Use Pantry to Help Organize More Than Just Your Pantry.
Getting organized is hard when you live in a materialistic world bombarded with sales pitches and the latest, greatest tools and treasures that are sure to improve your life if you just shell out the money for them. That’s why there are so many approaches to this . But I’ve recently noticed a new “challenge” popping up on social media that requires even more discipline than vowing to throw away one item every time you get a new one. The Three Rivers Pantry challenge encourages you not to buy new items until all the old versions are completely used up.
What is the Three Rivers Pantry?
This particular challenge comes from Three Rivers Homestead , a YouTube channel dedicated to “a homeschooling and living family of 10 living the dream and documenting it.” Three years ago, they released their #ThreeRiversChallenge , explaining that every January and February the family eats what they have frozen in their pantry and takes nothing else. No new products for two months.
The idea is to use up what is available before restocking. This is valuable even if you live in a small apartment, don’t have a pantry full of canned goods, and aren’t cooking for a family of 10: you’ll learn the value of what you have without cluttering your home with things you don’t need. needed, and feel good about spending what you have on hand rather than being wasteful.
Adapting the tidying task
The thinking behind the Three Rivers Challenge is quite adaptable. In fact, it has been adapted and has been around for quite some time in different forms for different needs. For example, on forums like Reddit’s Makeup Rehab , users discuss their attempts to use up entire palettes or other makeup before purchasing new ones. It’s damn hard, I assure you: new makeup comes out all the time. It’s trending online, and Sephora’s siren calls day and night for those of us who constantly watch GRWM videos. I probably have five different primers that claim to tighten pores and help foundation last longer. I fall for it every time, but I don’t really need an A. I need one and maybe a second one to carry around in my travel bag.
To tailor the task to your needs, take some time to think about what makes up the majority of your clutter or what items you have too much of. For me it’s hair tools, makeup and accessories ( although I try really hard to cut down on accessories ). For you, this could be candles, seasonal home decor, or a stash of half-used shampoos and conditioners. The trick to determining if you have “too much” of something is to consider if you have duplicates (or triplets… or more) of certain items that you won’t need to use because you already have one that works. As mentioned, I don’t need five nosebands because I can only wear one at a time. There will never be a situation where I need access to two at the same time.
Once you figure out what items you keep accumulating unnecessarily, make a plan. Do not buy new items in this category for two months. During these two months, use up everything you can, if it can be used. Skin care, makeup, food, candles – anything that gets used up should be used up before you buy a new one, even if it takes more than two months. For other items, like clothes or tools, use two months to track how often you actually use them. If you have three ladles in your drawer, but you only use one every time you make soup, not only should you not buy a new one if you see one on sale, but you should consider getting rid of at least one of them them.
Proponents of the settler challenge proclaim that it causes “a dopamine rush, resulting in the devastation of what you’ve worked so hard to own.” You worked hard to get money for all these things. Use it. In particular, beauty and personal care products have an expiration date. They won’t do you any good if you have seven of them on your shelf.