Most people cannot afford

There are a lot of financial answers on what most people cannot afford. However, I am going to give a different perspective on what most people can’t afford.

You cannot afford not knowing the necessary life skills.

You cannot afford

• having a wicked moral compass
• being a lousy partner in a relationship
• being a bad parent
• being selfish
• burning bridges with family and friends
• not exercising
• not eating right
• not getting a high school diploma
• not learning first aid
• not learning how to create a budget
• not learning how to sew on a button, repair a tear, hem something, sew a seam
• misbehaving in public
• not learning common courtesy
• not knowing how to plan meals and cook them
• not knowing how to wash clothing and linens
• not knowing how to have good personal hygiene
• getting into trouble with the law
• not knowing how to clean rooms in a house or apartment
• not knowing how to create a budget and stick to it

Small organization with things you own

The 20 Best Home Organization Hacks on the Internet

If you don’t find the organizational solution that you need in this list, then Google “home organization hacks.”

• Clear, clean jars
• Empty cereal boxes
• Empty Kleenex boxes
• Zip ties
• Dollar store gift bags
• Dollar store shopping
• Shoe boxes
• Empty coffee cans
• Milk crates
• Cookie tins
• Shelving
• Plastic food dishes-with or without lids
• Egg cartons
• Spoon or office drawer organizers
• Bulletin boards
• Coat hangers and sewn bottom tee shirts
• Coat hangers and shower curtain rings
• Handbags
• Baskets
• Rolling suitcases
• Stacked suitcases
• Pillowcases
• Pillow covers
• Pillow shams

What's in your bedroom?

Here are some suggestions to make your bedroom more comfortable.

• Visualize what you want your bedroom to look like

• Remove items that don’t fit your vision

• Install curtains and bedding that you like

• Always make your bed

• Add decorative touches on top of your dressers

• Add low-light lighting

• Hang art or photos on the walls that you like

• Put away all your clean clothes

• Add a bedside table or shelf system

• Add a trash can near the bedside table

• Add a full-length mirror

• Add a shoe or boot rack

• Add a hanging rack to your closet (sweaters/purses)

• Install a small clothes hamper

• Add a low chair or bench

• Add a hook, basket, or chair for winter or outdoor wear

Do you want to organize your whole home?

Basic Steps will get you where you want to go!

Decide that you want your home organized.

Decide the purpose of a room.

Visualize how each finished room will appear.

Write down a list of things that you need to accomplish to complete that vision.

Remove things in the room that do not fit your vision for the completed space.

Complete the tasks that you have written down as needed accomplishments to completing your vision.

Whenever possible, utilize items in the home to complete the look that you desire.

Working left to right, top to bottom around the room when decluttering, or cleaning will ensure you reach all areas that need attention.

Apartment Therapy Interview 7 Experts

Combining interviews from organizational experts is a great service to everyone.

We have differing organizational styles and needs.

The fact that the ideas presented are neither new nor clever is a plus. The endurance of tried and true methods speaks to their success.

An added observation, you should purge excess or unnecessary items before purchasing additional organizational supplies to contain or display your items.

You are probably already using some of the following systems. Great job!

7 Experts Share Their Favorite Products for Getting Organized, by ADRIENNE BREAUX

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/7-experts-share-their-favorite-products-for-getting-organized-36698640?newsletter_slot=1&utm_source=at_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01162020

Fay Wolf of New Order recommends organizational products with this advice, “Any product that truly makes your life easier is a great one.”

Her go-to ideas include

• Go vertical using under-shelves and stacking shelves
• Make your own drawer dividers from the supplies that you have on hand
• Use containers to segregate projects
• Use wall hooks to maximize wall space storage

Vaishali Sahni of Tiny and Tidy  recommends, “Whenever possible, try to use clear storage containers when storing items in your home.”

·         Mason Jars

·         OXO containers

·         Acrylic organizers

·         Clear plastic containers

·         Rubbermaid containers

 

Janet Taylor of http://janetmtaylor.com/  favorite organizing products

• Magazine boxes
• Baskets

Melanie Gnau of A Small Life 

• Simple jars
  
  

Professional organizer Jen Robin of Life In Jeneral has three favorite items for organizing

• Drawer organizers
• Divided lazy susans
• Velvet Hangers

Claire DeBoer, professional declutterer and home organizer of https://www.homedecluttered.com/  says, “My favorite organizing supplies are anything you already have!”

