How To Organize Your Garage On A Tight Budget
Organizing doesn’t have to mean that you are spending lots of money on systems which you don’t even know if they will work.
It is possible to organize your garage on a budget and still end up with an organized and functioning space.
You need to find systems that work for you and your family; spending lots of money on a new system doesn’t mean that it is going to work, you have to find the right system for you first, or you might find that the chosen system is a complete waste of time and money.
Organize Before You Buy
It’s a great idea to organize an area before you buy any products as this will help reduce the possibility of buying storage that doesn’t fit what you need or creating a system that isn’t practical for you and your family.
How To Organize Your Garage On A Budget
Creating an organized space isn’t difficult and doesn’t have to cost a fortune in supplies. What it does mean is having a space for everything you own and working out the best way to store that item without spending money you don’t have.
Finding creative ways in which you organize the things you own is easy and a lot less stressful than having everything in a mess and not being able to find anything.
Create A Plan For Your Garage
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Having a plan is essential, knowing what you need to store in your garage and what needs storing in other areas will help you create the right space.
Without a plan, you might think you need everything but in reality, you might only need a small percentage of these items:
The space in the garage is often misused because it is often just a large empty-looking space that seems perfect for holding all the junk in our homes.
This gives a garage a bad name, it is a large space and because of this, it is difficult to find systems that work, that allow your possessions to look organized and in their correct home.
Prepare Your Garage
Not every garage is the same size or shape and this makes the storage solutions very personal. Sometimes a garage can come with some built-in storage other times it comes with nothing.
Look at the items you have for storage and their condition, and make sure they are suitable and fit for purpose.
Often storage options in garages are basic but that doesn’t matter.
Creating Storage Options For Your Garage
Storage options are easy to find, sometimes even for free. You can repurpose items that you don’t need for storage options in your garage.
Or you can find free items that you can repurpose into usable storage items for your garage.
Sometimes they are so good you never want to change them out.
Thinking about storage in advance means that you don’t suddenly decide you need to spend more money on storage.
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Don’t Forget To Use Labels
There is nothing worse than putting things in their new home and forgetting where they go or what is in the storage containers.
This means that items easily get misplaced or worse, you end up destroying what you have created because you forgot to label exactly where to find each item or category and when looking for something you have to pull everything out.
While it is great if you can have pretty labels, you don’t have to have them if you are trying to save money. It is just as effective to write on a piece of masking tape, the box, or the shelf.
You can also take this one step further and actually create an inventory of the room with details of where each item goes.
I would love the time to do this, maybe in the future, I can do this for every room in my home. That would be an awesome project and one I would love to do.
Go Vertical For Garage Storage
Most items are around the edges leaving the center space for projects or storing your car.
This means being creative on your storage, which is why I love going vertical. The best form of storage is off the floor, it makes it easier to keep the floors clean.
It is easier to store and retrieve items if they have a home to go to, it’s the same principle as organizing inside your home.
Having shelves on the walls can help corral the items, but sometimes you might need to put items in other containers to protect the items from insects, or storing for longer periods of time.
However, a garage is not a dumping ground, you have to need all the items you own.
It’s easy to place items in the garage with the hope of one day using them again.
However, this is hoarding and if you don’t need it or love it then it might be time to donate, sell or trash the item.
Don’t Forget To Think About Overhead Storage Too
When it comes to using the space in your garage don’t forget that there might be some storage options above your head.
This really isn’t something you would want to access on a weekly basis and is often best used for long-term storage options.
But, there really are some good options that can make this a perfect long-term storage option but remember don’t just store things you don’t love or want.
Think About Garage Organization Ideas On A Budget
Storage doesn’t have to cost extra money, how many jars do you throw out each week? The same with boxes of all shapes and sizes.
It is possible to reuse these and create storage solutions for all your needs.
I have kept plastic toy boxes my kids used, these are ideal for storing items for longer periods and protecting them from the elements.
Let’s Recap…
It’s important to plan what you want your garage to look like and the budget you have available to spend.
Get rid of things you don’t need or want, your garage isn’t the place to store items you don’t want.
Think about the space available to you and don’t forget the space overhead, you might find this is perfect for long-term storage options.
See if you can find storage options cheap in your neighborhood and repurpose these for your garage storage needs.
