Organizing my fridge & freezer with Walmart+!

Anyone else on a seriously early spring cleaning kick lately? Like since, oh, I don't know, the day after the New Year?! I got the itch in January to finally actually clean out our black hole closet and create a back stock with a $25 home organization solution, and ever since then I've been on a ROLL!!

I just finished organizing my linen closet and stocking my back stock with any and all products our family needs and it's been a huuuuge weight off. Like I just want to stand in my beautiful closet and stare at all the perfect bins! Not only did I get all the clear bins I needed through Walmart+, but they had so much of what I wanted to stock up on as well. From beauty care to batteries, Walmart has you covered!

After my closet was done I knew what HAD to be next on my organization list: the fridge! They have been driving me nuts for months now and I decided it was time to tackle this high-traffic spot in our home. Keep reading to find out how I did this with $30 in one afternoon!

Why Walmart+

First things first, have you guys heard of Walmart+?? It's Walmart's newest service that gives you everything from free grocery delivery to easier checkout! It's only $98 a year (or $12.95/month) and you get INCREDIBLE benefits including:

• Free next-day and 2-day shipping on things sold by Walmart.com with no minimum purchase
• Same-day grocery delivery (usually within 2 hours)
• The new Walmart+ Scan & Go! With this benefit, you can literally walk into a Walmart, grab as little or as many things as you need and then CHECK OUT ON YOUR PHONE without standing in line!
• Member prices on fuel: Save .05 cents per gallon at Walmart and Murphy stations, plus access to Sam's member-only gas stations!

This blows my MIND. Scan, pay and be on your way!

I'm ALWAYS game for anything that helps me skip the line, have stuff dropped on my doorstep faster than I can believe, for no extra cost. Plus if you want true contactless shopping, Walmart+ is THE way to go.

Refrigerator Rehaul

Okay when you've geared up and decided to organize the fridge (or anything, really), first you have to take it alllll out. When I did the Marie Kondo system with my girls in their closets last weekend, that was the first step for them too! It's a necessary evil but just know how amazing you'll feel after it's all done! (While you're at it, do a deep clean and wash/wipe down your shelves for a full 360 degree makeover.)

Here's a lovely little BEFORE. Yes, I really was squeezing stuff into every last square inch of real estate in there!!

Next, categorize the items on your counter (this will make it so much easier when you start to put stuff into the bins!) Think condiments, produce, cheese, kids stuff, beverages, etc. You can also put your stuff in rainbow order! This is aesthetically pleasing but helps kids as well because often times they can't read labels but can remember what color the bottle or box is! It's a good chore for kids to do too.

Trim down

Okay before you go thinking this is a weight loss tip, it's really just a tip about cutting out the fluff. What's the number one place things go to get lost? The laundry room. Number two? THE FRIDGE or FREEZER.

Be honest with me – just HOW many things are living in your fridge that you haven't used in a good 6+ months? There were waaaaay too many condiments and bottles of whoozits and whatsits galore that were taking up precious space because nobody had the time or discipline to toss the stuff we did not actually use. ALSO, When I was organizing my linen closet, I found FIVE different bug sprays because I kept buying a new one every time I couldn't find one! This same thing happens in our fridge/freezer. It's so important as the CEO of my household to be able to quickly open my fridge and see what's in there before my big grocery run otherwise I'm shopping blind.

REMEMBER: you want to end up with a LOT of empty space – as much as possible – so that there's room to add new, fresh food in there! So GET RID of all that stuff you're not actually eating!

I didn't quite have time to tackle the freezer but you better believe it's next on my list, for this same reason.

Meals Made Easy

My friend Kelsey Nixon also had another GENUIS idea I have to share! When she meal plans for the week and then does her grocery shopping, she always puts all the ingredients she needs for the meal in one bin. That way, if she knows on Monday she's making tacos, there's a taco bin with everything she needs to make them! I haven't tried this yet but I think it's a great idea for those who meal plan and want a different idea of how to organize your refrigerator, and it would be an AWESOME use of these beautiful $30 acrylic fridge bins I used to organize our fridge.

