Living in an organised home has many benefits like reducing: stress, cleaning time and time spent looking for stuff. But often people miss out on these benefits as they think that organising their home can be expensive.
The truth is:
You don’t need to spend lots of money on expensive storage solutions to get your home organised.
Here are three cost-effective storage options to help you organise your space.
1. Save Money (a Lot of Money) Declutter First
You might be wondering:
This is not a storage solution but stay with me.
Decluttering is the most essential step in getting your home organised on a budget.
Why?
You won’t need to invest in storage for stuff you no longer use.
Did you know!
According to an IBISWorld report, it is estimated that the Australian Self Storage industry is worth about $1.1 billion.
This is crazy:
While putting items into self-storage for a short period (e.g. when building a new home) is okay, avoid it as a long-term organising solution, as it will cost you a lot of money in the long run. Put your money to better use.
If you find decluttering your home to be challenging and confronting reach out to a Professional Organiser for support.
Once you have decided what you are keeping, you will have a clearer picture of your storage needs.
2. Repurposing: A Budget-friendly Storage Option
Organising your home doesn’t need to involve expensive containers. One of the ways I like to keep my storage cost down is by repurposing or reusing items.
The best part:
This can be a fun and creative process. And you are also helping the environment by reducing your waste.
Here are some everyday items that can be repurposed or reused as storage.
1. Shoeboxes
What you can store in a shoebox are endless.
You can store:
- Electronics
- Cables
- Small kids toys
- Craft supplies
- Photos
- Socks
The list goes on.
But the best thing to store in a shoebox is?
You guessed it shoes.
Depending on your storage space keeping your shoes in their boxes may help to keep your home neat and tidy, without shoes being scattered everywhere. Label each box with the type of shoe in it (e.g. black heels), so you know which shoes are in which box. If you are feeling more creative take a photo of the shoes and stick it on the box.
Wait there is more:
Shoe boxes also make great drawer dividers.
2. Jars
Don’t let getting the annoying food labels off jars stop you from using them as storage. You can remove food labels by soaking the jars in some boiling water for a couple of hours. After they have finished soaking, the labels should peel right off. Eucalyptus oil works great for those stubborn labels.
Jars make fantastic and stylish storage for small items like:
- Buttons
- Nuts and screws
- Beauty products
- Coins
- Small stationary items
In the pantry.
Reusing glass jars is a fantastic way to get your pantry organised. You can store food items such as nuts, seeds, baking products, grains and legumes. I use small jars to store herbs and spices I buy from the bulk food store.
Tip:
You may want to sterilise your jars before storing food in them.
3. Milk Containers
I love this creative storage solution which was shared to me by my professional organiser colleague Veronica Kennedy from A Hand to Help.
You might be wondering:
How can a milk container be used as storage?
The answer:
Cut the top off the milk container and use the bottom to store stuff in. The base of the milk container can be used as a pen cup or as small tubs/bins to store miscellaneous items.
4. Food containers
Ice cream, butter, margarine, and take away food containers can all be washed and reused as storage.
And the best part
It is a great way to reuse single-use plastic.
For as long as I can remember my mum has used a butter container to store soap and sponges under the kitchen sink.
5. Bedding Packaging
Here I’m talking about the plastic/ fabric packaging that new sheets, doona covers and blankets come in.
You can store all sorts of things in these from:
- Christmas decorations
- Bedding when not in use
- Use them as cosmetic/toiletry bags while travelling
- Stationary
The list goes on.
I use a blanket bag to store the cleaning items I need to clean my balcony. So when it’s time to give my balcony a clean I grab the bag, and I have everything I need.
These were some everyday items that can be repurposed/reused as cost-effective storage solutions.
Tip:
Even if you do have a budget for storage consider repurposing or reusing first before spending money on new containers.
Why:
As you want to test whether the storage solution will work before investing money in new products. There would be nothing worse than spending money on new containers to later realised that they don’t suit your needs.
3. Buy from Opportunity Shops (Op Shop) for Cost-Effective Storage Solutions
If you do have a limited budget, consider exploring your local opportunity stores to discover your next storage solution. Not only will your find cost-effective storage ideas but you will be amazed at what hip, funky and cool products you can find. I recently visited my local Op Shop the Sacred Heart Mission in South Melbourne, and they had some great storage items from antique boxes and containers to vintage Tupperware. They also had more current products for those wanting something more contemporary.
It gets better:
Besides being cost-effective, shopping at an Op Shop can also benefit the local community. Profits made from selected Op Shops go to supporting community programs like helping the homeless.
You have just read three ways to get your home organised on a budget. Now it’s your turn to implement some of these solutions. If you have other budget storage tips, let me know in the comments below.
If you need help decluttering and organising your space give me a call on 0401 149 185 or send me an email joey@creatingpostivespaces.com.au.
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