Hi.
I'm Lorie Marrero, creator of the Clutter Diet book and on-line program, and today we
have another "Ask Lorie" question submitted by Stacy T. She has a lot of spaces in her
home to organize, but not so much of a budget, so what should she do?
Well, most people concerned about their budgets are concerned about buying the supplies and
containers that are involved in an organizing project.
So let's talk about how to recycle and repurpose some containers on the cheap so that you can
save there and still have great results.
So there are so many really great containers.
We get all this packaging in our lives, right?
From the grocery store and the warehouse store.
And here are some great examples of that.
Baby Wipe containers, check containers, business card boxes, egg cartons, muffin tins.
Also Velveeta boxes.
[POP] And I have a couple of examples to show you here.
This is a brand of rice that comes in these really nice squared off containers that are
clear.
And I like to teach people to take clear packing tape and take the original packaging from
something like that you buy in bulk or that's in a smaller flimsier bag -- this was a container
of oatmeal -- and then take that clear packing tape and just cover that original label onto
the new clear container and that way you preserve the instructions and the nutritional information
and yet you still have a very sturdy accessible container that's easy to clean as well.
So this is a great solution there.
Also, I want to share with you what I use in my own jewelry drawer for earrings.
This was a package of frozen mini-quiches, like the kind you have at parties, and there
you go.
I have my earrings in it, it works awesome, and it cost me nothing.
So there are so many things [POP] that you can repurpose, but how do you know what to
look for in a good container?
First, you want to have something that is nondescript, that does not have a whole lot
[POP] of colorful words and labels all over it, or if it does have labels, that they are
easy to remove.
Because you don't want to be looking at this and seeing what it used to be.
You want to see it for its new purpose.
Also you want to look for containers that are square or rectangular ideally instead
of round because they use the space more efficiently.
So that's just a general piece of advice, whether it's a reused thing or something you're
buying new.
Also, clear containers are usually better instead of opaque so that you can see what's
inside.
And you want to look for something [POP] sturdy, not flimsy, and something easy to care for
and easy to clean that doesn't have a lot of grooves and crevices in it.
So also, I have noticed that when people start getting in the mindset of repurposing and
recycling containers, sometimes they have a tendency to hoard these containers.
And I don't want you to do that.
You know, I'm sure you've met somebody that has a lot of Cool Whip or margarine tubs in
their drawers.
So don't be that person, okay?
Set a limit and have maybe let's just say five of them that you save and any more than
five, or whatever your number is, recycle them.
Because, you know, it may be perfectly good, but it's not perfectly good for you if you
have an excess of them and they're taking up space.
The other thing that I want to caution you about with repurposing is that sometimes when
you feel like you're making do with a container, it makes you feel kind of bad when you open
the cabinet or look on the shelf and go, "Yeah, I really didn't like [POP] that solution.
I really feel kind of like I cheaped out on that."
So if it would make you feel better, go ahead and splurge and get the right container so
that you don't have a negative influence on you when you're looking at that every day.
I want you to feel good about your organizing success, and I want you to feel good about
your stuff, and I want you to feel like you've respected your stuff.
So if you're reusing something and it doesn't feel good, give that another thought.
Okay, so if you really want to save some money with your organizing projects, one of the
best things you can do is utilize our service.
This is why I invented Clutter Diet.
You know, hiring an organizer in person is the best solution, but it is kind of like
hiring a personal trainer, it's not for everybody's budget.
So we can help you unlimited in our Member Message Board area for about the price of
a pizza.
We've helped thousands of people in 18 countries and we've been doing it since 2006.
So our team is ready, we answer your questions seven days a week, you can upload photos and
show us what's going on, and we will hold your hand the whole way.
You get your first two weeks for free, so check us out at http://www.clutterdiet.com/quickstart.
Also if you want to submit an "Ask Lorie" question yourself, we'd love to hear from
you.
You can put one here in the comments, or you can put one on our Facebook page.
Also, you can e-mail us from our "contact us" page on our website at clutterdiet.com.
See you next time, and may you always be happy and grateful for having more than enough.