A big question is what products are worth spending the money on, because, yes it can get pricey depending on the space you are organizing. So I thought I would go over a couple of areas in the house I personally think are worth spending on and other areas you can save on. While it is nice to dream about every nook of your home being beautifully organized with the best products (or is that just my dream?!), that is not always budget friendly. Products are meant to help you contain everything and create a system for where to put items so that space stays organized and items aren’t just shoved somewhere. Some areas are worth spending the money to have it not only organized, but look pretty too and other areas, the focus might be organization with more budget friendly items! So here we go.
Let’s talk “SPEND” first:
The Bathroom: I started with this one, because it can be tricky. I am sure some will think “spend” and some with think “save”. I have actually done both. A while back I bought cheap organization products that I didn’t love the look of and while the organized system worked fin, aesthetically I was never pleased with it. I would open my drawers and still cringe a little. So I decided to “splurge” slightly and upgraded my products to the acrylic look and it has been about a year and I am still so pleased with the space and it is still extremely functional.
A couple other product options: another acrylic option and one more. I use this bamboo silverware tray for all my makeup in my big middle drawer in my vanity and it works perfectly! A spot for everything.
The Pantry: This is an area I highly recommend to spend. **Note, I also recommend setting (or at least thinking about) a product budget.** The pantry is typically a large space with numerous items to hold and contain, so a lot of product is needed and it can add up fast. Thinking about how much you want to spend will help you decide which products to use. But, if you are going to splurge on organizing any area of the house, this would be it. The right baskets and containers can make a world of difference in your organization system as well as the aesthetics; and let’s face it, we are always in the kitchen, so if you have to look at it all the time, might as well be pretty too! Now, there are some less expensive products that work great, are extremely functional and look nice too. The trick is to assess your specific space, figure out would be functional for it, then select the style of product you want (and again, think about your budget if you have one). The Container Store is my go-to for pantry storage containers, the options are endless, but here are a few of my favorites.
- https://www.containerstore.com/s/water-hyacinth-storage-bins-with-handles/d?q=baskets&productId=10029541 – These are the ones I personally have and use.
- https://www.containerstore.com/s/mocha-water-hyacinth-storage-bins-with-handles/d?q=baskets&productId=11008008
- https://www.containerstore.com/s/hampton-woven-storage-bins-with-handles/d?q=baskets&productId=11000986
- https://www.containerstore.com/s/white-plastic-storage-bins-with-handles/d?q=plastic+bins&productId=11005645
- https://www.containerstore.com/s/idesign-linus-kitchen-bins/d?q=kitchen+bins&productId=11010093
- https://www.containerstore.com/s/bamboo-lazy-susan/d?q=bamboo+lazy+susan&productId=11011781 – Perfect addition to any pantry!
Again, it has to work for the space. Pantries range in all shapes and sizes. Measure and assess first!! I would also suggest being relatively consistent with the product. I don’t mean everything has to match, as it is fun combining a few different products to bring a space together and create a system. Specifically, if you are going to decant items such as flour, sugar, rice, cereal, snacks, etc. into a container get like containers. Even if a kitchen is organized, it can still look unorganized if all the products are hodge-podge. So again, this would be an area I would suggest upgrading your products if you are able to. {My favorite decanting containers are the OXO brand.}
The Underneath Cabinets: Bet you didn’t see that one coming. 🙂 Luckily most underneath cabinets are small so they don’t require a ton of product, so it is not a big spend, but those cabinets can be deep so items get lost way in the back. The Container Store makes a great deep cabinet container I personally have and use and highly recommend, especially for under the kitchen sink!! https://www.containerstore.com/s/idesign-linus-deep-drawer-bins/d?q=deep+storage+container&productId=10034459, or this is a great starter kit. https://www.containerstore.com/s/under-the-sink-starter-kit/d?q=kitchen+bins&productId=11006241. I LOVE the multi purpose bins from The Container Store! Such a great and versatile product!
The Closet: There are so many ways and things you can do to organize closets!! I won’t go into all the options, because depending on the layout, storage, preference, options can be endless and that alone could be a blog post on its own. BUT….I have two main suggestions in sprucing up a closet. 1.) Color coordinate your clothes in rainbow order. 2.) Here is the “spend” part. Replace your current hangers with matching hangers! That’s right, out with the hodge-podge of hangers that are in your closet. It truly makes a WORLD of difference. Doing these two simple adjustments, one of which is free, will truly transform your closet! I traded out every hanger in our master closet for These velvet hangers. (I think overall I spent $100/$125 and that alone gave my closet a huge face lift!) I have the ivory, but the black is sleek as well. I love that the clothes don’t slip off. I use these skirt clips to hang my skirts with. I liked mine so much I bought these kids hangers for my oldest son’s closet as his clothes were getting too big for the kids plastic hangers. Even if you don’t want to do the velvet ones, get all matching white plastic ones (or these white ones) or here is a really nice wire option. I just advise they all match and not to have some wire, some plastic, some wood and other random ones here and there. It makes it look “messy” even if it is not. *An exception is suit hangers. My husband wanted to keep his nice suit hangers so we did, but those all match as well.*
Now let’s talk “SAVE”!
The Junk Drawer: This is one of my favorite small spaces to transform! Weird I know, but everyone has a junk drawer (or two) and it is such an easy space to organize inexpensively! Plus, my philosophy when starting an organizing journey is “one small space at a time” and a junk drawer is a perfect starting point, that doesn’t break the bank! You can go with inexpensive products like these from Wal-Mart. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Set-of-7-Drawer-Storage-Organizer-Bins/816855671
Or even if you prefer the acrylic look all 3 of these sets are under $20 🙂
- https://amzn.to/3mpgoc6
- https://amzn.to/31JOfnU
- https://amzn.to/3e6uqMQ – I personally have these and love the quality and overall look. But it might take 2 sets. I use these in my bathroom drawers.
This set from the Container Store is what I use for my junk drawer. It was a little more of a “splurge” for a junk drawer, but I am still happy with the space over a year later. 2 sets fit my drawer perfectly, but you can make it just as organized for a lot less! Again, measure and assess what will work for your personal space. https://www.containerstore.com/s/acrylic-drawer-organizer-set/d?q=acrilic+desk+organization&productId=10014771
Kitchen Drawers: This is an area I personally use these super inexpensive baskets from Wal-Mart and they have worked great. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Set-of-7-Drawer-Storage-Organizer-Bins/816855671. They may not be as pleasing to the eye, but this is an easy area for me personally to save some money and they work great and keep the drawer organzied and have for years. They have a little give and flexibility which is nice. Also, drawer dividers are an easy one time purchase that will keep that utensil drawer nice and straight. Acrylic Drawer Dividers (I have these and use them). Bamboo Drawer Dividers.
Laundry Cabinets: I recently re-did my laundry cabinets and it cost me $30. Done! Truly. I bought this jar from The Container Store to hold my laundry pods (https://www.containerstore.com/s/anchor-hocking-glass-slant-jar-with-metal-lid/d?q=jar+with+lid&productId=10025842) and bought my favorite lazy susan for my extra laundry items. I used mason jars I already had to hold my laundry pod boosters. Easy, inexpensive, organized and looks great too!
I realize there are many other areas of the home I didn’t cover, but hopefully this gets you started in the right direction! And note, this is my general opinion. I just wanted to give options on areas where is my be worth spending a little more and what areas could be done more “budget friendly”. With that, there are many different organizing scenarios, how visual is the space, how large is the space, it is not a one size fits all situation, so if you think differently that is ok too!
XOXO,
Sarah
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