Fridge Declutter & Organization Tips (Stop wasting food!!)
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- Опубликовано: 20 янв 2020
- The biggest changes I've made to keep our fridge organized and to stop wasting food:
-- GROUP LIKE FOODS: Keep like foods together (like produce, dairy & leftovers) so its easy to keep an eye on what you have
-- INVENTORY: Reduce the overall inventory of the food you keep so that things don't get buried and lost in the back. Rather you can easily see what you have and what needs to get used up in your fridge!
-- ACRYLIC BINS: Add structure and divide up the space, keep things from getting lost in the back because you can pull the whole bin out!
I don't think there are any fridge tips or hacks that will do it for you, but with a little simplification and organization, you won't waste nearly as much food!
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THANK YOU for watching!! Looking forward to your top fridge tips!! :) - Dawn
What kind of cleaner do you use for your fridge/freezer?
I love this video, I get my kids to empty the door lol and i use plastic trays for rest (in case something leaks) so i just lift the trays out and wipe down, super fast. I have 2 veggie bins one for salady/ lunchy things and one for cabbage ect. I like the bins you got and the idea of labeling.
Love, love, love you. Rock❤🧡💜💚💙💛
Where did you get the bins that you put your strawberries in?
I would like to know this too.
One thing we try to do is every couple months have a “no buying groceries” week so we use up stuff that didn’t end up getting used. We just finished one of those weeks and our fridge and pantry are mostly empty and plenty of room for new groceries that we will actually use in a timely manner.
I do the same
I do this, too, and it works great!
I had a no-buy week last week and I'm aiming for one more (because I overbought for the holidays). I do an extended no-buy every year to use up what's in my freezer and pantry. Last year it worked out perfectly...my freezer was really low and then it died! Much less waste and food to use up quickly.
haha, I have this at least once a month. But it's because I'm too lazy and really hate shopping. So I will rather postpone it for few days and get creative with combining things we already have. It's actually quite surprising how much food you can find and how long it can stretch after saying, we have nothing we need to go to shop. There is always food for at least couple of days even a week :D
I’ve been doing this during the pandemic. I’m actually more organized and wasting less! I’m also getting my google assistant to make my lists. I love just dictating my list while I’m cooking. Love it! She keeps all my lists up to date and reads them out to me when ordering.
My crisper drawer is where produce goes to die! Thank you for confirming I’m not alone in this.
My thoughts exactly!! It's good to get reinforcement!
I used to call mine "The Place where Vegetables go to Die"
I just started this video and am checking the comments while it’s playing, haven’t reached this part yet but I’m so happy to hear I’m not the only one this happens to 😂👍🏻
As I mentioned in a comment above I use my crisper drawers for chocolate mostly but also a good place to store spare packs of cheese, butter etc. Because I KNOW that is where it is stored I don't forget it and of course chocolate is never around long enough to 'die'. Vegetables and salad items have to be where I can see them.
Me too
Hey Dawn ! I am 12 years old , but I still love this video ! LOL ! But I do give my mom tips on how to simplify things that can be a hassle in house ! She used to have trouble with all her spices scattered around in the cupbourd , so I recommended ( from you ) acrilic bins ! She really loves them she told me because she can easily pull them out, instead of having to reach bottles and bottles of spices ! So I continue to give her tips and tricks ( inspired by you ) on how to simplify ! P.s AMAZING video!
I have a "baking station" beside my ovens. All flours, sugars, spices, mixing tools are kept there.
Next to my stove top I have a drawer with a tiered insert to display my spices and herbs (alphabetically, of course).
Yes, I'm spoiled. I designed my kitchen to suit my needs when I remodeled 13 years ago.
Kate Hillenbrand , I think if we are striving to have a minimalist lifestyle , we deserve to be "spoiled" every now and again. :) - Brielle Joy
Oh, goodness, I needed a kid like you! What a joy!
Brielle Joy Smids
That’s awesome that you are already learning these skills and sharing them with your mom!
Thank you so much ♥
Love this!
I keep a small dry erase board on the outside of my refrigerator door to write our leftovers on it. This way I don't forget about them and we eat all of our leftovers. It's a great way to not waste food.
thank you! I love this idea. hate throwing out forgotten leftovers.
We do this too but with all main meal inventory with expiration date written. Paper and pen and just tape to fridge. Once all marked off, take down and out new one up after shopping trip. 👍🏻
love this idea
What a great idea!
The thing you said that really struck a cord with me was - buy less (per week) eat it until your frig is nearly empty - buy more.
Excellent idea that I am going to implement immediately! A true minimalist approach!
Every Sunday we have MUSGO (which means everything “must go”) 😀 I pull everything out from the fridge and we use our creativity to make meals from it. It saves a lot of leftovers from going bad and cleans out the fridge!
Something helpful I've started doing is actually cutting up vegetables for eating raw as soon as they come in the door. How many heads of cauliflower have rotted in my fridge just because they were still wearing their plastic wrapper and didn't look appealing?? This has been tremendously helpful for my system, and my husband is very pleased to get all the raw vegetables he wants.
