An organised kitchen may seem the stuff of Insta-dreams, but there’s a lot more to it, and a few really good reasons why it’s worth the investment of time and $$ (especially, as the saying goes, in this economy!). Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, a lot of the benefits marry up quite well to the benefits of meal planning too, which is why I'm labelling it as a "Meal Planning Tip".
Save Time
Anything that saves time is a winner in my book! Having items in the same spot every time rather than shoved into available spaces makes life much easier!
Save Money
If you can see what you’ve got – you’re less likely to buy that 8th tin of tomatoes.
Reduce Waste
Being able to easily see and access what you’ve got means you’re more likely to use it up!
Support Nutritional Goals
If those “sometimes” foods are a little harder to access, and all the “better for you” options are easy to access, it just makes it that little easier.
Helps Foster Independence in our Youth
Have a designated spots for snacks and get them to start packing their own lunches / sorting their own snacks.
Sharing the Load
If everyone can see where things go, everyone can help put groceries away, and keep the sense of order!
Mental Health
Yup – I’m seeing more and more around links between feelings of stress and clutter.
So now you know why – what about the how?
It can feel so totally overwhelming when you open your pantry / fridge /freezer and you’re confronted with chaos. There can also be feelings of guilt – you know there’s stuff hidden in there from quite possibly years ago and it’s going to have to get thrown out. My pest piece of advice here to consider this a one-off reset so that this doesn’t happen anymore. Keep what you can – but if it’s out of date or you’re not going to use it and you can’t donate it, it’s got to go. Forgive yourself, and plan to do better!
I used to do a pantry cleanout once a year and I always felt slightly unwell at what I threw out. Then I discovered a system that worked for our family and it’s so easy to maintain, no more yearly clean outs, much less food waste, and a general sense of calm.
Quite openly and unashamedly, I use the system put in place by The Home Edit. I’d tried so many decluttering challenges and checklists. What clicked for me, and where I think they’re point of difference is, comes from the system they give you to put it all back. This has really stopped the cycle of just constantly decluttering for me.
I’ve created this download which goes through how I apply their system to pantries / fridges / freezers, with a few extra hot tips that I’ve picked up from organising my client’s spaces too.
Priority One: Create a System that Works for You & Your Family
If it’s already a struggle to simply put your groceries away, I wouldn’t recommend implementing a system that involves decanting packets into cannisters, no matter how pretty it looks, because you’ll simply find it unsustainable without what might be too much effort with everything else on your plate! Find your balance – if the happiness & efficiencies you get from spending time decanting everything is worth the time spent doing it, go for it!
(Side note: I like to decant! Yes, I’m a decanter. I love the look of it and being able to easily see what we have, and the fact that airtight containers will keep produce fresher for longer. Ok and I really like how it looks too! I can also say that once your initial set-up is done, top-up decants don’t take as long).
Kitchen spaces are super tricky, mainly because what we eat and how we eat changes over time – as our kids grow, seasons change, health reasons and all sorts. Keep the systems easy and flexible, and always have a play with an idea of your set up before you go investing in containers and baskets etc.
Tell me in the comments below - what annoys you most about your kitchen spaces?? What systems have you put in place that really work for you?