Why pay out money to a professional organizer when you can learn to do it yourself instead?

Here you will find helpful hints to becoming the organizer of your own home and family. You will learn how to de-clutter your home and keep everything organized and in its place.

Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, offices and family rooms should all have trash cans in them to keep the trash from ending up somewhere it is not suppose to go. In the laundry room you should label 2 baskets for each person in the home. One for underwear, socks and pajama the other for clothes that need hanging in the closets.

In the office keep files in a neat cabinet that is easily accessible. And label the files for important things to be kept separate fro one another. On your desk place to trays one for outgoing mail and the other for bills you need to pay. You should also have drawer dividers to keep office supplies in place and separate as well. Incoming mail should be kept in basket by front door.

Organize important phone numbers into a small flip Rolodex. This makes numbers a cinch to find in a hurry. Emergency numbers and other numbers your kids will need should be posted on dry erase board that sticks to refrigerator. That way they will always know where they are if needed.

The kitchen is where we tend to get the most headaches. You can never find the right ingredients for what you wanted to make for dinner or for breakfast without pulling everything out and diving into it. The pantry is a place where organization can make your life so much easier. Take all foods and food items out of pantry. Toss anything that is out of date. Clean before putting anything back in. Label shelves for specific things to go.

Once all shelves have been emptied and items dates checked then start replacing them in categories. These should include soups, condiments, side dishes, fruits, snacks, canned items, packaged mixes, cereals and oatmeal all in one category and keep going until everything has its own place. Just think how simple it will be to open the door and reach for exactly what you need without hunting for it.

A major area that always needs a lot of work, and women and teens are the worse at it, is the closet space. Don’t hang on to things because they do not fit now but will 10 years from now. These items are just taking up space that new clothes could be put in. If you never wear certain clothes then do not hang on to them get rid of them give them to your local thrift store for charity.

Organize your closet in groups like your blazers and jackets in one area, jeans and tees in another and you get the point. You can then just reach in to your closet and pull out exactly what you want to wear that day without digging through clothes to find it.

Remember if you never get rid of things then when new things come into your home it is getting cluttered and you have no room for anything to go and actually be enjoyed. Throw out older items that are broken, not used anymore or that you just don’t want. This way your true cherished items can come out of hiding and be seen by all.

Shoes should either be kept in rolling bins underneath the bed or on over the door shoe holders. This gives you an easy way to find and put up your shoes. They should also be a plastic bin at the entrance where you can take off dirty shoes before entering into the house.

Kid’s have a numerous amount of playthings and keeping these organized can be quite a task. It can be done though. Mark plastic bins for certain toys and get your child in the habit of putting there own things up and in its rightful place everyday when they are through with them. Give them a reward each day when they achieve this, such as a gold start on their lists of chores for the week. At the end of the week if they have a certain amount of gold stars then they get a treat.

All of these tips and helpful hints will allow your household to run more smoothly and you have become your own professional organizer.

Chia Trams is an expert author, Why fork out money to a professional organizer or image consultant when you can get the inside scoop to do it all by yourself instead? Here you will find helpful hints to becoming the organizer of your own residence and family.

Are there things that are cluttering up your home that you want to get rid of but you’re afraid you may need them in the future?

As a professional organizer, the top two questions I get asked are:

“How do I decide what I can get rid of?”

“How do I know I won’t need that item again?”

The secret will be revealed in this article: knowing where to get started, what to get rid of, and what to keep.

What to Get Rid Of: Anything that is not meaningful or useful to you should be going out of your home. How do you know you won’t need that item again? You don’t! The only thing you know for sure is that you don’t need it right now. What you need to believe is this: you will always have the resources to get it again, just like the first time you got it. Believe in the marketplace. It is just as eager as you are to exchange things. If you do need that item in the future, you can easily find another one on Craigslist, eBay, or one of the other online free markets across the US.

Let’s say you have an unused bookcase that you decide to sell on Craigslist for $40 and that a year later you find that you really need a bookcase. You should be able to find one within a week or so. In most cases, you will find one that meets your needs better than the previous one. Also, you’ve had the bonus of having $40 in your pocket over the past year.

What to Keep: Meaningful or useful items should be kept. If you are someone who loves memorabilia and cannot let it go, try this easy three-step process.

1. Prioritize the items you value and keep the top 10 things that mean the most to you.

2. Display your special memories. Frame a meaningful t-shirt, hang it on your wall, or design a shadow box of special items such as jewelry, news clippings, etc.

3. For each member of your family, get a single large bin or box (less than 15 gallon). Have each person pick out favorite items to fill the bin. Donate or sell the remaining items.

Where to Get Started: Make a list of areas that you want organized. Choose the area you use the most. In one area:

Clear out things that are obviously recycling or garbage. It will be easy to get distracted, but stay focused on garbage and recycling only; everything else shouldn’t be touched. A good way to stay focused is this: play a favorite song and have all garbage cleared before the end of the song.

Next, place three large bins in your working area. One bin for things to be donated, one for things that can be sold, and one for things that belong someplace else. If needed, you can get more bins. When done sorting, move the bins to a different area.

After all items have been sorted you can begin organizing. Organize only the items you are keeping. Re-evaluate the area. What specific purpose should it serve? How can you make the most of the space? Is there a way to use the walls to display items and keep them off the floor? Let the answers to these questions direct the organizational process.

If you need help making the most of your space, or if you get stuck on one of these steps, think about hiring a professional organizer. A qualified organizer can be found in your area by checking with the National Association of Professional Organizers (napo.net).

Heidi DeCoux is publisher of Life Made Simple e-Magazine, a professional organizer and creator of the Fast-Filing Method home office filing system. Heidi energizes her readers’ by simplifying their homes … schedules. For more info, free tips, and to receive her FREE Report: The Fast … Easy Way to Get Organized and Stay Organized Forever, visit ClearSimpleLiving.com