Isn’t it time to get a little more organized? You keep putting it off, but now is the time to buckle down and really get to it. These 25 organizing tips will help you get organized in no time, on a budget.
#1. Use old snack containers – If you’re strapped for cash, then using old containers is an excellent way to get a little more organized in your junk drawers or in your computer desk.
#2. Use a chalkboard – Do you often forget to use your calendar? Try writing your important to-dos on a chalkboard or a white board instead. Place it somewhere you can see on a daily basis. I like this magnetic white board for the fridge!
#3. Keep like items in one spot – Instead of storing like items in various spots around the house, keep them all in one spot. Finding magazines everywhere? Store them all in a magazine file on a shelf.
#4. Create a charging station – Don’t play the “find your charger” game. Create your very own charging station within your home. I like this DIY Charging Station from Four Generations One Roof. If DIY isn’t your thing, or you want something with a smaller footprint, a charging station like this is genius.
#5. Use a Magnetic strip – Place magnetic strips throughout your home to hang items like: knives, spice jars, and even nail clippers.
#6. Use old suitcases for storage – Using old suitcases as home décor will give you a vintage feel, but you can still store items within the suitcase. Double purpose!
#7. Use ice cube trays to store small items – Whether you have smaller toys or office supplies, consider using ice cube trays to store these items in.
#8. Use wine boxes to store your shoes – Maybe this organizational idea isn’t so conventional, but it sure is brilliant. Here’s a picture for your reference.
#9. Leave reminders on or in your fridge – One place you know you’re heading today is to the fridge, so leave your most important reminders there.
#10. Use an organizer for the shower – Instead of having items fall everywhere as you use the shower, buy a shower organizer. I recently picked one up for $3.50 from Dollarama!
#11. Start recycling – If you’re trying to clear out some of the trash, you can get a little more organized by recycling some of your items.
#12. Clear out the clutter daily – Some people only clear out clutter once a year, stay organized by getting rid of clutter on a daily basis.
#13. Only keep a couple of your kids papers – School papers can really add up. Keep just a few of your child’s papers and put them on display on a cork board or a mini clothesline.
#14. Utilize hidden storage – Put your items into a hidden storage bench in the mud room, living room, and even outside.
#15. Put a grocery bag in your car for garbage – If you are tired of having garbage in your vehicle, then keep a grocery bag in there to collect garbage as you finish with it. Or an empty disinfectant wipe container would also be great!
#16. Organize by color – Make your house a little more fun by organizing everything by color. You might take your family and guests by surprise!
#17. Use mesh bags around your home – Instead of trying to put socks and undergarments in the laundry basket, have your family put them in mesh bags. If they’re all together in a mesh bag, there’s less chance to losing some.
#18. Use a shoe organizer for multiple purposes in your home – A shoe organizer can be used for bathroom items, little kid’s clothing, or even crafting items. Let your imagination run wild with this one.
#19. Organize your priorities – Everyone says organize your time a little better, but organizing your priorities makes more time for the things that matter.
#20. Ban clutter in your house – If you are tired of seeing clutter all over the house, then make a rule that no one can bring clutter into the house. If you bring something in, you have to get rid of something else.
#21. Sell your unwanted items – As you declutter, put the items of value up for sale so you can earn a bit of cash for your savings account. Donate all the other items if they are in good condition.
#22. Utilize under the bed space – A lot of storage can be found underneath beds. You can buy bed risers to raise your bed if you need more room underneath it.
#23. Donate your magazines – You may have a lot of magazines lying around the house. Instead of throwing them away, keep the pages you want and donate the rest.
#24. Utilize hallway space – If you have a long hallway in your entryway; utilize the wall space as much as you can. Try baskets for mail, slim shoe racks, storage shelf with hooks underneath.
#25. Use one basket per person for laundry – Mixing everyone’s laundry together can make more work for you. Make it easier on yourself using one basket per person.
I hope these brilliant organizing tips help you get a little more organized this year. What tips would you add to this list?
I love decluttering. Not only do I love the feeling of having more breathing space in my home, but I always find decluttering to be a wake up call to my spending habits. It helps me realize just how much money I’m “throwing away” on things I end up not using or liking in the end. Ugh!
If you want to enjoy a more peaceful home and keep more money in your pocket (because you’ve realized how much you’re wasting!), then I’ve got the perfect list for you! 31 things you can declutter this year. Choose a few or choose all 31 and get to work! Maybe in the end, your list will hold more than these 31 items with all the momentum you’re getting!
Even if you choose just a few things off this list it will feel so good to lighten up! Most of these things are items none of us need but we hang onto “just in case” and feel panicked at the thought of letting them go. In my experience, it’s not often that I have needed something I decluttered. These days, it is so easy to reacquire that needed item by borrowing or repurchasing.
31 things to declutter:
Out of date makeup– It’s just unsafe for your skin and eyes. Toss it out and treat yourself to a new lipstick or eyeshadow!
VHS tapes– If you are still clinging to VHS it’s time to let it go, it’s not coming back.
