BUYING HOME
STORAGE ITEMS
5
You can easily spend
hundreds of dollars
on special bins, bags,
boxes, and other storage
containers. But some
of the best ways to keep
your possessions neat
and organized come
from repurposing simple
things you already own.
Organizing guru Marie
Kondo is a fan of using
shoeboxes as drawer
dividers, for example.
OPENING CURTAINS
WIDE EVERY MORNING8
Letting the sunshine in is a lovely way to
greet the day, but if you’ll be leaving the
house and not returning until after dark,
all those rays can fade your furniture and
make your air conditioner work harder.
South- and west-facing rooms are especially sun-
prone, so try leaving those curtains or shades
drawn. Also consider running the air conditioner
only when you’re home or setting it at a higher
temperature when you go out. Every 2°F warmer
will save 10 percent on your cooling costs.TOSSING MOLDY BREAD
7
The best bread is bought fresh at a bakery and
eaten on the day you buy it. But if you don’t devour
the loaf, you’ll want to store the rest in the freezer.
It’ll last longer (two to three months, per the experts
at epicurious.com) and make much better toast,
according to the New York Times.IRONING HANGER
BUMPS OUT OF
CLOTHES
6
Those freebie wire
hangers from the dry
cleaner are notorious for
leaving shoulder bumps
in tops and creases in
pants. Who wants to do all
that ironing? Instead, buy
better-quality velvet or
wooden hangers to save
time later on. A good bar-
gain choice, according to
Wirecutter, a product test-
ing company, is Joy Man-
gano Huggable Hangers,
which cost less than $1
each. (Return wire hang-
ers to the cleaner so they
can be reused.)
rd.com 81Your Home