Never misplace your keys again. Select one place to keep your keys. It could be a hook or basket near the front door, a pocket in your purse or a drawer near the entrance. Make it a habit to always put your keys in that designated location.

Reduce your paper piles. Open your mail standing over a wastebasket or recycle bin. Junk mail should be tossed immediately before it has time to become clutter.

Sentimental writing paper. Use the backside of your children’s artwork to send a note to grandparents and other relatives.

Matched set. Store a set of sheets inside a matching pillow case. It keeps your linen closet neater and you will not spend time searching for a matching set of sheets.

Does that still fit? Keep a plastic container in your children’s closets for clothes they have outgrown. While putting away laundry add the outgrown clothing to the bin. When it is full give away the clothes or place them in long-term storage for a younger child.

Clean and tidy. Use a plastic caddy with a handle to store your cleaning supplies. Everything you need will be in one location and it is easy to carry from room to room.

Underutilized storage space. Take advantage of the space under your bed to store covered containers of out-of-season clothing, seasonal decorations and extra bedding. A bed skirt will conceal the extra storage space.

Picture perfect. Make a paper template from newspaper the size and shape of a picture or mirror you want to hang. Tape the template on the wall to decide where to hang the piece. You can even nail the hook right through the paper so it ends up in the perfect spot. This is especially helpful for groups of photos.

Reduce before you buy. Don't buy any storage containers until you go through your clutter and get rid of what you don't need or use. Then buy containers to organize what you are keeping.

Keep the memory not the item. Photograph your items before giving them away. In most cases it's not the object that is important. Rather it's the memory that it sparks. There is a reason that digital photos are stored on a "memory" card.

Get hooked. Attach small adhesive hooks inside kitchen cabinet doors to hold cooking utensils.

Chinese or pizza? Use a 3-ring binder with clear plastic sleeves to hold all your take-out menus.

Bright idea. Free up valuable surface space on your bedside table by installing a wall-mounted light.