Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy How to Organize for Less at the Dollar Store {Organizing on the Cheap}

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How to Organize for Less at the Dollar Store {Organizing on the Cheap}

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 09:01 PM PDT

I’m so happy you are here with us this week for 5 Days of Organizing – more than 20 bloggers will be bringing you daily inspiration for organizing every aspect of your life. And with back-to-school days breathing down our necks, we all need it!

Have you ever been frustrated by all the creative organization ideas you see in magazines and on blogs, only to realize that you simply can’t afford (or don’t want to spend the money) all those gorgeous bins, boxes, baskets and other containers? Me, too! I’ve learned to organize my home (uh, to a certain extent) without spending an arm and a leg, and I’ll be sharing my tricks with you all week long. Stick with me for great cheap organizing ideas!

Scroll down to the bottom to enter the cash giveaway; and when you’re done, click on the footer image to see other posts by other bloggers in this series PLUS lots more giveaways (including a copy of Your Grocery Budget Toolbox!).

The Dollar Store (we have Dollar Trees around here) is the cheap homemaker’s best friend. Granted, not everything there is even worth one dollar. And granted, they don’t have a lot in the way of “natural”. But you certainly can’t beat their price when it comes to organizational products!

I’ve mentioned already that I love to look at yard sales for my organizational tools, and I also love to reuse and repurpose items that come through my house, like the empty jars I wrote about yesterday. But if I ever want a matching set of containers, the Dollar Tree is where I go. Unlike at other fancier stores (The Container Store comes to mind), I can buy as many of an item as I need to have a coordinating set without going over budget.

For example, in my linen closet, I have toiletries and over the counter meds organized in matching white boxes:

It’s not gorgeous, but… it’s hidden away in the closet, so I wasn’t particularly going for the gorgeous look. Practical is more my style when it comes to closet storage!

Also, in my kitchen cupboards, I have my small food storage containers and lids all neatly contained in Dollar Tree plastic boxes. I also have similar baskets in a different cupboard that contain toddler utensils and the like.

I’m sure I could show you lots of other examples from my own home, but for now, I’m going to give you a little tour of a Dollar Tree near me, where you can see for yourself the selection of organization tools they have. All for a dollar!

Organizational Products Available at the Dollar Store

On the left side of this picture you see a display of a variety of under-the-bed storage bags. I will remind you that you get what you pay for: these are not super sturdy, folks! However, if you are careful and don’t over-stuff them, and then leave them where they are without going into and out of them a lot, they’ll last you for quite a while. I use a couple of these to store baby onesies, bibs and such underneath the crib.

In the middle, you see the dollar store version of a canvas bin – cute, no? I love the colors on it! The Dollar Tree has a whole collection of those right now, which you can see in the display on the right. I have similar boxes (I think I bought mine on clearance at Target) that I use to store stuffed animals and other toys in The Boys’ room. The fabric has gotten a little pilled in the past couple years, but other than that, they’ve held up very well. These types of boxes fit very nicely in deep shelves on entertainment centers, coffee tables, and home office units to store a huge variety of items.

I’ve personally moved away from using baskets as storage, mostly because the little people in my house tend to destroy them in, oh, about 5 nano-seconds. I find the little pieces of reed or wood or whatever all over the house. But if you don’t have destructive little ones, or if you have some nice up-high but still visible storage areas, OR if you have angelic children who never mess with your stuff… you will find baskets to fit your needs at the dollar store. Wow, can you believe all the possibilities in these pictures? All kinds of boxes and bins in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes to suit your needs. These containers have applications all around the house: in closets, in the laundry room, in bedrooms, in drawers, in cupboards, on shelves, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, etc. Anything you need to contain can be contained in one of these, I’m pretty sure. Unless you’re trying to contain a wild animal (or small child), and well, that ain’t gonna cut it. Ice cube trays and vases for storage? Why not? They are containers, are they not? Ice cube trays can fit easily inside a drawer in a desk to contain all those annoying little things like push pins and paper clips. And vases or glass containers like these can be used on a bathroom or kitchen counter to hold utensils, cotton balls, toothbrushes, scrub brushes, or whatever!

Have you ever organized your home at the Dollar Store?

Visit these blogs for lots more ideas on organizing your kitchen, your office, or your homeschool room!

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Healthy 2Day Wednesday {Week 66}

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 08:00 PM PDT

Welcome back to Healthy 2day Wednesdays!

Healthy 2Day Wednesday is hosted by:

Rachel of Day2Day Joys

Carrie of Young Living Oil Lady

Debra of Sweet Kisses Dirty Dishes

Anne of Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy

Link up to any of our blogs with your favorite healthy post!

Top three this week: Since you were one of the three "chosen"… you've been Facebooked, Pinned, and Tweeted by Rachel!

This beautiful picture from Tessa The Domestic Diva caught me eye but this is

so simple to make, kinda like the apple butter I made last year. I am putting

this on my to-do list for this Fall!

Dimes 2Vines shared a lemony sweet this week. I love it becsause

of the simple real food ingredients, it’s similar to the strawberry icecream

I made and it is sugar free!

Since I got my grainmill, I have been trying out new recipes and

I even have bought some bickwheat. I will be trying out this simple

buckwheat pancakes/wraps from Whole New Mom which looks super yummy!

Rules for this Link-Up:

Share an idea, tip, recipe, things to avoid, something new to try, natural remedy, alternative medicine, going "green" tips, etc. that will help us to remain or become more healthy!

If this is your first time participating read more info & get button here.

Comment on another participant's post.

Add button or link back to that day's link up.

Spread the word so we can learn more ideas on keep our families healthy; feel free to share on Facebook or Twitter.

Ideas: homebirths, natural remedies, an interesting article, something eco-friendly, a review, natural cleaner, alternative or holistic approaches to health, how to's, the list goes on & on!

If you are adding a recipe, make sure the ingredients do not include white flour, refined sugar, processed products, packages products (unless it is clearly stated or pictured that it is organic or all natural) and the like. We are looking for whole food recipes that are beneficial to our health!

If you're not participating today, I hope you'll come back & join in next week!

Thank you for subscribing to Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy! Here's your free copy of Spring Into Smoothies All Summer Long. Enjoy!

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