In 15 minutes, I could save $15.00 or more... by decluttering!

CC by enigmachck1 on flickr

I have often read the advice to the busy that one could declutter in minutes stolen from the day... and I finally tried it, for the first time.  I was making dinner, and waiting for the salmon to grill, which takes about 20 minutes.  I was putting away my tin of Greek Seasoning, when I noticed that I had another one, even bigger, hiding in the back of the spice shelf. 

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For reasons unknown to me, this was the tipping point.  Even though I have thought "I really need to declutter the spices," almost every time I have opened the cabinet for the last umpteen years, this time I just did it.

I'm somewhat culinarilly-challenged, so I have only bought spices when a recipe calls for them.  And apparently, I don't check before I put them on my shopping list, because I discovered:

• two jars of bay leaves
• chili, chili, chili in the form of powder and various celebrity mixes
• three jars of dill weed.  I guess I need to make pickles.
• four jars of nutmeg, one of them "whole," which I must have got while thinking "what would Martha do"
• two large jars of parsley flakes (one from 2004)

I wiped down the shelf-paper and scrubbed off the wire elevator shelves, put back the spices (starting with the back row), and put away a couple stray bottles of steak sauce--and was done by the time the fish was flaking.

It was a small thing, but very satisfying.  And the best part was I got points from DH.  I didn't even think he'd notice!  But he actually uses spices, so I guess it made a difference.  Now I'm inspired to tackle the two utensils drawers, that are stuffed with stuff I inherited from my Granpa eight years ago.

What's in your wallet?