That is a really good tip! But wait, you eat cauliflower raw? D:
Great tip. Thanks
I do the same. And make salads in reused glass jars. Quick and easy for dinner. Salads cold slaw. Picked onions.
That's a great idea.
Regarding eggs, I took a large plastic Folgers instant coffee container and cleaned it up inside and out. It easily holds a dozen eggs (even 18 eggs). Because it stores them vertically, it takes up less space and it is easier to see at a glance how many eggs I have left. It’s quick to grab when cooking and it has worked out really well for us!
Could you do an update on a couple of months. Want to know if it's worked well and if everyone ignored or stuck to putting stuff back in their designated spots.
I was just coming down here to ask the same question! I would love a follow up in a few months. I've been considering trying a similar change in my fridge.
looks like she's still using it as of June in this other video I watched right after this one! ruclips.net/video/5Nb7uaB-3O0/видео.html&ab_channel=TheMinimalMom
Was just about to post this same request. Would love to see an update about what's really working and what isn't.
Another help is to measure your shelf, go to your favorite “window” store, and have them cut 1/4” plexiglass for EXTRA SHELVES! In both your refrigerator and freezer. Works especially well with bins as it uses SO much more of the otherwise wasted space or the need to stack things.
How do you hold them up?
@@plum_loco my fridge and freezer had a few extra shelf brackets for choosing which ones I wanted to use. (Whether I wanted only one high shelf or several ). So I just added according to that. I gained two more shelves in the fridge and three in the freezer.
My refrigerator and freezer have slots for extra shelves to fit into. If yours doesn’t have that, then you would have to look for ideas
I am - for the sake of brevity - neurodivergent, and if everything doesn’t have a very specific and functional place of belonging, I have a really hard time keeping my space clean. Thank you so much for explaining exactly what you were thinking for each organizational choice. I have already cleaned out the fridge and now I’m ready to organize!
Definitely how we buy groceries. We go once a week, order only what we will eat, and do the Walmart pickup. Not actually going in the store has saved us so much money.
I like your idea I might try ordering because i always go over my grocery budget
Dawn, next time you go to clean your fridge. Clean it when your fridge is low in groceries before you grocery shop. You won't have to take so much out of the fridge and put back in. It just will make the task easier.
Hello everyone... I'm going to try at least one of your suggestions... one tip I can give is that I clean out everything from fridge the day before trash day and that wen I have the least groceries also🗝🍆🥬🥑🤲
I agree I’ve saved so much $ doing grocery pickup. I always picked up more than what was on my list. I went from spending $500 to $300/month.
That’s what I tell my husband. He’s always buying things we don’t need. Walmart pickup helps save and time too
That looks awesome! Thank you! We have one bin just for sandwich makings. Meat, cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, onoins and lettuce. I have 7 kids that love sandwiches, so when it is time for lunch, they just grab the bread and the basket and make one. It is much easier than going back and forth pulling everything out of the fridge.
sophrona wright that is clever!
Great idea! I do the same but only with meat and cheese, I may move that down to the crisper bin and add mayo and mustard!! 😘
We do that too! It's so convenient!!
Sweet!!! I’m gonna give that a try. Thank you!
I would keep most of those in the fridge but l don’t put my tomatoes or bananas in the fridge. With tomatoes it kills the taste and bananas go black very quickly. With bananas l wrap foil around the end of the bunch and it keeps things fresher for longer. With soft fruits l rinse them with half and half vinegar and water. This too extends the life of them as it kills off fungus spores. I also line the bottom of my bins with a double sheet of paper towel to absorb any moisture and any veg in plastic ..the plastic is removed so no moisture is trapped. Loving you channel so much. We are empty nesters so the next few months we will be going thru each room and downsizing and minimising. You have given me some great ideas ❤️
One hint I have for keeping fridge clean is that I buy the plastic decorative place mats from the dollar tree and I line my fridge shelves with them. If something spills, it’s so much easier to pull out and clean. Also they look so pretty. The egg container I use for boiled eggs.
Shirlene McGowan I did the same. It is nice to open up the fridge, so pretty.
Thanks for sharing 👍👍
I use nice tea towels 😁
Great idea!!
I like to peel boiled eggs and store them in a jar of water. A drop of food coloring in the water can be fun, for a splash of color (for no particular reason, just because)!
It makes it easier for me to grab one for a snack, or a salad, if I know I don't have to bother with the shell.
The reason I use a see through egg container is because it’s the easiest and quickest way to see how many you have left 😊
GENIUS! I never thought of it that way :D Thanks!!
That is true. Thanks for the insight.
Completely agree! I bought eggs from a different grocery store once just because it's came in a clear container, lol. It was worth the extra dollar that week because I've been tranfering my eggs to it ever since. It's not super fancy/sturdy, but once I peeled the labels off its been life changing. Yes, that dramatic! 😂😂
We use a lot of eggs, so I buy the flat of 36 and keep it in the garage fridge, but I fill the clear container in the kitchen fridge from that.
