Craiglist Tips and Tricks

Do you need to sell your old phone, computer, or couch?  Craigslist might be the perfect place to go. However, you do not want to lose money or get tricked off this online selling market.  Apartment Therapy has gathered some of the best Craiglist tips for buying and selling.  These tips will help you get the best value and avoid a fraud!

BUYING

What Craigslist is best for: Although Craigslist is very democratic in its presentation of various classified categories, the market has quickly shifted to favor specific items. For instance, Craigslist is excellent for furniture, materials, and technology, but less so for decorative items. And even less so for items like books and clothing. If you’re looking for the latter, eBay, Etsy, or Amazon are superior online shopping destinations.

Location Matters: Depending on your location, stock can change very quickly — the core structure of Craigslist is similar to the blog model, where the most recent classified posts are at the top and older listings get pushed to the bottom. Checking often can yield great results, as the best deals can come and go within hours. If you’re looking to do some heavy buying (or are searching for a very specific piece), I recommend setting up a daily routine at least 3 times a day (morning, noon, night) to check all the new listings. Patience is a virtue.

Use "Show Images" and Use Multiple Keywords: To prevent aimlessly meandering through countless results, it’s best to switch on the “show images” option in the top right-hand corner. This will display a tiny thumbnail preview of the images within the post. 

Also, keyword searching is your friend. Search often, with a wide array of search terms applicable to the category of product you're hoping to purchase. For instance, searching for “filing cabinet” or “file cabinet” can return separate results depending on the wordage used in specific auction listings. This is something you should keep in mind when selling as well.

The Free Section: The “free” section is a mixed bag. Some people swear by it, others refuse to bother. Many will post items left out on street corners and will not hold them for you since they understandably don’t want to be bothered with reservations, simply wanting someone to pick up discarded items. But incredible deals can be had if you are quick to the draw and are lucky enough to live nearby house and have a car for pickup. Many free things given away are often good enough to be turned for a profit or used for DIY projects.

Create a Shopping Comparison Spreadsheet: If the item that you’re looking for is very common ("IKEA MALM bedframe") or falls under a very broad category ("midcentury coffee table"), you’ll be faced with a lot of options. Don’t assume the first item is the only one available, nor the best deal. A little extra research and you can find the least used, least expensive, and most convenient to deliver/pickup item. If I come across the same item multiple times, I created a simple Excel document listing the item, its location, the price, and any distinct qualities about it or the seller itself. This way I am able to compare all qualities side-by-side rather than trying to remember them individually. This step may seem trivial for a $10 side table, but will certainly pay off when you’re looking for a high ticket item.

Keep a bookmark folder of Watched Items: If you see something you like, but don’t have the money available, or don’t wish to pay the asking price, wait it out. I scored a white Victoria Ghost chair simply watching and waiting for the right time. Someone posted the chair once, but it never found a buyer, and I emailed them a month later with a much lower price and they accepted.

PURCHASING

Contacting the Seller: Contacting the seller is potentially the most crucial moment of the entire sale process, as first impressions are everything. Remember, a seller is not bound by any rule stating who they must sell to. Even though you’re the first person to reply that doesn’t mean the deal is sealed. Respond in a calm and collected way. Believe me, I realize this can be very hard if the holy grail of your online search comes up out of nowhere for a fair price. 

Explain yourself and your intentions as completely, yet briefly as possible. Many sellers are busy people and don’t wish to dedicate much time to this deal. If they see that you’ve written a novel, they might decide to disregard your email. Say who you are, state your interest in the item, confirm how much you’ll pay, and when you’re available to pick up. If the post asks for a phone number, provide if. If not, ask if they’d like one. Many people choose to deal over the phone as it is quicker than playing email tag.

Bargaining: If you’ve come across a fairly common item, you could use this as an opportunity to bargain. This is one of the best qualities of Craigslist — there is rarely a fixed price. Bargain early if the price is higher than comparable posts, or late if the item hasn’t sold (particularly if the seller keeps reposting it to bring its position back to the top of the first page — I’ll talk more about this later.) Of course you want to be considerate when bargaining so as to not offend your seller.

Standing Out From Other Bidders: Try and appeal to the seller if you think you have a particular trait worth mentioning that would help you stand out from other buyers. For example, out of total desperation I’ve responded to more than one ad featuring a modern design classic, such as the Aeron chair. I explained I was a design student with a meager budget, was in love with the chair and could offer "X" amount. Sure enough, the owner was an architect who, despite receiving numerous emails about it, sold it to me for a lower asking price because I was a student of design, and he knew I would probably appreciate it more than anyone else. So be truthful and be yourself. There are a ton of kind people in the world who might be lenient with the price if you just explain your story honestly.

