Is There a Difference Between Being Cluttered and Being Disorganized?

  

I always loved reading the Home Section of the Washington Post when we lived in the DC area. I still get feeds from it, and in a recent piece, Penny Catterall answered a reader's question about whether there is a difference between cluttered and disorganized:

"I would say that there is a difference between cluttered and disorganized.  If someone has a cluttered house, but they have no problem finding things in it, have a smoothly running system for processing mail, bills, etc., and the clutter is not impeding their life in any way, then I would say that is fine.

However, if there are so many things in the house that they can't find their keys to get out the door in the morning, or they have so many clothes in the closet that they can't find anything to actually wear, or the important mail is getting lost under piles of junk, then my response would be that the clutter is preventing them from leading the life they want to live."

Where do you fall?

More on clutter:
Decluttering in 5: 20 Decluttering Tasks You Can do In 5 Minutes or Less
Tackling the #1 Clutter Annoyance
1-2-3 ... Get Organized eBooks - Organizing One Area at a Time

Organizing Products I Use - Steel Shelving

     
We moved over the weekend, downsizing from 2200 square feet to 1550 square feet in what we are calling our retirement cottage. So I am trying to maximize every square inch of storage space! We are excited to live efficiently and simply in our new home.

We lost a lot of garage space, which we are mourning! It's a tight squeeze to get both our cars into our garage, but there are 18 inches between the wall and the garage door, which allows for some steel storage shelves along the walls where they don't interfere with the opening of car doors.

With the expense of a move, we didn't really want to spend the money on an expensive garage organizing system. So this was our solution.

I told you about these steel shelves from Lowe's in a previous blog post. They are 48 w x 74 h x 18 d with adjustable shelves and must be put together. They come in other sizes as well. The units we bought cost about $70 each and come in black or silver.

Here they are in operation, holding seasonal items. We have chosen clear storage boxes to contain those things we know we are going to keep for a long time but don't use often. The containers are less than 18 inches wide so two of them fit on each shelf lengthwise without sticking out more than the 18-inch clearance.

Each shelf holds up to 350 pounds, so I can get a lot of mileage out of these shelves! We have four shelving units in our garage to house keepsakes, seasonal decorations, etc.

My husband cut down another one of these shelving units to fit into the closet in our laundry room, turning it into a pantry. This created an amazing space to store food, appliances and cookware. The appliances (bread maker, food processor, slow cooker, and waffle iron) are on the floor , and the food is organized according to categories on the upper shelves.

This unit allows me to see everything and reach everything easily without having to create stack-upon-stack storage. I placed mesh shelf lining on the wire shelves so things don't fall through the wires.

These five shelving units were set up before moving day, and as we brought things over during the week, we had a place to put them! They expanded our storage greatly while using only 18 inches of depth. And they're economical and strong. We had used some cheaper but sturdy-looking plastic shelving in our other garage, but the shelves started sagging over time. Springing for the steel shelving was definitely worth it to us.

More on organizing products:
Organize Toys Using a Wire Garden Hanger
A No-Cost Organizing Solution for Your Pantry
Repurposing My Shoe Organizers in the Pantry

6 Ways to Reduce Stress by Getting Organized

   
Clutter, both mentally or physically, creates stress. And stress zaps your energy and creativity. By taking some time to organize yourself, you'll be re-energized, creative and clutter-free!

Reduce stress by getting your mind, schedule, priorities, and clutter organized:

- List everything that is flying through your mind - your to do list, places you need to go, people you need to contact, etc. Jotting these items down relieves the stress of having to remember them all.

- Next, prioritize and assign a day and time to each task. By doing this, your sense of overwhelm will decrease. Breaking down your list into bite-sized pieces creates peace of mind because you're not faced with a never-ending, unprioritized list of things to do. Having a time assigned to each task prevents panic because you know there is a time and place for everything on your list.

- If you are still feeling overwhelmed, evaluate whether everything on your list is actually important to you. In addition, ask yourself if you have over-committed yourself. Remove those things that are least important, least urgent, or to which you are no longer committed. If possible, delegate or get some help on the remaining items on your list.

