organization is the best prep

[jlsellers]

This thought occurred to me the other day: organization is the best prep. How much money would I save if I always had dinner ready. (then I could buy more stuff for the 72 hour kit, right?) When the washer breaks, it is helpful if there is not a backload of clothes already, yes? If you need to get out of the house fast, it is nice if  you know where everything is for you and your kids, if their matching shoes are easy to get to, etc...and where the flashlight is if you need it... If there was a flood or earthquake or something, I think organization would go a long way towards making things less stressful, but also make your life better in general.

[jlsellers]

P.S. I am not so gifted in organization, but I am trying for the sake of prepping. Whatever works to get the house clean, I guess.

[FromScratchWoman]

It is for sure up there in the top ten, but I have seen very well organized "events" fall apart when folks weren't mentally prepared for the very well organized chaos..And that was just a bake sale 

[Adam B.]

Tell me about it!

It is great to have all this survival gear, but sucks when I can't find half of it just to go on a camping trip! I am striving to get under the 2 hour mark it would take me right now to "bug out" At least I am consistently taking 2 hours whenever I bug out for the weekend to get ready!

[PorcupineKate]

Getting and staying organized is one of my big projects after the holidays.   

Over my winter break (I'm in college) I plan on tackling a massive reorganization project.  Garage, basement, paperwork, and all of our living space...

[rikkrack]

It also helps if you and the spouse/kids/roomates have the SAME organizing style. I put things in one place because that is where I think it should go. She has a different thought of wherever she used it last.

But seriously everyone in the house should know that Item X is stored (or should be stored)in drawer Y.

I go looking for things she normally uses and where I think they should be...totally not where it actually is stored. example Acetone - used as paint remover, hard core cleaner/degreaser. I think garage in the chemical cabinet. Her thought under bathroom sink because it can be used as nail polish remover. Her thought a drawer in the house needs to have screwdrivers because garage is too far. My thought all screwdrivers in the same place of the tool box. We both agree that they are not to be stored in the kids sandbox in the yard despite what kids think.

[osubuckeye4]

I've been on a massive "reorganizing" mission around my condo over the last 2 months.

Wife and I have chucked AT LEAST 20 full bags worth of stuff that was absolute junk. Papers and expired food (not rotting food, just stuff like dressings that hadn't been opened in 6 months that were at the back of the fridge) and all other kinds of trinkets that we got for free from events and meant to throw out, but never made it a point to do so.


It's amazing at how much absolute crap can pile up over the course of a few years. My wife and I have made a deal... every night when we get home from work we take 1 hour to do projects around the house.

The thing we have had to beat into our brains is that there is always SOMETHING we can do. Clean a bathroom, run the dishwasher, do a few loads of laundry.

[Adam B.]

It's amazing at how much absolute crap can pile up over the course of a few years. My wife and I have made a deal... every night when we get home from work we take 1 hour to do projects around the house.

That is my biggest problem. I let things get out of control and then feel overwhelmed by all of it, rather than just finding an hour here / there to put things back in order. I find when I approach organization "an hour at a time" — the trend of disorganization starts to quickly reverse itself, since organization is pretty much a constant struggle to put order into things that would otherwise turn into chaos without your input.

[Freebirde]

We have a similar problem with being overwhelmed in working on organization, especially her sewing room.    My DW has found the best way to not to feel overwhelmed is to set a timer for a half hour to hour, clean till the timer goes off, then reset the timer and do something else before coming back to organizing.   Knowing you are going to take only so big a bite keeps the load from being too large.

[Adam B.]

I do the timer thing sometimes myself and it does help. I don't notice much progress when I take "baby steps" every day towards getting where I want to be with this house re-organization project — but every time I sit down and think about where I was a month ago, I realize all those baby steps add up quite significantly.

[jlsellers]

I love the time limit idea. And finding an hour worth of things to do after work. That's a great idea. We don't have a garage, so we can't have too much junk, but it still adds up more quickly than you would think. Right now my goal is to empty out this large closet/tiny room of all our moving boxes and either recycle them or find a smaller place to stack them so that hubby will have room for our woodworking projects we've been wanting to do.

[LibertyBelle]

Hate to admit it, but there are times that even when I know where something is (the general location anyway) it's too much of an effort to move stuff out of the way to get to it.  Which is why learning how to let things go (decluttering) and getting things organized is on my 13 in '13 list.   

[Adam B.]

