The "Junk Drawer" {and a Drug Problem}

We all have one, right? : the Junk Drawer.  No? OK, then you can just ignore this post. 

Organizing doesn't have to be costly or time consuming.  I spent very little time doing this (1/2 hour?) and only a few dollars.  And the results are awesome.  Why?

• Because I decluttered;
• because there is now a place for the things I kept;
• because now I can find things;
• because now the other people in my house can also find these things. 

First: the golden rule of organizing: declutter.  You have to purge and be ruthless about it.  Haven't used it in a month? Unless it's a seasonal item, toss it or donate it.  There is absolutely no point in keeping things are aren't used, are broken, pieces are missing etc.  And our drug problem? For a household of people that really are not sick that much, we had quite the stash of OTC miscellaneous drugs....hence our "drug problem".  Those were purged as ruthlessly as the other.  And a large container of vitamins reminds me of another issue: I buy the vitamins, but I don't take the vitamins.  Now, at least, I know what I should be taking, and they're all neatly contained!

Next, I group.  First to go are items that don't belong: This includes, surprisingly, trash.  Surprising to me since I am a declutterer, but yet there is always things in the junk drawer that are trash. 

After....before we could barely close it....
 

 Then, I rethink.  This desk drawer (which will be gone in my new, remodeled junk-free kitchen) has never worked for us.  As many containers and organizing that was done, it still didn't work.  I figured out that there were just too many options in there....things used daily, and things used rarely, like chargers.  So they were grouped and contained.

 How much better is this?  Organized, labeled and out of the way, and in inexpensive containers from the grocery store.  Like I said, if it's out of sight, it doesn't have to be beautiful. Just organized.

 The lettering is hard to see, so I put a piece of white paper behind the one in the top.  Simple and easier to see.  And now the lovely people I live with (they really are lovely...I love 'em) don't have to ask "where is the...." all the time.  And since I do have a tendency to re-organized a lot, I do move things around.  Hopefully this will help.

 See our drug problem?  Sadly I was in so much of a rush to clean out this cabinet that I didn't take a before shot.  These two shelves were FULL....of stuff. 

The puppy and kitties even have their own stash!

 

So get organizing!  It doesn't have to be costly or timely!  But the cost and time saved in looking for lost items will be priceless!

Remember: Purge. Group. Contain. And always rethink your systems!  If something is not working, there is a better way!

Happy weekend!

Laura G