Picking Up Items: Before planning to pick up an item, always double-check the address and scheduled time, and never leave without a phone number. I’ve heard horror stories of people planning to meet someone somewhere, with no phone number, and the seller just never shows up. Communication is key.

Be Cautious: Lastly, and I hate having to say this, but it is always good to exercise caution when visiting a stranger’s house (or vice versa.) If you feel safer having someone tag along, by all means do that. The majority of buyers who have come to my apartment have brought a friend just as a precaution and I think that is a very smart idea.

SELLING

What to Sell: Deciding what to sell is the obvious first step. As I mentioned before, some items do better than others on Craigslist. I always choose to sell my tech and my furniture on Craigslist, but tend to make more money on clothes and books through eBay. Craigslist is an excellent way to sell off a dumpster-find or even turn a profit on an item you bought there. Many times you can find things in very poor shape. After a decent cleaning, the item will look much better and can command a higher price once listed. I’ve made literally hundreds of dollars by fixing up trashed furniture or low price items and reselling them days later. 

One of my favorite stories was finding a midcentury task chair out on the sidewalk as trash. I picked it up on my arm and biked it home — I must have looked completely crazy. I cleaned it up, made a beautiful listing out of it, and sold it for $75. These kinds of opportunities come up on Craigslist on a daily basis. Keep your eyes peeled for these potential moneymakers as you search.

Listing Photography: I cannot stress enough how crucial good photography is to the success of any online sales listing. I’d argue it is even more important than the description itself. Including good photographs is an easy way of making your product stand out among the competitors. I recommend shooting your items with a DSLR camera. If you don’t have one, try borrowing one from a friend (if you don’t know how to use it, you can find very simple step-by-step tutorials online). 

If you can’t secure a DSLR for taking your photos, at the very least try to take them in daylight. Natural lighting will make items look more true in color, clear in detail, and inviting. Another helpful tip is to “stage” your items. Just as you would stage your home to sell, staging your belongings in your house can make them that much more attractive to potential buyers. Don’t be afraid to gussy it up with items you wouldn’t normally decorate with. Look at catalogs or websites for staging tips, such as CB2, West Elm, or Design Within Reach. 

Remember to capture and show multiple angles, as well as any unique features (including flaws — remember, it pays to be truthful). Combine all of these photography tips and your posts will jump off the page to potential buyers. It also has a secondary effect that tells the buyer that you care about your items and aren’t liable to screw up the sale.

The Product Description: Before you dive into the items you’re selling, get all of the boring information out of the way first. List your location, when you’d be available for pickup, whether or not you’ll accept best offer, if you’re open to trades, types of payment you’ll accept (typically only cash), if delivery is an option, etc. Never include your phone number inside the ad itself.

When you describe your items you’re going to want to break it down two ways: bullet-point comments up top and explanatory text in sentence form down below. For instance:

// Eames Rocker
// White
// Fiberglass
// Dimensions
// Price (compared to retail if you’d like)

Follow up by describing why you’re selling it, unique features (or flaws) in the design, how you got it, and any additional relevant information. This is your opportunity to really sell the item in words. Remember, Craigslist’s search feature will not only search the title but the description as well, so throw in as many keywords as you can (within reason) to improve search relevancy.

Offering Delivery: If you can deliver, it will increase your buyer pool dramatically (especially if it is a large item.) Don’t be afraid to charge a fair fee for your time/gas. I’m an avid cyclist and offer free delivery on my bike if the contents fit in my bag and the buyer is within a certain distance of my house. Include the delivery option in the title itself.

Embedding Hosted Images: A very important step when composing your descriptions is to include the photographs you took inside the description itself. This formatting can make a post stand out compared to stock format listings. Here's how to do it:

You’re going to need to host your images on a free image server. For those of you who don’t know how to already to this, imagehost.org is a favorite of mine. Upload your images and copy their direct HTML link. In the description box, you’re going to want to use the HTML tag: <*img src="url link here”> (without the '*') to place your image. This code will insert your pictures into your description. Remember, also include one image in the Craigslist image uploader. This will allow Craigslist to display your photo as a thumbnail when buyers are browsing with the "show image" option enabled.