I make hard boiled eggs all the time - great snack that is not carb laden- I keep those in the clear container so everyone knows they are hard boiled.
I love that your decluttering rule applies so well to food as well as other items like clothes: if you didn't like it before, nothing will change to make you like it now!
After watching your video I've moved our vegetables to a container on the shelf. Life changing!! I've been telling everyone about it!! Making a salad, pull out the bin. Making a soup, pull out the bin. Right before making a shopping list... pull out the bin! THANK YOU!!
I have a left over BIN and on a weekend day usually after church when I don't want to cook, I put the bin on the counter with a bunch of eggs and salsa and say, "dinner is ready" make an omelet if you want more than leftovers. Life changer: Add paper plates and paper cups. Eat when you want. :)...EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND
I would like to not cook on Sundays too, but leftovers on grocery shopping day for me is a better help. I can focus on the coming week's menu and shopping list and not cook and it also clears out my fridge to make room for what I'm about to go buy.
I have a friend who does something similar. The night before trash day ALL the leftovers come out of the fridge, and that is dinner. Anything not eaten (very little, if anything) goes into the trash. She refuses to keep food longer than a week and the fridge gets cleaned out weekly without a lot of food going to waste. She’s been doing this since her kids were tiny and now her grandchildren are learning the same routine.
I JUST bought some bins at Aldi's! Before this I've used a Dollar Tree wash tubs for salads ( dressings too) and a small plastic "beach bag"looking thing with to handles that was plastic for our sandwich commitments. It was a GREAT way to grab and go! The tall and narrow containers with holes on the sides with the large handle in the front from there also make great fruit holders. I had one for apples and one for oranges. On a tight budget you can make it work with Dollar Tree things. My new Fisher-in-love commented on how nice and organized my frig looked! I chose red and white.
Now I'm wondering how deep my bins are! Thanks for the inspiration! We're renovating... Nice word for a total gut job..a house and for the first time in almost 40 years of marriage God has blessed me with a new frig! I wanted to order it on Black Friday to get a good deal but the timing of our closing wasn't right. Instead of putting it on credit, I purposefully gave my expectations to God. A couple weeks ago after we picked out or toilet (small thrills) I turned around and there was MY frig... MARKED DOWN EVEN CHEAPER than Black Friday's prices! God wants to give us our hearts desire... But after we give HIM our desires!
Abundant Blessings,
Val
Store carrots and celery immersed in water. They will last a month❤️🇨🇦
I'll have to try that. Celery is the one produce I never use fast enough.
Shannon Polansky ...AND wrap it in foil. It will last longer!
Water works fine for us here. I also immerse our romaine lettuce. Foil works as well, but it's not recyclable and I find it makes a lot of waste. Unless you're going to reuse your foil, I would just use a clear jug of water.
I wonder, maybe just use the clear bins with water in them. Thanks for the idea.
Nico Petrini 🙄
for my fresh fruit storage, I use mason jars. you bring the fruit like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries especially from the farm or market and put them directly into mason jars with lids on. you wash the fruit as you use it versus before storing and it stays fresh so much longer! I try super hard to not have plastic in my house :)
I've been wanting to invest in some acrylic refrigerator bins, so the timing of this video is perfect. Thanks for the tips. My only tip for others is to use a Rubbermaid lazy Susan. I've got 2 in my fridge, and they are handy for keeping small items accessible.
I put all of my condiments on a Rubbermaid lazy Susan and I love it!
@@vida130 me too.
Do you think a lazy Susan would work ok in a fridge with wire shelves, like mine? I have such a small, cheapo fridge in this rental apartment, so obviously it's not like I can replace it.
Erin Shoemate, my refrigerator has glass shelves that my Lazy Susans sit on. If your wire shelves make your Lazy Susan unsteady, you could try putting it on a plate to steady it.
Erin Shoemate Try using a dollar store plastic placemat under your lazy susan.
Dawn, I love that you show the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm so jealous you have chickens... eggs are so expensive now (04/26/24). I've been watching you for a while now. Four car loads to the thrift and lots in the dumpster. I've not missed a single thing! I haven't gotten bins for the fridge yet... might be next. You're a blessing to me ❣️. God bless you 🙏
I line my shelves with puppy pads (usually cut in half to fit my shelves). They are thin and easy to replace when meat leaks or something spills--you don't have to worry about the juices getting in the crevices.
brilliant!!!!
The tip for finding the perfect salad dressing or salsa just like from the restaurant...is to buy it from the restaurant !!!Every time I go to a restaurant and I love their salad dressing or their salsa I always ask for a pint to go And when I am out I run through the drive-through and ask for just a huge cup of salsa or order their dressing from to go.
Brilliant!!!!!
My daughter and I were just talking about this last night! If Bob Evans sold their french dressing, I’d eat a salad every day!
