42 Things to Toss

The best way to save space is to have less stuff that takes up space. Here is a compilation of items that you may want to get rid of.

1. Anything that's missing it's pair - socks, earrings, shoes (Who keeps one shoe?)
2. Receipts you don't need to save - some stores will email receipts so see if this is possible for important one
3. Holey anything - socks, clothes, towels
4. Hair elastics that are no longer stretchy - why keep it if it isn't doing its job
5. Unused hair accessories
6. Makeup you don't use - make up expires so keep that in mind as well
1. Foundation - 6 to 12 months
2. Concealer - 6 months
3. Powder - 12 to 24 months
4. Lipstick/Gloss - 12 months
5. Mascara - 3 to 4 months
6. Liquid Liners - 6 months
7. Nail Polish - 24 months
7. Tired bras and underwear
8. Clothes that are too big or too small
9. Gifts you don't like - chances are nobody will notice they aren't there
10. Unused hangers - they only suggest you need more clothes to fill them
11. Old toiletries
12. Expired medication - bring to the pharmacy to dispose of
13. Expired coupons - I don't think they will be worth more with time
14. DVDs you don't watch - cash in by selling them to pawn shops
15. Scratched non-stick cookware - it is unsafe
16. Old electronics - keep the cool ones to show your kids
17. Dried up pens, markers, paints
18. Worn out bedding
19. Purses and bags you don't use anymore
20. Wedding favors - as a side note, if planning a wedding think about making a donation on behalf of your guests instead
21. Manuals - download e-manuals
22. Extra Cords and chargers that don't work
23. Tupperware lids that don't have a match - how does that happen?
24. Old spices
25. Old calendars - if it has a picture you like, frame it and display it
26. Freebies you never use - they didn't cost money but they are costing space
27. Old schoolbooks
28. Books you have read and don't want people to see - Fifty Shades of Grey?
29. Old cleaning supplies
30. Anything broken, chipped or cracked
31. Old magazines and newspapers
32. CDs - download onto your computer, back them up and toss
33. Jewellery you never wear
34. Extra tools - do you really need 5 of the same screwdriver?
35. Cans of paint that aren't your current colour
36. Exercise equipment - even if you have repurposed it as a clothing rack
37. Old take out menus 
38. Cookbooks you never opened
39. Tea lights - use them or lose them
40. Extra knives - are we really going to use 6 paring knives at once?
41. Extra dishes - the more you have the longer you wait to do dishes
42. Office supplies you don't use - yes the puppy sticky notes are cute but when did you use them last

Things you should toss but I haven't - I am working on it

1. Craft supplies
2. Memories such as photos, childhood trinkets and cards (yes I have every card I was ever given)
3. Craft supplies
4. Broken electronics - I use them as craft supplies

What to do with your Unwanted Treasures

Being aware of what you can do with unused treasures can help increase the likelihood of you getting rid of them. This means less clutter and more space in your small home. Depending on your motives and where you are in your life, there are two major options. One is to sell your stuff to make some extra cash or donate/give it to others.

Make Money

Book Stores - many bookstores will buy your gently used books. They even offer readers the opportunity to buy their books and sell it back within a specific period of time.

Resell to Clothing Stores - there seems to be a lot of stores that are starting to buy used clothing and accessories. You will be surprised by how much money you can make just by selling your gently used clothes.

Garage Sales - have a garage sale. My family and I decided to have one this summer and we made close to $700. The only expense was for signage which can be made for almost nothing.

Pawn Shops - if you have the time, check out a few. The amount shops offer will vary and you can get substantially more if you invest the time. They take anything from china to cellphones.

Kijiji and Craigslist - sell your items online. This is an easy way to get rid of larger items but it also means that they will be cluttering your home longer. If you are having trouble selling it, lower the price a few times but get rid of it if it just isn't selling.

Thrift Shops - you won't make money but you can obtain savings. Stores like Value Village offer 30% off coupons for some of your donations. This means more money in your pocket if you already shop there.

Video Game Stores - these stores offer great buy backs for your old games. Although it is usually in store credit, chances are if you are selling old video games you also play them and will want to buy new ones. We have a loyalty card at EB Games that gives us a bit more trade in credit and we have sold items for 200% more than we would have received had we sold them at the hockshop. They also buy old smartphones and tablets!

Donate/Give

Electronic Waste Bins - there are bins everywhere in my area. It makes it easy to get rid of anything that has metal or electronic components.

Thrift Shops - thrift stores are always looking for items to sell. If you are donating to help others, always keep in mind that some thrift shops are for profit and/or expensive to buy from. Also, ask your local thrift shop if they take some of the less gently used clothing. Sometimes they have processes in place to get those items rehomed or reused.

