We have many items lying around our home because we tried a new product or a new ingredient or a new method and it didn’t work for us. A typical example I see a lot of is with paper goods. You try this type of packaging for the cakes you send to neighbors or you try out a new smoothie cup or a round pan for a certain kugel you’re making and then you don’t like the product so much. Now you have all these odds and ends stuffing up your cabinets and closets. This happens with cleaning supplies, with cooking supplies, ingredients, with containers, with tin pans, with hangars with baskets, with toys, loose leafs, with every area of your home. Our homes are full or items we’ve tried and don’t like and now we can’t throw it out because we paid for them
So first of all- give these items away- this week. If you can’t think of someone who needs them-Put them next to the garbage, write hefker on it and it will be gone within the hour
But how can we prevent this from happening in the future? I’ll tell you. Wherever you can- come up with a mehalech, a strategy for how you do something. Pick your own strategy and stick to it. This way you know what you need and you also know what you don’t need.
You send neighbors food often? Decide now what you send and in what type of packaging you send it, and only purchase that type of packaging. If you experiment each week- this time chocolates, next week a cake and next week cookies- you’re going to need to have 3-4 different types of packaging available because you never know.
You make smoothies often, always buy the same cup and make sure it fits nicely on the shelf where you need it. Don’t purchased the oversized plastic wrap from Osher Ad just because it’s on sale- purchase a package that fits into your drawer.
Decide that you only make kugels in rectangular tins and not the round ones if that’s what fits better on your shelf.
Know what you make for Shabbos and with which machines and pieces you usually use so that you don’t have unnecessary blades and mixer pieces floating around your cabinets.
If you only like how a particular sock fit on your baby- purchase only that brand and get rid of all of the others.
The secret is to strategize in every area of your home and be conscious on how you like to do things. Use this information to keep your cabinets and closets organized.
