Organizing on a Budget: How I Declutter & Use Cheap Organizers

If you want to organize your closets, but find those cute storage containers are just too expensive, I have a solution. Organizing on a budget means repurposing and decorating sturdy boxes you already have.


The boxes don’t have to be perfect. You don’t need new boxes. What you do need is peace and financial freedom and I can show you how to organize on a budget. I’ll show you how when I transform my daughter’s closet.


A lot of us like to rush to stores to buy new things but you don’t have to. I decided to declutter my daughter’s room and organize her closet on a budget.


Closet before decluttering

1. Closet before decluttering

I’ll go through all the baskets on the top shelf of her closet. I just sold her dresser and we will put all the clothes that were in the dresser into the closet. I’ll head to the thrift store to look for some baskets to replace the ones she already has.

How I declutter

2. How I declutter

I have a system to declutter. I use labeled boxes where I toss things. I have a donation box, a giveaway box, and stuff I want to keep in the garage. I also made a pile of things to sell. I went through her room and closet using this process. 

Sorting things

3. Sorting things

I put clothes she’ll wear when she’s older in a basket to keep on the top shelf. I put her socks in a little basket. Now I have t-shirts, pajamas, cloth diapers, shorts and pants, and shoes. 

Finding organizing items at the thrift store

4. At the thrift store

There are tons and tons of baskets and fabric cubes at the thrift store. I found brand-new baskets for the closet! I also found a great little chest of drawers from IKEA to fit in the closet. I ended up paying just under $20 for all of it. 

How to use thrifted items to organize

5. How I used the baskets

I put her shoes in a little basket so she can easily access them. I repurposed another basket for wipes and liners. 

Organizing on a budget

6. What’s in the IKEA chest

I put all of her cloth diapers, t-shirts, pajamas, pants, and shorts in the IKEA chest of drawers. Basically, everything that was in a bulky bureau now fits into a streamlined chest of drawers in her closet.  


Organizing on a budget

I saved so much money simplifying with budget organization tools like baskets from the thrift store. I wanted to show you that you can have a cute little closet that’s organized on a budget.


Nothing has to be new, it doesn’t have to match, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, either. Let us know in the comments what has been one of your thrifted finds and whether have you been able to organize on a budget, too.

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  • Maria Krisch Maria Krisch on Feb 26, 2023

    You’ve really given me some great ideas and inspiration! I use baskets too, especially in the kitchen. But I don’t use them in closets, which is a great idea and so is the thrift store. I never think to go-and there are several great stores near me.

    I have to ask-did you clean everything before you put your darling daughter’s things in them? I don’t mean any offense, but I would recommend it if you didn’t. I would wipe things down then spray with disinfectant. Call me crazy, but you wouldn’t be the first!😁

    • Debbie Debbie on Feb 26, 2023

      Maria, I certainly hope that the items were cleaned and disinfected. Not only for germs, but for any bugs, etc. In addition to what she did, I would label the baskets as well. Can use index cards and ribbon to attach them after punching holes in the cards. That way nothing relies on memory and it’s informative for others who may need to access items in the closet.

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