
I am clearly a big believer in second-hand. As many of you know, I have made my living at it for almost 20 years. I write about the virtues of shopping consignment in this blog and extol the virtues of second-hand any chance I get. Consignment products are great for so many projects. But maybe one project that you wouldn’t necessarily think of when thrifting, is getting your home organized. BUT, surprise! Thrift purchases can help you organize with these staples of an organized home…

Thrift Purchases of Baskets and Totes Help You Get Organized
If you go to Pottery Barn or The Container Store, boy and you will you see baskets. They have them in all shapes and sizes because they are such a staple of organization. You will, however, pay for this selection and for this convenience. Enter the consignment store. You will find so many baskets at these shops. They are 1/3 or less the price of regular retail stores. Organize your toiletries in your linen closet, food stuffs in your pantry, mittens in your mudroom. Bring your measurements with you for all the spaces you need to organize the next time you thrift. You’ll be glad you did.
Want more on using thrift items like baskets? Check out my previous blog: How To Make Your Bathroom Beautiful with Thrift Items.

Trays Help You Get Organized with Thrift
Trays are the workhorse of interior design, in my opinion. With trays, you can organize your stuff, and the do it in a beautiful way. Trays are among the best thrift purchases to help with your organization. Use these thrift trays for corralling the perfume bottles on your dresser or housing toiletries on your sink. Grab a thrift tray to organize your coffee supplies in the kitchen or the remote and the coasters in the den. Trays are a great organizational tool that is less expensive on consignment. See more on trays at: Using Trays in Interior Design.

And Let’s Not Forget Storage Benches and Ottomans
The mark-up on new, retail furniture, according to industry sources, is between 200-400%. Yes. Re-read that last sentence. It is astonishing! Pricing standards for consignment items, however, are around 25% of original retail. This means that you are able to buy most items on consignment for less than wholesale. That’s even more astonishing.
Storage benches and storage ottomans are great finds for organizing your home. Use them in the mudroom to house the boots. Place one in the den, in front of the pullout couch, for the extra bed linens. Buy them on consignment or at thrift stores at 25% of original retail and you’ll be organized and save your cash. That’s a win-win.

Lazy Susans and Drawer Dividers: Perfect Thrift Purchases To Help Your Organization
When I was a kid we had a lazy Susan in the middle of the table to spin around the salt and pepper, the cream and sugar and the napkins. I thought that was the only use for these babies. Oh, how wrong I was. Lazy Susans are perfect for organizing under your sink. You can place cleaning products on one and the things in the back don’t get forgotten because every side is accessible. Lazy Susans are another way to get organized through thrift.
You will also find drawer organizers at stores like Consignments Ltd. Why are these staples are available? Because people buy the wrong size and then fail to take them back. Or people move and they don’t fit in the new house. Either way, scoring these on consignment gets you organized and saves you money. Look for them the next time you’re out hunting. You’ll be glad you did.
For more on organization, check out my previous blogs: Get Rid of The Clutter With These Clutter Busting Tips and Organize Your Bedroom to Reduce Stress. And for more information on some of my favorite products, check out: My Favorite Amazon ProductsFor My Favorite Readers.
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