Creating a Virtual Garage Sale: A second tip worth mentioning is advisable if you plan on listing multiple items: add a list of other available items at the end of each item listing. I’ve seen people use this method when they were selling off their entire apartment before they moved. It was a very helpful way to centralize all the data together and offers buyers the ability to review other items they may be interested in purchasing from you.

Choosing Your Title is Important: I always like to use correct grammatical capitalization for titles, and describe my item as directly as possible. For instance: “White Eames Rocker — Authentic Mid Century Design.” 

Be mindful of the location field. I like to put the neighborhood within the city in which I’m living. It helps buyers get a better sense of exact location rather than an incredibly broad city name.

Submitting Your Listing: Once you believe you’ve crafted a successful post, go ahead and submit it. Craigslist usually takes a little while before the post itself goes live. Typically, weekend posts tend to do better than weekday posts, and I always like to post mine around late-afternoon, when people are home from errands, but before they head out to dinner. 

People tend to repost their ads on a daily basis. This is technically against the rules. I might re-post mine about twice a week (once on a weekday and once on the weekend). Many sellers simply rely on search terms and you should too.

THE SALE

Emails from Sellers: Now you can sit back and get ready for the emails to come in. It is very important to check your email regularly. I recommend using an automatic mail updating service like Microsoft Outlook or Mac’s Mail application. This will let you know nearly instantly when you have a potential buyer emailing with a question or an intention to buy. 

Respond as quickly as you can to all emails. People hate waiting especially if it is an item they want badly and can get it from someone else. Expect some bargaining and lowball offers. If your item is popular and you have multiple emails, explain to the lower bidders that you’ll only accept full price due to interest. You’d be surprised how many lowball offers shoot up to asking when they realize they’re in competition with another buyer.

Weeding Out Buyers and Spam: One other point worth making about Craigslist buyers is that some are outright crazy. If you get a frantic email, poorly written in all caps, demanding to pick it up within the hour, I’d probably ignore it or simply explain that it has already sold. Use your best judgment as to who you’d like to deal with. 

Spam is also a problem with Craigslist. If you list a high price item, you’re almost guaranteed to receive spam. It is often easy to distinguish spam from the real thing as they're written in a very generic and broad format (never referring specifically the item in question.) To alleviate this concern, you can request that potential buyers submit a telephone number in their email or make mention of the item specifically.

Final Sale: When you decide on a buyer and make arrangements to meet, be very sure you adhere to those arrangements. If an emergency comes up, let the buyer know as soon as possible. I always like to confirm the day-of when a buyer is coming to pick something up or I’m going to drop something off.

If you’re dealing with furniture like an IKEA piece, it is good to have the tools present to dismantle it (if the buyer is coming to you) or to assemble it (for an additional charge) just in case they don’t have their own. Little things like this can help prevent an easy sale turning into a nightmare later.

Of course be courteous and help load/unload items. If someone is paying in large bills, don’t be afraid to double-check whether they're real bills and have them authenticated at a nearby bank. If you’re dealing with a very high priced item, I would even recommend going through PayPal. If the buyer is coming to you, ask them to pay before leaving, so all the monetary issues are complete.

A Classic Recipe

What are you making for dinner this week?  Do you need a side that will satisfy everyone's sweet tooth?  This classic Baked Apple Dumpling recipe may be perfect for you.  This recipe is a staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it may be perfect for any fall occasion.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.
Up until a few days ago, Cracker Barrel's apple dumplings were all I knew. Spicy-sweet apple chunks are tucked into a mini gratin dish, snuggled under a buttery pie crust, and sprinkled with a crunchy pecan streusel. Once baked, they're drenched in a rich and creamy caramel syrup and topped with heaping scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on their way out to the table. Talk about guilding the lily!

You might imagine my surprise when a Google search revealed no recipes that even came close to the Cracker Barrel apple dumplings of my past. According to the internet (and some reputable cookbooks) a true apple dumpling is a whole apple that is peeled and cored, sprinkled with butter and cinnamon sugar, and swaddled beneath a flaky pastry crust. A similar concept as Cracker Barrel's, but different. Still sounds pretty tasty to me.

Feeling up to the challenge, I decided to play with the traditional version since it is considered the "classic." (Really, I have so many apples squirreled away right now it wouldn't be a big deal to make both. As long as someone helped me eat them!) There's a decent amount of recipes available for apple dumplings around the web, all varying in some small degree or another. The main differences seemed to be the crust type, ranging from frozen puff pastry, pie dough, or pâté sucrée.