- Practice saying, "NO!" to reduce the possibility of over-commitment.

- If you have tasks you need to do each day, make a daily routine list to follow in order to accomplish those high-priority items.

- Now, take a look around you. If your surroundings are disorganized and cluttered, it's hard to have a focused and productive mind. Take a few minutes and clean off a surface, putting each item away. If an item doesn't have a home, determine where it will be most useful and efficient. If your clutter is sizable, attack it in short bursts rather than a long siege. You can do anything for 15 minutes! Start in the corner and work around the room.

When your mind is clear of clutter and your surroundings are neat and orderly, your stress diminishes. Clutter is no longer stealing away your energy. The result: you are free to be creative and productive!

More on reducing stress:
Organizing Dinner in 2013
9 Ways to Enhance Your Health by Being Organized
Three Steps to Time Management for the Working Mom

It's National Declutter Week!

  
I'm a little late on this, as National Declutter Week is from April 6-14. So I guess we'd better hurry up and declutter! I'm doing my part by moving into a new home and kicking out that clutter, what about you? :)

How about taking 30 minutes each day to see how much you can declutter. If you have time, do a little more on the weekend. What a nice way to start spring!

Overwhelmed? Here's some help.

More on decluttering:
A Dozen Tips for Staying Clutter Free in 2013
Labeling Storage with Digital Pictures
Spring Comes to the Rescue of Depression and Clutter

Plan Ahead - Create a Finals Survival Kit for the College Student in Your Life

 
Do you have a special college student in your life? Brighten up his/her life during finals week by sending a Finals Survival Kit. We've done this with our own children and other college students in our lives over the years. Things to include:

Healthy snacks: pistachios or other nuts, beef jerky, trail mix, popcorn

Drinks: hot chocolate, teas, coffee mixes, juices

Fun snacks: cookies, chocolate, candy

Encouraging words: write a note for each day (5-7) or use the following proverbs -

- Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

- Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

- Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

- Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off.

- A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.

- Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.

Mail it or take it by and brighten up finals for your college student!

More on college:
Organizing the College Application Process
Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student

Going Beyond the To-Do List

 
We closed on our new house on Friday, so we've been making trips back and forth, moving the little things. We started with organizational items - shelf expanders, shelving in the garage, shelving in the pantry, wire drawers under our bathroom sink, etc. The big stuff gets moved on Saturday. Hopefully we'll be mostly moved in by then!

Now on to our blog for today ...

So you've made your to-do list. Everything is right in the world. Not so fast. Your to-do list can actually create more stress. Huh?

"Most people's to-do lists actually create fatigue, because they don't clarify how, exactly, they are going to handle Mom's birthday, so tasks feel bigger than they are," says David Allen, a productivity expert and author of the best seller "Getting Things Done."

The solution? Go beyond your to-do list and brainstorm about how you're going to accomplish those to-dos. With this done, you'll have peace of mind, and you'll be motivated to tackle those tasks because you have a plan!

Now doesn't that feel good?


More on productivity:
9 Ways to Enhance Your Health by Being Organized
Wrapping Up  Today So Tomorrow Runs Smoothly
Starting the New Year with Good Sleep Patterns - How Sleep Keeps Your Brain Organized

Organizing for a Move - What to Move First

 
We close today on our new house! We are so excited! We have both cars packed and will go directly to the house after closing.

We thought very carefully what we wanted to move first. We are planning to move our furniture and big stuff next Saturday, a week away. We decided to pay an extra month's rent so we could move gradually. I realize not everyone has that luxury, but if you can do it, it takes a lot of stress out of moving day. We will be able to place the large items and won't be faced with stacks and stacks of boxes to unpack.