• Baskets
• Shoe boxes
• Glass jars
• Canvas totes

Kristen Ziegler of Minima 

·         Elfa system from the container store

Did you find a new idea? Go with it!

Leftovers Again?

Are you having leftovers for a meal, multiple times during the same week? Is someone complaining? Perhaps, you need a multiple-use, leftover planning solution.

If you have someone who will eat the leftovers from a meal one time, but not a second time, you should consider freezing the leftovers from your meals.

 A shallow 3-cup container by Glad can contain one of the following combinations.

• a TV dinner for one
• 4-servings of a vegetable or dessert
• one serving of a low-calorie soup
• the base ingredient for another dish

Raw hamburger (when freezing, divide it with a doubled separator of waxed paper) can make any of the following meals.

• hamburgers
• hamburger steaks
• hamburger steak and gravy
• beef for soup
• chili
• spaghetti sauce

Leftover chili has a variety of uses

• chili for hamburgers or hot dogs or
• chili for beans
• chili with cheese for dips
• chili beans can be served over rice/potatoes/bread

Stewed chicken breasts are a staple for many different meals. Try putting the basic stewed chicken with broth in the 3-cup containers for quick meals.

• make chicken salad
• chicken and rice
• chicken and noodles
• chicken and gravy
• chicken sandwiches
• lightly floured and fried chicken breasts

Change up your meals by freezing leftovers or portioning your base meats for different menu choices. If you vary the vegetables and spices that you use, you can give meals a lift from tedious regularity. Getting into the habit of fixing meals using base ingredients for different types of meals is awesome.

Who wants the same leftovers twice in one week?

Have you considered freezing the leftovers for later use?

Prepare different meals instead of serving the same leftovers back-to-back. If you think ahead, you can repurpose the leftovers into a brand new dish.

Consider fixing breakfast menu choices for your supper. Here are great mix-and-match menu choices for a novice cook.

·        eggs

·        bacon/ham

·        grits/rice

·        toast/bun/biscuit

·        pancakes/waffles

·        oatmeal with jelly or jelly/peanut butter

Do the above solutions offer sufficient alternatives to address the “what again” reactions to your menu choices?

Let the person who is complaining fix a meal to break the perceived monotony. He or she does not get to purchase take-out, order a meal delivery, or buy junk food for alternative meals. The available ingredients are limited to those within the house.

Small Space Organizational tips

What are some of your best organization tips for someone living in a small space?

• Furniture should have a dual purpose.
• A side table should have storage space.
• You can use file cabinets (two-drawers) as side tables for seating.
• A storage chest can double as a coffee table.
• Use two file cabinets as the base for a table. Add a hollow door as a tabletop. However, you need to leave an open seating area space in the middle.
• Chairs can transform into a sleeping space.
• Couches can transform into beds.
• Bunk beds have desk areas or trundle beds for alternative uses.
• Captain’s beds have drawer storage underneath and shelf storage at the headboard.
• Use a tall dresser instead of two or more small dressers.
• Drop leaf tables are versatile. Use them for dining, playing board or card games as entertainment, a craft station, or as a temporary desk for office purposes. Valuable floor space is available for living when the tables are not open for use.
• Bookcases or tall rolling shelves can house multiple things in different rooms. Fabric cubes can contain or hide items that you do not want to view.
• A set of chrome shelves can hold an entire wardrobe.
• Reduce the number of items that you keep so that they will fit your space.
• Try to establish a core set of clothing so that you can mix and match your outfits. Maintain a second core set of clothing that coordinates with the first set of clothing if you have space. Do not keep orphan clothing items.
• Do you have collectibles? Display the items that mean the most to you and store the rest. Rotate the items periodically to refresh your space.
• Nest your kitchen supplies to save space in your cabinets.
• Maintain a shopping list so that you can minimize extra supplies on hand.
• Put needed items on the shopping list when you reach your predetermined minimal amount of those items.
• Use a library, a kindle, or an online service instead of purchasing books or magazines.