I ended up trying out a few different versions, one using my favorite butter pie crust from America's Test Kitchen and the one you see below. Both have their pros and cons — the Test Kitchen crust had a great butter flavor and nice cooked texture, but was really difficult to shape when it came time to wrap the apples. The shortening crust you see below on the other hand, lacks the mild buttery flavor of the first crust but came together super quick and proved much sturdier. They're both great, so feel free to use whichever you're most comfortable with.

I really did fall hard for this new-to-me version of apple dumplings. I served a batch as the grand finale at a recent potluck I hosted, to rave moans and groans from the crowd. I can't wait to make them again, although now I need to take a quick trip to Cracker Barrel to get my fix of theirs... Dang!

Do you have an heirloom recipe for apple dumplings you'd like to share? I'd love to hear your version.





Baked Apple Dumplings

Makes 6 dumplings



(Note: I just remade this recipe using a double batch of Anne Willian's pâte brisée, and it was the best of both crust worlds. The egg yolks yielded a very pliable dough, and the butter added the flavor that was missing from the shortening version. I highly recommend you check it out! It may just be my new "go-to" pie crust recipe.)

For the Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch kosher salt
4 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup milk (or just enough to make the dough stick together)

For the Filling
Juice from one lemon
6 extra small baking apples (such as Gala)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

For the Caramel Sauce
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
Pinch of kosher salt

Vanilla ice cream, to serve.

For the dumplings, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Add milk — 1/4 cup at a time — and stir until a shaggy ball of dough just begins to form. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll into a large rectangle or square, about 1/8-inch thick.

Cut a piece of parchment paper into a 6-inch square. Using the parchment paper as a guide, cut out 6 total squares from the dough, gathering scraps and re-rolling as needed. Layer the dough on pieces of parchment paper and refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Add the lemon juice to a bowl of ice water. If necessary, slice off the bottom of each apple so it sits level on the counter. Peel and core each apple and place in the lemon water to prevent browning.

To make the filling, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bottom of a square of dough with sugar mixture. Place an apple in the center of dough. Put one pat of butter in the core of the apple and sprinkle additional sugar mixture inside. Bring the four corners of dough up around the apple, pinching the edges to seal and folding over excess if necessary. Continue with all of the apples.

Arrange the apple dumplings in a large cast iron skillet, leaving about 1-inch of space between each apple. Bake until the crust begins to turn golden brown, about 20 - 25 minutes. Meanwhile make the caramel sauce. Remove the par-baked dumplings from the oven and pour the caramel over top and around the apples.

Reduce oven to 350°. Continue to bake the dumplings until the sauce is thick and bubbly and the apples are very tender when pierced, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before eating. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

To make the caramel sauce, combine the brown sugar, water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 2 -3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and pour over dumplings before returning to the oven.

Reuse these Disposable Items

What disposable items do you throw away after one use.  These items can be used for more than just what they are intended for.  Aluminum foil, filters, and chopsticks are just a few of the things Apartment Therapy says can be used for other projects.

Disposable products may be cheap and convenient, but there’s a cost associated with throwing out all that material. Many items have alternate uses and longer lives than just the one use their makers intended. Instead of throwing them away, get the most you can out of the following six things.

Aluminum Foil: After using tin foil to cover the casserole, save it and use it again around the house. Alternate uses range from getting rid of rust to homemade funnels. For more ideas, read 9 Other 

Ways to Use Aluminum Foil Around the House.

Water Filters: Filtered water is less waste than bottled water, and a fraction of the cost. You can extend the life of your Brita even longer by refilling the filter with some basic ingredients. To learn the process, head over to How To Refill a "Disposable" Brita Filter.

Dryer Sheets: If you use dryer sheets to reduce static and soften you laundry, you can get a little more use out of used ones after a load. For the full list, read20 Household Uses for Used (Yes, Used) Dryer Sheets.

Razors: Good for more than just stubble, disposable razors can also be used to remove pills from sweaters. Give them a good shave and get your clothing looking better than before. Also, read this good tip on how to increase the life of disposable razors over at Today I Found Out.

Chopsticks: If I could ever remember to tell my local Vietnamese restaurant to not throw chopsticks in the to go bag, I’d be a happier person. Instead, I have a pile of them in a drawer, and always look for ways to use them up. This article on 10 Ways to Reuse Chopsticks helps.

Coffee Filters: Before you throw out your used filter, use it (and the grounds) in the base of a flower pot. It will act as fertilizer of sorts, and also prevent soil from leaking through the drain holes and making a mess. For more, see 7 Household Uses for Coffee Grounds.