Here is a list of things you should NOT keep in the fridge:
Potato
Garlic
onions
Pineapple
bananas
Citrusfruit
Courgette and eggplant
Avocado
Tomato
(bell) pepper
Pumpkin and cuecumber
Some of them make other stuff go bad fast, because of their riping proces (gasses are released). Some of them go bad faster because of the cold.
So if you want your produce to last long enough for you to finish it all, just don't put certain items in the fridge.
Also:
Don't stuff your onions with potatoes.
Put your bananas individually on the fruitbowl, so crack them off the joint stem.
Tyyyyy!! 🤗💕
I do use the clear plastic egg containers and love them- I have 2.
It's true that you can see the eggs and check at a glance how many eggs you have. But the main thing I appreciate about the hard plastic egg storage is the fact that the container is strong, even if it gets damp.
I have had the experience of taking out a cardboard egg carton of eggs only to have it fall apart because there was a wet spot on the carton that I didn't see. After cleaning broken eggs off the floor, I decided to try the plastic egg holders. Love them!
I like that they are stackable. I have a container that stacks on top of my eggs that I put "Breakfast stuff" in: cheese, small pieces of veggies for omlettes, and meat: sausage or bacon.
I am a breakfast eater; I feel better when I have breakfast. So this system is convenient & works well for me.
I also use fridge hard plastic containers for categories such as: Dairy, Fruits (berries were always getting pushed to the back & getting lost), and Meat. When defrosting meat from the freezer, it is contained so it won't drip and leave a mess as it defrosts. If I change plans & don't cook it that day as intended, it's at the front off the fridge, so I don't forget about it.
I also have a container in my fridge or freezer for food wastes & wrappers to hold until garbage day. I live in the South, and we have summer, days of 95°+ temperatures, with high humidity. Meat and seafood wastes after a barbecue get VERY smelly if left out in the garbage can for a few days. So I put it in the freezer until garbage day, then transfer it to the garbage can for pick up. This also is a good idea if you have a "chow hound" dog that will get into the trash for a tasty morsel!
This is one of the best fridge organizing videos I’ve seen. Pretty and practical. I second one of the previous comments: A review in a few months would be interesting. I’ve never kept onions or garlic in the refrigerator, though. They keep a loooong time at room temperature.
Yes, onions, garlic, potatoes, and tomatoes go in my pantry, not in my fridge.
I guess I do that because my mom did? 🤔 Good to know!!!
Bison Eight I also would like to see how you adapt this over the next few months. (I really like the bin of salad fixings. I’m going to try that.)
I also keep garlic and onions, bur potatoes, how come they don’t start sprouting?
Dawn, we go thru the same thing with finding a good store bought salad dressing. I've often found that a disappointing dressing for salad makes a nice marinade for chicken. Sometimes I add mayo and spices. You may want to experiment!
Spicy dressing tip: take the regular ranch you like and put a serving in a small bowl and then add a tablespoon or so of salsa in it and mix. It’s the closest thing I’ve found to restaurant “spicy ranch” :)
Me too! 😊
Love your channel Dawn! My tip is I clean one shelf or one area of the frig every week. This rotation really helps and only takes a few minutes. I think I need some bins now though ;)
Great idea! Cleaning out the whole fridge always feels overwhelming. One shelf at a time makes sense.
@@Marialla. what a great idea. It would only take a few min.
I LOVE THIS!! My husband just organized and labeled our fridge too! I was kinda against it at first because I thought labels would be tacky. Maybe they are, maybe not, but holy heck it works!!!!!!
One more distinction we made that is SUPER helpful is split up produce between SNACKING produce (baby carrots, berries, snap peas) vs COOKING produce (zucchini, large carrots, cilantro, herbs, anything that we bought for our meal plan.) That way, no one accidentally eats something that we were saving for Wednesday's dinner, and we don't avoid eating something and let it go bad because we think it's being saved for a meal!
I have bins in mine and its much better. Like pulling the whole bin out to get things done. You can also order another shelf for your fridge from the manufacturer. Also, put a bin in the door of the freezer so things don't fall out and it will hold more.
Never thought to order another shelf. Thank you!
I never thought of putting a bin in the door of the freezer. Thanks, Tete Dennis!
@@tporters1 You are so welcome. Dollar Tree has them for $1!
Like you, we try to keep our food inventory low. I plan our meals for the week and order groceries based on what we don’t have and need to make those meals. I personally love having an almost empty fridge when I order groceries again for the next week. It makes it so easy to quickly wipe down the shelves before restocking again. It’s worked so well for our family and reduced both our grocery bill and waste tremendously! Love your channel, Dawn!
Looks good! I gave up on using the crisper veggie drawers for their intended purposes. They serve our family so much better as beverage drawers. Water bottles, soda cans, etc. go in them and save precious real estate on the shelves. 👍
Finally someone has the same fridges as me and has an organization video. Thank you! Love Aldi too
When I open a condiment bottle I mark with a sharpie the date opened. It helps me use it up since it is large and in my face. I also do that with dairy such as my large Greek yogurt container or cottage cheese, etc. When I open cheese blocks up I put it in a sandwich bag and put a date on that as well. It keeps me on top of eating it because I can see the open date easily.
