Simple: 30 Ways to Declutter Your Life Read Free

ways to keep shoes out of the walkway is to place a decorative basket by the door. You could get a nice basket at Target or Wal-Mart for less than $20 that matches your living room decor. Ross is also a great place to get low-cost baskets. You could even check thrift shops if you want to find something for $5 or less. If you don't want a basket and prefer a small bucket, you can check out The Dollar Tree for brightly-colored options. The only problem with this solution is that your basket could fill up quickly. If you have a lot of family members, you'll need to ask them to place extra pairs of shoes in their bedroom closets to free up basket space.
     

Place a bookshelf in the entryway or front closet for shoes. If you have a large entryway, you could place a bookshelf in the area. This offers a great way for guests to neatly store their shoes during their visit. A bookshelf ensures that each pair of shoes will be easily accessible. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this is that you won't have a huge pile of shoes next to your front door. Everything will be in its place.
     

Assign each family member a small shoe basket. If you opt for the bookshelf option, you may find that family members tend to take off their shoes, put them on the bookshelf, wear a different pair of shoes, place those on the bookshelf, and so on. Consider placing a few small baskets on the bookshelf if this becomes a problem. You could let each family member have their own basket. Make sure that you label your baskets, especially if you have younger kids.
     

Ask family members to put their shoes upstairs. If your biggest shoe problem is that family members never put their shoes away, consider asking each person who lives in your house to make an effort to put their shoes in their personal closets. If you live in an apartment or a home that really doesn't have an area for shoe storage, simply asking people to put their shoes in their bedrooms can work. Rather than stressing out over trying to store shoes in a tiny entryway, just put the shoes somewhere else.
     
    While you'll have to beat the habit of kicking shoes off as soon as you walk through the front door, it can be done. Most importantly, you'll have a clean, neat entryway without tripping hazards.
     

Hang a plastic shoe organizer over the door.
    If you absolutely do not have the space for anything in your entryway and your family members can't be bothered to put their shoes upstairs, head to The Dollar Tree or Target and buy a shoe organizer. Hang it over the back of your front door. Use a permanent market to label slots on the shoe organizer for each family member. When someone gets home from work or school, they can take off their shoes and place them in the organizer.

Declutter Tip #5: Utilize your wall space instead of your table space.
     
    Take a look around your living room. Is every flat surface covered with mail, keys, purses, and books? Do you feel overwhelmed as you look at your space, wondering how you'll ever be living in a clutter-free home?
     
    It's time to start looking at your walls.
     
    Walls are one of the most underutilized spaces in any home. While most homeowners are quick to invest in bookshelves, tables, baskets, bins, and other organizational furniture, many don't even consider placing items on the walls.
     
    Instead of stressing out over your mail piling up on the counter, consider getting a small mail holder to hang on your wall. Place it by the front door so that you can put your letters and magazines in there when you walk inside. Instead of piling up on the table, your mail will remain in the same spot on the wall until you need it.
     
    Similarly, consider hanging a bulletin board in your living room. You can paint it, decorate it, or leave it alone, but this is a fantastic way to leave notes for family members. You can also put grocery lists on your bulletin board, hang thank-you notes, or even put your keys on there.
     
    Speaking of keys, if you're