Living in a small home with children doesn’t have to be a bad or hard thing. Living in close quarters is possible, if you have the right tools and tips to help get you through! Check out these 11 tips for sharing a small home with kids:
11 Tips for Sharing a Small Home with Children
1. Less stuff = more room
This is a tip that everyone should already know. However, when you have less stuff in your home, you always have more room, making a room feel more spacious.
2. Bunk beds
When you have kids and they need beds, going “up” is a great solution for leaving the floor space open. Triple bunks work wonders if you have more than 2 children sharing a room.
3. Utilize closet space
Closet space can be a real organizational nightmare, especially if you have a limited number of closets in your home. But learning the best way to maximize their usability is key. Use baskets, bins, shelves and even rolling cart techniques for linens and clothes to make the best use of the closets you have. Although that might mean you have to store some kitchen appliances in the linen closet ;).
4. Have strict rules on keeping items off the floor
When you have a small home with the addition of children, things have to be off of the floor or your home will end up looking messy in no time. And that’s the worst.
5. Purchase items that have double uses
Purchasing items that have two uses is genius. For example, an ottomanthat has storage space within is a smart idea! Doubles as extra seating and storage!
6. Get rid of any bulky items
Is your couch too bulky? Trade it in for a slimmer version. Is the coffee table taking up precious play space? Maybe it’s time to donate.
7. Slim down the amount of clothing
If the drawers are stuffed full of kids’ clothing, it’s time to eliminate some items. Here are some tips for paring down your clothes that you might find useful!
8. Utilize storage in the attic, garage, or shed
If there simply isn’t enough room in your home for your everyday stuff and stored items, try to store stuff in another area of the home if you can, like a garage or attic.
9. Stay as organized as possible
Organization is key when space is at a premium. Try to make sure that everything has a spot to call home. Encourage the kids to put things in their “home” by making labels with pictures indicating where each item goes.
10. Use wall space as much as possible
There’s always room on a wall for storage. If you’ve run out of room, use wall space. Build some floating shelves. Or create a command center with a white board to keep all the activities running smoothly. Pinterest is full of ideas for wall storage.
11. Reevaluate the way you have items set up in your home
Maybe it’s the current layout that isn’t working in your home. Reevaluate your home’s setup to see if there could be a better way, then change it up!
Making room for everyone in your home shouldn’t be a problem if you follow these tips. I’ve noticed that the less items we have, the less frustrated we get.
What are some ways you deal with living in a small space with children?
Simply Clutter Free Day 21: Declutter your Outerwear
Oh my goodness, we’ve reached the final day of the Simply Clutter Free Challenge! My house is feeling so much lighter! Even cleaner because I’ve been cleaning in those areas that don’t often get cleaned!
Today, we’re going to tackle our outerwear. That means we’re finally going to let go of jackets or snow pants that no longer fit. Or we just don’t care for any more. Donate or sell the items you no longer want. This task also includes winter gloves, hats, scarves, etc.
How many items do you think you’ll be getting rid of today?
I will be posting random progress reports throughout the week over in the Simply Frugal Facebook group and Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #simplyclutterfree to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
Also, I have set up an email list that you can join if you would like me to send you the daily tasks each day to your email address! This is also the email list to be on if you are interested in any of the future challenges I have planned for 2020! You can sign up for the Simply Clutter Free Challenge emails, here!
Here we are. The second to final day of the Simply Clutter Free Challenge! Can you believe it? Does your house seem lighter? I’m pretty a happy with the way our place is feeling, but I think I’ll keep tinkering on a few more areas.
I’m happy to report that our linen situation is actually in pretty good shape! I think I may have a few extras that I could purge, but other than that I’ll just do some reorganizing.
How is your linen situation?
I will be posting random progress reports throughout the week over in the Simply Frugal Facebook group and Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #simplyclutterfree to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
Also, I have set up an email list that you can join if you would like me to send you the daily tasks each day to your email address! This is also the email list to be on if you are interested in any of the future challenges I have planned for 2020! You can sign up for the Simply Clutter Free Challenge emails, here!
Simply Clutter Free Day 19: Organize under the Kitchen Sink
Can you believe we’re in our final three days the Simply Clutter Free Challenge? Today we’re going to tackle under the kitchen sink! I don’t imagine this will be too strenuous of a task for most of us!
Basically the idea is to put like items with like items and declutter any items that are no longer needed. I like to wrangle all the grocery bags that I may have in an empty ice cream pail. I have all my various dish soaps, scrub brushes and cleaning cloths organized in a sliding basket organizer like this.
I’d love to know how you organize under your kitchen sink!
I will be posting random progress reports throughout the week over in the Simply Frugal Facebook group and Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #simplyclutterfree to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
Also, I have set up an email list that you can join if you would like me to send you the daily tasks each day to your email address! This is also the email list to be on if you are interested in any of the future challenges I have planned for 2020! You can sign up for the Simply Clutter Free Challenge emails, here!