So what are we going to move first? Items that will help us get organized:

- Shelves for the garage. We purchased 48 x 18 x 74 steel shelves that will line one wall of our garage. One will go in the front of the garage for tools, etc. One will in the laundry room closet to create a pantry. We found these at Lowe's on sale last week, saving us $50! Each shelf holds up to 350 pounds and is adjustable. We felt like this was an inexpensive and relatively easy way to create garage storage. When we start bringing our boxes over, we'll already have a place for those things that will live in the garage.

- Shelf and cupboard organizers and expanders. As you can imagine, I have all kinds of organizing units that expand storage capacity in kitchen cabinets, under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and that hang on the wall. (I'll do a blog post or two on these - I got some new ones to maximize our storage in our little retirement cottage and I LOVE them!.) By setting these up first, we'll only have to unpack once because they'll be in place when we put away dishes, toiletries, and other items.

- Shower rods and shower curtains. Since our house is new, we didn't have shower rods in our bathrooms. It will be nice to have the shower ready so we can use it the first day we actually move in, without a lot of hassle.

- Tools. To put all these things together, we'll need screwdrivers, drills, and more. One of our shelving units will need to be cut down with a hack saw to fit into our pantry closet.

- Miscellaneous essentials - disposable cups/plates/silverware, paper towels and toilet paper, and some food so we don't have to stop unpacking to go get food. I've doubled a couple of recipes the last two days and will take those over for easy meals.

Once we get these organizational items in place, we'll be ready to start bringing over boxes to unpack! The process should go smoothly with all this prep already done. Hopefully, we'll have all the small stuff unpacked and put away by next Saturday. Can't wait!

More on organizing for a move:
Getting Organized for a Move - Measure, Measure, Measure!
Ruthless Closet Purging - Getting Organized for a Move ... Or Not
Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence

Super Simple, Time-Saving Meal - Horseradish Encrusted Salmon

 

One of my new favorite meals is Horseradish Encrusted Salmon! So simple! It makes a very quick and easy meal. Even my skeptical children loved it!

Here's what I do: slather horseradish sauce on a piece of salmon that is skin side down in a baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until the salmon is flaky and opaque. The horseradish will turn brown in spots, but that's ok.

Serve it with some couscous, which cooks in just a few minutes, or microwave some sweet potatoes.

Add microwaved asparagus (microwave about 3 minutes and season with garlic salt and butter).

By the time the salmon is ready, the sides are too.

Even if you're not a big fan of horseradish, I think you'll love this!

More on dinner:
Organizing Dinner in 2013
Organizing Dinner - Double or Triple a Recipe
Three Steps to Planning Dinner eWorkbook
Hassle Free Dinners

Planning an Intentional Summer for Your Child

  
I like to repost this blog post each year because I think summertime is such a valuable time to build into our children. Here ya go ...

It's about time to think about summer camps and other activities to keep your children occupied over the summer. But why just keep them occupied?

Rather than enduring through the summer, make it intentional! If your children are old enough, have them think through some goals for themselves over the summer. These could includes the following categories: physical, social, financial, vocational, spiritual, educational, mental, artistic, musical, and life skills.

If you have grade school children, you may need to talk about this with them. If your children are younger, think through the areas that would apply to your small children and come up with ways you'd like to see them grow over the summer.

Some ideas for each category:

- Physical: eating nutritionally, running a mile in a certain time, learning a new sport, swimming lessons, care of hair and skin, an athletic camp, honing athletic skills, riding a bicycle/tricycle, fine motor skills, etc.

- Social: table manners, fun ideas for dates, sharing, please and thank you, not interrupting, telephone etiquette, how to be a good conversationalist, how to be a good friend, how to protect yourself on a date, what to do if your friends want you to do something you shouldn't, etc.

- Financial: saving, tithing, budgeting, opening a checking or savings account, investments, generosity, etc.

- Vocational: shadowing someone in a field of interest, researching a profession, field trip, internship, volunteer work, getting a job, how to interview, how to write a resume, how to fill out a job application, etc.

- Spiritual: vacation Bible school, memory verses, prayer, how to study the Bible, seeing God in nature, how to know God, restoring your relationship with God when you've blown it, finding a church you like, joining a youth group, etc.