Not sure you can "train" household members to do it as well but if you look in the refrigerator once a day you probably could follow behind them and add the date. It helps me use up the item anyway.
Looks good the work you put into the refrigerator.
This is a super idea, I will implement it.
I also mark spice jars, and Freezer stuff, talk about stuff getting lost in the back and having no idea how long it has been in there.
We just decluttered our fridge and pantry a few weeks ago and I love it! Looks so fresh and clean! We also just go grocery shopping once a week. In the past I would stock up on the kids favorite stuff so we would have a constant supply but it was kinda stressful and made everything look messy.....instead my husband and I are now only replacing favorite items, if it runs out on Wed and we're not going shopping until Friday then they can go without their fav's. I seriously thought the world would end but I guess I didn't give my kids enough credit, they are fine when something runs out, they just eat other foods, no problem! I'm so happy and its less stressful on me!
Having 8 kids and being totally unorganized, your videos are so helpful for me! Thank you! I hate cleaning the fridge too! So i don’t have any tips!
I have a goal to clean out the fridge the day before grocery shopping, so every Tuesday. This helps me inventory what I have, throw out old stuff helping me to need less storage containers, and it keeps the fridge quick to clean. A clean fridge keeps food fresh longer because mold anywhere spreads fast.
This also helps me keep on top of the ever changing tastes of my family. We'll go through spurts where we want a lot of salad and then all-of-a-sudden we don't and we want something else like cauliflower. So when I see the lettuce go bad then I know to change the veggies in the house, etc.
I'm working on a system of actually keeping an inventory list of what's in the pantry, freezer, and fridge, but that will take time to develop.
And yes, I have my kid clean the fridge most of the time because they need to help out, learn how to keep clean, and see how long food lasts for when they need to meal plan.
Finally, due to health stuff, I shop for the week because I cook from scratch and use fresh ingredients so I can't stock up on canned beans I need to get fresh, etc. I keep my meals simple so I don't loose my mind having to cook all day long, you know what I mean! But because I spend so much time cooking I try to make sure we eat it all before the next week.
For the salad dressing, try mixing taco seasoning or bbq sauce in with ranch to get different flavors instead of buying different dressings.
❤️ Your videos. Keep inspiring us!!
S Snieg Yeah! I like mixing salsa with ranch for my taco salad.
Best idea ever!
I love southwest ranch dressing but never thought to mix taco seasoning with ranch. That would be much easier since I am the only one in my family who would eat it and I would not have to buy a whole bottle just for myself. Thanks!
I love a clean fridge! My tip: less is more. I grocery shop a couple times a week and keep less in the fridge and waste less. I know this doesn’t work for everyone but there is just the two of us now so it works. I’ve been doing this for the last 6 months and has been working great. 👍💜🌸
I am always suprised at how many crumbs and drips are in the fridge in freezer. It's amazing. Thanks Dawn for the video.
Seeing your "before" fridge made me feel better! Is that wrong. One year my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I showed him a pinterest photo of a clean and organized fridge. He was like, "really?" I loved it! Did the whole before and after photo on facebook and bragged about his skills!
All I needed to do was watch a few episodes of Hoarders to inspire me to clean my refrigerator. It was nowhere near as bad as some I have seen. I only had a couple outdated yogurts.
"Honey! I need to buy some more stuff on Amazon!!" ... for the sake of cleaning right? 😅 Great video Dawn! I will clean out my fridge and then look into bins later lol.
My favorite of the videos I have watched of yours. I avoid you a lot because I am not a minimalist in practice. I love a minimalist look and life but I like my "stuff" and I don’t like you making me get rid of it. Lol I know "sounds like a personal problem ".
But I knew you might outdo the others with this one and you did not disappoint. You are the first I have found to address‘leftovers’. When my girls were home more than me, we labeled the shelves with the days of the week. Then they would know what they had to choose from and when Monday came around again, whatever was still there was fed to the wildlife in the backyard. It worked wonderfully for a while. Then they got older and we all got more busy than we should and no one wanted to open the fridge. Time for this part time empty nester to get it together.
Thanx for being genuine and honest...and not making us all feel look failure in comparison to you...🤦♀️👍💯
I get so stressed when my fridge/freezer is full. Also, I believe, coming from a fear of food waste. I see others though who are the opposite and feel stressed with a (near) empty fridge.
My top tip is to follow your tips! Great advice
I get really stressed about that too! Its so overwhelming!
My tip is you do not have to keep every vegetable in the fridge. Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes ans onions can be stored outside the fridge. (more space left:-))
And I just put something on top of the cardboard egg box 😄.
I store my onions and potatoes in wire trash baskets from the dollar store outside of fridge.
Even bell peppers?????
