If your family has been growing faster than your income, and lack of space is becoming an issue in your home, it may be time to incorporate some new space-saving ideas to make the most of your current situation.
Making better use of the space available does not necessarily mean spending a lot of money. Simple changes to save space can be made on a tight budget. Sometimes just looking at each room individually to determine ways to save space may be enough to get your creative juices flowing and help you find a solution to the crowding problem. Each room has unique features which may lend themselves to more flexible space. The ideas listed below may give you some ideas about the possibilities within each room.
Affordable Space Saving Tips
Kitchen Space-Saving Ideas
• Place a large basket on top of the refrigerator and use for storing plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and sandwich bags.
• Use a mobile cart for a serving table or additional counter space for chopping or mixing.
• Store fruits and vegetables in hanging wire baskets.
• Store extra pots and pans on hooks above the stovetop and utensils along the walls.
• Hang coffee cups from hooks beneath the cabinets, and dishtowels on hooks attached to the back of cabinet doors.
• Attach wire shelving to any unused wall space for extra storage.
• Use bar stools that can be pushed out of the way when not in use or moved to another position if more seating is needed in another area.
Dining Room Space-Saving Ideas
• Create a study area for the children in this often unused space.
• Use the bottom shelves of a china cabinet to store books, office supplies, or magazines.
• Cover a small filing cabinet with a matching table cloth and place in a corner with a flower arrangement on top.
• Using a glue gun, cover boxes of different sizes with scrap fabric and stack for storing odds and ends.
Bedroom Space-Saving Ideas
• Stack bunk beds or use a futon to make the most of a small space.
• Use boxes or plastic bags to keep items stored neatly under the beds.
• Stash clothing that is out of season in suitcases.
• Taking doors off the hinges in rooms where privacy is not needed will also open the area and make it look larger.
• A hanging shoe bag on the back of a closet door can store sewing supplies, cosmetics, socks, hosiery, or hair products.
Bathroom Space-Saving Ideas
• A medicine cabinet is your best friend. Get a deep one with doors and fill it with any household supply that has no other out-of-the-way home. The top of some cabinets are also useful for holding bath items.
• For anything that will not fit into a medicine cabinet, use large decorative baskets purchased from the local dollar store.
• Repurpose an old book case to hold bathroom supplies and do not neglect to use the area under the sink.
Do not let clutter make you crazy just because money is tight. Start in one room and make just a few simple changes. You will see a remarkable difference!
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written by: Helen Pearson
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Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
