Time is money, said Benjamin Franklin, and has someone whose name has become synonymous with the stuff, he should know. One thing I’ve noticed is that my most successful friends are also the most organised. These are not the people who waste 20 minutes looking for clean socks in the morning, or who lose their trainers in the toppling mountain of shoes inside their wardrobe. Everything in their home has a place, which saves them a bunch of time that they can then spend on other, more lucrative activities.

And so with this in mind, here are some organisational tips from the experts…

Storage is the key to ridding your home of clutter. In her recent book Parisian Chic: A Style Guide, supermodel Ines de la Fressange recommends buying a stack of Muji zinc storage boxes, labelling them with stickers and using them to store everything from sewing kits and stationery to spare light bulbs and shoe-cleaning kits. This frees up drawer space and the cupboard under your sink, and has the added bonus of looking very chic and French.

If, like mine, your medicine cabinet so chaotic you end up repeatedly buying paracetamol because you can never find the pills you’ve already got, take this tip from US magazine Real Simple and group medicine by category (headache, cold, upset stomach). Place it in zippered freezer bags, which you can then keep in a drawer (or Muji zinc storage box).

Getting dressed in the morning will always be quicker if your wardrobe is organised. For a start, it’s the only way you’ll be able to find anything. Elika Gibbs, the woman Kate Moss describes as ‘a practical genius’, has written Practical Princess: Perfect Wardrobe, which promises to ‘declutter and re-jig your closet to transform your life’.

Her tips include sorting your clothes by type and colour, and then hanging them with all the hooks facing away from you (to make it easier to take clothes out.)

She also recommends template folding, which is the secret to those immaculate piles of knitwear and T-shirts you see in shops. A template will set you back £6.13.

When it comes to shoes, she suggests dividing them into categories (ankle boots, sandals, brogues, etc), and then by colour and material. Display them on shelves or shoe racks, or if you’ve a serious shoe habit, copy the likes of Tamara Mellon and keep them in boxes with a photograph of the shoe attached to the front.

Gibbs is another fan of the zippered freezer bag, using them to store bikinis and swimwear, which can otherwise get tangled and lost at the back of drawers.

Muji, Ikea and Paperchase are all good sources of storage materials. Also worth a look is the Holding Company, which is currently offering up to 85% off. I also like Simple Human, which makes stylish products such as sink caddies and cabinet organisers to help organise your kitchen and bathroom. My personal favourite is the carrier-bag holder, which provides a perfect home for all those plastic bags I feel too guilty to chuck out.

Have you got any top organisational tips? Let us know about them in the comments!

{Photo: Eddie Dangerous}