Tips to keep your home tidy and habits to form from a minimalist mom.
If you’ve been interested in minimalism for even 3 seconds, you probably understand the basics… or, something along the lines of: only keep the things that spark joy!
This mentality is incredibly useful when it comes to getting rid of your stuff, but how do you maintain a tidy home? How do you live minimally in your day-to-day life?
I’ve been working on living as a minimalist for the past year (seriously, still a work-in-progress!), so I want to share some of the practical things I’ve done to transform my home so it’s easier to manage and takes up less of my time.
Don’t Stockpile Household Stuff
I never thought of myself as someone who stockpiles, but even subtle stockpiling can cause serious clutter. Do you go to the store and by 2 for 1, just because of a deal? Unless you’re using all of it within a week or two, I call stockpiling!
I have been SO guilty of this! I would buy 3+ cartons of almond milk at a time because it “lasts forever” and “we’ll use it eventually!” However, storing all of that in my fridge took up SO much room. I’d get overwhelmed by my over-stuffed refrigerator. So, I only started buying almond milk if we needed more in the next week, and only as much as we use before the next time I go to the store.
The same goes for all other household items – chips, soda, soap, toilet paper, etc.
Simply keep your storage space in mind. If you have a good place to store toilet paper, then buy the big pack! Just don’t buy so much toilet paper that it lasts you 6+ months. Your house is not a storage warehouse. 🙂
Create Modules
Creating modules has been one of my favorite parts of minimalism! This idea is two fold. First, store all related items together. So, don’t have 3 different spots for extra cables throughout your home. All extra cables should live in one container. This can be called your cable module.
Second, create modules for different activities. For example, if you sit down and pay bills on a monthly basis, create a bill paying module. Get a clear plastic box with a lid and put a pen, calculator, important bank information, and any anything else you need in it to pay bills. When you sit down to pay bills each month, you’ll have everything you need ready for you in the module.
If you enjoy a hobby like knitting, create a knitting module that includes your yarn, needles, scissors, and other knitting accessories. Not only does it make it convenient to start knitting by having all your items together, it keeps them organized so it’s easy to store.
Clear Surfaces
Your surfaces need room to breathe. If they’re always covered in stuff, they’ll feel heavy from holding all the stuff. A few months back I started keeping my kitchen countertops and all my tables tables completely clear. My mind doesn’t have to do the, “this stays, this goes,” dance. Whenever there’s anything on them, I know I need to clear it off. It’s harder for stuff to get lost among the abyss of decor and appliances when there’s nothing there!
My motto here: Clutter begets clutter!
