Reduce your volume and reuse your storage

How can being organized also be good for the environment and your wallet? REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE. Reducing the volume of items that enter your space is the first important step.  There are things in life you cannot control but what comes into your space is something you can control. Nothing comes into your space without your permission. REDUCE the volume of what enters as a starting point.  You will have less stuff to deal with and less to organize now and in the future. Can you REUSE an item in a different space or purpose? Can a bookshelf or table originally in a bedroom be reused in the playroom or entryway?  How about those extra shelves that are no longer needed in the kids’ playroom being repurposed in the garage for storage?  Baskets and bins that used to house toys in the kids’ bedroom?  Reuse in the craft room for yarns and other craft supplies.  Organizing doesn’t require elaborate systems and products and a system can often be created with existing products.  When starting an organizing project, resist the urge to go out and purchase boxes and bins or a fancy organizing system – there are many available and they are great.  But first REUSE what you already have and “shop at home” to find organizing solutions without buying new products and spending money.

Recycle your stuff

RECYCLING has a connotation for keeping things out of the trash and yes, that is one meaning.  Purging what you already have in your space starts the process and then RECYCLE – pass on anything unneeded or used.  You can find a list of resources here to donate just about anything. For most of us, when we can’t find what we are looking for, we purchase another.  So gather all the soccer cleats, hammers, black sweaters, phone chargers, etc – whatever item you are organizing – and decide on how many you REALLY need to keep.  And don’t limit the idea of REYCLING to what you can give away.  Think online yard sales, eBay, and other sources for purchasing NEEDED gently used, expensive items more economically. REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE – save money, time, and resources.