simplify your life- 25 organizing tips

Simplify your life with these great tips and tricks

Trying to keep track of everything and stay on top of things can get exhausting.  This can happen without systems in place and an easy way to organize different parts of your life. 

I’m sure you’ve bought something you’ve wanted to return and can’t find the receipt.  Or have gone to the grocery store without list only to get home and realize you’ve forgotten some things. 

Cleaning and laundry feel insurmountable.  It would be great to have a better system in place so that these types of tasks don’t take so long.   

Here are some ideas that you can implement that will simplify your life and have more time for the things you love.

Time-saving ideas

Budgeting:

  • Save receipts.  Keep a receipt jar by the front door or in an office.  Put all receipts that you want to keep in the container when you get home. 
  • Download the Evernote app/scannable app to save receipts.  Every week or so, take a picture of the receipts that might end up being important.  Items that might have a warranty, purchases you want to keep track of for budgeting, and worst-case scenario- if there’s some type of event where some of your items are damaged, you’ll have a digital copy of things you’ve own. 
  • Keep a list of all your reoccurring expenses, so you at least have a baseline for how much money you need to cover these costs each month.  These would include rent/mortgage, utilities, taxes/dues, subscriptions, loans, and insurance. 

  • Create an online or paper calendar of when all of your bills come due.  You can use any day of the week to start, but mark the days that each bill needs to be paid.  Autopay is a lifesaver, but if you’re not comfortable with that, at least you won’t need to remember all the dates by memory. If you have some expenses that are quarterly or yearly, you can highlight these in a different color.  Using Google calendar is another great option and can set notifications and have them on repeat.
  • Start a spreadsheet with all toiletries, home products, and cleaners that you regularly buy.  These don’t fall into the food category of the budget but are usually bought with groceries.  To further itemize your budget, make a list, and then when you buy the product, mark when you bought it and for how much.  You can get a feel for how often and how much you spend on these things. 

Meal Planning:

simplify your life- 25 organizing tips
  • Keep a master list of a week’s worth of meals.  Pick easy meals that are some of your favorites.  Create a grocery list of all the ingredients needed.  When pressed for time, you’ll have a premade grocery plan ready for whenever you need it.  Add this to the reminders app or something similar to always have at your disposal
  • If you shop at bulk membership stores, you probably won’t be doing all of your grocery shopping here.  You can find some of the items for your weekly meal plan list, but there are also other household items you’ll need.  I like to create a list of everything I usually buy from Costco.  (and try to do it in the order of the aisles).  Then I can make a list off of that beforehand without much thought.  Or I can walk through the store and grab the things off the list that I know I’m out of.
  • Use a meal planning app on your phone.  I use the Paprika app. You can plan out your meals for the month, add recipes to your grocery list, and save recipes straight from the internet with pictures and any additional instructions you might have.  Perk: you can convert the recipe amount, and when a friend asks for a recipe, there’s a share button!
  • Keep a dry erase board on the fridge or the back of a pantry door.  Whenever you run out of something, add it to the list so that you don’t forget.  Consider buying one that wirelessly syncs with your phone, so you don’t leave home without it. 
  • Consider doubling up on meals when you make something easy.  Freeze half of it for later on when you don’t have time or energy to cook

Housework Tips

Cleaning:

  • Carry a basket around the house before cleaning.  Pick anything that doesn’t belong in that room.  Strategically put stuff away in each room so as not to waste time walking back and forth. 
  • Try and keep as much stuff off the floor as you can.  When looking to buy furniture, it’s nice finding pieces that are either low to the ground or high enough up to vacuum or sweep underneath. Also, space things out enough so that you can fit a vacuum or mop in between everything, so you don’t waste time moving stuff.  This can cut the time to clean the floors almost in half. 
  • Develop a cleaning system that works for everyone.  There needs to be balance and compromise, maintaining a clean home while living with other people.  Be respectful of each other and what the other person values.  But also acknowledge areas where each of you is too particular or too untidy. 
  • Keep cleaning supplies on hand in each room.  A lot of cleaning tasks only take a couple of minutes.  If you have a cloth readily available by the sink, you can wipe it down real quick after getting ready.  The same goes for a bottle of cleaner to easily spray down the shower and a mop stored in the kitchen to pick up any crumbs after dinner. 
  • Invest in a couple of specialty cleaning items that help you get your chores done quicker.  I really love this dusting wand as it can dust large surfaces at once.  It’s great on blinds and can bend to clean ceiling fans. 

