Organizing your home looks so fun and easy on TV. There are so many helpful organization tools they use. They get you all excited about becoming organized and so you head out to grab those tools and get started.
Then, full stop, you see that purchasing all those “great organization tools” can be really expensive. So, you can either revamp your plans by buying one or two and do less than you had planned, or you can just blow the whole thing off and feel defeated.
But, the good news is that there are plenty of storage and home organization solutions you can find at your local dollar store for a fraction of the cost of those advertised in those shows. So, if you're living in a disorganized space and want to get organized, this is for you.
These home organization tips from the dollar store are sure to get you excited:
Small Jars
It can get really frustrating when you’re cooking and you can't find the exact spice that you need, right? One way to solve this problem is to use small jars from the dollar store.
You're actually knocking out two birds with one stone: neatness and uniformity. You can achieve this by putting all your spices in the same type of container and label them. They will look very neat and orderly once you’ve done it.
Storage Bins
The kitchen pantry can be quite tricky to organize but storage bins from the dollar store can go a long way in helping organize this space.
For example, you can put all your candles in one bin and label it. Same goes with your napkins, utensils, cups, and plates for parties or picnics.
Investing in transparent bins can be really helpful because you can instantly see what's stored inside. But for a less cluttered look, opaque bins that are labeled might be the way to go.
Label Items In Your Fridge
Labels are actually one of the best organization tools. Because let’s face it, we’ve all found a science experiment growing in a container in the back of the fridge that could have been avoided with this tip.
All you have to do is write the date the food was put in the fridge. This is really helpful because when you’re searching through the fridge for anything you can see the dates and know when to throw things out.
An added plus is the kids don’t have to dig through the fridge for half an hour looking for something to eat, because it’s all labeled and they can see What they have to choose from.
To do this, simply use some masking tape or sticky labels that you have purchased from the dollar store.
Hooks
You can find the most clutter in many homes in the garage. That's why it's important to have your garage organized. One way to do that is by using hooks in your garage.
Most all of the items in your garage can all be hung by a hook on the wall or ceiling. Just be sure to buy hooks of different sizes. Doing this will leave plenty of space for your car and you'll never have to worry about running over anything. Yay!
Drawer Compartments
Drawers can also be really messy because they usually serve as a graveyard for small items. This can make it a pain to find anything in your drawers when you're in a hurry.
In order to fix that, all you need are those plastic drawer containers to organize all the items. They come in a great variety of sizes too.
Hanging Shoe Racks
Purchasing these hanging shoe racks at the dollar store is another great tool for organizing. They can hang on the inside of any door to save space and help organize your stuff.
Use them in the pantry to organize spices, foil, wax paper, baggies, and so much more.
Use them in the bathroom to add extras for when something runs out. You can add soaps, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. anything you might need to replace.
Use them in your closet to stash necklaces and bracelets, undergarments, socks, and of course, shoes. These hanging compartments can come in handy almost anywhere in your home.
Organizing your home doesn’t have to be expensive, it can be fun and you’ll feel less crowded and quite accomplished when you’re done. Plus, all of these can be purchased at the dollar store for next to nothing, saving you money - always a good thing!
Do you have other brilliant home organization tips using items from the dollar store? Please tell us in the comments below, we’d love to hear about it.
One of the ways I began to save extra money was by ditching some of the disposable products we used in our home and replacing them with reusable household items.
In the beginning, this did cost us a few more dollars but quickly turned into big savings each month we weren’t purchasing the disposable versions!
Now, I know the appeal of disposable items. They can be so gosh darn convenient! But by simply switching out one disposable product for a reusable product, not only will it have a positive impact on our planet, it will also have a positive impact on your wallet! Before you know it, you'll be trying to replace every household product with a reusable one!
Below, I've listed the best reusable household items that we’ve been loving in our own home lately!
Wool Dryer Balls
For years now I have been using wool dryer balls in place of dryer sheets and fabric softener. In fact it's been a while since I bought my wool dryer balls so they're finally starting to fall apart!
If I ever feel like having a bit of a scent to the laundry, I'll add a couple drops of essential oil to a couple of the balls.
When purchasing wool dryer balls, make sure they are 100% wool. This will ensure fluffiness, reduce static and reduce drying time.
Reusable Water bottles
Before we leave the house, I make sure all of our reusable water bottles are filled up so we can avoid buying a bottle of water when we're out and about.
While any reusable water bottle will work, our favorites are the ones that are insulated. They keep water cold for much longer! My husband and I are using bottles like these while I like the Thermos ones for our daughters.
Kitchen towels
Ditch the paper towels once and for all! I have one roll of paper towel on hand and that is to check the oil in our vehicles and for wiping up cooking grease. Other than that I use kitchen towels, cloths, and big bath towels for cleaning up spills, and wiping dirty fingers and faces. Basically reusable towels are used for everything paper towels are typically used for.
It's so easy to make the switch to reusable straws! We've got two different kinds that we use at home. Stainless steel and super fun silicone ones. I don't have a preference for myself, but my daughters like the silicone ones the best. Probably because they're soft (safer for kids!) and fun colored.
Be sure to get a small straw brush to keep your straws clean!
Reusable K-Cup
We were gifted a Keurig coffee maker years ago and it's still one of our favorite appliances and gets daily use. The one thing I don't like about it is the k-cup waste. However, we recently switched to a reusable K-Cup and love it! It's so easy to use and the coffee tastes just as good. Plus now we can get a big bag of ground coffee beans (cost effective) or use the locally roasted beans that we love.
Reusable shopping bags
Now that most grocery stores are charging for plastic grocery bags, I want to avoid that unnecessary expense as much as I can! I have reusable grocery bags stashed in the car and both of my bags in hopes that I won't have to use a plastic bag.
The reusable shopping bags that I have are similar to these ones and fold up really small and are so easy to stash in my purse. I love that they are washing machine friendly so I can toss them in the wash once in while!
Silicone baking mats
With silicone baking mats, there's no need to spray your cooking sheets or use parchment paper. That means you could possibly eliminate two grocery items from your list saving you a bundle in the long term.
Silicone baking mats are really easy to clean and hardly take up any space in your cupboards.
Mason jars
Open up the cupboards or even your fridge and you're bound to find some sort of glass jar! Wash and reuse the glass jars that you find for so many things. I use mine for storing dried beans/lentils/rice, freezing broth, holding makeup brushes and so much more.
Mason jars are fairly inexpensive to buy if you want matching jars. Scour the garage sales too!
Reusable Sandwich Bags
This is a new purchase for us and I'm loving it! I used to wash our plastic sandwich a few times before tossing them, but I'm liking this alternative way better.
These reusable storage bags are freezer friendly, leak-proof, come in various sizes and clean easily.
Travel Mugs
These are a must-have in our family! Every morning, instead of hitting the drive thru, my husband makes a travel mug full of coffee for his morning at work. Saves a ton of coffee money over the long run! I'll bring mine along when I've got a bunch of errands to do. But even if you do go to a coffee shop or something, many places offer a small discount if you bring your own mug. (Starbucks, for example.)
Using these reusable household items is such a great way to begin moving towards a more eco-conscious way of living plus you’ll be saving a lot of money over the long term!
I'd love to know what reusable household items you would add to the list!
