Making Space

This summer, when we were on vacation, we stayed at a hotel that served a continental breakfast. They had a Belgian waffle maker station, which my children loved, so we decided to get one for our home. Where was I going to put this new appliance? I like how my kitchen cabinets are organized. There is enough space in my pantry and cabinets that I can get what I want without needing to move anything around. Adding a waffle maker would make it more crowded than I like. Could I get rid of the wok? I only use that a few times a year. How about donating those small casserole dishes that I rarely use? I haven’t yet decided where this new item will go or what will be displaced. I’ll experiment with a few options and determine what works best. To keep my cabinets efficiently organized, something will need to go.

When bringing a new item into your home, consider the following:

• How often will I use this item?


• Is there space for the item in my home?


• Where will it be stored?


• What item(s) will be displaced?


• What can I get rid of to make space for the new purchase?

Making the decision about storage space each time you make a new purchase not only prevents impulse purchasing, it can also prevent storage areas from becoming overstuffed and overwhelming.