You know those little plastic clips that come on bread bags? The square ones that snap onto the twisted end? I used to throw them away without thinking. Then my friend showed me her kitchen drawer and I realized I had been throwing away one of the most useful tiny organizers in existence.

Those little clips are perfect cord labels. Snap one onto a charging cable, a HDMI cord, or that mystery cable behind your TV that you are afraid to unplug. Write on it with a Sharpie. Now you know exactly which cord goes where.

More Ways to Use Bread Clips

Flip flop repair: If the strap pulls through the sole, push a bread clip onto the underside of the strap. It acts as a stopper. I did this at the beach two summers ago and the flip flop lasted the whole trip.

Tape end marker: Snap a bread clip onto the end of a roll of packing tape or duct tape. You will never pick at the edge hunting for where the roll starts again.

Key labels: I have four keys on my keychain that look identical. Bread clips in different colors tell me which is the garage, which is the shed, which is the mailbox. A tiny thing that saves me thirty seconds of fumbling every single time.

Where to Store Them

I keep a small jar in the junk drawer — the one drawer in every kitchen that has no theme but contains everything. Every time I finish a loaf of bread, the clip goes in the jar. When the jar gets full, I toss half and start over. They are free, so there is no reason to hoard them.

What About Twist Ties

Twist ties are slightly less useful but still worth keeping a few. They work for organizing small cords like earbud cables or USB cables in a drawer. Wrap the cable into a circle, twist the tie around the middle. Much neater than a tangled knot.