Kijiji/Craiglist/Freecycle - again, this is a great way to get rid of large furniture that you may be unable to transport but this is also a great place to look for people in need of something you may have. My family always kept an eye out for families in need around Christmas time as it was a great way to share our toys that were gently used and no longer needed.

Bookstores - you can always donate to book stores, even if they offer you money. It is entirely up to you.

Check with friends and family - we furnished our entire first apartment with furniture and house wares that our friends and family no longer needed. In fact, we got some fantastic furniture and décor from some family members, who were downsizing, a few weeks ago. Send an email out or talk to everyone during the holidays. This is a great way to part with treasures that hold sentimental value.

I hope these ideas make it easier to open up your small space! If you have anymore, please share them.

Less Stuff Means More Space

 

There are two ways to lessen the amount of items in your home.

 

1. Declutter
2. Be Selective When You Buy

 

Now, if you are anything like me, this can be very hard but you will be surprised how getting rid of just a few items can open up your space. To help you on your way, I have compiled a list of great ideas for helping you declutter your small space.

 

Be prepared - some items will be thrown out and others will be sold or donated. Get a bag and/or box for each.

 

Go for the easy stuff - when you look around there will be items that you know you don't want anymore or areas you know are full things that have to go. Starting here will get the wheels turning and will make getting rid of the harder stuff a bit more easy.

 

If it doesn't have a place, find one, if you can't, get rid of it.

 

Organizingmoms.com suggests you pick a number and get rid of at least that many items.

 

When buying new items use the 1 for 1 rule (or even better, the 2 for 1 rule). This means for every new item you get, get rid of one. Specifically for smaller items such as clothing. If you buy a new shirt, toss a ratty old one.

 

Get rid of appliances you use only once or twice a year and can be replaced by a different item that is used more.

 

Go through your clothes and decide what you really want to keep. If you can't remember the last time you wore it, get rid of it. If the last 5 times your tried it on it ended up on the floor, toss it. If you don't feel good in it, get it gone. If it has a hole or stain, trash it.

 

To go with the previous point, try hanging your clothes in the closet with the hangers flipped, every time you wear an item replace the hanger as you would normally. At the end of a year go through the items and get rid of the clothes you have not worn.

 

 

 

If you forgot you had it just toss it.

 

Download paper manuals and save them on a tablet, phone or computer.

 

Limit the amount of hangers in all of your closets. That way if you don't have a hanger you know you need to ditch something.

 

For books, if you have read it then give it away. If it has been collecting dust for a year, get rid of it.

 

If you have any ideas to help readers declutter, share below!

Check out our article on where to bring unwanted treasures!

 

 

 

Keeping Your House Clean Optimizes Space

The benefit to a clean house is that it reduces the messy clutter that can make a small room seem smaller. The three main things you can do to keep your small space looking clean and more open are:

    1. Clean as you go

    2. Devote 15 minutes a day to cleaning the things that may not have been cleaned as you went 

    3. Devote each day of the week to a different room and use this day to do a more thorough clean

Here are some ideas that can help keep the appearance of cleanliness in between actual clean ups.

How to Keep Your Bathroom Clean

Dry your sink every time you use it This will keep it looking clean and stop spot build up
Do your laundry everyday This task may be linked to a different room in your house, but for us it is the bathroom. Doing laundry everyday eliminates pile ups and spending a whole day catching up.
Surface wipe the toilet and sink every couple of days Doing so helps avoid dust build up and water drops which helps everything stay shiny and clean. It will brighten this small space. 

How to Make your Bedroom Appear Clean

Pull up the blankets Even if you don't actually make your bed it gives the appearance of cleanliness
Devote a place for clothing that needs to be put back and empty it every night.

How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean

Do the dishes every night It helps keep the surface space clean
If you use a dishwasher Unload it every morning so you can fill it as you go

How to Keep Living Areas Clean

Clean up just before dinner Chances are once you have eaten you are going to settle in for the night for some relaxation
Get rid of junk mail and flyers If we are being honest, we never use this. If you do be very selective and go through it as soon as it enters the home
Designate a landing strip This is a place that you can put all the items that come into your house that don't yet have a place. The purpose of this spot is to cumulate everything in one place but it does not mean you can leave it there - this should also be emptied daily.

Room by Room - Organizing your Kitchen

The next room in the Room by Room collection is the Kitchen.

 

There are some really great ideas out there for organizing your kitchen. Some require no handy skills at all and others much more. First we will talk about quick installs that will, at most, require a screwdriver or a hammer.

