November 10, 2021

3 HOME TIDYING TIPS WITH THE TIDY MOOSE

If you live in the big city, chances are very high that you own or rent a condo space. Condos are handy for so many reasons, but many people struggle to keep them organized and clutter free. Here are 3 tips to keep your space clutter-free!

1. CREATE A HOME FOR EVERYTHING

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” This means that everything you own has a space in your home, and when you need it, you know exactly where to find it every time. When you’re done using it, it goes right back where it belongs. It’s the simplest solution to all of your organizing problems. So why is keeping a home organized so difficult then?

1. LET THE STORES STORE YOUR ITEMS

When it comes to city living, it is entirely likely that you are no more than a 10 minute walk to any grocery store, or pharmacy, and no more than a 10 minute drive to any big box store that has it all. So the tip here is to let the stores store your items until you need them – that’s why they’re called stores.

If I see that I’m running low on toothpaste and only have two or three tooth brushings left, I go outside, walk for 10 minutes to the nearest store and buy a new tube to be ready for that moment I run out. It’s a great excuse to get out for a walk, enjoy some fresh air and get those legs moving! Win/Win!

Living the past five years of my life as a professional home organizer, I’ve heard every excuse in the book as to why people can’t live that way, and I’ve squashed every one. Let’s call a spade a spade here: our society is trained to value consumerism above all else. Advertising is literally everywhere we look. We can’t go anywhere without someone telling us we need to buy something. So if you’re having trouble escaping this mentality, you’re not alone.

Another reason I hear for people not being able to apply the “shop when you need it” philosophy is that they’re busy. Believe me, I get it! So if this isn’t possible, consider home delivery services to top up on your daily essentials.

Now, allow me to be very clear with this system. It can be very easy to click the “subscribe and save” option on home delivery services. This option calculates when to send a refill of your item. Some allow you to choose the timeline, and others choose it for you. Nine times out of ten, I’ve seen clients who get their refills before the old product has run out, and then they’re stuck with 5 giant containers of laundry detergent that are taking up space that could and should be utilized for other things. Which brings us to my final tip.

3. CREATE A JOURNAL OF CONSUMPTION

This journal records when you’ve purchased an item and when it’s run out. Make this journal for all of the most frequently purchased items in your home. After two or three months, revisit this list and order based on your habits. For the most part our habits don’t change too drastically, so this is a great way to know when you may need to make that trip to the big box store, or to put in an online order.

Ivanka from ‘The Tidy Moose’ signing off! Happy tidying everyone!