How to Organize Your Wardrobe

A large majority of men rarely think of organizing their wardrobe. We all sort of cling to the old die hard "dig and find" method. Despite the fact that it takes longer to find anything, organizing that old closet just doesn't sit very high on the priority list. In fact, it often times makes it to the "I'll get to it some day", or the "I'll get around to it" lists. There is hope for us closet neglectors though, and surprisingly it's not rocket science. If the initial set-up is done right, it is fairly easy to develop a system that will make your life much easier.

Organizing your wardrobe in reality comes to personal choice. Whether you prefer your pants to be stored on the right or the left doesn't matter as long as you are creating a well thought-out system that is easy to keep up. Stick to the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Stupid Simple) method. If you have no idea where to start, then this article is right for you. Below are a few general tips on how to organize your wardrobe. Use the tips that work for you. Use them to customize a system that works best for you.

First, start by completely emptying the wardrobe top to bottom. Clean the storage area as is required. Chances are that clumps of dust have piled up over the years in the corners. Empty your wardrobe completely and use a vacuum to get rid of all that dust. Next, sort all the things out that you no longer wear. If you are a pack-rat, this might be quite difficult. If this is the case then follow this general rule of thump: If you haven't worn something for at least a year, give it, or throw it away.

Now that you have limited the amount of clothes, organizing them will be much easier. When organizing your wardrobe make sure to put the clothes that you most frequently wear in the most accessible area. Start by thinking about different clothes for different seasons. If it is summer, store all your winter clothes in a separate storage bin. Once again you have narrowed down the clothes to organize. Next, look at all smaller items such as socks and underwear. Sort through all the single socks, and put the ones together that still have a matching pair. All small pieces that are part of your daily attire should be stored away in an easy accessible drawer.

The remaining clothes should be sorted by function. Work clothes such as suits, shirts, and neckties should be stored separately from your casual clothes. Make sure you don't hang your suit jackets too tightly, and keep your neckties away from any sharp edges. Your dress pants should be hung to prevent wrinkles. If you have multiple suits, keep matching pants with each jacket.

Your shoes are best stored in an adjustable shoe shelf that you can place in the bottom of your closet. Just as with your clothes, sort your shoes by their function. Dress shoes should be on one side, and casual shoes on the other. Store your shoes toe-in first to allow easy access of a pair with one hand.

Hendrik Pohl is the owner and founder of Ties-necktie.com, an online retailer offering a wide range of quality handmade silk ties, as well as useful dress code tips for men, men's fashion advice, necktie knot instructions, and more.

How to Organize a Home Filing Cabinet

If you are having a hard time organizing your home filing cabinet then this article would be a great help for you. Ideas on how to properly store your personal files and documents with the use of a filing cabinet will be given to efficiently manage your files.

1. Think of how many categories you will need. These categories are essentially the types of files that you want to be properly stored. Assign a color for each category. This allows you to recognize easily the type of file stored just by identifying the color. An example of categories would be bills, personal files, bank statements and et cetera. You can be more specific if you want to.

2. Once you have decided on the various categories and the colors assigned to each, paste the label on the folders and store the appropriate files and documents.

3. If you are not content with assigning colors, then you may opt for having each category alphabetically ordered. It all depends on suiting your taste and of course, ease of use.

4. If you do not want to keep too much files, then sort out the files that are important and those that are of no use. In order to maintain confidentiality, then these discarded files can be shredded for your protection.

5. Make it a habit to organize recent files at a certain day of the month. This allows you to function systematically and prevent cluttering your home space.

A good home filing cabinet attractively tucks away all your files to lessen up the clutter in your home space. With the organization comes the need to choose something that suits your style and budget without compromising durability and reliability.

How to Organize and Store Your Spices

Nearly every kitchen I've ever been in has this dilemma in common. What is the best way to store cooking herbs & spices? There is no simple answer of course. If there were, there would be no dilemma! The thing is every cook has a different approach. Some buy fresh herbs, some buy frequently used spices in large bulk bags. Some buy a wide variety of spices, some just a few. But in spite of all the different needs, here are a few tips that will help everyone organize and store their spices to save time.

