Contrary to what you may have heard, you can get organized once and for all while sticking to your budget! I’m Tricia TenEyck, the owner of Life Made Simple Organizing, a home and small business organizing company serving Rochester and the Finger Lakes.
Today I will be sharing how to use Goodwill as a resource while you tackle your spring cleaning and organization projects. I’ll give you advice on how to plan for a project, how to browse for the appropriate items and products, and even show you how I have used Goodwill items to organize my own home.
My first piece of advice is to measure and space plan after you have decluttered the space you are working in. If you go to Goodwill searching for organization products but don’t have an idea of the size item you need, you could end up taking home something that doesn’t fit or contribute to making the space more organized. Here, you can see that I measured the area I was hoping to purchase product for, so that when I got home and placed the product into my pantry, everything was a sure fit.
My next tip when searching Goodwill for organizing tools is to keep an eye out for sets of items or matching items - this will allow you to incorporate stylish or aesthetically pleasing items into the design of you home, all while on a budget! Here, I was able to find two canvas totes of the same size for my winter accessories within my coat closet. You’d never know they were a thrift find!
Of everything, my biggest takeaway would be this - allow yourself to get creative and be willing to put in a little work if need be! Walk into Goodwill with a creative eye and try to think of all the different ways something could be used - even if it is meant for something totally different! With a little bit of imagination, you can turn unconventional items into organizing solutions that will last a lifetime. Here, I took a black, scratched magazine holder and spray painted it while to turn it into a file organizer for all my business paperwork. Even if it is something that you can find in store for a small amount of money, it can be fun to be creative and give yourself a little project!
For more tips and tricks while getting organized, check out my Facebook page @LifeMadeSimpleOrganizing or feel free to reach out for a consultation!