Why is it so hard for us to declutter our cookbooks? For some people – they are not just cookbooks, they have sentimental meanings attached to them. Maybe they are cookbooks that were passed down from your mum or grandma and they are no longer with you, Perhaps, you used to love cooking and you used them all the time, but now you don't cook as much, but you don't want to let go of the books because they remind you of those (maybe happier) times.
If you're struggling for space in your kitchen, cookbooks are the easiest ways to make some much-needed space. Have a read through this post and if any of the following applies to you.
1 - Your shelf
is totally overflowing.
When you run out of
space, you have to declutter, if you don’t you end up with too much stuff and
too little space. If you enjoy cooking, it can be upsetting to think of your
prized collection of cookbooks as clutter, but if they are so stacked up or wedged
in or you have had to find another place to carry on your collection - they
start becoming a problem. Ask yourself the 3 questions above if there are any you are unsure of, like the
books you use occasionally why not photocopy or write down the recipes you love
from that book and donate the book to your local charity shop - It’s a winner
for everyone – You keep the recipes you love, the shop makes some money, and
the new owner of the cookbook can use those recipes.
2 - It’s covered
in dust.
When John and I
first moved in together, I wanted to be the perfect partner – I knew that I
couldn’t cook so I bought a lot of cookbooks to enable me to be the wife with
dinner on the table when he got home from work.
(Think Stepford Wives). What I
found was these cookbooks needed so many ingredients, most of which were different
in every recipe – so if I did decide to cook from the book – I didn’t have the
correct ingredient. Can you guess
what happened to the cookbooks? They sat
on my kitchen shelves looking oh so pretty – The fantasy of being a domestic
goddess had well and truly gone, but the cookbooks hadn’t.
We moved house twice and you know what – those cookbooks
came with us even though I didn’t even use them because I thought “One day, I
might need a recipe from them”. I did
not. I said goodbye packed them off to
the charity shop and good luck to the next person who bought them. I only have
7, no make that 9 recipe books now.
Some might say that is still too many – but I do use 5 quite regularly
and 2 I use occasionally – as I write this post – I have inspired myself to
discard the Jamie Oliver one – as I have never cooked anything from it.
3 - It’s never
been opened.
Maybe you were
given a cookbook as a gift – and it’s been sitting on your shelf ever
since. If it’s been at least a year never
even opened it, you can discard it. My
sister bought my husband and me one for Christmas a few years back – it was 100
soup and stew recipes – I know it was a well-thought-out gift, as John does
love to cook – but he doesn’t ever use a recipe book – he just comes up with
his own recipes. So, when I was
decluttering my cookbooks that had to go – Sorry Sis xx
4 - You
can’t read the recipes.
The hardest
cookbook to discard is the one that you use regularly – but you’ve spilt and
stained the book to the point where the pages are stuck together, I think it is
time to let this one go to the great cookbook heaven in the sky. If you are keeping it for sentimental reasons
that’s absolutely fine – if you have the space.
5 - You
get all your recipes online.
Even though I have my
Pinch of Nom cookbooks that I use regularly, if I am looking for a simple meal
idea - I’m much more likely to go online. If you’re the same -that’s fine, but
if it’s been years since using a physical cookbook, ask yourself do you really
need them anymore. By all means, if you have the space, and you like the
aesthetic keep them, but if you don’t have the space, think of the NOW you and
let them go. I have a notebook with my cookbooks, in which I write down
recipes that I have found online (or if I’m being lazy – I print them out and
stick them in) the notebook.
I hope this post has helped with your cookbook dilemma. Let me know in the comments if you are a
cookbook collector – or have felt the urge to purge, and what did you do with
your old books?
Believe in yourself, you got this, Now Go Declutter!