1. Store spices as close as possible to where you use them. If you have a large kitchen where food prep and cooking areas are not near each other, separate and store spices according to where you use them, for example:
* If you usually add spices while cooking, store them near your stove, but not so close that heat will damage them.
* If you usually add spices during food preparation, store them handy to your prep area.
* If you use spices mostly as seasonings when food is served, store them handy to your serving area.
2. If you have a large quantity of spices, and not much space, consider sorting them by frequency of use. Keep the most frequently used spices handy in your kitchen, and store the rarely used spices in an out of the way storage cabinet.
3. Store spices alphabetically, just like they do in the grocery store. This makes it super easy to find what you need quickly. This way you give every spice a definite home, and it it will be easy to put away as well. Plus, you will always easily be able to see how much you have of a spice and whether or not you have duplicates. Avoiding duplicates will save you money as well as space.
4. Arrange spices so that you can easily find what you need. If you have them stacked several deep and can only see the tops of the jars, label the tops. If you have deep cabinets, use a stepped shelf so you can see what you have.
5. If you buy bulk spices in bags, store them by adding undershelf baskets to utilize vertical space in your cabinets and shelves. Or in stackable, airtight containers that you can label easily.
6. Think twice about buying spice racks that already have spices in them...how will you add new spices when you want to? What will you do with the spices that you don't like and never use? These are kinds of racks I often find people end up donating or giving away.

Would you like to simplify your life and get more organized? Ariane Benefit is a Life Coach, ADD Coach, organizing expert, author and coach who has been quoted in Psychology Today, the Wall Street Journal, and more. Visit her popular Neat & Simple Living Blog at http://blog.neatandsimple.com Ariane has over 25 years experience helping businesses and individuals get the results they want. Take a peek inside her book, Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office at http://www.lotusbridge.com

How to Organize Your Money Trails - 5 Easy Ways

It's no fun when your financial records are in disarray. It's certainly stressful when you can't find much-needed records. So many people get stressed out when there's a need for their financial records because they don't know or they've forgotten where the said documents are.

To prevent such scenarios, here's a guide to scheduled tasks that will keep your money-related paper trail in order:

Once a day

Take note of how much cash you have on hand and record how much is left at the end of the day. Keep track of this so you can actually account for your expenses down to the last cent. This way, you'll be more aware of your spending habits. Most people don't realize how the little things add up to a significant amount until they actually commit to listing down all of their purchases and expenses.

Once a week

Organize your receipts, billing statements, invoice, and other money-related paperwork. Use ledger or a computer program where you can consolidate all this data. Have back-up copies of your records. Photocopy them and then place them in a safe place. You could also ask a trusted friend or family member to keep your stash of documents at his or her house.

Once a month

Pay your bills on time and follow up on debts you're owed. Create a checklist for this monthly reckoning. Consider keeping track of the pattern of your utility bills so you can more or less predict how much you'll spend each month. This way, you can easily curb your spending when you feel that you're in danger of going beyond your monthly budget.

Once a quarter

Consult your organized documents and filing systems so you can get an accurate picture of your progress towards meeting your personal financial goals. Make the necessary adjustments to spending, savings, or investments. You should also double check all the entries in the documents. Make sure that you haven't missed anything.

Once a year

Do some spring cleaning. Update your files and discard outdated items. Remember that you don't have to keep all your financial records forever. You can keep any tax-related records for seven years, bank statements for one year, and pay slips until you receive your end-of-the-year tax statements. Meanwhile, documents for big-ticket items should be kept permanently -- or until the said item has been "retired" or, perhaps, sold.

Make a commitment to devote the necessary time to these tasks so you won't ever get stressed out whenever somebody asks you for your financial records.

Paula Owen has been passionate about writing articles for the last 5 years.

Organize Your Home With a Shoe Bench

Shoe Benches are a great tool for smaller homes or apartments. A shoe bench is a bench that has cubbies of different sizes for shoes and boots to be stored. The top of the bench can have a seat cover or cushion that you can sit on while putting your shoes or boots on. Most of the time the shoe bench would be placed in an entry or mud room for easy access and use when entering or leaving the home.

The benches can be used in many ways to make your home more comfortable and less cluttered. Each pair of shoes has their own cubby so that they don't have to be in a mountain of shoes at the bottom of a closet or even in a box in the basement. This will create a very organized look to your home. The cushioned seat can also double as extra seating when you have company over. It also could work as a time-out spot for your children. It would even be a great place to send your family to wait for you before leaving the house, as a meeting area to check everyone's appearance.

There are many benefits to having a shoe bench in your home. In smaller homes or apartments the shoe bench is almost an essential tool to keep everything in its place as space can be very limited. Having all of the family's shoes in one place avoids the never ending, "Mom, I can't find my shoes!" The bench itself becomes a great tool for younger children as a time-out place, as well as a meeting place to be sure they are dressed properly before leaving the house.

The bench can also become an anchor point in any decorating scheme, especially with a cushioned seat cover. The fabric can coordinate with the decor that you already have in your home. Most benches are made of wood that can be stained to match the woodwork already in your home.

There are alternatives to having a shoe bench in your home. One option would be to have a shoe rack that can either hang on the back of a door or fit in the bottom of a coat closet and place a small chair or stool near the door. This would create the same benefits of a shoe bench, without actually having one.

Peter keeps his home organized with a shoe storage bench and would recommend a shoe bench to anyone having a hard time keeping their entryway clutter-free.