If they can’t put them on their shelves, they’ll put them in their book fund-raiser sale. They just took about 100 of my cheap serial novel paperbacks for this purpose.
Shirts
If your clothes closets are packed with clothes, stuffing more in a cramped bedroom closet isn’t going to work. Trust me…I know…my packrat spouse once owned about 300 shirts. (I counted them!) In recent years we’ve implemented the something in, something out rule for his shirts. So get rid of two older shirts every time you bring one or two new ones into your clothes closet. Start with the ones that are decades old, have stains or are excessively pilled or that you just don’t wear (because you like the others better).
Shoes
Same thing goes for shoes if you tend to buy more than you wear or have room for in your closet. Both my spouse and I have more shoes than shoe racks so we’ve been working on this using this rule. And it’s working. (And we don’t have tons of shoes, just a modest home with modest closet and storage space like many people reading this.) Get rid of a pair of shoes not as comfortable or even one that you love but that is worn. If you’re buying new shoes more often than not then you’re probably not going to send the old ones, even if you love them, off for shoe repairs. It’s just not going to happen. So send them on their way with the one in one out rule.
Electronics
And electronics? Why would I throw that in there? From experience…we’re constantly upgrading electronics in our home…DVD players, televsions (soon), computers and more. If you upgrade, give your older electronic item if it’s in good working condition to someone else–a friend, a family member, a co-worker who wants it. If you’re thinking of donating it to charity, that’s probably okay if it’s something like a television or DVD player. But if it’s a computer, check with the charity first. They may only want and be able to use certain models. This is because as you know computer hardware and software upgrades cause a lot of compatibility issues and can cause some older computers to be practically useless these days too.
Organize your home with the one in one out rule and you’ll help prevent clutter from accumulating. And you won’t have to spend your hard earned dollars on more storage shelving. You can spend it on eating out and vacations instead. Wouldn’t that be more enjoyable? It’s that simple.