Delicious Fall Recipes

This summer is not over yet, but people are already in the fall mindset.  That is why we are looking ahead for some fall recipes you may enjoy.  This recipe we have found uses a favorite fall ingredient! You can learn more at allrecipes.

Eat Healthy During Your Vacation

Do you have any vacations left this year? Just because you are going away does not mean you have to give up your diet.  We have gathered some great ideas on how to stay healthy when you are away.  Try these tips and do not forget to splurge once or twice!  You can learn more at TravelTips.

Step 1

Take your own snacks for a road trip or plane ride. This will keep you from stopping at convenience stores or vending machines for packaged foods, or having only cookies or chips to select on the plane. Trail mix, homemade granola, popcorn, pretzels, chopped raw vegetables, hummus, apples, plums and pears make great travel snacks. Eat any fresh produce prior to reaching an international destination to adhere to customs regulations.

Step 2

Find a supermarket or farmer’s market as soon as you reach your destination. Pick up some fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pretzels and popcorn that can serve as snacks or a breakfast alternative during your stay.

Step 3

Fill up on healthy foods at the breakfast or lunch buffet, especially if you are staying at a resort. Focus on getting plenty of fresh fruits, salads and greens, and whole grains such as oatmeal. Then, if you are forced to eat some lesser healthy meals throughout the day, you will have at least eaten plenty of produce and fiber at one or two meals.

Step 4

Choose sit-down restaurants instead of fast food establishments during your travels. This might take extra time, but you will have a better opportunity to ask your server how foods are prepared and add special requests for healthier meals, such as dressings on the side, grilled or broiled instead of fried, and substituting vegetables and salads for fried side dishes.

Step 5

Seek out local restaurants that use local products. The less distance your food has traveled, the more nutrients it typically retains. In addition, restaurants that pride themselves on local products often provide healthy options, such as meals focused on the use of local fruits and vegetables. These foods are usually prepared in a way that maintains their natural flavor, not covered in high-calorie, fatty sauces and toppings.

Step 6

Select fatty fish such as salmon, grilled meats, fresh salads, broth-based soups and wraps or sandwiches without sauces as your entrees, instead of deep-fried foods and entrees with heavy cream sauces. Enjoy the food the area is known for, such as grilled fishes from the sea or fruit desserts in a tropical destination.

Step 7

Share your meals around the table. Serving sizes at standard restaurants can easily feed two people. If you have a party of four, consider selecting only two to three entrees and sharing them. Even if the food can’t be classified as healthy, eating less is better than enjoying the whole thing yourself.

Step 8

Choose your splurges wisely, but do allow for some splurges--it is a vacation. Consider your favorite things and enjoy them, but pass on the things you can easily get at home that add extra calories. For example, you can have a roll at any meal at home, but that gourmet tiramisu or top-shelf martini can be harder to come by.

New Mattress Time

Have you had the same mattress for too many years?  A new mattress can improve sleep, posture, and in general make you feel better.  If you think it is time for a new mattress, Apartment Therapy has some great tips for you to look over. This blog will help you prepare and know what you want when buying that new mattress.

My current mattress is 10+ years old. The one before that was an air mattress, and the one before that was an ancient family hand-me-down. Clearly I need to read this post so my bedroom—and my dreams—will be fabulous.

Number of Coils, Number of Turns: The mattress expert consulted by Real Simple "recommends a minimum of 350 coils for a full-size mattress, 480 for a queen, and 580 for a king". And Martha Stewart insists that each coil "should be 'turned' at least five times in each coil."

How Tall Are You? According to Martha Stewart, "a mattress should measure at least six inches longer than the tallest person sleeping on it." This means that most of my family members should own California Kings.

Medium-Firm Is Probably Just Right: Consumer Reports, my go-to source for everything these days, consulted several experts who recommended medium-firm mattresses: "If a mattress is too firm, it won't support the body evenly and may cause discomfort at the heaviest points (hips and shoulders). If it's too soft, a sleeper could sink into the surface and have a hard time moving, which could cause tingling, numbness, or aches." Numbness?!

Hot Sleeper? If you're considering a foam mattress, Real Simple wants to remind you that "Foam retains heat well, so if you get hot while sleeping, look for open-cell construction for maximum breathability."

Make Yourself At Home: Consumer Reports wants you to really test out mattresses, odd looks from other customers be damned: "Spend at least five minutes on each side and on your back (your stomach, too, if that's a preferred sleeping position)." Danny Seo advised CasaSugar to go one step further: "Resting your head on whatever number of pillows you normally sleep on will give you a true feel for how a new mattress will feel when you sleep on it."

