I couldn't have said it better myself! The two weapons I have against "over gathering" are: 1) Now that I'm concious of "over gathering" I try to ask myself if I really need stuff BEFORE I bring it home But as you said...human nature pushes us in the other direction so I rely on 2) regular scheduled mini-declutters that force me to face the problem before it grows into an all out organizational disaster. These two tips aren't foolproof...but they work for me.

Hello Maureen. You're probably right...garbage men are a lot more rough with the tote then I am. That said, my guy's survived three years peppered with more then a few frigid Canadian days and nights. Does anybody else have any experiences with these?

Lisa that's a great idea! When you only have one line of totes with your label of contents facing you.....you're ok. But if you have multiple layers of totes its easy to forget what's where and avoid the whole thing like the plague. That's how things get lost and unorganized. I like your spreadheet idea. Its kind of like a legend or a quick reference to find your stuff. Your last point is key...."I update a few times a year as needed." That kind of regular organizational upkeep is crucial to any system. Good on you.

Ah ha. Fellow Torontonian. The hard part isn't making the list....its sticking to it.

Wow. These are a lot of great ideas! I guess it all depends on how "neat" you want it to look. We all have different thresholds. To me the duct taped paper works fine. It allows me to easily see what's being stored inside. That said....I wouldn't be able to get away with it anywhere else but the basement (ok maybe the garage).

Thanks Zeta....its strange to think that I'm "inspiring" anyone on the organization front... If you get around to it...let us know how it went.

Hello Mikael. Thanks for your note. As for a 'shelving system that holds roughneck totes' unfortunately we don't make one. That said if you go to any big box retailer they'll have resin shelving units (5 tier and 4 tier) that can hold them. As for the "suggestion box" go to http://www.rubbermaid.com/MediaCenter/aboutUS/Pages/newIdeas.aspx Thanks. Brian

Thanks. I've learned that I need to keep the "system" (in this case a tote full of linens for guests) as simple as possible. That way my wife and I can hopefully stick to it. Brian

Thanks. That "habit" of yours is just what I'm trying to manufacture..... It defintitely doesn't come naturally to me.... or my wife. What do you think of my "to-do list" strategy? http://blog.rubbermaid.com/home/2009/08/the-to-do-list.html

Interesting. I like the tit for tat idea. I definitely have some "habits" that bother her....but that's for another blog.

Very harsh words but probably true. Little disagreements can fester and grow. If I had any doubts before....I'm now sold on the close the door option.

I don't want to die on any Hill Cindy. Not just yet. Melissa and you offer sage advice.

Melissa you're absolutely right....I was leaning that way and I just needed someone to push me.

Hello Julie. First off, I'm glad you liked our handy-work! As for "who handled the actual organization".... that was our winner herself. The marketing department installed the FastTrack system but it was the home owner that decided what would go where. Your suggestion to label tubs and and shelves is a good one that I will definitely pass on. In terms of somewhere to go to see the system installed, I'd suggest visiting the Garage section of our website at http://www.rubbermaid.com/garage where we have a demo video posted. Or if you want to see the whole adventure from disaster, to planning to install.... take a look at Jim Deitzel's "My Rubbermaid Garage Makeover" five part blog series. Thanks for your comment. Brian