Do you ever feel that your surroundings are caving in around you? Do the piles overwhelm you? Are you ready to get reorganized but a little reluctant? Here are a few ways to get started.
1) Start with clothing. Most people can part easily with old clothes because we know we will not wear it again. If its too old, too small, too big, get rid of it. I recommend, depending on your job, a smaller wardrobe of about 10 pairs of work pants, 5 suits, 20 dress shirts, 5 sweaters, 5 pairs of jeans, 20 ties, 4 belts (brown/black dress & brown/black casual). However, socks and underwear should be plentiful! Once you have determined what can be kept, the rest should be donated (except socks & underwear!).
2) Bedding. Okay, get rid of everything now. You probably haven't washed it in a long time anyyways. Buy two sets of white sheets, a white duvet and a white duvet covert. Buy 4 pillows. If you can just rip all the bedding off and throw into the wash each week, you will likely do it. Using all white means you will definately know when its gross! (FYI - once a week is good).
2) CDs/DVDs/VHS. So many guys collect these and establish these monstrous piles of hundreds and hundreds of CDs and DVDs that they rarely listen to. If you are like me, with CDs you usually buy them for one or two songs. Burn the songs you like onto your computer then sell of your old CDs for cash. Don't buy CDs anymore...just download the songs. Most songs from iTunes are only $0.99. With respect to DVDs and VHS (if you even having a working VCR), I suggest selling anything that doesn't have a special memory recorded on it. I cannot remember the last time I watched a movie twenty times.
3) Tools. Okay, this is a soft spot for most guys. I understand its difficult to scale down the tools but, come on! How many hammers and 5/8 wrenches do we need? One hammer, a good wrench set, a good socket set and one good screwdriver set will be more than adequate for most of us. A few specialty saws, a good cordless drill, hand sander and some clamps and most of are done. Unless you are a professional or avid hobbyist, you can really declutter this area. Use old jars to organize and store screws and nails.
4) Kitchen. Dude, your fridge is rank! Clean out your fridge once a week. I guarantee you will be disgusted at the amount of stuff you throw away and will start shopping more sensibly. Also, if you are single and do not entertain frequently, consider packing away half your dishes and pots and pans. This will force you to keep the dishes clean and put away. A place setting for four, two sauce pans and one skillet works great. If you drink beer and tend to leave the bottles around, only buy six at a time but put more beer money in an envelope on the fridge leaving a shortfall of the amount of refund on the empties. When you run out, you'll know to clean up those six empties and return them for more beer.
I few thoughts for keeping things cleaner and running smoother. I'm sure when Mom comes to visit, she'll notice the difference.
