Kitchen appliances are the type of gifts people tend to get from well-meaning relatives who want to give you something useful or practical. The rest of the kitchen clutter many people acquire either in pursuit of an exotic dish that requires them to go out and buy another tool (lemon zester? electric mixer? deep fryer?), or others who make a resolution to eat healthy meals at home more often, and feel like they need a kitchen appliance collection that’s up to the challenge.

The thing is, most people don’t cook enough to justify dozens of single-use items, though these special items may perform their lone duties marginally better than their more mundane equivalents. Unless you’re are cooking full meals at home more than three times a week, there’s almost certainly a significant amount of kitchen clutter you can eliminate. Here’s the same (albeit mental) list I go through when I’m going on a kitchen purging.

1. Purge excess pots and pans. Most people really don’t need more than a couple pans and maybe three pots, but they often tend to reproduce in the back corners of dusty cabinets, and you’re left with more containers than three stoves could accommodate.  Get rid of them.
2. Clean out the refrigerator. Yes, you might find some pretty gross stuff back there, but then again, you might also be able free up some forgotten containers and not have to keep buying more every time you go grocery shopping. Use a baking soda and water or vinegar and water solution instead of normal cleaning supplies to wash out the inside without getting anything toxic near food. If you want to go all-out in cleaning out your refrigerator, read this step-by-step guide to stripping, washing, and refitting your fridge.
3. Check expiration dates. Or, if you want to preserve your food for a little longer, check out this food expiration guide. Pretty much every food goes bad eventually, despite what you might think. I have found people’s spice racks to be particularly packed with little half-used canisters of spices that expired in the last decade.
4. Keep counters clean. Tall counters are perfect for setting junk down on the second you step through the door, but forcing yourself to keep the open surfaces in your kitchen bare except for the occasional decorative item is good from both a feng shui perspective and to reduce unappealing visual clutter around the kitchen area.
5. Organize your cabinets. Kitchen cabinets tend to have too few shelves for too much height, but you can give yourself more horizontal space by using shelf sub-dividers like this one on Amazon. Suddenly, all your plates do fit in one cabinet. Amazing, right?
6. Get rid of the misfits. My own dinnerware is mostly matching, but there’s still lingering themed cups or utensils that I accidentally walked out of a restaurant with that wreak havoc (visually, at least), on any hopes of having a neatly ordered kitchen. Unless you have a large family, more than a couple dozen each of flatware and dishes is overkill, and purging your cabinets of items that don’t belong will make you much happier with your kitchen in the long run.

Still lost? For inspiration, I usually check out the kitchn for pics of beautifully-designed but still livable kitchens, and the Container Store’s kitchen section for products that might jump-start my imagination. A happier kitchen awaits you!

Clutter reduces happiness, wastes energy, and takes up space. It is a negative entity that has a very real impact on your emotions and attitudes, but is often over-looked and allowed to grow out of control. In small homes especially, decluttering must be a constant emphasis, and the smallest amounts of clutter cannot be allowed to exist.

I have compiled 5 of my favorite articles on purging waste and clutter from your own life.

• Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life: A post at ZenHabits.net that gives 72 concrete ideas that you can start implementing today to reduce clutter in your life, with links to even more information on many of these tips. Note that clutter involves more than just physical possessions, but anything your life that takes up unnecessary time or energy.
• 10 uncluttering things to do every day: A decluttering to-do list that you should get into the habit of doing at home in the mornings and evenings without fail. If you can make a habit of these simple tasks, you will find yourself more content and feeling more in control of your own home.
• Declutter 101: Strategies To Cut Clutter: This article discuss different strategies for approaching the clutter problem, including where to focus first, how fast to move, and what kind of results you can expect to see from each strategy. Truly informative and thorough for those who don’t know how to start tackling clutter.
• My War on Clutter: The Tools to Purge BIG: An informative and helpful case study on what exactly Merlin did to purge every single thing that he didn’t need from his life. Inspirational, especially if you are still struggling to imagine yourself actually doing the big purge.
• How to Purge Clutter: A thorough how-to article that details the complete steps of a successful decluttering session, including advice on how to make the process more efficient, and also provides helpful suggestions for what do with the stuff that you don’t want anymore.

This post is Part 1 of the Living Without series.