Old cell phones– Many electronics stores or phone companies have boxes for recycling cell phones and batteries.
Non working electronics– If you haven’t dropped off the stereo or DVD player to be fixed and have no immediate plans to do so, just get rid of it.
Old stretched out bras– Keep those comfy old jogging pants but stretched out bras are not doing you any favors.
Plastic bags– While it is handy saving your grocery store bags for other uses, we all wind up with an excess of them that we just don’t need. Toss them in the recycling.
Ragged towels and washcloths– If they can be upcycled for cleaning rags, cut them up into small pieces and find a new home for them. Otherwise get them out of there.
Clothes that don’t fit– Clothes more than one size too small/too big should be donated or sold.
Unused or duplicate kitchen utensils– 6 wooden spoons? 3 meat mallets? Unopened egg poacher? Clean it all out of those drawers!
Books– If you have read it and won’t read it again or you didn’t like it then it’s time to clean off your shelves and nightstand.
Single Earrings– If it has been in the jewelry box for a year with no mate, chances are it will always be a single, go ahead and set it free.
Single Socks– When you are all caught up on your laundry go through your odd sock basket and match up, get rid of any without mates.
Unloved toys– Donate or toss toys as needed. After the holidays kids have an excess and this is a great time to declutter.
Unused sports equipment– Ice skates from lessons two years ago that have never been picked up again? Donate them. Too small hockey gear? Sell it!
Items that don’t belong to you– If you have a spot that houses casserole dishes, borrowed books, etc. waiting to be returned to friends and family that you borrowed from, go ahead and return it all asap!
Paperwork– Junk mail, old bills, or other out of date filing. Grab an inexpensive paper shredder or toss them in the fire.
Odd storage containers– You know that cabinet with plastic bowls that have no lids or lids that have no bottoms? Get in there and toss out mismatched pieces.
Old linens– While towels may be cut down and used for rags in the garage, other items like sheets that either don’t fit or won’t be used on current beds, excess comforters (keep one spare) etc., can be decluttered.
Blurry photos– If you have a box full of family photos through the years remove and toss the really bad ones, if that is the only one you have for an event you might keep it but otherwise just keep the best of the best.
Ink Cartridges– If you have a stockpile of old empty ink cartridges you can find somewhere local to recycle or many places like Staples let you use them for credit towards new ones.
Freezer items– Freezer burnt, well past their date, inedible or unappealing food should be tossed!
Dried up pens– Take 5 minutes to go through your various pens, test them all on paper quick and throw out the ones that are dried up or leaking.
Manuals– I used to be one that kept every single manual/instruction book for every piece of equipment i owned, I had a drawer full of them and rarely ever needed to look at them. Then I realized that I could find them on the manufacturer’s website should I ever need them and I tossed those suckers out!
Spare change– Unless you are saving up for something really big, It’s time to grab that change jar, clean out couch cushions, get that pile on the dryer and turn it all in. Treat yourself to a mani/pedi or add the cash to your savings account!
Craft supplies– Take an afternoon to go through them and donate items you won’t use in the next couple of months to a Children’s program or somewhere else that could use them.
Paint– Do you have a garage shelf full of paint that you keep just in case? If it’s just for touch ups pour some into a small mason jar with a lid to make it last. Otherwise dispose of it properly.
Personal care items– Old perfumes, lotions, and shampoo bottles with 1/2” left in the bottom-get them out of the bathroom for good.
Cards– Open your wallet or purse and declutter customer loyalty, rewards cards, empty gift cards and the like.
Pet toys– Toys that are shredded, dirty, and unplayed with should be tossed, just like kids toys they need to be decluttered and occasionally replaced.
Boxes– Do you have a big collection of boxes somewhere, either packaging or packing boxes for another just in case? Clear them out and make room.
Any other things to declutter that you would add to the list? Did you get any good ideas for a starting place?
If your summer is anything like ours, (late nights, slow mornings, unscheduled days), then the thought of school starting again is probably exciting, but might stress you out a bit. Going from no schedule to a structured day can be tough at the beginning.
Because I find the adjustment tough myself, I have come up with a Back to School Action Plan that I hope you will find useful as well! The plan covers three areas: shopping, meals and organization. By tackling these three things I know our mornings are going to run smoother and we’re going to save quite a bit of money!
Let’s get started with the back to school tips and tricks, shall we?
Back to School Shopping Tips:
Since the first year my oldest started going to school, we have implemented a tradition of going on a date together to get her school items. We both really look forward to spending some quality time together and I think the one on one dates we do is an investment into our future relationship. That being said, we don’t start our date day without a plan.
It can be so easy to walk into a store and buy whatever is on sale or super cute. But lets avoid that this year because quite frankly, it will be overwhelming to know how much money you actually spent on clothing that wasn’t actually needed and now has to be laundered. Ugh.
So, this is what we do here:
Inventory Clothes: This may sound overwhelming, but it literally took us less than 10 minutes. I simply pulled out every single item of clothing (including socks and underwear!) and asked her to say Yes or No to each item. If she said No, that item either got donated or put into the bin for her younger sister one day.
