{"id":88838,"date":"2024-04-09T17:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T17:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/09\/thanks-to-this-pro-organizers-brilliant-tip-i-can-fit-3-times-as-much-food-in-my-fridge\/"},"modified":"2024-04-09T17:45:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T17:45:00","slug":"thanks-to-this-pro-organizers-brilliant-tip-i-can-fit-3-times-as-much-food-in-my-fridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/09\/thanks-to-this-pro-organizers-brilliant-tip-i-can-fit-3-times-as-much-food-in-my-fridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Thanks to This Pro Organizer\u2019s Brilliant Tip, I Can Fit 3 Times as Much Food in My Fridge"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
We independently<\/a> select these products\u2014if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

I open my workhorse of a refrigerator at least a dozen times a day (a good reason not<\/em> to store dairy in the door<\/a>, by the way), so I\u2019m always looking for ways to make it better. In my latest round of organizational self-care, I called my all-time favorite pro organizer, Stephanie Treantos, founder of Lemonaid Solutions<\/a> (@lemonaidsolutions<\/a>), to get some tips and tricks on how to make my overstuffed refrigerator more efficient to use and<\/em> easier on the eyes. I sent her a few photos of my fridge and I was blown away by what she suggested \u2014 and how satisfying the results were.\u00a0Here are her best tips.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

1. Leave one shelf empty for leftovers.\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Everything fits in my refrigerator \u2026 until I need to squeeze in half a leftover pizza<\/a>. Treantos recommends leaving \u201ca small shelf open for [the leftovers] that will come and go throughout the week.\u201d This simple rule makes kitchen closing duties<\/a> far less maddening, and it\u2019s my favorite change I made to my fridge.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

2. Look for alternative storage options.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

The fridge is high-value real estate with a clear limit. Prioritize items that must<\/em> be refrigerated, and relocate less sensitive items to a \u201ccool, dark pantry\u201d or \u201csecondary fridge.\u201d I moved nuts and specialty flours to the pantry and my sourdough starter to a mini fridge<\/a> in the garage, making space for my glorious new leftovers shelf.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

3. Shop for the space you have.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

I am clearly not going to go through the eight pints<\/em> of cream in my fridge in seven days. I can dial back the scarcity mindset shopping and use that space for \u201cpriority items needed to get through the week.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cOf course, we all wish we had a Sub-Zero<\/a> and could shop on a whim for anything and everything we might need,\u201d says Treantos. \u201cBut because that\u2019s not the case for many of us, we have to be smart in the way we shop.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

4. Edit things you don\u2019t like.\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

When Treantos told me I could remove condiments I \u201ctried but didn\u2019t like,\u201d it was a revelation. I realized, if left unchecked, I was going to keep that yuzu hot sauce until it expired, and then<\/em> throw it out. Instead, I offered it to a neighbor, reducing waste on two fronts \u2014 the food itself and the space it was taking up in my refrigerator.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n