- Educational: brushing up on needy subjects, summer school, work sheets, college visits, thinking through a major, keyboarding or computer skills, how to study, how to take a test, how to take notes, learning the alphabet or numbers or colors, learning how to read, etc.

- Mental: learning more about an interest, field trips, logic exercises, games, challenge programs, learning skills, memory techniques, time management, etc.

- Artistic: art lessons or classes, art time for drawing, etc., crafts, woodworking, sewing, jewelry, cartoons, knit, crochet, etc.

- Musical: lessons, learning a new instrument, concerts, symphonies, outdoor music programs, voice lessons, choir, band, camp, etc.

- Life Skills: changing a tire, setting the table, ironing, mending, tying shoes, folding clothes, laundry, how to plan balanced meals, cooking, how to use household appliances, cleaning up toys, how to make a bed, etc.

You may want to include a family event each week and one-on-one time with each child regularly.

When goals and interests were chosen, I tried to sprinkle those into our weekly schedules so we could do as much as possible. Time slips away so quickly if we are not intentional!

Hope I gave you some food for thought. Tell me about your intentional plans for the summer!

Other summertime ideas:
Organize a Fun Activity List
Organizing Spring Break Fun
Three Steps to Planning Your Child's Parties

Decluttering in 5: 20 Decluttering Tasks You Can Do In Five Minutes or Less

    
I used to hate emptying the dishwasher - until one day I decided to time myself and see how long it took to do this dreaded chore. Around five minutes. For some reason, knowing that it only took five minutes removed my mental barrier! It's still not my favorite thing to do in the world, but I don't dread it like I used to do.

Next time you find yourself procrastinating about some unpleasant task, time yourself. See if that knocks down a few of your mental barriers against that task.

My mom mentioned reading an article in her local paper about decluttering tasks you could do in five minutes. So I got to thinking - what are some other dreaded chores that only take a few minutes. Here are a few I came up with:

1. Sweep the bathroom or kitchen floor
2. Mop the bathroom or kitchen floor
3. Dust one room
4. Empty the dishwasher
5. Fold a load of clothes
6. Clean the kitchen counter tops
7. Wipe off the kitchen or dining room table
8. Sort the mail
9. Clean the storm door window
10. Declutter the surface of a coffee table
11. Clean the bathroom sink
12. Clean the kitchen sink
13. Empty the trash
14. Clean off your desk – or a corner of it!
15. Throw away the old food in your fridge
16. Have everyone in the household pick up their items in a common room and take them to their own room
17. Place newspapers in a recycling bag
18. Clean a mirror
19. Clean out a drawer
20. Make a to-do list (relieve your brain of clutter!)

So, if you have a few minutes, you can make your surroundings more pleasant with very little effort! By doing a little at a time, decluttering and cleaning don't have to require enormous chunks of time.

What do you do to declutter in short snatches of time?

More on  decluttering:
The "Do It Now" Mindset
A Dozen Tips for Staying Clutter-Free in 2013
Decluttering Any  Room in 3 Weeks

My New Book: How to Organize Your Spouse ... April Fools!

    
When I speak at events, the most common question from my audience is, "When are you going to write a book on organizing your spouse?" They are serious! Clutter is a common marital issue. I doubt I'll ever write a book on organizing your spouse, but here are a few hints on taming the clutter issue.

Communicate

As with every other problem in marriage, good communication is key!

If you can communicate effectively, you can solve any problem. If you cannot, you have another problem!

If you are being irritated by clutter in your home, find a time when you are not angry about the clutter, talk about why the clutter is distressing you - how it makes you feel.

Use "I" statements like, "It makes me feel like you see me as your servant when you don't pick up your things," or "I'm embarrassed to have anyone over because of the clutter."

Don't use accusative "You" statements like "You are just a slob," or "What's wrong with you - how simple is it to put away your things?"

Talk about the "hot spots" that collect clutter and brainstorm on ways to solve each problem area.

