THREE THINGS TO DECLUTTER THIS WEEKEND TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

We’re still minimizing here on a Life on a Dime! I need to declutter this weekend, and I’ve got three specific areas I’m going to focus on to make my life easier going forward. By this weekend, I also mean no time like the present! I need to get organized, and before I can really truly do that I have to declutter.

FIRST ITEM TO DECLUTTER THIS WEEKEND: PAPERWORK

Whether we like to admit it or not we all have some paperwork. A few of our monthly bills aren’t paperless. There’s the never ending stream of junk mail, and certain documents that need to be held for safe keeping. We have a pretty good system; I’ve just fallen behind with shredding and filing.

I plan to do something about that this weekend. If you haven’t signed up for paperless statements and bills with your bank or utility companies I highly advise doing so. Not only is it less wasteful, but it also eliminates the need to shred said documents later. Identity theft is not going anywhere; paperwork does not leave our house for the recycling center without first having any sections with identifying information shredded.

FILING & ORGANIZATION OF MONTHLY BILLS

When it comes to monthly bills, my system is as follows; bills for the current month are in a folder, bills for the previous month in another. This way I can compare and have a previous statement on hand should I need it. Once a new month’s bills arrive, the previous month folder’s contents go to the shredder. The papers occupying the current month folder are then moved over.

This is a great system, when I actually shred everything right then. When I don’t, there’s a growing little stack of paperwork on the shredder in the corner next to my desk. So this afternoon I’m going to get it all shredded so it can go to the recycling center tomorrow on my weekly run.

FILING & ORGANIZATION OF OTHER DOCUMENTS

I have the manuals and warranty information to all appliances, power tools, and jewelry filed away in a file box. It comes in really handy when an appliance starts blinking at you and you need to troubleshoot a problem or remember who fixed the issue last time.

We also have a folder system for all identifying papers, liabilities, assets, and old tax returns. Again, this is a great system, I just haven’t touched the “to file” pile on top of the safe in a bit. So that is definitely happening this afternoon as well since some of those documents will need to be shredded and recycled.

It’s also great to scan things whenever possible if you have the storage capacity. I’m definitely not knocking that system, I’ve just found personally that sometimes I need the original paper document in hand to resolve some issues.

And since I’m me, organizing the paperwork will probably also entail me going through everything on my desk before the weekend is out. Once you get going, it really is hard to stop decluttering!

SECOND ON THE LIST TO DECLUTTER THIS WEEKEND: THE NIGHTSTAND

Nightstands are great; they provide a place for a bedside table, phone to charge, maybe a picture frame or two… some cough drops, glasses, a diffuser, a knick-knack, the tablet… Then there is the actual drawer or cabinet space that seems to stay filled.

My nightstand seemed to have become the home for things removed from other organized areas, deemed worth keeping, but not otherwise assigned a permanent home. This is exactly why my husband built wall-mounted floating nightstands with lights. The fewer places to hide clutter the better.

Now I have room for a small stack of books, my diffuser, prayer stone, and my phone. My to-be-read stack is pretty low at the moment. Any good suggestions?

THIRD THING TO DECLUTTER THIS WEEKEND: BATHROOM CABINETS

This is one of those areas that makes me thankful that I am pretty low maintenance; I don’t really have that many products littering my bathroom cabinets. My husband might have more given he wears cologne. Our kids’ bathroom was a bit of a different story though since it has the only true storage closet in the house.

Not only did the open shelves house shelve towels, a hair dryer, a basket of bows, this spot is also the de facto home for humidifiers, various filters, and all grooming products that have to stay out of the kids’ reach. It gets a bit unorganized from time to time, but I intend to do something about that this weekend.

One of the first things I recommend to keep your bathroom more organized is to go minimalistic wherever possible; keep the skincare routine and cleaning products as streamlined as possible to avoid clutter. It doesn’t take twenty lotions or seventeen cleaning products to keep your skin happy and your bathroom clean.

Another thing that has helped keep their bathroom more organized has been the mirror cabinet my husband built for our daughter last year. She now has a full-length mirror that houses (and hides) her hair dryer, brushes, and the like. We plan to add small hooks under the top shelf for necklaces.

I have one cleaning solution I use for pretty much everything in the whole house. One. I can mix it to different concentrations for specific jobs, but for the most part, I use one spray bottle for just about everything. I do keep one product in the shower and my husband likes to keep antibacterial wipes on hand, but even then we don’t have a lot of cleaning products.

If you are a makeup enthusiast more power to you; I have never been that great with makeup. Just keep everything is clean, organized, and toss expired products regularly.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Get your declutter on this weekend and knock out these three items/areas. You won’t believe how great it feels to get that accomplished. As a bonus, maybe reorganize your purse or the diaper bag while you’re at it!

If you like this little decluttering assignment let me know in the comments! I would be more than happy to issue new challenges! Until next time, stay frugal and get to work decluttering!