Something I like to do on a semi regular basis, is to declutter the stuff in our home that is not needed anymore. Although there always seems to be some sort of mess around these parts, extra clutter drives me crazy. But before I haul everything off to the thrift store, I set aside anything I think I could sell online; it’s always nice to earn bit of extra spending money!
While I’m a fan of the traditional garage sale, selling some of our old things online is really gaining popularity in my books. I’ve found it to be less work and I tend to make more money than if I were to sell the items in a garage sale.
I’ve been dabbling a fair bit with some local Facebook Buy & Sell sites, so that’s where I have most of my experience. But Craigslist and Kijiji are also great free options for selling your stuff online. Although, I’ve found that small items typically don’t sell well with Craigslist and Kijiji so that’s why I’ve been sticking with these Buy & Sell Facebook groups. Ebay is also a great option is you have brand name items and collector items to sell.
Here are some tips on how to sell unwanted items online through Craigslist/Kijiji, Facebook and eBay:
Research
Spend some time taking a look at items similar to what you want to sell to get an idea of what you should price your item at. It might also be a good idea to research some of the details you think buyers might want to know. (ie: dimensions, special features…etc.)
Price Your Item Well
If you simply want to get rid of stuff quickly, price your stuff quite low. If earning a bit of money is your goal, price your items by what you see similar items selling for. Quite often I’ll price something a bit higher then what I’m willing to take because it’ll be a bonus if someone does purchase it at my asking price. But I know people like to barter to get a lower price. They’ll feel like they’re getting a deal and I’m happy I was able to earn some decent spending money!
Take Good Photos
Having good, clear photos with your item is fairly crucial if you want to sell it quickly. Here are some basic tips for taking a good picture:
Find good lighting. Try to take your pictures in natural light. In a dark room, the photo won’t show clearly, and artificial light can change the color of the item.
Clean the item. Make sure you give the item a good wipe down or wash to show off the condition.
Create a clear background. Place the item in an area of your home or yard that is free of clutter. You want to make it clear what you’re selling so don’t let any other distracting items show up in the photo.
Take several shots. Take at least one shot from every angle.
Choose the Right Category for your Item
To make your item easy to find, you’ll want to make sure you choose the right category to list your item under. After all, no one is going to look for a car in the Housing category!
Write a Clear Headline
In the headline, I like to include what it is and the price. For example: Fisher Price Jumparoo, $40. Having a good headline is important because it’s the first thing people see about your ad and it’s how buyers search for items they want.
Write a Good Description
In your description, you’ll want to include:
What you’re selling. Start the ad by explaining what your item is.
Item’s condition. Briefly explain the condition of the item. Make a note of any damages.
Technical details. Include as many technical details as you can about the item.
Price. Don’t forget to state the price again. Be sure to include whether you’re firm in your price or willing to take a best offer.
Your contact information. At the bottom of your ad, note your preferred method of contact.
Be Safe
Once you have your ad up and running, and you have your buyer, you’ll want to meet in a safe place. If I’m home alone, I like to arrange a public place for item pick-up. I try to plan it with an errand I’m already running to save running around all over town. (This one doesn’t really apply to items you sell though eBay since you’re shipping the items to the mailing address your buyer provided.)
The Best time to use:
Craigslist/Kijiji
Craigslist and Kijiji are great options for selling furniture, toys, vehicles and household items. My husband has had great success selling a couple of vehicles. I have had success with selling some furniture we no longer need. It’s free to list your items, so there really isn’t any reason not to try a handful of items!
eBay
eBay is the best option for selling popular brand name items such as Coach, Kate Spade and the like that are in excellent condition. High value collector items or hard to find items are also a great match for eBay. It’s free to list items on eBay but you are required to pay a commission if your item sells.
Facebook Buy & Sell Groups
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the Facebook buy & sell groups. After all, these Facebook groups are easy to use and are free to join and list. I’ve had great success selling baby items, household stuff, outerwear and books. Search for a local buy & sell group, then ask to join. I’m fairly certain that these groups are in almost every city these days. You’ll want to be sure to read the rules of each group so you don’t end up with your listings being deleted by the administrators. (They set rules to cut down on some of the clutter that posting many items by so many people can cause.)
I’ve created, what I hope will be useful, a Stuff For Sale printable that you can use to keep track of your items as you sell them. Because I use Facebook groups mostly, that’s how I structured this printable:
In our home, I have a few cupboards and shelves devoted to pantry stuff. No official pantry, but it works for me! However, after a while, things start to get messy in those places because I tend to get a bit careless when I’m putting things away. (Mainly because I’m trying to hurry since putting things away is not one of my favourite things to do.)
I think I can do so much better with getting like items with like items. So that’s what I’ll be concentrating on today.
In case you’re looking for some inspiration on how to organize your pantry, here’s a post I did that has a bunch of links to pantry organization ideas.
What’s your pantry situation like?
I will be posting random progress reports throughout the week over in the Simply Frugal Facebook group and Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #simplyclutterfree to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
Also, I have set up an email list that you can join if you would like me to send you the daily tasks each day to your email address! This is also the email list to be on if you are interested in any of the future challenges I have planned for 2020! You can sign up for the Simply Clutter Free Challenge emails, here!
