Storage Space
After <a href=”http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1000774/?ref_=sr_2″>”Sex and the City”</a> premiered in film form a few years ago, it seemed like the entire female population was yearning for the same thing: “A really big closet.” After perusing my favorite site for quirky & interesting stories – <a href=”http://www.yahoo.com/”>Yahoo!</a> – I found out that the desire for such a large storage space hasn’t abated; it’s actually getting worse. Case in point: the article titled <a href=”http://finance.yahoo.com/news/100-000-closet-021800975.html”>”The $100,000 Closet”</a>. Let me get this straight – people are willing to shell out $100k to build a room the size of their living rooms and with seemingly more features than your average hotel…just so they have somewhere to store all their stuff?! There’s so much about this idea that makes me crazy. First of all, who has an extra 1/10th of a million dollars to shell out on a room? Second, who has enough stuff to warrant <em>having</em> such a room?! There have got to be more frugal (and “frugal” is putting it lightly) ways to create extra storage space. If you’re on a budget – and who isn’t these days? – start your quest for organization by stocking up on baskets. Places like <a href=”http://www.containerstore.com/welcome.htm”>The Container Store</a> sell more varieties than you can imagine…though I’d have to recommend using this store strictly for inspiration simply because their prices can usually be beat. Roam the aisles and then head to <a href=”http://www.homegoods.com/”>HomeGoods</a>, <a href=”http://www.christmastreeshops.com/”>Christmas Tree Shops</a>, or <a href=”http://www.michaels.com/”>Michael’s</a> and find more affordable versions of what you need to get started. The great thing about the baskets is that they come in a variety of sizes <em>and</em> you can place them anywhere – in a closet, under the bed, on shelves – so they help to keep all your stuff corralled nicely. Worried about how your extensive wardrobe is going to fit in that too-small closet in your apartment? Skip the thick, plastic hangers and opt for the thinner wire ones that take up less space (relax – you can get them with protective material over the wire so you don’t end up with weird indentations jumping out of your shoulders). Not sure where your precious shoe collection’s going to fit? They make wonderful stacking shoe racks that can be placed right at the bottom of your closet; they take up very little space and they make it easier to see your selection. Have your own sneaky