As  you communicate, make sure to listen attentively to what your spouse is voicing. Don't become defensive, even if it is not said in the best way.

As your spouse speaks, check to see if you're hearing correctly by restating what you're hearing.

Don't jump to conclusions.

Take a break if you start to get angry, and come back to your conversation when you've cooled down.

Negotiate

Before your conversation, consider what would make you happy. It may not be realistic to expect that every space in your house will be kept in a pristine condition.

Talk together about what areas could be no-clutter zones and where clutter is acceptable. Your spouse may want to have a room where you can close the door and he/she can have whatever clutter he/she wants.

Each of you may want to be responsible for keeping a certain area clutter free.

Decide how you're going to maintain the solutions you've agreed upon.

Respect

Respect your partner's need to keep certain things. Each of us has sentimental possessions that others might not understand. Even if you don't understand the emotional ties to your spouse's possessions, respect those ties.

If the sentimental clutter is excessive, negotiate again on whether there is a way to make you happy and make him/her happy. Try to remain neutral without getting heated.

Never, never, never purge your spouse's items without permission! Totally disrespectful!

Appreciate differences

As you are communicating, negotiating and brainstorming, appreciate the differences between the two of you. Opposites do attract! The result? A good team.

That means you won't come up with the same ideas, but possibly more ideas to solve your problem areas. My husband and I are opposites in everything! We laugh that if each of do the same task, we can pretty much count on us doing doing it differently!

While I'm the organizer in the family, when we are brainstorming about clutter or organizing issues, my husband comes up with some great ideas. They may not be the way I would solve the problem, but if I listen, I may discover that his idea just might be better than mine! Gasp!

Think teamwork. It's not important whose idea it is, but that our problem gets solved. It doesn't have to be my way of doing things to make it work.

One person in the relationship is usually neater than the other. The neat one may need to be willing to give up some things to make your plan work. On the other hand, the less tidy partner may need to make an extra effort to keep things neat. It's a continual job that requires effort!

While you will never be able to organize your spouse, as the two of you work together as a team, you'll be able to conquer your clutter issues together!

More on getting organized:
10 Ways to Avoid Distraction when Organizing
1-2-3 ... Get Organized eBooks - Organizing One  Area at a Time
Creating Routines and Systems

Chopping Big Chores down into Bite-Sized Chunks

  

If a cleaning, decluttering or organizing chore seems too huge to tackle, break it down into small chunks. Any chore, for that matter - a work project, helping with your child's science project, doing your taxes - whatever! Set a time limit of 10 minutes to an hour - whatever you can handle - and tackle one aspect of your project.

The other day, my husband and I decided to spend one hour cleaning out and organizing the garage to prepare for our move. We broke it down into bite-sized chunks:

- We started by breaking down all the cardboard boxes for recycling. It was amazing how that cleared out a lot of the clutter!

- We organized and containerized loose items according to category - gardening, car, painting, etc.

- We put all boxes that were packed and ready to move along the side and front walls.

- We took everything that still needed to be sorted into our office as a staging ground.

- We sorted other things into trash and giveaway.

- And we consolidated a few boxes.

We "accidentally" spent two hours out there - it seemed a lot less because we were so encouraged by what we were accomplishing. We still have a few things to do out there, but we got too cold!

Apply this same principle to your area of greatest need. Break it up into small tasks and determine how much time you want to spend on it each day. For example, spending 15 minutes a day for the next five days will allow you to make significant headway as you see task after task completed. 

Celebrate and congratulate yourself on the accomplishment of each task! Even if the task is huge, over time you will be able to chip away at it.



For more on cleaning, downsizing, and decluttering, check out our 1-2-3...Get Organized series.
 

What to Do with those Dry Cleaner Hangers? - Make a DIY Shoe Rack

  
"Remove the cardboard bar on the bottom of a wire pant hanger, and reshape the ends with pliers to make hooks for flats and flip-flops. Slip your shoes on the newfangled rack and give yourself a pat on the back."

Isn't that clever? Another great idea from Redbook!

