I Used the Japanese Concept of “Mottainai” to Organize my Fridge
Confession: I haven’t cleaned out or organized my refrigerator and freezer in a while. So I seized the opportunity to tackle this long-ignored task after my husband and I hosted Sunday dinner for the family. The fridge looked empty, as we had just used up all the fresh stuff on the shelves, but the freezer was still loaded up from a recent Trader Joe’s run — and it was a scene.
Case in point: As I was rummaging through the frozen items, I was dismayed to find three bags of broccoli. It won’t go to waste because we like broccoli, but I would make sure I was more mindful during my next shopping trip.
I have some encouragement in that pursuit: I recently discovered on Apartment Therapy the Japanese philosophy of mottainai, which is loosely translated as “what a waste” or “too good to waste” and is all about being mindful of your resources and avoiding waste.
Inspired by that broccoli debacle, I decided it wasn’t enough just to wipe down the shelves and straighten out the contents. I needed to reorganize it all so that everything would eventually be used, and I wouldn’t replenish until necessary.
How I Put Mottainai into Practice with My Fridge and Freezer
First, I started with the fridge. I removed items and wiped down each shelf. This didn’t take long because there wasn’t much there. Pro tip: Time this task before a shopping haul so you have nice, clean shelves for easy stocking.
Then I placed things neatly back on the shelves so I could see everything when I opened up the fridge. I organized like items together in a way that made it easy to grab them in order of freshness so that nothing goes to waste. For example, I purchase a lot of yogurt for my breakfast smoothies, so I put all those containers in a tray that I can easily pull out and glance at expiration dates so that I know which ones to use up first.
I also spent some time organizing the shelves on the door. There was a lot of stuff “hiding” there that I kept buying because I thought they needed to be replenished. For example, I found two containers of butter and four bottles of mustard. Granted, they were three different kinds of mustard, but I’d say we’re good with mustard for a while.
Then I moved onto the freezer. I worked quickly because I didn’t want to waste energy by letting all that frigid air out. I organized bags of frozen vegetables in a basket by sitting them upright, one in front of the other like file folders. That’s how I discovered the superfluous broccoli, but at least now I can see them and grab one easily next time.
I removed meat and poultry packages from the plastic produce bags they were in from the store. This is a bad habit I’ve gotten into in my rush to stock perishable items quickly after a grocery trip. When I remove the bags, I can see what protein we have, plus the packages look and stack neater.
I took a moment for mental meal planning, then organized some proteins and sides near each other. This will prevent having to dig through the freezer for side dishes — and yes, I have a bag of broccoli at the ready.
Final Results
In about 15 minutes, my freezer and fridge both looked like they had been organized by a pro. I admired my work for a minute, then I made a grocery list. Aside from writing down things we needed to replenish, I wrote down a few things we didn’t need — butter, broccoli, mustard — to remind myself not to buy any more of them unless there was a sale too good to miss.
I’ll need to learn to take it slow when stocking the fridge and freezer after the next grocery haul to keep things organized — I don’t know why, but I rush to stock the shelves like everything is on the verge of melting or spoiling. And because I won’t have as many duplicates of items to find room for, I might actually be able to keep up with my newly organized fridge and freezer.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