@@priusa8113 I cut my veggies up like peppers and store them in a fridge. that way they're ready to eat anytime. I have found that if I layer my containers with paper towels such as peppers and cucumbers that are very weepy. the napkins will absorb the moisture and they help them last longer.
I have a 3 tiered basket that I picked up at Ross. I keep Cuties, a few apples, bananas, onions, avocados, and grape tomatoes in it on my island. It’s decorative and we use those items daily and quickly.
@@priusa8113 yes bell peppers I meant. :-) They taste better outside the fridge. This is how we do it in the Netherlands. Same for tomatoes and cucumbers. :-)
It's hard to find RUclipsr with same fridge .. I honestly don't want to the double door fridge . So I'm very thankful to see your video
I love your show and have learned a lot. I’m a disabled senior woman with a Service Dog of 100 pounds and I need to meet my dog’s needs as well as my own. We currently live comfortably in 1,000 square foot house that has become cluttered with family heirlooms that have no where to go when I am gone. I feel like a miserable horder when I just want to simplify my life. So....once I gave myself permission to let go of EVERYTHING I don’t need or want....I binge watched your videos and got to work. Now I’m in my 10th month of serious decluttering and donating to every charitable organization in my area.
Success.....I’m selling my house and moving into a custom Tiny House of 300 square feet. My tiny home will not have any built in furniture because it will be furnished with the few heirlooms I love. Thank you for your life changing motivation....I love my new future simple life. I can spend my time doing important things with people I love rather than cleaning and moving around belongings that were not mine to begin with.
The only suggestion I would share with you and your lovely Prius family (I’ve had my Prius since 2011 and have traveled the country inexpensively and comfortably) ..... please find a way to recycle more and give opened foodstuffs you don’t want to a church food kitchen. There are many people who are going hungry and we want to leave the world a cleaner place for your children and mine.
Please keep sharing your wonderful family and joining your sister for inspiring minimal thoughts for the heart. God bless .....
Dawn, this was AWESOME!! I was SO excited when I saw the title & timing of this! Arriving in my inbox on Wed, which is "clean out the fridge day" in flylady land, haha!!! I admit that while I do love to clean out the fridge, it never seems to stay organized, only clean. Now, I am excited to label bc maybe then, items can stay grouped where they are more accessible:) I have also discovered that having a freezer on the bottom (which we have had for at least 10 yrs now) makes the fridge seem bigger and easier to retrieve things. THANK YOU for this awesome idea with the bins and labels. Esp the one labeled "fresh meat"...love that idea! OH! and we keep onions in the cabinet in a basket with potatoes bc I remember hearing once that the onions taste stronger when kept in the fridge. I think Rachael Ray said that...
Omg now that I watch more and more of your videos it just makes me feel like ok I’ve been doing this minimalist thing with my pantry and fridge before there was even a name for it. Ok the other parts of the house a different story. But in any case I do the same thing with the pantry and fridge. I think a lot has to do with growing up in a household that my family went to Price Club now Cost co every Sunday. Pantry and fridge stuffed. But at the same time so much waste. So when I lived on my own and got married it was different. Plus we are a military family which means moving every few years. I’m always surprised when friends have so much left after they move. Some they trash and some I happily take and use. This has lead to me trying things I wouldn’t have on my own purchased. So it’s interesting. But yes I do inventory. I never want to have more than I need. Coming from a family of 6 and now my own family of 6 people are like why aren’t you a Cost co member or Sam’s member...but I’ve never needed to because I don’t stock pile. Actually living in Korea probably enforced that too because smaller storage so you couldn’t keep those stock piles...just wanted to share. By the way I’m a twin also, identical. Haha.
I know this is an old post but I love watching you as I declutter, clean and cook. I loved the idea of the acrylic bins. I have a side-by-side(not my choice). I went to your post on Amazon and they had a dented box for $18(instead of $30). It came today and the 6 containers were perfect, no cracks at all. I have them in my freezer and frig. Thank you, they are just what I needed.
My acrylic Fridge bins should arrive today, so I'm glad to see this video. I made the decision to organize my fridge for the same reasons... to stop food waste. Fingers crossed I accomplish my goal!
Your point about inventory is right on for me. Since writing out everything in our fridge/freezer every time I shop and crossing stuff out as it gets used our food waste had drastically decreased. I leave this right on the fridge with meal ideas at the bottom. If anyone asks if we have something I just tell them to check the list! Then the crossed-out items automatically populate my grocery list for the week.
Love this idea! Going to do this for my family. Thanks!
I've heard of people taking a photo of its contents before grocery shopping. Then you have it on your phone.
I missed your side part ☺️
Now I’m off to clean my fridge...
Thank you!!! ♥️
For 10 years I had a freezer-bottom fridge and when it died the one that fit into that space and was on sale that week was a freezer-top fridge. I would go back to the freezer-bottom in a heartbeat because everything was at eye level and that led to significantly less waste. Now that I can't see the bottom shelf without kneeling, there's a lot of mysteries that end up science projects if I forget what's there.
