4 Easy Tips On How To Organize On A Budget

Have you ever looked around your home and thought, “Why can’t my house look like something I saw on Pinterest?” Is your next thought. “I could make my space look nice if I had those fancy bookcases or shelves. They’re probably so expensive.”

You’re not the only one. I would spend hours pinning rooms I found on Pinterest and compare my rooms to it. “Why can’t my living room look like this?” That was what I always asked myself. Maybe it was the fact they had these beautiful cabinets and lots of shelves up. “That’s what I’m missing!” I would tell myself. But hey, I was in college still, and my budget did not allow for any big purchases. Like the furniture I thought would make my rooms more beautiful and organized.

So what did I do?

I got organized on a budget.

Yes, it’s possible. You just have to get creative and think outside the box. So, I have a few tips for you that will help you get organized while sticking to your budget. But first, in order for this to work, you have to know two things.

One, what do you want to organize? It seems like a simple question, but can you answer it? Do you want to organize the drawers in your kitchen? Is there a stack of papers you need to sort through? Knowing this helps you stay focused and prevents you from feeling overwhelmed. So, first decide what you want to organize and let’s move on to the next question.

Two, how do you want to organize? How do you want the finished product to look? This is the most important thing you have to know before jumping into anything else. Because this is what’s going to make organizing the space successful or fail. You have to make it so that it's a functional change for you. Let’s say you put all your hair care products in a bin on a shelf in your bathroom closet. If you use these products every single day, is it functional to dig them out every morning to use? No, it's not. You’ll want those products easily accessible to you so it improves your life. Not to make it harder.

So play around with some ideas and try a few! This is the fun part I promise. This is where you find your flow and see the positive results of organizing. And remember, what works for you won’t work for someone else. This is a process that is completely unique to you and your life.

Once you’ve answered those two questions, you are ready to get started! Now let’s jump into a few tips of mine for how to get organized on a budget!

1. Use What You Already Have

No, I’m serious. This might seem like a cop out but chances are you already have what you need to get organized. Check around your home for things like old bins you don’t use anymore, or full of things you don’t need anymore. This is a great opportunity for you to find things to get rid of too! That only helps you in the long run when it comes to organizing. The fewer things to organize, the easier the organizing is!

Do you have unused command hooks laying around? Use those to hang necklaces up and make a DIY jewelry wall, or hang scarves and jackets up on the walls. These are one of my favorite things to always have on hand. They can be used for so many things, and you never know when one will come in handy.

2. Use Recycled Material To Make Custom Organizers

Things like old pieces of cardboard can do so much for you when you’re organizing. You can create drawer organizers by cutting the cardboard down to size and taping them in place. You can also use cardboard to create signs and labels for any small bins or boxes so you always know what’s inside. This gives you a chance to get as creative as you want! Use colored markers, stickers, ribbons, whatever you want.

Another thing you can use are old glass jars. Empty pasta sauce jars, peanut butter jars, even pickle jars. Once you clean them out, they can be used for a bunch of different things. Store pens and pencils upright on a desk. That way they will always be available when you need them. You can also use them to clean up pantries. Instead of having plastic bags of dried beans, rice, or oats, use the recycled jars to make it look cleaner and organized. And come on lets be honest, things stored in glass jars always look so much better.

3. Get A Few Dollar Store Organizers

Now if you’re anything like me, sure I can whip up a makeshift organizer at home and it’ll do the job. For a little while. But eventually, I will want something a bit more solid to help me keep things organized. This is why dollar stores are one of my best kept secrets when it comes to caring for my home. They have a ton of items that can help you. From small bins, to actual drawer organizers, and I’ve even found little shelves there.

And remember, everything is usually only a dollar each! Depending on what kind of dollar store you go to. That means, you can buy what you need, and still won’t break the bank. Being on a budget is hard enough for many other reasons, so being able to get a lot for so little goes a long way.

4. Look On Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist For Deals

Another great option for items to help you get organized on a budget is the marketplace on FaceBook. Look at the Craiglist pages in your area too. This is where you can get things like real shelving or pieces of furniture. I once found a five foot bookcase in perfect condition for only $20.00! It was the perfect thing to home all my little trinkets that would have otherwise been spread out around my home.

So if your organizing project requires some furniture or just bigger organizing tools in general, check these places out. They’ll save you a ton of money. And most of the time you get to help someone else get organized by taking what they don’t need anymore. Double win!

And don’t forget, we can help you with all this! Sure most of our customers use us for grocery shopping and deliveries, but we are so much more. My Panda is whatever you need us to be. We are your cleaning crew, we are your shoppers, and we are also your organizers. Visit our services page here to find out more information on what we can do for you.

Whatever your needs might be, that is what My Panda can help you with.