Expert Tips for Kitchen Organizing On A Budget

Today we are focusing on tried-and-true tips and strategies for organizing your kitchen. Are you ready!?

To ensure success in creating your dream kitchen, set aside a little time to notice what is working in your kitchen right now. Your immediate attention will go to what is not working — you can make note of those issues too — but it’s helpful to begin with what is working. You can then build on the strategies that work for you and your household to create more efficiency, flow and harmony in your kitchen.

Download our free printable resource to support you in creating a kitchen that works for your household.

Now that you and your household are clear on your goals and vision for your kitchen, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of how to make it happen! First we will whiz through the ABC’s of organizing in general and then we will share expert tips for organizing the kitchen.

Before we dive into kitchen specifics, let’s review a few decluttering and organizing principles that can be applied to any space, large or small:

Before racing out to purchase organizing tools, eliminate any duplicate kitchen products you own by choosing the best ones and donating the rest. If the duplication makes sense (i.e. you are keeping an extra bottle of your favorite salad dressing) consider whether keeping that item in its current location makes sense or whether there is a better place to put it.

Just like you did in kindergarten, gather together all items of a certain type. Don’t get bogged down by items that could go into more than one category. Just choose what makes sense to you now, as you can always change your mind later!

Now that you have edited your kitchen items, you can determine the best place to store them. In the professional organizing trade, we call this “primary and secondary storage.” In my former home, I had very limited storage space in the kitchen. So in the kitchen (primary storage area), I kept frying pans, other cookware and frequently used food items.

Extra canned goods and staples were kept in a pantry downstairs (secondary storage). Though this solution required frequent trips up and down the stairs, it was the best solution available at the time. Organizing your kitchen for optimal use may require thinking outside of the box about where to store items that are not used frequently.

Now that your kitchen is decluttered, it’s time to organize your kitchen. If there is one person who does most of the food preparation in your home, begin by making the organization work for them. To find solutions that work for everyone, get creative and communicate openly!

And remember that organizing is a process. The first solution you try may work and it may not. Keep tweaking and trying new strategies using the tips here until the kitchen works for your household. And remember that we are always here to support you when you feel stuck or have difficulty finding common ground.

A big challenge is keeping supplies and tools where you need them when you need them. Notice the way that you work in the kitchen. Do multiple people chop or do other food prep? Try keeping the cutting boards, knives, and other important food prep tools somewhere easily accessible from where food prep takes place (like the counter by the sink or the kitchen island). In a tiny kitchen, consider doing some of the prep at a table rather than in the cooking area.

1. Use counter space to hold frequently used utensils and other kitchen items like coffee, tea, paper towels or eco-friendly cleaning cloths.
2. Adjust the height of shelves or add more shelves. In the lovely kitchen above, shelves were added to the right and left of the window to create more function yet attractive space. Additional shelf space can be created by paying close attention to how your cabinets shelves are arranged. Many cabinet shelves can be adjusted by moving the shelf brackets. If you are very creative (and a little lucky) you can even manage to add an additional shelf for compact items like coffee cups. We did this in our old kitchen, which had extremely limited space.
3. Use shelf risers to add additional space in cabinets or on countertops. In the picture below, two shelf risers expand the available space and create a coffee station with mugs. Below that, a white wire shelf riser creates extra space in a kitchen cabinet.

Look up, down and all around! Get creative or get support from a professional home organizer or a trusted friend or family member if you feel stuck. It is much easier for an outsider to “see” things that are not clear to you because your brain is so used to seeing things the way they are.

First, make the most of every inch of a small kitchen by using the countertops, under-sink or cabinet spaces and the insides of doors. Notice how in the picture at the top of this post there is space underneath the shelves to nestle kitchen appliances. Sliding trays can be used to move appliances out when in use.

Below are a few hidden kitchen storage tricks a professional home organizer might suggest:

Organizing On The Back Of Doors

A variety of hooks and shelving can be used to maximize your walls, cabinets, and doors to create extra space.