3 years later, this video is still doing its job. Thanks for getting me out of the recliner and into the kitchen!
I'm a visual person and hate clutter. So yes, I like having my eggs in a clear container. I also use one for my hard-boiled eggs when I make them
I literally just cleaned and organized our fridge today! I always avoid this chore but always love the end result. Thanks again Dawn, you are the best:)
Having the freezer on the bottom has made a world of difference for us! I don't know how we ever lived without it!
Finally someone with a normal fridge! All the other organization videos assume I have a ginormous double door fridge 😭
We do once a month shopping so our fridge is always quite packed. The way I keep from food going bad is telling everyone they have to eat produce by what goes bad first. At the beginning of the month they eat berries and things like apples are saved to the end of the month.
Dawn the frig is my frustration spot. You've given me some ideas to try. Thank you.
You labeled the shelves! Brilliant!
LOVE the painted cupboards
This made such a difference! I’m going to try it very soon. My top tip: we have an egg tray but with higher sides. I stack the new eggs vertical vs horizontal. Then I turn the tray front to back so the oldest eggs are used first. We use lots of eggs and normally store between 2-3 dozen. I like your hair in this video.
Great idea on the eggs. I always thought the clear egg trays were a bad idea because you lost track of the expiration date.
I have a plastic egg container and I love it! Mine has a lid, too, so it’s lovely to stack items on top and use that vertical space.
I have found having my groceries delivered so helpful for keeping to our budget and having less waste, because I only order what we will eat and don't impulse buy things that seem like a great idea but end up going bad.
My lord! I used your video as inspiration for reorganizing or fridge and the massive difference it has made! Thank you.
We stopped using the crisper drawers for veg and put all our shallow bottles in there instead which is so much more convenient for locating them as they get lost in the back of the fridge generally. Even rearranged the shelves do the one with the drawer that we keep the cheese in is the 2nd shelf now and we have the eggs in a hard container right next to it. And bought acrylic containers for organizing the produce on the middle shelf.
There is so much space now I cannot believe it!
Dawn, this is very timely! It’s on my “To Do” list this week! We have a huge lazy Susan on the bottom shelf of our fridge for our shorter, smaller bottled foods and sauces. It’s been a wonderful solution for accessing all those jars and containers. Also, if we ever have leftovers, I use a wet erase marker to print the date on the lid before refrigerating the food. I don’t have to remember when I made it and the writing literally washes right off. Thank you for your wonderful video!
Lisa, can you give an example of the type of marker you use? I always have trouble getting things labeled because my pens either don't show up or I'm trying to use masking tape and it won't stick.
@@aromaofhope Absolutely! I like the EXPO Vis-A-Vis Wet-Erase Overhead Transparency Markers Fine Point in Black. Just know that the ink will be affected by condensation and it will smear, so avoid touching it after it's been in the fridge for awhile! You can pick them up in any office supply store and most likely Walmart & Target. Here's an Amazon link as well www.amazon.com/16665B-Wet-Erase-Overhead-Transparency-Markers/dp/B001036CFI/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=expo+vis-a-vis+wet-erase+marker%2C+fine+point%2C+black+ink&qid=1580491189&sr=8-3
@@lisahale6593 Thanks!
Hippie Homesteader Wannabe I do the same on my acrylic egg container but I use the Expo DRY erase marker - you can literally wipe off the writing with your finger.
Love it! I only have one bin so far and it makes me feel so fancy! Haha. I am always shocked when I find hair in the fridge when cleaning...my own - but still ugh. Great video!
I just got a 3 door French style fridge and it’s a total game changer; bending down a lot with a standard fridge is really bad for everyone’s back…not to mention forgetting and not seeing items that are outdated…love my new fridge
I always get gold from your videos.
I LOVE the container for just raw meat! And it will really help me to keep leftovers all in one place.
Would love to see a video about how to do a minimal packing for vacation - especially when going from a cold to warm climate
I love that your fridge was needing cleaned. I have been so tempted to try those fridge organizers!
I just cleaned and organized fridge n freezer. I love how authentic you are. My freezer had same frozen crud 😂😂😂😂 Thanks for sharing
Great video, think I'll be trying out those bins as well. One point to bring up, tho...those expiration dates, like on the salad dressings, are for UNOPENED items - you have to look up how long an item will safely last after you've opened it up!!!
I never thought of that!!!!
You wouldn't want to have dinner at my house then.
I think of expiration dates as a suggestion . Unless it's protein based, as in broth.
I worked in a grocery store and one of my tasks was to check expiration dates. We often got to take home expired products.
So does that mean that once the item is opened, it expires sooner? (I can’t imagine that it would last LONGER after being opened?)