Clothes and laundry:

  • Maximize drawer space by folding and filing shirts, jeans, and heavier items vertically
  • Use drawer dividers for delicates.  This will help keep items separate but also save time folding your laundry
  • Use multiple laundry baskets to immediately separate clothes from towels, and even lights from darks. Or to keep family members’ laundry separate
  • Divide up laundry tasks amongst family members, if at all possible.  If someone is not good at making sure delicates aren’t washed or dried on a hot setting, at least make sure that person folds or puts away their own clothes. 
  • Have hooks on the wall or the back of a door to hang sweaty workout clothes so that they dry out before being put in a laundry basket.  Also, wash separately with a heavy-duty soap or use an odor eliminator to get rid of buildup. 

Organizing Tips

Bathroom organization:

  • Divide drawers using organizational products and store like items together. Invest in a makeup organizer and hair styler organizer.  And use clear plastic organizers to store cotton balls, q-tips, etc.  Try and keep as much as you can in drawers and cupboards.  Keeping countertops clear of clutter will help clean quicker.
  • Use a basket or floor stand to store extra toilet paper.  It’s never fun to run out and not have any within reach.  Toilet paper is also bulky and takes up a lot of precious space if you have a smaller bathroom or lack a pantry or closet. 
  • Buy thinner towels, like Norwex or Turkish cotton towels that take up less room
  • Include hanging nets or waterproof/plastic baskets to store any kids toys and bath product
  • Utilize the space above the toilet for extra storage.  Shelving or an over the toilet stand can add additional storage to an underutilized space

Kitchen organization:

  • Premix spices for certain meals, like tacos and curries, so that you don’t have to measure them out each time. Also, figure out the best place to store your spices and get an organizer that fits in the space.
  • Install pullout drawers for deep cupboards and pantries.  And group items together.  Get baskets for things that aren’t free-standing.
  • Keep your counters as clutter-free as possible.  Consider getting a bakers rack or storage table to keep small appliances that take up counter space.
  • Get rid of stuff you don’t use.  Periodically go through cupboards and the fridge for any expired items.  Cupboards can easily overflow with food and gadgets, making it harder to find what you’re looking for.  By doing this, you will simplify your life and save time and energy when preparing meals. 
  • Always empty the dishwasher.  There’s nothing worse than a kitchen that gets backed up with dirty dishes because the dishwasher wasn’t unloaded.  Some people enjoy this task, and it’s a chore to others. 

Whole-home organizing:

  • Create a command center. If you have a hard time keeping your home organized and staying on task, keep a task board on your wall.  Only include the most necessary tasks so that you don’t get overwhelmed. 
  • Utilize baskets.  They are great ways to keep like items together without needing to arrange everything neatly.  Baskets for shoes, books, toys, and even blankets and pillows will help keep things tidy
  • Have a place for everything.  This will greatly help simplify your life.  If you have more stuff than can fit in a space, it will never feel organized or stay neat.  Learning to live with less is also good for your well-being. 

  • Keep all travel stuff together to simplify the packing process—suitcases, makeup bags, toiletry organizers, etc.  When you pack for a trip, take inventory of the stuff you take.  That way, you’ll have it for next time.  If you end up forgetting something, you can add it to the list to remember the next time.  This also helps ease my stress levels, wondering if I remembered everything.  It allows me to sleep better the night before and not take so long to pack
  • Immediately deal with mail when you walk into the house.  Have a bin for anything recyclable and drop ads and junk mail right in.  Open any bills or letters and sort by importance.  Utilize a tiered tray to separate.  Put anything that needs to be taken care of on top.  Paperwork that needs to be filed can go on the second tier.  And then the bottom can be for miscellaneous items you want to keep.  If you shred paperwork regularly, consider getting a bin or box to keep this stuff in and shred all together regularly
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Simplify your life to save time and energy

I hope that these tips have offered some insight on how to simplify your life.  By just making a few adjustments, life can feel less overwhelming and tedious.  It’s great to be able to get some things done quicker and to stay on top of cleaning and groceries. 

Do you have any other great tips and tricks to simplify your life? 


Hi, I’m Shara

I have a passion for organizing. This stems from being naturally drawn to simplicity and structure in my home. Combined with my desire to help women achieve their goals, Simply Renewed Living was born.

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