Organizing~ How much should it cost?

I've had this brewing in my mind and heart for a while...  How much should 'organizing' cost? 

I've seen many bloggers and vloggers go 'all out' in organizing and spend a TON of money on getting their house in order.  While that might be fine for them,  I just don't have the expendable money to buy hundreds of dollars in organizer doo~dads even though honestly I'd LOVE to!     Sometimes it can be disheartening to watch those videos because we feel that we have to have certain tools to be succesful.  I disagree entirely!  I am not saying that I haven't spent any money but I am trying to be as frugal as possible.  I think that organizing can cost NOTHING or NEXT TO NOTHING.   The main purpose of being organized is to help us better manage life, our finances, and help identify potential savings opportunities.  Organizing helps us save money!

Here are a few tips for organizing that cost nothing (or next to nothing) and go a LONG ways~

Clutter~ get rid of it!   This is the biggest deterrent in having an organized home.   I can't stress how important it is to declutter!!!   It might take a year OR MORE to get your home entirely decluttered and even after you are finished, it will be something that you have to keep up on a daily basis.  Try doing 15 minutes a day~  it REALLY does work!    Clutter is equal to Chaos and getting rid of it really does so much for our well being!

There are a few great questions to ask yourself about those items that you suspect might be
clutter but don't want to part with.

Do I love it?  (If you don't get rid of it!)

  Do I use it frequently enough to justify keeping it? 

Have I used it in the past year? 

Does it help me feel more peaceful?

I can't stress enough how much more I am at peace since the clutter is GONE from my life. 
It is completely liberating!!! 

Take a Picture~ Another thing I do is take a picture of my rooms.  There are SO many things that I MISS when I look at my rooms because I am used to what I see in everyday life.  But when I take a picture I am able to see with new eyes.  I recently took pics of underneath my kitchen cupboard and wasn't aware of the stain on the back of the sink wall.  But having that in a picture made me sit up and take notice how bad it looked.  Pull out your digital camera and take a picture of all the rooms in your home.  Even the garage and basement and wherever your 'stashing' area is.  A picture is worth far more in helping us see things that we normally don't see!  (It even helps in decorating!) 

Reuse~  I've made my own homemade laundry detergent and could have bought a fancy schmancy container with a spigot on the end to easily pour it in a cup every time I do laundry. 
Instead I chose to save that money and recycle the containers from the Dole Juice we love to buy.  They are thick plastic and can be reused many times over.

Saving cereal boxes and cutting them down to make dividers in drawers for silverware is easily done at no cost. 

Go Thrift Store Shopping~  I love Thrift Store Shopping!  There are some things that I do buy retail, but everytime I go retail I am usually in sticker shock!  I have found wonderful things thrifting that are great in keeping me in my budget.  It takes determination, patience and sometimes just being in the right place at the right time, but it is so worth it!  There are gems waiting to be found!

Don't go Thrift Store Shopping~  I know!  First I recomend Thrift Store Shopping and now I say DON'T go Thrift Store Shopping!  In trying to be frugal and maintaining a clutter free home,  I REALLY try to be choosy in what I buy.  It's so easy to justify a purchase only because it is a few dollars, but those add up quickly and I soon can have a closetfull/house full of J-U-N-K. 

While thrifting, I keep myself asking a variation of the questions listed above while I shop.
Will I truly love it? Will I really wear it?

Will I use it/wear it frequently enough to justify buying it?

Is it timeless or a fad that is shortlived?
Will it boost my self-confidence when I wear it?
Does it flatter me or make me look less than great?

If I display this in my home, will it help me feel more peaceful or just add to the chaos?

So, there you have it!  Organizing can cost as much, or as little, as you want it too! Before spending money, I'd focus on the clutter and take it from there.  Or at least keep spending at a minimum. 
It really is a wonderful journey that is so liberating!

 I hope you've enjoyed this post!  It really has helped me by putting it in writing!

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