I need to get my house organized?

Question

I don't have much money to buy storage bins and stuff, so I am somewhat limited. Any ideas on how to manage this much clutter in one house? Thanks for your help. Have an awesome day!

Answer 1

you should try out for "Clean Sweep" they will get you organized

Answer 2

Banana boxes are great. So are beer boxes from 24 longnecks. They are nice and sturdy, great size, have handles and attached lids. Banana and beer boxes are great because unlike other liquors and foods, the size of these boxes is pretty universal...they stack well, they are always plentiful, and pretty easy to fit in common spaces in the house.

What you do NOT want to use when picking and choosing freebie cardboard boxes for major storage...is something that a lightweight item was shipped in. Paper products, for example, they tend to be huge, no handles, etc because the contents inside are easy to handle even if it is a huge box. Better to go with something that a liquid was in. Laundry detergent, 3 pack gallon boxes of water.

Plus, with cardboard, you know if you wanted them to look really good, you could wrap them with gift wrap...trickier to wrap an open box but it is possible, and you may still be able to find some solid colors/metallics/glitters, plain white or brown, a stripe or plaid, something not Christmassy but was on sale from the holidays.

Other cheap/free containers:

Velveeta boxes for drawer sorters
Shoe boxes for CD's and software
Plastic Freezer boxes
Disposable plastic containers from ziplock and glad or the dollar store knock offs of these
Ice trays for jewelry and office supplies
Dishpans make drawer systems out of any shelf or cabinet
Baby food jars for screws, nails, etc.

Any container from the craft department will be cheaper than in the home furnishings department...similar to unfinished furniture...most is very plain jane and the assumption is that you will be doing something TO it. On the other hand, that may be just the way you want it. Definitely versatile. Check out their assortment of baskets!

A great storage end table:

An outdoor style garbage can without the lid, metal or plastic is fine, plastic would keep contents safe inside without rust.
A glass table topper, these are super cheap at dollar stores.
A table cloth

This is for a corner, etc...low traffic area. It will not be sturdy if knocked over, and less so if the table topper is much bigger than the garbage can opening. Store extra linens, out of season clothes, toys, etc in there. Variations on this would be a rectangular roughtote covered with a cloth and then put an old window or door on top for a coffee table.

PS, I agree with everyone about the decluttering. Toss stuff. I am speaking from experience. I have tried to organize my mom and me for a long time. I was her roommate/caretaker for 7 years and she recently passed away. She was a packrat and so I have accumulated a whole closet full of storage containers, and only now that she is gone do I have a chance to pitch things, have a yard sale, and really get organized. There is NO way to organize too much stuff.

Another last tip, if you want to eventually have really stylish storage pieces, go with makeshift in cardboard in a similar shape and size as what you think you might want. Heck you can even build a prototype out of cardboard and duct tape to see if your idea would really function well for you...or use cement block and board shelves or whatever. The cheap thing that fits the bill. Or you can move a collection of things to the area where you think they should best be stored. Keep them corralled in a zipper bag or grocery sack, or a cardboard box. Then if that is the general area, you can decide on a nicer item to put the things in. For example, on a desk, you might envision a pretty sorter for your small pieces like staples, paper clips, etc and eventually you will have that. But how bout if you used an ice cube tray first. The organization is the same, you are checking your idea and once you have it all figured out buy something that meets the dimensions of its location and fits the decor of that area.

All this before you spend on really pretty accessories that don't work for ya.

Answer 3

first thing to do is make piles
Throw away
Give away
Keep

Once you clean out there may not be that much you reall want and you can fit into fewer storage bins. Or you may have room in the closet for it now. Good luck!

Answer 4

Go to the local grocery/fruit store and ask them for the full two piece banana boxes. Put some cardboard in the bottom and you have a safe, strong box to store all kins of things, they are stackable and they don't too bad if someone sees them. Put them in the garage or basement and there you go

Yes, we have no bananas as the song says and yes we have no stuff lying around anymore

Answer 5

I told my daughter to go to flylady.com. She has some very good tips on how to clean, clear clutter and organize things.
I like her sense of humor too.

Answer 6

Make 4 piles, one to keep, one to throw away, one for storage and one for donation.
Go through everything, room by room. Don't leave a room until you have completed your sorting.
Upon finishing, you will see you have plenty of room for everything.
Hope this helps.