When you’re setting out to organize, it’s easy to let your imagination run away with you and rush out to buy all the best organizing doo-hickeys and baskets and containers and everything else stores and magazines tell you you absolutely need in order to organize your space. But guess what, chances are you’ll spend a lot of money for stuff you don’t actually need. There are a couple of steps you can go through to avoid spending a lot of money or having to deal with returning a bunch of items once your done with your organizing project.
First, pull out everything you have in that room/space and sort it into piles (i.e. trash, donate, for friends, keep in space and put in storage). This will make a bigger mess, but it always looks worse (way worse) before it gets better (helpful hint so you don’t freak out when it happens). From there, notice what you already have lying around. Hopefully you just put a good amount into the trash, donate and for friends piles – what were those items held in? Is there anything you can group together (still keeping like with like) that will free up a container? Do you have a random basket tucked away in a closet that you just couldn’t part with, and until now haven’t had any reason to use but just knew one day you would? Chances are you already have storage bins and containers without having to go to the trouble of buying a lot more. I’m a big advocate of using what you have. I understand wanting spaces to look trendy with matching baskets and complimentary colors, but if you’re more concerned about being money-savvy, get creative and see what you have lying around your house… or in your basement… or attic… or closet… or under the bed…