Many over- or behind-the-door solutions require no installation, but there are also options that can be mounted directly onto the wall or door.

If there is a pantry near the kitchen with a door, shelving units can be used to store food and other kitchen supplies.

The adjustable kitchen door organizer pictured left can create tons of space for canned goods, dry goods, and whatever your imagination cooks up! We have one in our kitchen pantry door and it is a lifesaver. This one, unlike mine, has adjustable shelves and two options for installation.

The Container Store also offers many excellent options for making the most of behind-the-door storage.

The organizer basket below and a variety of over-the-cabinet holders are designed to hold your extra trash bags, aluminum foil, and more. In the second photo below, two small hooks hold potholders in the cabinet next to the stove. Budget-friendly solutions such as the ones shown below can be purchased at your local hardware store or on Amazon.

As we mentioned earlier, shelf risers can really expand your cabinet space. In the photo below, staggered shelves create space and better visibility for spices or other kitchen items.

• Lightweight plastics are on the top shelf in inexpensive containers for easy access, to maximize use of the space and to make things tidy and organized.
• Heavier cans are lower down and the spices are organized alphabetically and labeled at the top for better visibility.
• The spices in the center of the bottom shelf are extra, oversized or infrequently used. Depending in your shelf configuration, you may choose other solutions for common kitchen items such as spices.

Look UP to discover clever ways to create organizing possibilities and additional storage space in your kitchen.

If you don’t wish to invest in custom-designed shelves like the ones pictured at the top of this post, floating shelves such as this inexpensive IKEA Lack shelf can make space appear like magic. This shelf and others like it require someone handy to install them.

In small kitchens, inexpensive hardware solutions can create additional space without requiring a major installation.

Creating useful space underneath a kitchen sink can be challenging due to plumbing. If you plan to purchase a specialized under-the-sink organizing solution, be sure to measure very carefully as available space differs greatly from one kitchen to another. After purchasing a fancy under-sink solution that did not work in my kitchen, I used trusty, inexpensive open containers to create some structure. Though not a Martha Stewart scene, it is functional for now and required only four open containers to implement.

Below are two examples of how to make odd or inflexible spaces work in your kitchen:

The two cabinets below are triangle-shaped with lots of wasted space in the back. If you have an awkward set up like this, put large pieces in the back as they can still be seen. Stagger smaller pieces in the front and on the sides.

The cabinet on the left is an open cabinet so extra care is taken to make it look attractive. In the corner cabinet on the right, like with like is applied. Bowls of varying sizes are kept together on the lower shelf so if the front row of bowls gets used, the stack in the back is available.

The salad bowls in the center back can easily be seen and removed. The top shelf holds plastic containers and lids nestled in a clear storage container to keep them tidy and close to the containers they go with. There is extra plastic in the back which is not visible, but since the like with like principle applies, it is easy to remember that it’s there.

The cabinet on the right also highlights a principle that can make things easier in the kitchen: put lightweight items on the higher shelves and heavier items on the bottom for easy access.

If you are even a tiny bit creative or handy, consider budget friendly DIY storage ideas based on these solutions! Hooks, shelves, and racks can be created with tools and supplies you already have in your toolbox.

Want more tips for organizing your kitchen on a budget? Check out our posts on How to Reduce Food Waste and Kitchen Stress Through Organizing and How to Declutter Your Kitchen for Wellness and Wealth!

You can do a lot of organizing with supplies you already have at home. But if you’re ready for new budget organizing products, below are some I use and recommend:

• Stackable metal kitchen cabinet organizers (2 pack)
• White shelf organizer from ClosetMaid
• Over The Door Adjustable Pantry Organizer Rack w/ 5 Adjustable Shelves
• Simple budget over-the-cabinet organizer basket
• DecoBros Sturdy Over Cabinet Door Organizer Holder
• Expandable Spice Rack