I write the date I opened a dressing/mayo/mustard on it with a black Sharpie. Once you’ve gotten sick (🙋🏼♀️) from bad salad dressing, you don’t EVER want to experience that again!!!! 😂
@@barbarahansen5353 When I buy half and half, it may have a expiration date 2 months out, but one opened... it only lasts about 5 to 7 days. But, I learned I can also freeze it once I open it, in ice cube trays and then toss in a freezer bag. hope this helps.c
Dawn, a HUGE thank you for this! I have the same exact refrigerator and now I know how to organize it. I've watched a lot of videos about the subject, but those are usually much larger fridges. My only difference from yours is I keep the butter in the freezer and 1 stick on the counter ready to go. When I'm running low I can take a stick out to thaw and use when the one on the counter runs out. Always enjoy watching your videos and looking forward to the next one.
I want to say thank you!! I have been trying to decide whether to use the bins as well and hearing about fridge specific bins was super helpful and seeing also was nice to see. And it was also helpful to know that bins help keep things contained, easy to access and not get lost!!! That happens so often and I even check frequently so thank you for your tips and functional review or how the products actually work!!!!
I bake a lot and use the produce drawers for whole wheat flour and nuts. They can become rancid if left out (especially in warm weather). My oils are also in the fridge. Special oils that are used only occasionally will last longer when refrigerated.
I also follow several others' advice to put a folded towel in a drawer... so much easier to clean when spills land on the towel. When I travel the only thing I allow myself to buy is pretty towels, especially 100% linen towels... they last forever. They take little precious space in the suitcase and bring memories of the trip back whenever I see the towel -- whether in the kitchen or later in the fridge after they have become worn in spots.
Dawn, your videos are wonderful -- your down-to-earth style is so fresh and your viewers feel you truly want to help them streamline their lives. Thank you.
In Germany we do have the same fridges, small like yours. Thank you for the tipps! I need to clean and organize mine NOW :-)
Great video! The two best things I ever did in my refrigerator was label shelves and have one shelf for leftovers. It has helped us not have moldy leftovers found at the back of the refrigerator😝
I like the organizers the most. The freezer is where I have the most prob. So the shelving is a good place to start. I like the see-thru bins and also that they come in different sizes. Thanks for the demo.
In this day and age, I stock up on many things, mostly the less perishable. So I try to use up the most perishable things in the frig first. If I do go to the store more often its just for the fresh fruit and veggies, bread milk and eggs. I love clean and organize videos and this one did not disappoint. Thanks!
This video was very helpful. Thank you for the tips! 😊
I have my "go-to" salad dressing recipe and have received compliments on it.
1 T. apple cider vinegar (I see you have some)
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (usually a healthy pinch)
That's it. You can embellish with garlic powder and herbs depending on the salad such as Greek salad. I like tossing in some fresh fruit, too. Cut up some avocado for creaminess.
I do the same thing except with balsamic vinegar!
I was going to recommend this oil and vinegar dressing, as well! In Mediterranean countries, this is what everyone uses. It's so simple, yet SO delicious (and healthy)!! You can play around with the proportions depending on how much your family likes vinegar.
I always cleaned out the work fridge too. Instant gratification 💪🏻
I love the idea of those clear acrylic bench. Thank you so much. I think I will give that a try.
Dawn, next time you go to clean your fridge. Clean it when your fridge is low in groceries before you grocery shop. You won't have to take so much out of the fridge and put back in. It just will make the task easier.
Good point. But then how would we have seen her amazing 'before' and 'after' shots for RUclips? I think she may have chosen a full fridge on purpose :)
Great message thanks - its so friendly I sent it to 2 friends 🤗🤗 one in UK one in Australia !
I like how u be real and explain that we have different sized fridges, and diff amount of stuff! ❤️❤️❤️❤️👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I love that you have a more “normal” or “average” fridge. Especially a lot of rentals still have these refrigerators and I am always looking for examples that are like ours! Thanks!!
Haha, I didn’t realize I was on my boys’ account. We made an account for them just so they can get to comment on Daddy’s channel. 😆
One tip keep your milk in the back of the fridge were the air comes down on it , it last 10 days longer.
Thank you
Great tip using the plate organizer in the freezer! P.S. Your hair looks great🙂
I agree I like how Dawn styled it today ; )
I agree, her hair looks so pretty today ♡
Thank you!!!!! ♥️
I liked that one, too. I had not thought of it. I will have to try it.
Why, why why has creating shelves in the freezer never occurred to me??? I'm off to try that right now!
Good video. Very well done.
I labeled three plastic bins on the shelf in my refrigerator: one for protein (meat that is thawing), one for vegetables and one for fruit. Berries and such have their own bins on the top shelf; I keep leftovers there too. I use one of the crisper drawers for deli meats and cheeses and use two plastic containers to keep them separate. My other crisper drawer holds bread since I'd forget greens if they were there. I use two plastic containers with lids from the Dollar Store to hold salad greens. Paper towels inside keep the greens fresh. I store garlic, onions and potatoes in my pantry. I remove my eggs from the carton and store in the egg bin in my refrigerator. I think the best tip is eating all the food every week. Less to store and you eat fresher.