Yesterday, I began a series of articles on organizing rooms on a frugal budget. I have started with a child’s room, since that sometimes seems the most difficult task.
With children’s rooms being small to begin with, often shared with a sibling and the center of large amounts of stuff, it’s challenging to get it organized. For us, we have four daughter’s who temporarily share a room! Two sets of bunk beds, toys for four. It’s chaotic to say the very least.
So what’s the solution? The Simple āSā Strategy – Sort, Store and Simplify.
So where to begin? Easy! Start with the clothes first! They are the easiest and quickest to deal with.
Begin with sorting. Create four piles. Be objective!
My favorite piles are “Keep, Store Elsewhere, Donate/Sell and Toss”
Keep Pile – Simply clothes that are in season and worn frequently.
Store Elsewhere – Clothing that is out of season but are still wearable.
Donate/Sell – Self explanatory but I will explain anyway – anything that is still in GREAT condition, might be off season, but won’t fit the next year, etc. Blankets, Sheets and other bedding items that are no longer used can go in this pile!
Toss – This is anything that has holes, missing buttons you don’t plan to ever repair, stains that won’t come out, or any other defect. Just throw it away! Chances are you probably aren’t using it! And really might never.
So you’ve gotten this far – GREAT!
Keep Pile – Now, Place the KEEP clothes back into the drawers and closet. Using hangers hang up what can be hung up. Open drawers and separate items. Using shoe boxes you can sort socks and underwear, belts and jewelry. Baskets work well too.
Store Elsewhere – Place the STORE ELSEWHERE clothes – ELSEWHERE. If they are items you intend to use on a seasonal basis, grab a box from the basement and fill it up. On the outside of the box write what the contents are. You can do this same thing by using an old dresser or other furniture item. Place off season clothes in the drawers and the item is still useful.
Donate/Sell Pile – Place the DONATE clothes in the back seat of your car. The key is to get them into trash bags and out of sight before you change your mind. If you have them in the back of the car, next time you are out and see a drop box, you can pop them right inside and save yourself an extra trip later. Conserves time AND gas!
The SELL clothes should either be in the back seat of your car if you plan to hit a consignment shop or if you enjoy Ebay – then place them near the computer and get on that as soon as humanely possible! If you plan to sell them at a garage sale, place them in an old box and mark the box garage sale.
Toss Pile ā Do I really need to say anything? Place the TOSS pile in your trash can! Now! Do it! Before you change your mind! This is a great activity to do the night before trash day. š Once the stuff is gone, you cannot change your mind!
See the frugal living blog for the next installment of this series of articles on frugally organizing a child’s space without buying a thing.
Related Articles:
Save Time and Money: Frugal Storage Tips For Your Child
Organize a Child’s Room Without Buying A Thing
Organize a Child’s Room Without Buying A Thing (2)
Organize a Child’s Room Without Buying A Thing (3)
Organize a Child’s Room Without Buying a Thing (4)
Organize A Child’s Room Without Buying A Thing (5)