I like to think of myself as a minimalist. I don’t typically keep things that aren’t useful to me, and I don’t need much to get by. I’ve never been the kind of girl that buys 18 million different kinds of lotion or has an overflowing make up bag, and even though I have more clothes that I need, I always come back to the same 7-10 outfits every time.
That said, I was always really bad with clutter. The top of my dresser, my desk, my kitchen table, and yes, my bedside table, always held mounds of clutter.
Magazines, receipts, DVDs, change, pens, notepads, flyers, makeup…just stuff. It got so bad in my last apartment that once when I pulled the top drawer of my dresser open, a bunch of stuff slid of the pile on top and fell into the drawer.
I guess I should blame it on my laziness. Nothing I ever did seemed to make a difference. What’s the point of cleaning it up when just a week later everything is right back where it used to be?
I realize now that if I want to be organized, it can’t just be a sporadic, once a month cleaning binge. It has to be every day, for five minutes, eliminating stuff. My bedside table used to be a dumping ground for everything that didn’t have a home. The worst part was, my beside table doesn’t even have drawers, so all of that crap was out in the open for everyone to see.
On the average night, when I got into bed, here’s what I saw: Lotion, medication, a glasses case, my phone charger, my laptop charger, earphones, birth control, my retainer case, hair elastics, bobby pins, receipts, pay stubs, my journal, a book or two or three, bills, debit and credit cards, my running watch, and a glass of water. Like I said, STUFF.
Why This is a Problem for Me (And You)
Having these piles of clutter all over the place meant I never knew where anything was. I would just end up going out and buying a new set of nail clippers rather than try and shift all of that mess around to locate the pair I already owned. I was wasting money and being lazy. I knew it had to stop.
Everything in It’s Place
One day I decided enough was enough. I wanted to have one of those clean, minimalist, chic places I always see in magazines, not this chaos that I woke up to every morning.
The first thing I did (well, after consulting the internet for tips) was to get myself some baskets. The reason all of this stuff ended up on my dresser and bed side table was because it didn’t have a designated home. Well, it was time to find this stuff it’s forever homes.
- All girl stuff including retainers, hair elastics, bobby pins, nail clippers, medications and tweezers ect now live in the make up bag with no exceptions.
- Office stuff including important receipts, bills, cheques, membership cards etc go into their new “to be filed” basket on the dresser or get tossed.
- Debit cards, credit cards, ear buds, eyeglasses cases, phone chargers now take up permanent residence in my purse.
- Books go back on the book shelf (duh).
- Change goes in the nearby change jar, which was upgraded because the overflowing smaller jar that used to be there wasn’t cutting it.
A Minimalist Bedside Table
These days, my bedside table is a beautiful thing to look at. I clean it off almost daily so there is no build up of the stuff mentioned above. Here’s what you’ll find on my bedside table these days:
- Cell phone (it’s my alarm clock.)
- Ear plugs (the neighbor’s dog barks at 6am)
- Moisturizer (I actually apply this right before bed so it makes the most sense to have it by the bed)
- A book
That’s it! That’s all I need to go to sleep at night, and wake up in the morning. All that other stuff was totally unnecessary, and having to see that clutter every day was actually pissing me off to the point where I was having a harder time getting to sleep.
So, by decluttering my bedside table I was able to streamline how I dealt with the stuff in my life. By putting everything in a designated spot that made sense, and keeping after it every single day, I’m able to have a clutter free bedside table, with almost no effort. I still have three pairs of nail clippers though. At least I’m prepared!
Is there one area of your home that always seems to be cluttered?
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Vesta says
November 16, 2012 at 4:54 amOnly one? I can think of 3 right now — one is most of the living room! I have just started to be successful at picking one thing each day to put in it's proper home. Some days I do more than one, some days it is just one — but it gets done. This weekend the plan is for the entryway to be organized and made more inviting. Maybe by next July I will have it all done, but at least I am making progress! Thanks for the helpful article!
Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:27 amAs long as you're putting daily effort into it, at least it won't get MORE messy. Good luck!