I've been there! I almost let that get in my way last night, and 6 hours went past when I intended to only spend an hour cleaning the basement / living room, but I ended up bringing up a bunch of things just sitting around in the basement to actually USE again. I re-arranged my living room, and opened up a ton of space.

It really feels good though when you start plowing through something like that. I started with re-organizing the entertainment system, and bringing up some things from the basement (receiver / speakers etc) that were laying in a pile unused. Good sounding music always helps pass the time when I am washing dishes!

I opened up a ton of space in the basement by bringing up a number of other things, including a large desk I have been trying to figure out what to do with before I give it away.

I got rid of this old wooden desk in the living room, previously being used to hold the TV etc. If nobody wants to come pick it up for free then it will go nice in the firewood pie for the outdoor fire pit.

The new TV stand came from my daughter's old bedroom, and was also not being used anymore. I opened up a bunch of space AND accomplished a bunch of things I thought I was going to have to spend money on, because I sat back and thought of how to best use the stuff I already have to accomplish what I want — and then get rid of or "part with" the stuff I TRULY have no need for.

[flippydidit]

It also helps if you and the spouse/kids/roomates have the SAME organizing style. I put things in one place because that is where I think it should go. She has a different thought of wherever she used it last.

But seriously everyone in the house should know that Item X is stored (or should be stored)in drawer Y.

There's your problem Rikkrack!  Item X should be stored in drawer X.  No wonder you're stressed.   

I go looking for things she normally uses and where I think they should be...totally not where it actually is stored. example Acetone - used as paint remover, hard core cleaner/degreaser. I think garage in the chemical cabinet. Her thought under bathroom sink because it can be used as nail polish remover. Her thought a drawer in the house needs to have screwdrivers because garage is too far. My thought all screwdrivers in the same place of the tool box. We both agree that they are not to be stored in the kids sandbox in the yard despite what kids think.

Why don't you get a second bottle of acetone for the garage?  Maybe a handful of screwdrivers for the house drawer bought at a yard sale?  We've done those things to minimize the stress.  When the kid's "borrow" my tools and disappear with them, I "borrow" their favorite toys and go play with them where they can see me.  They already know that if Dad is playing Army with the Barbie doll or pretending to stick to the side of the house with the Spiderman mask on, that they better hustle to find out what tools he needs back before their toy becomes a permanent possession of Dad's.  I may be an odd duck, but it really does work.

If it makes any of you feel better, we've decided that we are going to buy shipping containers.  They will be fitted with metal shelving and organized for storage from the ground up.  This will hopefully allow us to reclaim our garage and guest house.

[Roundabouts]

ORGANIZATION  Woohooo.    I was born with brown eyes and a desire to organize stuff.  Been doing it since I was in the 2nd grade for others.   I am weird that way.    Garage barn kitchen dressers closets office,  you name it love it.  Sounds like you all have a good plan.  Keeping a timer going is a good idea.  chip away bit by bit. 

I have a ton of ways of making things go faster easier and less painful. Plus ways of keeping all your hard work in check.   If anyone wants some ideas I would be happy to share /coach / advise/ here on the forum or you can PM me.  Since this is something that I do like I breath I don't want to start spewing out ideas cuz I could ramble on and on and on…..  Let me know if/ how I can help.

Don't feel bad about asking me.  I have done peoples kitchens garages barns and offices for free.  That's how I spend vacation time.  My fav time of the year New Years Eve.  I stay up all night by myself and clean and organize the whole house!    It's all most time and I can do it again!  Over Thanksgiving 4 days!! YES YES the shop is going to get yet another deep organization.  Then the attic.  Already  laying the ground work.  It's a sickness I tell ya.  Makes hubby very nervous but he loves it when it's done. And OOOHHH do I have new plans.  shh don't tell him or he will want to work OT.   >where's the little smiley with the devil horns?<

[Greekman]

Interesting...would you mind if sometime I forward you my modular BugOutBag checklist and First Aid kits organizing system for you to review?

[Roundabouts]

Interesting...would you mind if sometime I forward you my modular BugOutBag checklist and First Aid kits organizing system for you to review?

If you are asking me SURE.   PM me and will see what we can come up with.   

[jlsellers]

Hehe, i love the idea of taking off with the kid's toys when they take off with your stuff. I finally found my salt shaker in the coat closet last night, after trying to find it all day, those rascally kids! One girl said, I didn't take it, but did you try looking in the closet?