Kitchen Organization: Tackling the Pantry with Passion
The kitchen is the heart of the home. Passion Buzz even gives us 8 reasons why. And I bet you have a few reasons of your own.
It is also my favorite space in the house to create systems! We utilize this space SO much and there are tons of opportunities to streamline and create efficiencies while eliminating waste.
Like any area of the house, creating a system that is specific to how YOU use the space is key.
An organized kitchen can save you a ton of time, oodles of money and frustration.
Most people think that a bigger kitchen is better. However, with a large kitchen, you hold onto more than you need because you have the space. But then you can’t find what you need because there is so much stuff.
With a small kitchen you feel like you don’t have enough space. In actuality, this is a gift . The small space forces you to keep less. And, you get to be really creative on making the smaller kitchen work and maximize the space.
Whether your kitchen is spacious or tiny, it can be functional with the right organizational system & approach!
One of the GREATEST benefits of an organized kitchen is knowing exactly what you need when it is time to go grocery shopping (and don’t go hungry). Yes, I know that seems simple. But simplicity is kinda my thing, in case you haven’t noticed!
When your space is clear and everything has its own space, you know exactly what you HAVE and what you actually NEED. You buy less of the “I can’t remember if we have this so I better just grab one” purchases, only to find out you already have three in your pantry that are expired and need to be thrown away. This is where the greatest amount of waste in food and dollars occurs in our kitchens.
However, in order to do this effectively, your pantry should be one of your first places to focus!
When I helped my client Lindsay whip her pantry into shape, she told me:
“Love it!!!! Grocery shopping was so much more productive and easy this time as I knew exactly what I needed. Amazing how much of a difference! And, it was so quick to put away as I knew right where everything went.”
Can you image feeling the same? Pretty great, right? I promise it’s worth the time & effort and MUCH easier to keep up once you do it with a plan!
3 Simple Tips
Here are 3 simple tips you that will give you some quick wins and dramatically change the way you feel in your kitchen!
1: Purge food that is expired or you KNOW you will not eat
This will allow you to see what you have and WILL actually eat. This will allow you to let go of the fear that drives many of our purchases at the grocery store, the “just in case” purchases.
2: Clean out the top drawers next to your stove
Let go of the 3 extra spatulas that you got for your wedding and don’t even like to use but feel bad getting rid of. Sound like your kitchen? Fill this easy to reach drawer with the cooking utensils that you actually use regularly. This makes cooking much easier when you can find what you need and when it comes time to put things away.
3: Go through your spices.
Discard what you don’t use, what is expired, and consolidate what is duplicated. Spices are not cheap and over-purchasing is easy to prevent with a little system in place. I have organized hundreds of spices and I bet at least 50% of them have been expired! To take it a step further, arrange them alphabetically so you know exactly where to look when adding some basil to your next homemade spaghetti sauce or, let’s be real, jazzing up a frozen pizza!
BONUS- Make it a goal to clear off your counters before turning in at the end of the night. This will make such a difference in how you feel about your kitchen and, more importantly, how you feel when you start your morning (more on how to keep the counters clear later).
After completing a pantry + kitchen overall for my client Amanda, she said:
“Now that both my kitchen (including pantry, drawers, cabinets) and my office have been given an overhaul, I realize that this was not a luxury. It was a necessity! Stephanie created systems for everything, so my home and business are running smoother and my stress level is significantly decreased. Not only is this saving me time, but the expense of continuously re-buying supplies I already had, but just couldn't find (hello 4 pairs of kitchen shears and 7 three-ring binders!) And, my girls can now completely handle after-dinner cleanup, down to wiping everything down, because they know where everything goes and feel empowered to help out. They WANT to help out.”
How amazing is that?! As I said, the kitchen is the heart of the home, and when your heart feels good, so do you!
To learn more about creating systems and saving money in your pantry and kitchen - check out my Kitchen and Pantry Organization Kit!
And to learn all there is to know about simplifying and creating better systems in your home and life, check out Simplified. A Real-Life Guide to Organizing Your Space and Saving Your Sanity.