With everything that was a Yes, I took a mental inventory of what she needed. I discovered that all she needs is a pair of indoor shoes and a sweater. That’s it! I also purchase one (on sale) outfit for her first day of school and a “special” accessory.
School Supplies: This is the first year that we have to purchase school supplies since previously everything was included in the school fees for kindergarten and grade 1. Cost is more of a concern for me so, my thoughts for this is to shop the dollar store, home and maybe even Staples when they have a good sale going.
If time is more of a concern for you, try doing all your school supply shopping online at Walmart, Staples or even Amazon. Pick it up in store when your order is ready or have it shipped to your door!
Back to School Meal Planning Tips:
Meals can be a big stress inducer for me so that’s why this year I have a plan for school day breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I even made some printables for you to use!
Breakfast: My kids never know what they want to eat each morning so this year I will decide for them by creating a menu. Every day of the week will be the same thing all year long. For example, Mondays I will serve muffins and fruit. Tuesdays will be pancakes or waffles. Wednesdays will be toast and fruit. And so on.
Lunch: This year, my girls and I are going to sit down to brainstorm all the items that they would like eating in their school lunch. I’m going to divide it up into categories:
Dinner: If I don’t have a dinner plan, dinner will either be take out or grilled cheese and tomato soup! 😛 And neither of those are healthy or good for the budget on a regular basis.
Morning Routines: Rushed, hectic mornings are not my favourite. Admittedly, they happen way more often then I would like.
However, both of my kids still find having a morning routine written down really helpful. To help them along, I’ve made up a list of these steps I need them to follow:
Get Up
Get Dressed
Eat Breakfast
Pack lunch (I like to do this while they are eating, but they can put it in their backpacks.)
Brush teeth & hair
Backpack & Shoes on
Out the door
Set out outfits for the week: One thing I found super helpful last year was putting aside 7 outfits for each day of the week. This made getting dressed every morning so easy. My oldest tends to shut down when she has to decide so this has helped her tons.
Labels: With all the money that is spent on school items, it’s not a good feeling when something goes missing! Make it easier to find important and favourite items with labels. We love the labels from Mabel’s Labels so that’s where I ordered ours from.
I’d love to know your back to school tips and tricks. Leave them below in the comments!
Can you believe we have reached the last day in the No Spend Declutter Challenge? It’s so hard to believe we’ve been working away for nearly a month! I still have areas of my house that need some fine tuning, but overall, I’m quite happy! I think I brought in 5 boxes/bags to the second hand store.
One thing I wish I would have been better at, is using stuff we already have in our pantry and freezer. I feel like I still spent the same amount on groceries as I do every month.
Day 18 Declutter Task:
We’re going to close out the month with something that I like to do about once a month or so. A digital declutter. This is when I go though my email accounts and delete emails I no longer need. Unsubscribe from newsletters that don’t interest me any longer. Unfollow social media accounts and delete photos off my phone and computer that are no longer needed.
It’s sort of a mindless task, but feels so good to have only the stuff you need and the stuff you love in the end!
How often do you do a digital declutter?
Day 18 No Spend Task:
Remember when a couple of weeks ago, our task was to create “wants” list? Well, today, we’re going to revisit that list.
When you revisit your list, cross off the things you realize you no longer want. With the items that are still on the list, I want to encourage you to try buying used, borrowing from friends or family, or asking in a local Buy Nothing Facebook group.
I know you will will feel just as satisfied with those options when you receive the items you want!
I’d love to know, after nearly an entire month of not spending unnecessarily, how many things do you no longer want or need?
Thank you so much for joining me this month! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
Today, we’re going to tackle our desk areas. Now this year, things might look different than normal. You may be using a table as a make shift desk for school or work at home. So I guess you can tidy up the spot you call a work area!
In our home, I have a desk, but the girls are the ones who use it right now for making crafts and colouring. (We are fortunate to have in-class school!) My husband also has a desk that tends to get cluttered up with toys because it’s in our basement where most of the toys are. So today, I’ll tidy them up and make sure all the random items are in their proper place.
Day 17 No Spend Task:
Well, once again, we’re going to intentionally not spend money on unnecessary things! But we are almost finished! Have you noticed a big change in your mindset? Are you less tempted to purchase random items now?
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
Today, we’re going to declutter and organize our craft/hobby supplies. While we don’t have a dedicated craft room, I still find it very helpful to occasionally go through our craft supplies! I seem to have bins all over the house. I’ll be sorting through my daughters’ craft supplies too. Actually, mainly their supplies. I’m still trying to figure out what my hobby is. 😛
When we moved into our house almost four years ago (!!), we purchased a few of these ALEX drawer units from IKEA. My husband created a desk out of them by placing a piece of pine board overtop. It has been the most wonderful set up for the girls!
Here are some links to great craft organization tips that I thought you might enjoy:
Once again today, we’re going to keep it simple, and not spend money on anything unnecessary. What did you do yesterday for your self care? I ended up with an hour to myself so I forced myself to not do any chores and read a book!
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
