Organizing on a Tight Budget by: Kerry Flinders

With all the shows on TV these days dealing with organizing your spaces you may have been inspired to get your own spaces whipped into shape. That’s great. You may be intimidated however by the cost of some of the products the Professional Organizers use on these programs to help their clients become clutter free.

I don’t blame you. Going out and purchasing all those see though plastic containers, bins and perhaps even furniture can be way out of a lot of people’s budgets.

Professional Organizers always proclaim that to get truly organized you need the “correct” containers. But what do you do when you can’t afford the “correct”, and often times pricey, containers? You still want to be organized. You still need to be organized.

Is organizing without purchasing these “correct” containers even possible? Absolutely! I’m going to share some wonderful tips with you for organizing on a Tight Budget.

First of all I would like to stress that I believe EVERYONE should be organized. Yes, everyone has their own style, but working within that style I believe everyone would benefit on many different levels by being organized.

With that said, I would like to say that I myself do use and recommend all of those “correct” storage solutions. However, it wasn’t always that way. I used to have my own budget troubles, and couldn’t afford to purchase anything extra, especially not for the use of organizing my spaces.

So, I had to learn to be creative with my storage solutions. And you can too. Here are some tips for organizing with a tight budget.

1. Don’t throw any packaging out without asking yourself if the container could be washed and reused as storage of some sort. That box that contained your order you placed online can certainly be used creatively for your own personal storage needs.

2. You can find containers to use for free in the kitchen. Empty jars, bottles and even boxes can be washed and reused. Empty tub margarine containers are wonderful for storing leftovers, or even used for storing craft items.

3. Wash and save all the pretty jars and containers after you use your face lotions or your make up. A lot of these products come in sturdy and attractive containers that can be reused to keep craft and sewing supplies in. Or perhaps put in a drawer to house small items that are getting all over the place.

4. Save the sturdy larger laundry detergent boxes. “Sweep” them out with a paper towel and use them to store legos and blocks in the children’s room. These larger laundry boxes usually have a handle and a lid that does not detach, making it perfect for little kids to lug around and re-close when finished. These boxes will hold up longer than you think too.

5. If you have a cat, be sure to buy the kitty litter in those plastic bins. After you have used the kitty litter be sure to wash the plastic bin, then you have some wonderful storage. These are great in the kid’s room as well. They are sturdy enough to be used as a toddler seat at a short table, AND can hold their various collections of toys as well. They also have a handle, and although the lid does detach, it closes very tightly, making it very handy to have.

The trick to organizing with a tight budget is to be creative. Also, be sure that you get over the fact that every cupboard or drawer is filled with miss matched and often times cardboard storage solutions. Don’t worry what your storage looks like, just be sure the areas are organized and easy to use.

Over time, as your budget grows you can certainly invest in all the “correct” containers you long to have. But in the mean time you can certainly find other things to use as your storage containers. Things that are free.

Don’t use “not having the right organizing supplies” as an excuse to be unorganized. Anyone, with any budget can and should be organized. You can be too.

Copyright 2005 Kerry Flinders

Author:
Kerry Flinders

About the Author:
The author Kerry Flinders is the owner of Personal Organizing Solutions located in Southern California. Kerry and her company are dedicated to helping others organize their clutter and their lives, eliminating unnecessary stress and helping the client to find more time in their day for the things they love. Kerry is the author of the book “Organizing With NO Budget”. You can find out more about Kerry and Personal Organizing Solutions by visiting their website at personalorganizingsolutions.com