Everyday Cheapskate: Organized Chaos or My Intended Journey to a Clutter-Free 2025

I won't try to kid you into thinking I'm some kind of organizational expert. I am the most disorganized person ever. My professional office is a mess. My home, remarkably, appears to be orderly, as long as you don't open a cupboard, drawer or closet.

Being disorganized steals my time, energy and money. I buy things I have already because I can't find them, or I spend too much time looking for the things I need. That is going to stop. I am declaring before each of you, my dear readers, 2025 is my year to get organized.

I have consulted several professional resources and done a lot of thinking. I've taken wise counsel from The Flylady and now believe her when she tells me that it is impossible to organize chaos. Therefore, my modus operandi to start each project will be to remove everything from that space instead of attempting to just tidy up. That does not work and quite possibly has become the biggest stumbling stone I've encountered in my many previous attempts to get organized. Case in point: the chair (you can read that past column at EverydayCheapskate.com/the-chair and, oh, by the way -- it remains empty to this day). Following are the steps I will take to achieve my goal.

Step 1: Commitment. I've tried to get organized before, but I never have been fully committed. I trust that making my commitment open and public will make all the difference. Do you hear me? I am going to get organized.

Step 2: Identify the space. Lumping my office and home into a single organizational project is overwhelming. To overcome this, I have divided the task into 12 projects, or spaces; one per month in 2025. My home studio -- where I write, sew, knit, craft and basically create things -- is a sight to behold. It is filled way beyond reasonable capacity. Mark it "project No. 1."

Step 3: Identify recipients. I am committed to getting rid of everything that I do not use on a regular basis or that I do not find to be incredibly beautiful. But I know myself. I will not be able to throw away good things that fit those criteria. Before I get started, I need to identify charitable organizations, selling sites, and friends or family members who will appreciate receiving everything that doesn't make the cut.

Step 4: Three containers. I have labeled these boxes "Keep," "Trash" and "Give." That seems simple enough, but to make sure, I did a practice run on the desk in my home studio. Out of six drawers, I ended up with seven things in the "Keep" box, nothing to give away, and everything else filled the trash container to overflowing. My desk is clean and nearly empty. The three-container plan worked.

Step 5: A place for everything. I don't practice it, but that doesn't mean I don't know this secret for being organized: There should be a place for everything and everything in its place. Once I have identified what I will keep in each project space, I am determined to identify a specific place for each thing we own. Then I'll get into the habit of returning things to their places. Hopefully my husband will follow suit.

I'm giving myself a big job in the coming year. Think I can do it? I do. I'll keep you posted!

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Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, "Ask Mary." This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book "Debt-Proof Living."