As a child, I preferred organizing my toys over playing with them.  I would line my dolls up in neat little rows and put my stuffed animals in groups based on what type of animals they were.  I have always loved organizing – it clears my mind, reduces anxiety, and creates a more useful and aesthetically pleasing space.

Because the hubby and I are currently saving for a home and working on attacking our student loan debt, organizing supplies are not in our budget.  But that doesn’t mean our place is a mess!  I make use of spare items and re-purpose them for containing that pesky clutter.  Here are 5 items you can re-purpose to get organized without spending a dime.

Mugs

I have several old mugs that I received as gifts or for free.  There’s no way we’ll ever use all of those mugs for their intended purpose (I don’t even drink coffee!).  Instead, I use mugs to organize office supplies, including pens/markers, business cards, and post-it notes.

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Shoe Boxes

Shoe boxes are great for organizing DVDs and CDs.

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Ice Cream Jars 

Ice cream jars (or any other type of jar) work well for keeping spare change in one place.

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Earring Boxes

I often receive jewelry as gifts from relatives for Christmas, and I always keep the boxes because I know I’ll use them for something.  I’ve used earring boxes to organize push pins, bobby pins, and paper clips.

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Necklace Boxes

I use larger necklace boxes for organizing technology related items, such as memory sticks, chargers, headphones, and batteries.

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What are some tips you have for getting organized without spending any money?