 

Don't use valuable cupboard space for your pots. Install a hanging pot rack. This will help increase the amount of space you have for items that are less attractive to display.

 

 

If you have a kitchen with almost enough room to have a table and chairs, ditch the table with a pedestal and chairs. Opt for a high table that's main support is on the outside and use stools. This way you can place the stools under the table when it is not in use, providing you with more space to walk around and an additional work space.

 

 

Add additional shelving space in your cupboards. This does not have to be as tedious as it sounds. Many stores have prefabricated shelves that either stand up on or hang from your current shelves. They can be found at Dollar Stores, Ikea and many other places.

 

 

Don't assume you have to use space for the expected purpose. A lot of people put their cleaning supplies under the sink but if this is premium space opt to use it for you appliances.

 

Like with the bathroom, use vertical space. Add shelving to bare walls to optimize the amount of storage you have in the kitchen. Use these shelves to store your cookbooks and your nice kitchenware. You can also install magnet strips for knives to optimize this space.

 

 

 

Install rails that you can hang baskets and hooks off of. These can be another great place to store items that usually take up valuable cupboard and drawer space.

 

 

 

Get rid of the junk drawer because it only gives you reason not to find a place for everything. If you have odds and ends that you know you use but don't really have another place to go, get a small storage container and place everything in the box in an inconspicuous area.

 

Use the space on the inside of your cabinet. The possibilities are endless. Add hooks to hang measuring utensils and cake decorating tips and cutters. Install holders to hang your spices or a magazine holder for storing aluminum foil and cling wrap.

 

 

Place similar cupboard items in baskets and other storage containers. For items like spices, it makes it much easier to pull out and find the ones at the back.

 

 

Add storage baskets to your fridge. Do this by gluing magnets to your choice of storage basket and use them for items such as spices and cookie cutters.

 

 

 

Use a file divider to store large flat items, such as cutting boards, upright. Or use them to stack frying pans in an accessible way.

 

 

Now for the more handy projects.

 

Make your drawers more functional by using drawer dividers. You can build your own or buy premade ones.
 

 

Pegboard is not just for shops and retail stores. Buy a sheet of pegboard, screw a one inch frame to the back, paint it a vibrant colour and use it to hang your kitchen wares on.

 

 

There is nothing I hate more than the faux drawers in front of the sink. I have actually, on more than one occasion, gone to someone's house and tried to open them only to realize that they are in fact fake. This trick will let you use this space to hide away every day items and declutter your counters.
 

 

Create a rolling cabinet for the wasted space beside your appliances. Although you can build shelves to store food products, I am going to build one with a peg board back so that I can hang my Swiffer and broom in it. I am opting for peg board so that I have the freedom to rearrange it. When I do this project, I will be sure to post a DIY tutorial.

 

Share your kitchen ideas in the comments.

Organizing Your Refrigerator - Because who wants to waste that much food!

My fridge is a sore spot for me - every time I open it, everything is out of place, I forget about food pushed to the back and it is boring. My least favourite day of the week is Tuesday - the day I clean out my fridge. I waste so much food because I don't even remember I have it.

So, I did what I always do and looked for some inspiration!

My favourite idea was using storage containers and trays. It is a great idea. I am able to separate all of my food by type and it is easy to look in the back - just pull out the tray. They even have storage units that are specifically for holding pop cans, eggs and wine sized bottles.

If you don't want to invest in acrylic trays, try baskets from the Dollar Store or be specific in designating spaces in your fridge for particular items.

The next thing I fell in love with was a Lazy-Susan in your fridge for your condiments. I love condiments. My fridge door is full of them and they are covering the shelves but this is why they are the most often forgotten. They are always the item that ends up at the back of my fridge (along with leftovers). I suddenly remember I bought a new tasty Thai sauce and, when I grab it, it is expired. This Lazy-Susan trick works just like it does on the table - place it on the shelf and spin it to get a quick view of everything you have. Remember, tall stuff goes to the centre!

Another idea is to use white erase labels on your leftover Tupperware. That way you can be sure it really is the chicken you had two days ago. It is also a great idea to write the date it is bad by (not the date it was stored) that way the kids (and spouses) know when not to eat it anymore.

The last idea I found was to keep a white board (or use your fridge if it is actually yours) to keep track of what items are in your fridge. This will help you know what is there, and may be hidden, as well as what you need to get. It will also limit the amount of time you spend opening and closing the fridge.

I also found an idea for sassing up your fridge. Add removable mats (made out of cupboard liners) or even mac tack the shelves. This adds personality and makes it easier to clean up if something spills. No more taking out the shelves or breaking your shoulder to reach the back of the lower shelf.