Labels: I have found that using the Post It Notes with full sticky back are the easiest way to label boxes. These are better than regular Post It Notes because they stay on for a long time, yet you can still remove it easily if you discover that you want to change the label. Find these at Amazon or Office Depot
Getting prepared for organizing
Get boxes together (see below for ideas)
Have your phone charged up.
Buy post-it notes–full back sticky. Here is the info (they are rather hard to identify). You can purchase at Office Depot or Amazon. sometimes Walmart
Find or buy medium tip sharpies.
Large trash bags
Clipboard with paper for notes
A small box or caddy to put the markers, post-it notes, and clipboard. Be sure to always put this in a place you can easily find.
Packing material: If you have some breakable items you want to put into keep, give-away or undecided, you’ll want to pad them. You can use give away clothes to do this as well.
Boxes
Being able to sort into a variety of boxes is essential for de-cluttering fast. When you can fit things into boxes and stack them–it is amazing how little space they take up compared to how they were before. And it is frustrating if you don’t have enough boxes. I suggest that you get at least 5 of each kind, but more if possible. As you sort things, you will be emptying out bins and boxes, so eventually you will end up with extras.
Kinds of boxes you need to have:
- Shallow-small (about 8×12–find at Aldi’s)
- Shallow–large (about 18” x 2 1/2 feet–6 inches deep) Sams or Aldi’s
- Medium–for books and other heavy stuff-heavy–about 12 x 12 inches
- Large–banana boxes, apple boxes,
- Extra large–for lightweight stuff–moving boxes
Places to find boxes:
- People leave out when recycling-you can find a variety of boxes including moving boxes
- Aldi’s–sometimes you can score nice uniform boxes–look in the freezer section. They put the boxes in wire wagons. Also, there are boxes in the produce section that are almost empty and you can rearrange the fruit so that you can take them.
- I always take advantage of my shopping at Aldi’s
- Sam’s club–seems like they have a variety of larger boxes
- Harps–often saves boxes
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