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Organisation Tips - General


It's important to create systems that suit you and your lifestyle but be prepared to adapt your methods and implement a few changes if it's going to help you save time and be more organised.  Keep a diary for a week so you can see what you do and when and what times of the day/night cause you stress or make you feel disorganised and/or overwhelmed. Then make a plan to alleviate that stress, e.g. if you are a morning person get up early and write your to do list, pack bags, lunches, set out clothes to wear for the day, do the laundry, pack the car, etc. or if you have more time at night then do your organising then for the next day so you can go to bed knowing things aren’t going to be a mad rush in the morning.
 
  • Declutter - if you don’t use it or wear it, throw it out or donate it and be ruthless. Then determine what storage you need for the items you have left and the space you have available, utilising areas such as under beds, on top of wardrobes, behind doors and corners, nooks & crannies where you can hang things on hooks.
  • Store things where you use them - create storage for items where you use them and if you use an item for more than one purpose or in more than one part of the house/office, etc. then have several of them where you need them, e.g. reading glasses in the lounge room and beside your bed, tissues in several rooms, wipes in several rooms, etc.
  • A place for everything - always put things back in their place no matter what and if things start to get cluttered or you can’t find things then set aside a few minutes a week or month or whatever it takes to get things back to order again. Things like remote control holders (or a universal remote), a sunglass clip for your car visor and a hook or shelf near the door you go in and out of the house through for your keys or your hand bag are great accessories to help keep things in their place.
  • Photos - sort them all out and put them into albums according to year or categories such as holidays, family, etc. or at least have boxes to sort your photos in a similar fashion. The same goes for your digital ones. Create folders on your computer according to location or age or year, whatever suits your collection and make sure you actually print some occasionally – online photo shops like www.getdigital.com.au are cheap and efficient and you also have options for printing photos on t-shirts, etc. for gift ideas. If you are feeling creative, print your favourite photos or ones that show your children’s milestones, favourite sports, activities, and start making a scrap book. If you don't have much bench space for photo frames a great alternative is art/picture kits with the two wall attachments and wire going from one to the other and hooks with clips to hang photographs (picture 4 above).
  • Ziplock bags - greatest invention since the wheel! Use them for storing things like snacks in your hand bag/baby bag, toiletries in your travel bag, puzzles, and little items that get lost in drawers, e.g. spare buttons & sewing items.
  • Stationery - keep a notepad and stationery holder or cup with pens, pencils, scissors, ruler etc. either in the kitchen or close to the phone (if you don’t have an office) for not only phone messages but for jotting down things to add to your master to do list, etc. as well. If you live in a two storey house make sure you have stationery downstairs and upstairs so you’re not constantly trying to find something to write with and on. Also carry a notepad and pen in your bag and car as well. 
  • Gifts - if you see items at any time of the year that you think one of your family members would like (or great kids presents) buy them and put them in a tub/box until their birthday/xmas. Keep a list so you don’t double up or forget and also include any gift ideas you come up with along the way that you can buy later. In either the same box/tub or another one (store same place as the gifts) put some wrapping paper (for males, females & kids) and birthday cards/gift tags together with scissors & tape so everything is on hand when you need to wrap a gift.
  • Christmas cards - create a document of labels for those people that you send Christmas cards to so all you have to do is update any address changes each year and print it.
  • Shop online - this saves you loads of time and stress. Some of my favourites include:
  • Wipes - keep a packet in handy places such as the car, your handbag, kitchen/dining room, backyard, etc. so you always have them on hand to clean up messy children and spills. 
  • Batteries - keep a box of batteries of all sizes somewhere handy like the kitchen or garage – buy in bulk and top up when low so you always have batteries on hand and if you use rechargeable batteries always put them in your charger as soon as they run out. 
  • Outdoors - keep things like insect repellant and sunscreen outside where you will walk passed them to go play in the yard, eat outside, etc.
  • Light bulbs - keep a box of light bulbs in the garage or kitchen of all shapes & sizes that you need for the house so you always have a spare one on hand when they blow.
  • Recycling - if you have the space put a cardboard or plastic box in/near your kitchen and/or office to use for recycling so you only have to empty once or twice a week rather than running out to the wheelie bin everyday or letting the bottles stack up next to the back door because no one will take them out. 
  • Appointments - always aim to arrive somewhere 10 minutes early instead of the time of your appointment, start getting ready 2 hours before you need to leave and get yourself showered, dressed and ready, etc. before you start doing chores or other tasks if you have any spare time.
  • Storage containers - use square/rectangle storage containers rather than round as they utilise space more efficiently (round plastic tubs are good for throwing a whole lot of toys/balls in, especially outside). 
  • Handbags - buy a handbag (or manbag!) that has lots of compartments and allocate the pockets for particular things, e.g. a large one for notebook, pen/pencil, paperwork; small one for keys; phone pocket, etc. and always put these items in that pocket/compartment so you are not rummaging for them. If you use an oversize/duffel style handbag with not many pockets consider a bag organiser like the “purseket”. 
  • Camera - don’t store it in the back of a cupboard somewhere, put it somewhere accessible and easy to grab so you’re not saying “I wish I had my camera out” for what would have been a great shot. Also keep your USB cable for your digital camera connected to your computer so you just have to plug it into your camera when you want to download some photos. 
  • Planning for weather - check out a site like www.weather.com.au which provides a week’s guide to the weather in your local area so you can plan where to go, how to get there, allow extra time for wet weather, plan what to wear, etc. www.weatherzone.com.au also provide a 28 day rain forecast.
  • Make a list of handy/commonly used numbers such as doctor, police, daycare, your mobiles (for babysitters, etc.), family assistance office, kids helpline, poisons information, fire, ambulance, local council, banks, electricity, gas, health fund, car & home insurance, internet, phone, favourite takeaway, hairdresser, beautician, dentist & superannuation. Include account and policy numbers or if you prefer not to display these then make a separate copy and store some place safe/private. This list will also come in handy when it comes time to move as you already have a list of people/companies you need to contact to update your address and contact details.
  • Create a budget and include every item you can think of that you spend money on and be generous rather than conservative - keep all your receipts and add columns to your budget spreadsheet to record all expenditure each month and do this for a year so that you can see what it is compared to your budget and where you need to cut down.

Templates

  • Gift list - columns for name, occasion, gift bought, gift idea & costs
  • Label template - for officeworks labels 232160
  • Key contacts list - a list of all numbers and account details you may need to refer to for things like emergency services, doctor, dentist, electricity / phone suppliers, insurance providers, banks, hairdresser / beautician, cinema, favourite takeaway shops, etc.
  • Budget - set up a budget for all of your expense items then each month enter the amount you have spent on each item to see where you are overspending/under allocating.
Organisation Products & Suppliers