January is a good time of year to get your home organized for the next twelve months. If you are looking for the perfect home organization plan, consider starting small and working your way up to the larger projects. A few simple tips will get you on the way to home organization at its finest.

-Use a flatware tray for utensils and place it neatly in a kitchen drawer. This will keep every utensil separate and will make it easy to find the one you want in a matter of seconds.

-Organize your favorite recipes in alphabetical order for quick reference. Even better is putting your recipes on your computer.

-If you have a large number of VHS or DVD movies, consider a media unit to neatly store your collection. If feasible, select a wooden unit for strength and a pleasant appearance as opposed to inexpensive, plastic units.

-When storing away your seasonal clothes, don’t just hang them in the closet until next year. Instead, purchase a large plastic lidded storage tub and place your seasonal clothes neatly inside. Rather than folding, try rolling your clothes as this will reduce wrinkles and fold lines. In addition, it will save a lot of space. Place the storage tub in the floor of your closet and label the tub according to the clothing inside.

-Are you always losing pens and/or pencils? If so, consider using a coffee mug for neat and easy storage of your pens and/or pencils. Everyone has a coffee mug and this is a much more whimsy way of storing your writing utensils rather than a typical pen/pencil holder. Empty coffee containers are also useful for storing extra pens and pencils.

-Be sure to throw out any old magazines and/or newspapers. The best way to store them is a handled basket next to the sofa. However, this unit needs to be cleaned regularly in order to avoid any unsightly clutter.

-It is a good idea to keep all important papers, including deeds, titles and tax papers in a fireproof protective box. This box should also feature a lock & key and can be placed anywhere in the house. Most individuals place this underneath their bed.

-If you have any items that you no longer want, consider donating them to a local non-profit agency. This will save space and you will be doing a good deed at the same time.

-In order to avoid clutter, it may be necessary to throw away certain types of mail. This may include credit card offers, but don’t just throw them out without first shredding the letters. Identity theft is a huge problem and using a paper shredder on any bills or credit card offers will prevent anyone from ever gaining access to your private financial information.

-Make sure that your kitchen is neatly organized with all appliances close to an electrical outlet. You don’t want to have power cords running across the countertop. Having the microwave, toaster and coffee maker all in one location will be very convenient.

-After you have received all of your necessary income tax information, it is time to clean out the files cabinet of last year's papers and bills. Make sure to use the shredder again for this task.