Oh and P.S. those bins have earned almost 100 5-star reviews, so I'm not the only one who loves them!!

After years and years of cooking I've adopted a cooking process that seriously cuts down on the prep time and makes everything more simple.

I get everything out of the fridge that I need BEFORE I start cooking and it helps the whole process go so much smoother!

I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but have you ever watched someone cook who only does one step at a time? It takes foreverrrr. I always set out any tools and ingredients I'll need so that each step flows into the next instead of having to stop after every ingredient. So when everything is already organized in my fridge, I'm able to do that A LOT more quickly.

Tips

• EYE LEVEL: When you're putting things back into the fridge and deciding where everything goes, put the stuff you WANT your kids to eat at their eye level! Carrots, apples, cheese sticks, anything you want them to snack on!
• LABEL: A way to make sure that your stuff stays organized is to label your bins! Chances are you're not going to put something in the wrong bin and mess up the system, right?! Keep the labels pretty general so that other people can help you. You don't have to get fancy labels either, you can just use sharpie and your best handwriting.
• DITCH THE BOXES: When you take the time to take refrigerator and freezer items out of their box and into the clear containers, you are actually saving SO much space! Think Go-Gurts, Uncrustables, Yasso bars (if you haven't tried these treats, get on it!), Eggo waffles! Lots of times these foods are in huge awkward boxes that you can totally get rid of. And how many times have you gone to get your favorite ice cream bar and THE BOX IS EMPTY! If everything is in its own clear container you can see what you need and order it from Walmart+ for grocery delivery!
• DOUBLE IT: When I prepare CSE meals, I always double it so that we can all eat the dinner one night and then have enough for Neil and I for lunch the next day. I bought these specific containers to keep my leftovers or meal prep meals in so that it looks uniform and is still functional. It's also good to portion out so that I know how much to eat for my macro-balanced meal! Seeing the meals in front of me in an appetizing (not haphazard) way, makes meal prepping THAT much better.

More Walmart+ Perks

Grocery Delivery

Another bonus of Walmart+ is the free, same-day grocery delivery! Because tons of people aren't wanting to venture into stores these days, delivery services are on the rise. The problem is that most delivery services spike their food costs when you shop or charge you an extra fee to deliver and you don't even realize it until you're stuck with a massive grocery bill! I love that I can always rely on the famous Walmart low prices AND still get my stuff delivered to my door. I don't know any other place that sells packaged goods for prices as low as Walmart!

Tip about tips: Usually I give the delivery person a 10% tip! I try to remember that the person delivering my groceries is just another person trying to make a living and the extra few dollars is always worth it to me!

Free Next-day or 2-day Shipping

Even though I've loved the grocery delivery, the thing I've used Walmart+ for the very most is the free next-day or two-day shipping! I've always loved ordering anything and everything on Walmart.com, but usually you have to spend at least $35 to qualify for free shipping. With Walmart+, there's no minimum: all qualifying items ship free and will be at your doorstep before you know it! 

This is the fastest shipping experience I've had with ANY company. Period.

BOLD WORDS, but I can back them up! I have ordered something at 8pm, only to have it be on my doorstep the next day by noon. Not just once, not a fluke. This KEEPS HAPPENING! Obviously it's different depending on where you live, but this whole situation has been blowing my mind!

More of what you need, FASTER!

I ordered the bins, my groceries AND the cleaning supplies I needed to do my fridge/freezer overhaul and it made it SO much easier! I can't stop thinking of reasons to utilize Walmart+ because it just might be the most convenient thing in my life right now! These storage containers would have cost me triple the price at designer stores, and they work just as well. I love that I can always rely on Walmart for the LOWEST prices!

Seriously I've been so incredibly happy with not only the service but the all the products I've ordered with my new membership. You can try a free 15 day trial here to save time and money while still getting everything you need!