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Allison says
November 16, 2012 at 5:34 amThe desk. There is always stuff there and it drives me crazy.
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Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:29 amThe desk is often a dumping ground for odds and ends. I solved that problem by getting rid of my desk!
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DC@Young Adult Money says
November 16, 2012 at 6:16 amMy desk area is always cluttered. On the surface it doesn't look TOO bad, but then you have to look at the piles and piles next to my desk of stuff that is waiting to be sorted. My night stand also becomes cluttered by I try to clear it off every few days.
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Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:30 amMy desk at work often gets like that. I make sure to take time every two weeks or so to get everything sorted.
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John S @ Frugal Rules says
November 16, 2012 at 6:19 amOurs is the breakfast bar in our kitchen. Mail and other junk just collects & collects there. We've moved to going through it on the weekends so we don't have stacks going halfway to the ceiling anymore. 🙂
Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:32 amMy kitchen island often gets really cluttered, so I know where you're coming from there! Congrats on making the commitment to staying on top of it.
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plantingourpennies says
November 16, 2012 at 6:50 amLittle table in the kitchen… it's always a landing zone and a perpetual thorn in my side.
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Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:32 amMaybe getting rid of the table would force you to find an permanent homes for that stuff?
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Sam says
November 16, 2012 at 7:00 amAgree with this! I am a neat person by nature, so any time clutter builds up it literally makes me go crazy. A clutter free space = a clutter free mind for sure!
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Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:33 amI completely understand, I used to not be able to study in University if my apartment was cluttered. My solution was usually to go to the library rather than clean though.
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graduateliving says
November 16, 2012 at 7:06 amMy kitchen table is always a mess, since it doubles as my desk at home. Right now I have a stack of papers for upcoming exams, three books, old mail, coupons, an article I have to read, and breakfast =)
Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence says
November 16, 2012 at 7:15 amMy bedside table is the only table I have at the moment apart from the eating table, which has to be empty. So it has a lot of things I could get rid off. I mainly want to remove all the chargers from the room to avoid waves while sleeping.
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Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 7:18 amThat's a good start! My kitchen island is currently covered with stuff too, so that'll be one of my weekend projects.
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moneyaftergrad says
November 16, 2012 at 7:48 amThe kitchen! I'm pretty good with clutter, but my boyfriend leaves stuff everywhere !!! Drives me nuts. I'd say the bedroom always has more stuff lying around than I'd like as well. I used to wait weeks to clean up the clutter, but now I do it every few days and even though it does accumulate again fast, it feels great to have it clean for a bit, and when it piles up again, it's much more manageable and takes less time to clean!
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Catherine says
November 16, 2012 at 8:01 amYup, my bedside table is also my dumping ground. The top of the microwave also seems to accumulate stuff too, drives my husband crazy! I'm getting better but it is a goal of mine to get better at organizing it!
Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 9:03 amThe top of my fridge is also a culprit for things like old egg cartons (that I return to the market) and coupons, it gets messy fast!
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Holly@ClubThrifty says
November 16, 2012 at 8:12 amOurs is pretty minimalist right now- cell phone chargers, a lamp, and a few books. Our nightstand does have drawers though and they are stuffed with clutter- old books that we've already read, and who knows what. I need to go through it all.
Jordann says
November 16, 2012 at 8:48 amI used to have drawers in my bedside table that were full of stuff that really didn't need to be accessible from my bedside. Now that I'm without drawers, all of that stuff is tucked away in my closet.
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Leslie says
November 16, 2012 at 8:52 amI haven't had a bedside table since I was a kid. I have a little kitchen stand next to the front door that my KitchenAid mixer is on (no room for it on the kitchen counter) which could be a catchall for papers and things except… I have cats! And the second I put anything on that table, one of them will jump up and promptly knock it off! So that helps me to keep it bare.
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Jason @ WSL says
November 16, 2012 at 8:54 amOur kitchen counter always gets cluttered with papers we need to file. Especially right now after we bought a new car and washer/dryer. We don't file everything until all of the paperwork is complete for those various things, so it just sits up there. Furthermore, we've simply been too busy to get to it lately. I need a personal assistant I think! lol.
