I really like my spaces to be neat and organized. I also really dislike spending money.
Most of the time, these two personality traits don’t conflict. In fact, they often work together. When I need an organizing or storage solution, I usually “shop” at home. For instance, my drawer dividers are old stationery and other boxes. I have a collection of bins and baskets that my family rotates through, and I always turn to them first when a new storage need arises.
But of course there are times I can’t use what’s on hand. So I either need to create the organizing system I need, or commit to real, spend-my-own-money shopping. I need to choose: DIY or buy.
I love to read blogs, and I often see clever and creative solutions that people build themselves. But these people own tools I don’t have. More important, they have skills I don’t have. And I think a lot of them actually enjoy building things. I am not a handy person, and I don’t aspire to be. So unless a project is as simple as drilling a few holes and turning a few screws, it’s unlikely that I’ll do it myself.
So that leaves buying. Frugality is a virtue, and I’m glad that I don’t generally throw money around. But I also know that my reluctance to spend money can get in my way when I’m trying to get organized. I’ve balked at the price of organizing products because they seem too expensive for what they are. (“It’s just plastic! Why does it cost that much?) More expensive items, as you’d imagine, can be even harder for me.
But as time passes, it’s become easier for me to spend money on organizing supplies. I’ve shifted my focus away from the cost of the items I’m considering and towards their value to me. So now, if I can save the trouble of a DIY project I wouldn’t enjoy, I find it easier to go ahead and spend some money. Or if a little plastic item makes my life easier, I consider it worth the expense. (Within reason, of course. 🙂 )
This summer I was reminded again of my reluctance to DIY. My son had become more interested in sports, so I needed more storage for balls in my garage. I searched Pinterest and found a really clever solution that used bungee cords and some wood strips. It wasn’t complicated, and I knew I could do it.
But I never did. I just never worked up the motivation to buy or measure the wood or figure out what size bungee cords I needed. Eventually I bought a storage bag that I was able to quickly drill into the wall—no assembly required. The bag was overpriced. It holds less stuff than the DIY one I’d initially planned on. But it’s up and the balls have a home. That made it totally worth it to me.
Another example: A while ago I was looking for a magnetic knife strip. I needed an unusual size to fit on the side of a cabinet in my kitchen. When I finally located one online, I hesitated. I thought it was overpriced, and the shipping cost was high. But eventually I went ahead and ordered it. That knife strip got an ugly knife block off my counter, increased my work space, and made my kitchen feel less cluttered. Looking back, I think it was worth ten times what I paid!
This is a personal issue, of course, and everyone’s budget varies. But in my own case, I’ve realized that I usually benefit when I give myself permission to buy things to make my home run more efficiently.
When it comes to organizing, do you prefer to DIY or buy? Please share in the comments below.
For me it’s a combination.
Like the small locker at work: I repurposed a narrow cardboard box (it held coffee filters) which I put flat on it’s side and topped it with a small laminated board meant to be a breakfast plate. The cardboard box is big enough to slide in this pouch I use to hold certain vouchers, on top of the plate I keep some smaller items. So I purchased the board, the box is simply something we had at work.
Sometimes the cheaper solutions just don’t work. Like our bathroom supplies, at first I used free shoeboxes. After a few months I decided to spend quite some money on these sturdy stacking bins and it’s still my favourite project.
Shipping fees often hold me back though.
Yes, the shipping fees often throw me.
I like your solution for your locker! And I agree: for some uses, repurposing old boxes and the like just doesn’t work. My boxes serve me great in my desk, but I doubt they’d hold up in my kitchen or bathroom.
My frugality keeps me from buying the easiest or obvious solution too often also, but I have learned to recycle jars and the boxes from Swiffer refills to get organized. The photo boxes sold at craft stores are often on sale ridiculously cheap, come in many attractive colors and patterns, and I have used these in many areas of my house. I did splurge on The Container Store’s shoe boxes, and this was SO worth it–makes me smile every time I open my closet, and that’s something I can’t put a dollar value on!
Wow, we seem very alike! 🙂 And I’m glad you’re enjoying your splurge.
I like those photo boxes too (and like you, I buy them on sale, and yes, they are so cheap then!). I also like Ikea’s Kassatt series a lot. They are heavy-duty cardboard. I always stick to white though. 🙂
While I try to buy items with minimal packaging, sometimes the fruit in a little plastic square “bucket” is on mark down,and I find those fruit buckets perfect size and depth for drawer organisers and use them ALL over the house, esp in the bathroom. My favourite discovery was that rectangular plastic takeaway containers fit perfectly in old CD racks – I use old CD cases as “shelves” and slide the trays in – its hugely adjustable – and most of my small crafting tools and products are stored like this! Then there’s the spice rack with toiletries in it…definitely a repurposer in this house 🙂
Wow, I love both the cleverness AND the usefulness of your solutions. A few years ago, I became very jealous of the ice cream containers that are apparently used in Sweden, after seeing several pictures of them repurposed for storing things. If I could reuse the containers here, I might feel a tiny bit less guilty about all the ice cream I eat. 🙂
Smart article. I build and install custom roll-out trays that have a huge impact on cabinet organization and accessibility. Some balk at the price tag of $150 +/- per tray, because there are other less expensive options. But the true value is quite high; they are installed properly so they work glitch-free and they’re solidly built, so they won’t work well for a year and then blow up like some cheap Swedish models.
I’m very frugal myself, so when I finally bought a pair of Red Wing boots for $200+, it was quite painful. I’m now on my third pair and will never cheap-out on boots again. The cost is high, but the value is higher.