A new generation is graduating from college, joining the workforce, and moving out into their first real homes. They are the teenagers and twenty-somethings of today, and most of them have grown accustomed to having a cell phone with them at all times. It is hardly surprising, then, when many of these same people are reluctant to buy a land line phone, when their cell phone performs all the same functions, plus it can be carried around with them anywhere.

Of course, a cell phone plan will more expensive than most landline phone plans, ranging from anywhere from $20 to $60 or more if you have a cellphone data plan monthly, but the cost difference may be a small price to pay for the convenience. Having a cellphone only will allow you to take some clutter out of your life, too. Cellphones can be brought with you when you move, and you will most likely have coverage where you are moving. You don’t have to change your billing info and land line provider if you move, either.

Here are three tips to help you make the transition to a cellphone-only lifestyle smoothly.

1. Google Voice allows you to link a phone number to yourself personally, and redirect the calls depending on caller to your cellphone or your voicemail. customize your phone numbers, so you can keep your personal life separate from your business life. That way, when a call comes in, you’ll know if it’s a personal or business call.
2. If you’re looking to change cell phone plans to accommodate the increased monthly minutes you will need without a landline, check out the unbiased comparison charts at MyRatePlan.com, and find the cheapest cell phone plan for your situation.
3. Use Skype if you need to call long-distance or internationally. It will almost certainly be cheaper for you to use this Voice Over Internet Provider solution for these types of calls. International Skype rates hover around $.02, much better than most cell phone plans will offer. As long as you have access to the Internet, you can save money using this method to make calls to any cell phone or landline in the world.

Finally, in most parts of the world, winter is slowly drawing to an end, and you’re probably trying to figure out what to do with winter accessories for the next eight or so months. As always, there is a fine line between frugality and having enough space for everything. Thus, step one to preparing to pack up all your winter items is stop and think about what you really will need and use for next winter. Are you packing anything up that you didn’t use this winter? If so, you’re probably taking up space pointlessly. Stop and think about what you really used during this past winter, and what you will probably use again.

If you’re completely lost on how many clothes you need, check out this article on Living on a Dime for help on exactly how many clothes you need in your life. Then, sit down and eliminate duplicates: you only need one raincoat, one heavy, all weather jacket, one pair of winter boots. The heaviest items such as these are top priority, because they take up the most room.  Tops and pants should be eliminated if they are too worn to still look good when you wear them, and, of course, if you never wear it. Scarves, heavy socks, and hats should be trimmed down dependent on how often you wear them and their style, as they tend to date quickly. However, they simply don’t take up much room relatively, so if you’re getting overwhelmed, remember that these small winter accessories should be your lowest priority.

Okay, once you’ve trimmed down your cold weather wardrobe to what you really need, and are ready to put it someplace for the rest of the spring and summer, you have to store it somewhere where moths and other pests won’t get to it, and you don’t have to see it or think about it again until the weather turns cold. If you’ve got room under your bed, some underbed storage can keep your clothes neat and dust-free without having to come up with closet space for the boxes. Another option is storing winter garments on high shelves that are hard to reach, but hey-you will only need to get up there twice a year. If you’re thinking of storing your clothes in a garage or some area that will be more exposed to the elements, remember to put in some cedar blocks to keep the moths away. Then smile when you realize that you won’t need to think about winter clothes again for at least six more months!

A garage sale is an efficient, cheap way to get rid of a huge number of your possessions in one day and make a profit while you’re at it. Essentially, you’re an entrepreneur and a shop owner for a day, and you have a great amount of control over the success of your yard sale, because the difference between a great garage sale and a disaster of a yard sale is all in the planning. With a little foresight, you can concentrate your selling efforts on what will make you the most money for the least amount of effort, and leave your other things for charity or another selling outlet. And don’t despair if your  home doesn’t have an area suitable for selling items to many people at once. You can consider getting a booth at your local worship center or town center, as many of these organizations conduct regular group yard sales that you can participate in. Plus, you will probably attract a large crowd that way.