Be Firm: "Since mattresses soften with age and wear, it's a good idea to buy one that's somewhat firmer than what you are used to." This tip is from Martha Stewart, and I find it the most challenging— it seems difficult to tell if something is slightly too firm now but will age nicely eventually without being too firmforever.

Replace The Box Spring, Too...Or Don't: Good Housekeeping quotes the Better Sleep Council as saying, "When you replace the mattress replace the box spring as well. Over time the constant compression of the springs will compromise the structural integrity of the box spring." But Consumer Reports found that "80 percent of those who kept their old one reported that they were sleeping better after replacing just the mattress. So if your box spring isn't broken and is still structurally sound, consider keeping it and saving several hundred dollars." Controversy!

Look Forward to Turning 40: Among all the other great tips, Consumer Reports mentions, "You should think about buying a new mattress if you wake up tired or achy, you tend to sleep better at hotels than at home, your mattress looks saggy or lumpy, you're over 40..." I want a new mattress every year after my 40th birthday! And someone to move it for me.

6 Tips To Make Organization Easier

 Keeping your apartment clean can be a challenge for everyone.  Many times this chore gets tossed to the side because of work, plans, or activities.  However, you may be making this chore harder than it has to be.  Apartment Therapy has gathered some great tips on making this chore a lot easier.  This advice will help your home stay cleaner longer, and it will give you more time to do the things you would like to do.


You may have discovered (thanks to this post) that you've been making keeping your house clean harder than it has to be. Might you also be making it harder to keep your house organized, cleaning's important and annoying cousin? A stress-free house is not just a dust-free one, it's one where you can find stuff when you need it and don't have stacks of unnecessary stuff adding to your home's clutter. Check out this list of six ways you might be making it harder to stay organized and see what you can eliminate this weekend!


1. You don't immediately toss unimportant stuff
Put a recycling bin next to your mail box and a shredder next to your door. The moment you get your mail, toss what you don't need, shred personal info-marked things you don't need and then immediately file what you need to file. Don't put things in a basket to look at later. If you want to look at it later — just put it where it's supposed to be anyway, and go look at it later there.

2. You emotionally hold on to stuff you know you don't need
This is always a tough one, since objects can have memories attached to them. But we're not talking about that stuff. We're talking about the hiking boots you've never worn once that you keep hanging on to because you might climb Everest one day. We're talking about the "perfectly good" things you bought for a good reason but have never used once.When it comes to keeping organized, having more stuff than you need to organize is just silly. Less stuff, less things that will need organizing.

3. You've convinced yourself you don't have enough room, and so have given up hope
Hey we get it. Having a tiny home is tough on staying organized, especially when you lack obvious storage. But don't give up and give in. Kick that defeatist attitude to the curb! Pay attention to the first two tips in this post for sure. But then also make sure you're maximizing the storage you do have. Got three inches under your bed? Use them! Have only one hanging rod in your closet? Come on — fit more in there! Don't have any shelves above your doors or up high? You've got to be kidding me. If you don't have room for the things you legitimately need, make room. But don't make extra storage for future stuff, as you'll definitely find something to fill it up with.

4. You haven't given yourself the right tools
The trick here is really giving yourself the right organizing tools that work for you. Spend a week or more really looking at your home and where the clutter collects. Are you someone who tosses clothes around your room when trying on outfits and never re-hangs them up? Either switch to drawers or plan your outfits ahead of time and place an over-the-door hanger in the room just for that purpose. Are you a chronic junk drawer creator? Fill it with dividers so you're forced to stick to a system. You don't have to get fancy and drop a ton of money at the Container Store, but do invest in the tools you'll need if they'll help you.

5. Your filing system is too complicated and so you never stick with it for long
That's really awesome that you spent that weekend alphabetizing and labeling and whatever else-ing until your home was the absolute pinnacle of organization — for like a day. But if something is too complicated — or too hard to get to — you won't stick with it. And sometimes being too specific with labels can work against you — when you come across something that doesn't perfectly fit into a label you end up not putting it away and a pile gets started. And piles multiply faster than tribbles.

6. You're not asking for help when you need it or setting boundaries
There's no shame in asking for organizing help from a friend if you need it. But you also need to learn to ask for help with the people you live with — work with them on showing them the organizational methods you've put into place and tell them it's important they follow them, too.