More ideas about shoes:
Get Organized Month - Organize Your Shoes
Three Steps to Organizing Your  Closet

Statistics: The Health and Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning

 

I thought that this bog post was worth repeating from the past. I really enjoyed the following article by Health Net, Inc. about the health and mental health benefits of spring cleaning.  It's quite motivating! I hope you enjoy it

"The month of March brings with it the official start of spring -- a season associated with renewal and romance, and, on a less lyrical level -- with dusting, scrubbing, and otherwise engaging in the roll-up-your-sleeves ritual known as spring cleaning. While heavy-duty housework hardly sounds inviting, Health Net, Inc. wants to spread the word that spring cleaning not only results in a tidy abode, but also brings with it mental health benefits.

Studies have shown that a dirty, disorganized home can harbor health threats in the form of mold, bacteria and clutter-caused injuries, but such an environment also can negatively impact mental health, explains Ian Shaffer, M.D., chief medical officer of MHN, Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary. 'A thorough spring cleaning definitely brings with it a feel-good sense of satisfaction,' he adds, 'and the physical exertion of dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing has been found to reduce stress and anxiety.'

Shaffer points out that, while the physical benefits of exercise are well known, there's mounting evidence that exercise -- even in the form of housework -- brings with it mental health benefits. In fact, one study -- conducted by University College London -- found that as little as 20 minutes of housework per week reduced feelings of psychological distress. It was further found that the risk of mental health problems was reduced by one-fifth among those engaging in just 20 minutes of housework weekly.

'Exercise is known to boost mental health,' says Shaffer, 'and house-cleaning activities are certainly a form of exercise. A bigger activity, like a top-to-bottom spring cleaning, helps you to feel organized and in control, and those feelings definitely result in reduced stress.' 

The chores-calories connection 

Doing housework not only lifts your spirits and lowers your stress level, but -- as an added bonus -- you also burn calories in the process. The American Heart Association categorizes housework as 'moderate exercise,' and says that a person weighing 150 pounds who engages in 30 minutes of household chores can expect to burn the following:

-- Cleaning a bathroom -- 200 calories

-- Doing laundry -- 133 calories

-- Making beds -- 130 calories

-- Washing windows -- 125 calories

-- Vacuuming -- 123 calories

-- Ironing --70 calories

-- Dusting -- 50 calories

Shaffer notes, 'Household chores alone are unlikely to keep you physically fit, but this, along with other daily tasks, provides a portion of the physical exercise we all need. If you combine these activities with a structured exercise program, the results can be very positive.' 

Stay organized after spring cleaning 

With the satisfaction of a successful spring cleaning behind you, Shaffer cautions against returning to one's previously disorganized ways. 'Staying organized,' he says, 'encourages the good kind of stress. In fact, studies have shown that a feeling of control -- a feeling that comes with being organized -- is key to whether stress will serve as a positive force that fuels creativity and optimism or if it will serve as a negative force accompanied by a sense of helplessness and pessimism.

Beyond optimism, being organized brings with it a bounty of other benefits.

Shaffer points to three:

-- Reduced time pressure -- Among the greatest sources of stress is time pressure, i.e., so much to do, so little time. While being organized doesn't add hours to the day, it does enable you to make the most of the 24 hours in each day. Organized individuals don't waste time wondering what work project is due when, or where a needed item -- from an unpaid bill to an uncashed check -- might be hiding. The time saved can be spent on any number of stress-busting activities, such as exercising or preparing a healthy meal.

-- Disorganization makes it hard to see things in their components. Failing to see the parts leads to a few of the whole that can be very overwhelming and at times will lead to immobilization and people failing to act and move forward.

-- No disorganization domino effect -- As a general rule, disorganization creates a ripple effect, impacting not only the offender, but also those around him or her. If you're disorganized, the fallout can extend to family, friends as well as co-workers, and a tension-filled environment can become the order of the day. Conversely, while organization doesn't guarantee harmony and happiness, it unquestionably helps."

