All right, I admit that I didn't actually find money inside my refrigerator (although I have discovered some other unique things I've stashed in there on occasion). However, in my efforts to take baby steps towards deep cleaning my home, I discovered some unexpected cash savings when I took the time to clean out and organize my fridge. Without further ado - and with a bit of embarrassment - I give you the before: While this could easily have been done in an afternoon, my current energy levels and time availability advised tackling this project in bites, so on Day 1, I emptied everything out of the fridge door shelves, tossed anything that was expired or realistically not going to get used, and gave the shelves and door a good scrub. Next, I sorted all the items into groups by categories; mine were breakfast items (syrup, jelly), pickles, condiments, cooking items, creamers, beverages, and water bottles. Once I had everything in groups on the table, it was easy to figure out placement based on the available space. And, since it looked so nice, I added some labels and proudly displayed my efforts to Mr. Planned for some well-deserved ooh-ing and ahh-ing. I repeated this same process on Day 2 with the shelves and Day 3 with the produce drawers, for the finished reveal (and more ooh's and ahh's): Doesn't that just make your heart sing? I sigh in contentment every time I have to get something out of the fridge. Now almost two weeks later, it still looks that good! On Day 4 I tackled the small freezer drawer underneath; we hadn't really be using that space well, so it's pretty much a blank slate until I get around to cleaning out the big upright freezer in the next week or two. Day 5's project is to clean off the top and sides, as well as to pull it out from the wall and vacuum all the coils.
Now the obvious savings is that a clean fridge runs more efficiently and circulates air better. In addition, you can actually find the food and in theory use it up before you forget about it and it spoils. But I have discovered in the past two weeks that not only do I have more culinary creativity since I can see all the possibilities, but I am also highly motivated to keep my fridge looking so tidy and eager to use up the items "cluttering" the shelves. The pesto sauce that got purchased for one recipe and forgotten? It's getting used in three recipes this week! The applesauce that was the only palatable thing during a recent bout of flu? Finished off in a pancake recipe next weekend! The leftovers threatening to overflow out of the designated leftover area? Used up in lunches this week! Using up groceries and not eating out is as good as cash in my pocket, and that just makes my sparkling clean fridge all the better to enjoy. This project was the launch for my focus on the kitchen for the coming month...or year...or two. My goal is to strategically deep clean the kitchen, making it more pleasant, efficient, and livable, however....being me that means I will probably stop just shy of total renovation! Certainly there are a lot of projects to be done in this room, but the planner in me is running full blast as I brainstorm possibilities, how-tos, and strategies. I'm so excited to document this journey along the way. Hopefully I will look back and be delighted at how far we've come when this is done!
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About Me"Planned Spontaneity" is an expression I came up with to describe my unique personality: I love schedules, organization, and all things planning ...yet there are times when I make a conscious decision to just go with the flow and see what happens. This is the documentation of my crazy journey - which may feature a 6-page agenda one minute, and the next I drop everything to give my walls a fresh new coat of paint. Archives
December 2016
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