How To Organize Your Kitchen On A Budget

If funds are tight and you need to save money, don’t despair – you can still have an organized and clutter free kitchen.

You don’t need the budget of those home makeover shows or magazines. Not all kitchen organization products are expensive – there are plenty in the affordable range and some are even free.

But the worst thing you can do when deciding how to organize your kitchen on a budget is to start off by buying organizers. Instead you need to start off by decluttering. We all have way more than we need squirreled away in our cabinets and drawers that has built up over months and years – so start with a big sort out.

If you have less to organize, you’ll spend less on organizers.

Once you are clutter free, you can assess what food, flatware, tableware, bakeware, appliances and utensils you have as well as the space you have to store them in.

It may be that you find you now have plenty of storage space and do not need any organizers to help maximize the available space. But if you do need some help, look for kitchen organization products that help group your items together and provide easy access to them.

Please read on to discover:

the best types of kitchen organizers to look for
where to look for them
specific ideas for common problem areas, and
8 kitchen organization products that cost less than $20.

The best types of kitchen organizers to look for

Whether you are looking to deep cleanse your pantry, control the chaos under your sink or regain the useful space in your kitchen drawers, the following affordable organizing products are sure to help:

shallow baskets or trays – for canned goods, spices, dish towels, napkins or even to be used as an extra shelf in a cabinet by stacking on top of glasses perhaps
stackable plastic tubs – for baking goods, bagged items such as chips and cookies
wire baskets – for packet mixes, pasta, fruit & vegetables
door mounted wire baskets – for plastic lids, wrap or cleaning items
hooks – for towels, utensils or even mugs
drawer dividers – for cutlery, utensils or even your ‘junk’
wall shelves combined with decorative boxes and baskets – to make use of wasted wall space.

Just remember:

square is best as round organizers waste space
shallow is best so you can see what you have stored
clear is best so you see inside without having to open the lid
plain is best unless it will be on display as it is often cheaper than pretty.

Where to look for cheap kitchen organizers

Stylish organizing and home stores are probably not the best bet when it comes to shopping for any kitchen organizers you may need. Instead see what you can find in dollar stores, cheap home centers and grocery stores. You could even check out thrift shops or a garage sale. You may find something like a bookcase worth repairing and using in your pantry or even brand new products. Many people buy these items but never get round to using them as they expect the spending of money to make them organized, rather than ‘them’ making them organized.

Specific ideas for common problem areas

Here are some of the affordable essentials that you should look for depending on what your problem areas are:

Kitchen cabinet organizers

Helper shelves – unless you stack cans 3 or 4 high in your cabinet, the chances are you will be wasting some space between shelves. Helper shelves help(!) as they are effectively an in between shelf that doubles the useable space.

Stepped shelves – these are ideal for deep pantry or cabinet shelves as they help you to see what is hidden at the back.

Under shelf racks and baskets – these slide onto the shelf above and make the most of the dead space above the items on each shelf. They are great for small items, perhaps napkins or dish cloths.

Over the door organizers – you can find baskets, trays, 2-tier baskets, towel bars, bag holders, paper towel holders and hooks that slot over your cabinet door to help organize many different items without taking up useful space. They start at only $2 so are perfect if you are on a budget.

Kitchen counter organizers

Canisters If you have tried to follow our “Up, In & Out” instructions for how to organize your kitchen countertops but are still left with some items that you need on show, there are many attractive organizers for you to consider. Budget items include:

a set of 4 stainless steel airtight canisters from Oggi for around $24,
a 10-slot hardwood knife block for around $20 from Henckels,
a 16 jar beechwood revolving spice rack from Kamenstein for around $20,
the superbly popular OXO Good Grips brushed steel utensil holder for around $20,
a brushed steel and acrylic flatware drainer/caddy for around $11,
a contemporary 6-mug holder for around $15,
appliance covers for can openers, toasters, blenders, mixers and coffee makers from $10.