Organizing Tip #5: Usage Considerations: Single vs. Multiple
I think it’s beneficial to consider the differences in how one would organize single use 
items differently than multiple use items.
Definitions: Single use items are things like a can of soup or a box of macaroni and cheese. Multiple use items include things like spices and oils.
I avoid giving places to single use items in my kitchen. They should ideally be placed in a pantry or other such location. The house that I’m living in now does not have much of a pantry so many of my single use items are located on shelves in the garage (which is right next to the kitchen). Although I could re-arrange to try and fit more of them into my kitchen, I prefer to have an easily useable, uncluttered kitchen. I would much rather take the extra steps to the garage to acquire food items, then regularly have to move items or dig for items in my kitchen. The Real Estate in my kitchen is too valuable for 
items that fluctuate in amounts as much as single use items.
It’s much more valuable to take the time to organize the space where you keep multiple use items. If the space is well organized, items will be used and then return to their places. Single use items are more likely to fluctuate in amounts . I’m more likely to buy 10 cans of beans on a sale then 10 containers of cinnamon. It’s much harder to keep a space organized if the amounts of different items fluctuates greatly.
Question: Can you classify the pictured food as either single use or multiple use? Leave your answer in the comments section.
How about cajun fish seasoning? Would you buy 10 jars of that? Would you classify cajun fish seasoning as a ‘single use’, a ‘multiple use’, or would you create a category all its own for gourmet items of this variety?
It depends on the way the cajun fish seasoning is packaged. Is it packaged in a single use packet or a canister style package? Also, if you had lots of them and they were a high frequency use item, they could go in the kitchen, even if they were packaged for single use.
Personally, I think I’d store that type of seasoning at my parents house because it sounds gross and they eat much more fish than me!
The jar of peanutbutter is definately a single use item. . . me, a spoon, and a good movie. . . mmmmmmmm