More on the benefits of organization:
9 Ways to Enhance Your Health by Being Organized
Interesting Clutter and Organization Statistics
The "Do It Now" Mindset

Apps for Organizing Your Home Inventory

Feeling a need to have an inventory of the important things in your home? Kit Eaton does and wrote the following article for the Boston Globe, reviewing apps that help you create that home inventory. Enjoy!

"I am not a hoarder.

In fact, I'm exactly the opposite: I would love to live in a minimalist house, and I have strong opinions about disposing of or recycling old things.

But no matter how I feel about hoarding, my family home is constantly accumulating ‘‘stuff.’’ And we now have so much, it’s nearly time for a big spring clean-out, a process that would be much easier if I had an inventory of all the important things in our home.

Of course, I'm going to use some apps to help.

Nest Egg

$2.99 for iOS devices at Apple App Store

My app of choice for building an inventory is Nest Egg. It’s a powerful tool for storing data about your purchases, new and old, including photos and relevant information like warranty expiration dates.

I love this app for its interface, which is logically and attractively designed.

The app’s main page provides one-touch access to a list of all the household items you've cataloged, a category-by-category list of your items and even a location-based list — for example, whether the items are in your study or bedroom. There is also a pie chart that shows you the number of items you've entered in each category and an estimated value total.

Adding items to the app is easy. You simply enter the ‘‘items’’ menu, tap ‘‘+’’ and then enter all relevant data. Each item’s entry is clearly organized, starting with text boxes for name and description, then parameters like manufacturer, serial number, product category and location in your home.

The app can even use your phone’s camera to scan an item’s bar code, by linking to the free scanning app Pic2shop, which you are prompted to download.

Scanning a bar code like this populates some of the data for you, including a photo in some cases and even an estimated price sourced from online store data.

The app is flexible enough that you can enter your own category types; I had to add ‘‘paintings and photos,’’ for example. Nest Egg can also remind you if a product’s warranty is about to expire, and it can even be used to keep track of items you've lent to someone.

One big criticism is that it can be easy to get lost in the app’s submenus. They all look similar, and you frequently need to double-check the title to see where you are.

MyHome Pro: Home Inventory

$3.99 for Android devices at Google Play

A great alternative to Nest Egg is MyHome Pro: Home Inventory. A very limited free ‘‘Lite’’ edition is available, so you can test it first. The paid app is more utilitarian in design than Nest Egg, but it has many of the same features, like the ability to scan bar codes. The app is just as easy to use and has clear sections to let you add items to an inventory or to browse through existing entries.

As a nice touch, it also lets you specify details of your various insurance policies, including policy numbers and deductible amounts. This sort of detail could be invaluable in case of a burglary, breakage or other home disaster — and you wouldn’t have to scramble through your documents to find the information.

In keeping with its functional design, the user interface of My Home Pro is designed more around drop-down menus and entering lots of text than tapping on cute icons or checking out pie charts. But this straightforwardness does at least make it easy to navigate, although it takes some of the fun out of interacting with the app.

MyStuff2 — Home Inventory and Database

$4.99 for iOS devices at Apple App Store

MyStuff2 — Home Inventory and Database is another good inventory app. The app, like MyHome Pro, has a user interface that’s designed around lists.

Its main page is a list of item categories, like ‘‘electronics’’ or ‘‘video games,’’ with a total that shows how many entries are in each one. Tapping on a category takes you to a page that lists the relevant items, and you can sort this list in a number of ways, like alphabetically or, in the ‘‘books’’ category, by author or genre. Entering the information for each item is a similar process to the other apps mentioned here, and you can scan bar codes to speed up the process.

One warning with these apps: They'll take up a lot of your time if you intend to log every possible detail about all the things you own. I'll admit, though, that there’s a certain geeky pleasure that goes along with the process."

More apps to help you get organized:
Tips to Help with Digital Decluttering
5 Best Apps for Getting and Staying Organized
How to Sell Your Old Phones, Equipment and Gadgets