Before the garage sale:

1. Put up large, clearly-labeled signs with “Garage Sale,” your address,  the date of the sale (including the time it opens), and an arrow pointing the way to your home. Try to make all your signs look the same, so if you have competitors with their own signs, your potential customers won’t start following those accidentally instead. Also stay away from posting on utility poles; it’s against city ordinances in many areas, and with your address right on the flyer, it’s an admission of guilt.)
2. Talk to your friends and neighbors about having a sale with them. The more items for sale, the more customers you get. If you want to get a newspaper ad, you can also split the cost with them.
3. Place an online ad on Craigslist, at the very least, and consider some of the other online classifieds available, including Garage Sale Hunter and the online classifieds section of your local newspaper. Mention some of your most desirable items for sale, such as TVS or couches.
4. Buy stickers and write prices clearly on every item that is unique. Prepare signs for items that people will probably buy in bulk, like clothes, toys, or shoes, and list the price for each item, such as “every pair of shoes $2.”
5. Don’t choose a major holiday weekend. On the holidays, people are on holiday, usually somewhere far away from home, and aren’t interested in going to yard sales.

The day of the garage sale:

1. Put up large, clearly-labeled signs with “Garage Sale,” your address,  the date of the sale (in
2. Keep your money in a fanny pack or close-fitting purse around your body. Have many dollars’ worth in coins for making change, and bill amounts in all sizes. Some people will pay you in nickels and dimes, and others will hand you a $50 bill for an item worth $1.50.
3. Stand up and walk around, but don’t be a nuisance. Be ready to answer questions for people driving by and for customers, but leave them alone unless they talk to you first. You can also watch out for shoplifters more easily if you are walking around.
4. Have plastic grocery bags ready to give people who buy your things. They will be grateful and perhaps even more inclined to shop a little bit more.
5. Be ready to pull out an electric extension cord to prove that electronics and appliances do run. Most people won’t buy them unless they see them running.
6. Borrow long plastic tables from everyone you can think of. No one wants to go digging through stuff that’s just lying on the ground. Your stuff will sell much better on tables.

The initial investment to have a good garage sale is fairly small, and the money to have a successful venture is small compared to the increase in profits. For more tips, check out Yard Sale Queen’s extensive list of tips from her own personal experience.

March is the perfect time to completely clean out your home, and get rid of all the mess, unwanted holiday presents, and clutter you have accumulated since last autumn. The weather is getting warmer, and you can also use this opportunity to pack up the winter clothes and blankets (and space heaters and coats, in my case), and face the fast-approaching approaching summer with a smile on your face.

If you’ve ever seen Clean Sweep, or any similar organization show, you will know that the proper way to de-clutter is to sort your belongings into one of three groups: keep, sell, or throw away. Sounds simple enough, right? It isn’t. Many people become emotionally attached to their possessions . Example scenario: “But those are my daughter’s refrigerator drawings from the second grade! I have to keep those!” To which the organizer will respond something along these lines: “Really? You can’t remember that you have a daughter any other way? You have five boxes in your garage stacked with your daughter’s artwork. She doesn’t know you have them still, and oh, by the way, she’s 25 now. Keep two of them and we’re throwing the rest away.”

In other words, you’re going to have to be truly disciplined if you want to get rid of everything that is just taking up space, and serving no more purpose except one more thing to worry about. You would be amazed at what you can sell on Ebay, so just tell yourself you’ll get money out of this if nothing else will convince you. Are you ready to begin? Here is what you need to do to free up some space for yourself again.

1. Place any clothes and shoes you have not worn within the past 12 months in a large trash bag, then call the Salvation Army @ 1 (800) SA TRUCK (or a charity of your choice). Used clothes don’t sell well, in garage sales or anywhere, so I am suggesting the Salvation Army because they will send someone out to pick up your old clothes, and you will have made life a little easier for a local man or woman struggling to make ends meet while also getting rid of clutter.
2. Gather up everything in your home that doesn’t work or needs repair of some sort, and make this the day you decide what to do with it. If you have needlework skills, a few hours at the sewing machine can fix most minor garment repairs for your household. If not, pile up your clothes and bring them to a tailor. For appliances and electronics, figure out if the cost of repair is less than the cost of a replacement. This appliance repair guide is pretty thorough if you want to try to do it yourself; otherwise try to look up the parts you need online, and see if the fix is worth the hassle.
3. Get rid of anything you use infrequently that you could easily borrow or rent if you need to use it again. For example, stop buying books new and visit the library or a used bookstore instead. Rent most of your movies instead of buying them. Plan on borrowing home repair equipment from a friend , or renting it from someplace like Home Depot. Large tools like these are big and heavy, and there’s no need for them to be permanent residents in your house.

These tips should get you started on the path to a newly cleaned, neat and calm house. Your next step will be to figure out how to sell all the things you realize you no longer need, a topic that will be addressed in a post in the near future.