Getting Organized on a Budget

When you want to get organized but need to carefully watch your budget you have to declutter first, take stock of what needs to be organized and then use the money you have to shop for key organizational items. 

The good news is that getting organized with time management and implementing new habits to streamline our lives is free! Choose one new habit to implement every week.  By breaking a new system down into pieces you will not become overwhelmed and you will begin to see benefits immediately.  Your new habits will build upon each other and will be the bedrock of your new organized lifestyle. 

To get your living space organized on a budget you should also break your projects down into pieces. Decluttering plays a big role here.  Eliminating clutter from your life at the outset allows you to make strong judgments about what belongings are truly important to you and the organized lifestyle you are building. 

Engage in the decluttering formula: attack each room in sections and analyze each item with the two questions, “Do I like this?” and “Do I use this?” If not it’s time to donate the item or throw it away.  If you are keeping the item you will now find a home for it. 

This is when you will start to get a feeling for the items you will be organizing and the kind of organizational tools that will make a difference.  Start looking around now to see what fun things are out there and the style that you want to use in your organizing.

Once you have completed your decluttering, finalize your budget and go shopping!  Prioritize the items you need and think about what you are willing to spend more on and what you are willing to sacrifice if necessary.  For example, you may have your heart set on a freedomRail system for your closet and leather storage boxes for organizing in your office but your budget doesn’t allow for both at this time.  At this point you can make the decision to splurge on the freedomRail system but select inexpensive cardboard boxes for the office.  Keep a running list of items that you want to purchase and set aside money each month to realize your organizing goals over time.

Getting organized on a budget is a call to action to get creative with your money and get ruthless with your clutter!