Resist the temptation

This past weekend I went to The Container Store with my sisters-in-law on our little weekend getaway. Gosh, I love wandering the aisles and looking at all of the organizing products – especially all the bins, baskets and boxes. 

It’s tempting to buy containers before you begin an organizing project. I am here to remind you (and even myself) to resist that temptation! 

I know, it’s energizing to buy a bunch of pretty things to store and contain your stuff. We often fool ourselves by saying that once we buy containers we will have the motivation to get organized. That is a false assumption. 

Buying a bunch of containers without knowing what you are containing, how much you are containing, and where it is going only leads to more clutter, more frustration, and less money in the bank account. 

When a potential client asks me about my organizing methods and if they need to purchase containers before I arrive, I tell them that we do not contain anything until we go through it all and see what we have. We declutter first. We shop within the home for containers second. And then, and only then, we will shop for containers at a store if necessary. 

Once we have gone through everything and gotten rid of things no longer needed or wanted, then we can really see what we are dealing with. You have to know what you have before you know what you need. 

It is important to determine where each thing will “live.” Give it a home. Will the containers we currently have fit in the space? Do we have enough of them? 

Once we see what we have on hand, where it is going, and what we are lacking, then we can create a list of what to purchase. Be sure to measure the space and the object itself to make sure everything fits correctly. 

Stick to the list! Search sites like Amazon, The Container Store, Walmart, Target, or any other store for products. 

On my website I now have a “resources” tab. I have started a list of items that I have used personally and professionally and have had great results. I’ll be continually adding to the list. Feel free to check it out and let me know if you have any questions. 

Container shopping should only happen after you have de-cluttered and determined where things are going. Measuring matters. Do this and you will save time and money. I promise.