January 12, 2025

How Wirecutter journalists reset for a fresh year

An image of Wirecutter's picks for best kids backpacks, best hangers, best drills, best dry food storage containers, and best pencils for writing.

NYT Wirecutter

Today we’re talking about all the simple things we’re doing at the top of this new year to set ourselves up for success in 2025—making things a little easier, healthier, or more seamless. These aren’t resolutions. Instead, each of these should feel like easy-enough tasks you can knock out in a free afternoon. So you can pick one, feel a little accomplished, then get right back to your weekend. Future you will thank you.

Create an “everything” note for your fridge and pantry: Now is a great time to do a fridge deep-clean and pantry purge, checking the expiration dates on any canned, jarred, or bottled items. Then, reorganize everything using the FIFO (first in, first out) method. When it comes to restocking your basics, staff writer and kitchen expert Maki Yazawa shares this tip: “I have an ‘everything’ note on my phone, where I keep a running checklist of staple ingredients (olive oil, salt, pepper, spices, etc). I take the time to quickly uncheck them when I notice they’re running low, so I know to pick them up the next time I’m at the store. This helps me avoid buying duplicates.”

Plus: 3 cheap accessories we use to avoid cleaning the fridge altogether→
Refresh your go bag: Lead editor Katie Okamoto lives in Los Angeles, and amidst the week of devastating wildfires, she’s focusing on clearing her home’s air of smoke and reorganizing and identifying locations for things that she’d want to have on hand for a future wildfire emergency—and that includes refreshing her emergency go bag. “I do this periodically when there’s a disaster in the news, and I’m grateful I did it some time last year,” she says. “But there’s no time like the new year to make sure your reserve snacks and bottled water aren’t expired and make a clear list of what to grab that’s not in your go bag, too, so you can be efficient under crisis. Like, in my case, making sure my passport isn’t buried deep in some closet.”

All the gear our experts recommend for your emergency kit→
Donate the clothes you haven’t worn all year: Staff writer and style expert Hannah Frye starts every year by clearing out her closet—if it didn’t make it off the hanger in 12 months, chances are it won’t this year, either. (Occasion wear like fancy dresses and heels get a pass.) And some advice for after: “Post-purge, I avoid buying any new clothes for at least a month,” she says. “This pause lets me bond with my refreshed closet and spot any real gaps in my wardrobe—versus making impulse purchases for the sake of filling perceived empty spots.”

The best ways to organize your closet→
Set yourself up to send more snail mail: “Something I’m doing this year for the first time,” says deputy editor Annemarie Conte, “is putting a few note cards and stamps in a prominent place. I want to send more tangible, personal thank yous, well wishes, and maybe even apologies this year. (But hopefully I won’t have to send too many apologies!) I love receiving mail and not just annual holiday cards. We should be reaching out to each other all year long—not just for special events.”

Plus: How to manage your mail better→
Knock out some home repairs you’ve put off: Senior staff writer and home improvement expert Liam McCabe says now is a good time to try to do—with some basic tools—the home repairs and needed upgrades that have built up over the busy fall season and holidays. “I just re-caulked my bathroom sink, fixed my wobbly and uncentered towel bars (hopefully for good this time), and smoothed out the crappy patching job I did last time I fixed them. I also took care of a bunch of drafty spots around the house while I was at it,” he says. “There’s always going be a home improvement to-do list, but it’s nice to see it get shorter for the first time in a few months.”

Tired of hiring a handyman? These tools will level up your DIY game→
Declutter your kids’ clothing and school supplies: Senior staff writer Brooklyn White says she likes to go through her kids’ closets at the top of the year and pull out the clothes and shoes that no longer fit them—to help simplify the already hectic task that is getting them dressed in the mornings. “I also comb through my oldest child’s school supplies,” she says. “She may need new uniforms, pencils, crayons, and a fresh set of paper. It’s also a good time to evaluate the state of your kids’ school backpacks. If it’s looking beat up, it may be time for a good wash or a new one altogether!”

11 more practical life hacks “future you” will be grateful for→

One last thing: More unglamorous advice

Dana Davis/NYT Wirecutter

Psst: Starting tomorrow, we’ll be sharing more actionable—but admittedly unglamorous—advice. Because as you embark on the annual quest to become the best version of yourself, we think its worth celebrating all of the products and tips that make our lives better—even if they’re not the sexiest things ever.

From foam earplugs we don’t leave the house without, to the toilet bowl cleaner that simply gets the job done, to the baby bags that you didn’t know you needed ... we’ll dish on all the unremarkable products we love in our daily lives.

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›

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