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kimateyesonthedollar says
November 16, 2012 at 10:18 amI hate clutter, but with a 5 year old, it's just part of life. I try to confine all of her artwork and school stuff to a set of bins on a bookshelf. It falls apart midway through the week, but at least we start out clean.
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CrazyTragicAlmostMagic says
November 16, 2012 at 10:24 amI despise clutter. My end table is the kind with a nook so I keep books and bedtime lotion and candle (lavendar and vanilla from B&BW) in there as well as a pen, Bible and coaster for my water.
On top is my lamp, alarm clock, picture of my niece, cremation jewelry and a small stuffed animal.
I keep everything pretty organized elsewhere too. Like I said, I just can't stand clutter.
herlatenightcravings says
November 16, 2012 at 11:07 amI admit that I can be a clutter bug especially with mail. When it comes in I just drop in on the dining room table and it gets messy! I'm too lazy! 🙂
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Lesley says
November 16, 2012 at 11:08 ami would love to be a minimalist, but can't part with my stuff! i just love to buy things too and need 80 different things of hair product, 100 different makeup items, and have to much crap on my bedside table, it's nuts.
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Athena says
November 16, 2012 at 11:50 amI'm a lot better about then I used to be about clutter. I've been trying be better about clutter since my living space has shrunk considerably and I'm trying to part with old things to make room for new.
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Mochi & Macarons says
November 16, 2012 at 12:50 pmMy desk. My desk is the most cluttered place you will ever find. I have papers everywhere, headphones, pens, I try to keep it all contained in little containers but it never works out.
I just clean every night. That's what I gotta do. Otherwise, I can't keep up!
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Alexa says
November 16, 2012 at 8:24 pmMy car ends up being my dumping ground. I keep my house, or right now, my room pretty well kept. I tend to always leave receipts, pens, hairbrushes, pretty much whatever on my passenger seat. It's horrible.
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ND Chic says
November 16, 2012 at 9:52 pmI always think that other PF bloggers are all super clean minimalists. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that all others are like that.
On my bedside table, I have two remotes and an alarm clock that's not even plugged in because I now use my cell phone. I will occasionally have a hair tie because I take them out when I'm in bed. I cannot sleep with my hair in a ponytail.
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judy says
November 17, 2012 at 1:31 amA refillable water bottle, whatever book I am reading and if I am asleep my glasses oh and my cell phone and charger. I can't stand junk anymore so we only have one night table now..lol
Canadianbudgetbinder says
November 17, 2012 at 8:14 amBelieve it or not, you're going to laugh but I have more on my bedside table than Mrs.CBB… she has a lamp and that's all. I on the other hand have Kleenex, telephone, hand cream,lip balm, remote controls and the odd beer.. lol.. there's not too much really as I keep it neat and tidy but I'm sure if it got out of hand Mrs.CBB would sort it out as she is the Queen of de-cluttering in my world. She has a place for everything and hates seeing things out of place… she says it makes it easier to know where everything is if it has a place. I agree. Great post. Mr.CBB
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CF says
November 17, 2012 at 11:59 amOur bedside table isn’t so bad… It has water, some Tylenol, some lotion and (ahem) a few stuffed animals. But our kitchen table constantly gets cluttered. I’m not sure where all that stuff will go after we move and we no longer have a kitchen table!
Jason @ frugalhabits says
November 18, 2012 at 8:48 pmWe have a desk in our kitchen that houses our macbook, but it also contains a ton of junk. Usually it is old mail that we don't want to throw away, but don't have a good place for it. My bedside table is usually pretty clean. I have my cell phone, alarm clock, lamp, my bible, and a book or two. I also dislike clutter, but it's pretty difficult with 2 kids. When my wife and I were DINCs, we had a perfect house.
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wmwo says
November 19, 2012 at 8:15 pmMultiple spots! Kitchen table, coffee table, bathroom counter, my entire bedroom… I did manage to come up with a novel fix for my bobby pin and elastic problem though; I use a magnetic paper clip holder to hold the pins, and my elastics fit perfectly around it 🙂
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