One Surprising way to add more hours to your Day!

If I told you I could give you another hour in your day, what would you do with it? Would you relax? Would you play with your kids? Work out? Work on (or start!) that hobby? Well, I know a habit that will do just that.

And the more time you spend on it, the more time you will gain.

Want to know what it is? Decluttering! Ok, I know you’re thinking–that’s not simple and it’s not a surprise. Or is it?

Decluttering, especially in certain areas of your home, can take only a few minutes but the time gained in return is 100 fold. I have found 6 areas that are especially helpful.

1. Your linen closet. Especially towels and sheets. I have purged down to two towels per person. Since no one wants to use a wet towel, we’re forced to hang them to dry (bonus, I don’t have to pick towels up off the floor!). Also, less to fold and put away. I only do 2, maybe 3 loads of towels a week. I used to do 5 loads of towels alone! Same with the sheets. One on the bed, one backup. (Yes, it’s ok to have one set of nice back up towels just for guests–hide them!)

2. Plates/bowls/cups. We have 4 people. We had 18 plates! Ridiculous. We now have 12 plates….but I keep 6 on a high shelf. They are only for company. If we have more than 12 guests, the kids use paper plates (and this RARELY happens!) Less to wash, less to put away and less to maneuver in my cabinet! If we run out, guess what, someone is washing a plate–and it isn’t me 🙂

3. Measuring cups/spoons, bowls and colanders. We had two sets of measuring cups and spoons. Two colanders and 12 mixing bowls! When I cook, I can easily rinse the measuring spoon or cup. And I never need more than one colander at a time. As for mixing bowls, I might use two max. When I cook now, it doesn’t look like my kitchen exploded. So much easier to clean up after a cooking session.

4. Tupperware. YOU DO NOT (I repeat) YOU DO NOT NEED 87 PLASTIC BOWLS AND 109 LIDS (because we all know we have more lids than bowls). What happens if we run out? Well, you are forced to dig in the back of the fridge for that moldy spaghetti, throw it away and clean it out!!

Bonus saver, it helps motivate us to keep our fridge clean. And honestly, time it. Pulling that out, dumping and washing it takes 2 minutes (I HAVE timed it) The result is you keep your fridge cleaner so you don’t run out of tupperware–win win. Another easy time-saving tip is to store the Tupperware with the lids on-we’ll talk more about that tip in another post (Thank you Nonie from “A Slob Comes Clean.com).

5. Last easy, time saving purge is your Coat closet. Ours works hard. It keeps umbrellas, coats, ALOT of shoes and socks…I know weird, but it works. We have a sock basket. I don’t match socks. It’s one of my rules. I have to have some rules. Life is too short to match socks. If you want matched socks in my house, match them yourself. Anyway, my kids can keep 10 pair. We threw out the rest. They are learning, if they are under the couch, they won’t be washed, and they won’t have socks to wear.

We purged coats and shoes (little worn shoes/coats went up to their rooms). We now have enough room to easily put shoes away in the closet and tuck their book bags in. And I don’t break my neck tripping over them when I come in the house. Actually, that’s not true. We are still working on that habit. BUT if they follow the habit, there is plenty of room to put the backpacks and shoes away.

6. My flat surfaces are only allowed to have one decorative item. That makes them easier to dust, doesn’t tempt me to spend money on things I don’t need AND it seems to deter the surfaces from being a magnet for everything in the house. My dining room table used to have candles and a vase of flowers. So when we added the packages and books and mail, it was hardly noticed. My coffee table would have coffee table books and magazines and candles. Seemed much more logical then to leave the cup and the sock and the fork. I mean, there was already stuff there….. thankfully it seems to be an understood rule that you think twice before messing up a flat surface….sure it still happens occasionally but much less often then when I had decor everywhere.

Before I purged these things, I never imagined they would make this kind of difference. I mean, if I have more towels, I don’t have to do laundry as often, right? And more dishes are the same? It’s just not true. When we have less, we spend less time taking care of the items, washing, putting away.

Less time looking for them (because our closest and cupboards are not overflowing). Less stuff my kids can throw on the floor. Less cups under the bed (don’t ask). It allows me more time. Less time spent stressed and yelling at my family and more time enjoying them. So this one easy habit has already given me that extra hour. Now I’m on the hunt to purge more. I would love to find enough extra time for a nap.

What surprising thing could you purge that would allow you more time? Do you think it would be easier to let go now that you know the reward is more time? I’d love to hear!