Tips for setting up a home office on a budget from Better Way Moms. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we did!

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How To Set Up The Perfect Home Office

Great tips from the Everyday Minimalist on how to get exactly what you want out of life. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we do. Read the entire article here.

Everyone wants to know all the benefits of being a minimalist.

So I came up with my top 5 reasons.

There are plenty more reasons as a result of these major ones, but they all come in time, as minimalism slowly creeps into your system.

1. Less stress gets you what you want

You have less to deal with when you start applying minimalism to all aspects of your life.

Living a simpler, less complicated life takes some work in the beginning, but the rewards are great.

If you keep saying yes to everything, you will never enjoy or get anything finished.

Once you start cutting back on your commitments and your stuff, there is less to do, less to buy, less to take care of and what you do end up with, is exactly what you want.

2. Less of an impact on the environment

Buying less helps reduce the amount of items that are being overproduced for the environment. If we stopped purchasing new items every year that we don’t really want or need, the demand is less, and factories will produce less. In fact, they may produce just what we need, no more and no less.

Before you purchase new items, minimalism encourages you to re-purpose and re-use what you already own.

Cutting down on new purchases by learning how to cross-examine yourself for whether or not you need the items is a useful skill to have.

3. Less money is spent so you can save

Buying less, means spending less.

And if you spend less, you can save more for your future and financial well-being.

If you also purchase quality items, you will cherish and enjoy them longer, plus you won’t have to buy as many replacements in the future.

And don’t we love that?!

4. Less cleaning to do

The more you own, the more it owns you.

You have to take care of the things. Maintain them. Polish them. Upgrade them. Add more to the collection. Yell at people who go near your figurines.

It gets exhausting, devoting so much time to loving things.

The less stuff you have, the less you have to clean and the less you have to maintain.

And you can devote your appreciation and love to the few things you own, that you truly cherish and value.

5. Less time wasted

You will be picking, choosing and prioritizing what is really important to you to get done, rather than trying to do everything all at once, and feeling unfulfilled.

Everyone needs a little down time, sometimes. And if you’re constantly putting your resources towards things that don’t hold any meaning for you, you will be stuck dealing with time wasters that don’t benefit you whatsoever.

Clutter for example, is just a form of visual distraction and the more we have in a home, the more our brain has to process.

Having a minimalist life and home also lets you find your things quicker.

Instead of hunting for that rogue working blue pen, you have them all in one area, ready to be used.

Or how about having all your keys and items ready at the door before you leave in the morning?

That also cuts down on having to scream in frustration at 7.59 a.m., while frantically searching through your pockets, cursing the amount of stuff you own and have to check before you find your keys.

About everydayminimalist
I’m a 20-something year old girl who lived out of a single suitcase in 2007, and now I’m living with less, but only with the best. You don’t have to get rid of everything to become a minimalist! Minimalism can help simplify and organize your life, career, & physical surroundings. You can read more about me as a minimalist. Or come and visit my other blog Fabulously Broke in the City where I got out of $60,000 of debt in 18 months, earning $65,000 gross/year.

As human beings, we tend to be sentimental about a lot of things. We also get stuck in “buying and acquiring mode”, making purchases of things that are a good deal or that we think can help us in some way. The problem is, we get consumed by the quantity of things that we own and we forget to concentrate on the quality. Focusing on the quality of not only how things are made, but also the quality that they bring to our lives, helps us to be more selective about what we allow into our space and existence.

1) Deciding to become a minimal consumer of goods and the Earth is a great feeling. Getting rid of things that clutter your mind, home and life gives you a freedom and an ease of living that you may not have experienced before. The first step is to get rid of all of the things that are not worthy of sharing space with you. Ban junk, things that bring negative feelings to mind and things that will create more work for you in the future.

2) Come up with a list of questions for yourself to ask whenever you are deciding what to keep or what to buy. Make these questions personal to you so that your home slowly becomes a place of comfort and joy for you. When deciding what to keep, ask yourself things such as, “Does this make me happy?” “Is this the only thing that I have to remember someone or some special event?” “Is this worth keeping forever?” “Will this take up too much of my precious storage space?” “Do I look at this regularly and reminisce, or does it stay hidden away?”

3) When buying things like kitchen items or organizational items, try to only buy the highest quality, most useful things. Make sure that you replace old items instead of just pushing the old items to the back of a cabinet when the new items arrive. Getting rid of junky, flimsy, flawed, or tacky items and replacing them with higher quality items will save you money in the long run. Not only will you be more selective about what you buy, but you also won’t have things that are likely to break just waiting to cause you to spend money.

4) By limiting what you will allow to take up space in your home, you should reveal storage and room that you didn’t know you had before. If you have a lot of keepsakes or need somewhere to discretely organize things, think about that bulky dresser in your bedroom. If you use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers to fit your clothes neatly in your closets, then you can use the dresser space for keeping photos, photographer equipment, books and more. Find creative ways to store the things that you must keep and you’ll have a home that is neat, clean and easy to keep organized.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

We hope you enjoy this helpful article from Apartment Therapy. 10 Tips for Small Space Living.

Double duty. We try to find and highlight furniture that does more than one thing: an ottoman that also provides storage, a bench to sit on, put your tv on or store baskets underneath, etc.

Regular edits. We run the Cure each spring and Fall and even if you don’t want to commit to the whole thing, it’s a great way to make sure you’re reviewing your possessions twice a year to keep them to only the things you use and/or love. Sell your extra stuff on craigslist, use freecycle or just donate it at the local goodwill, get that stuff out of your house so that you have more space for living! Check out the Spring Cure in its 3rd week.

Convert a closet. A friend recently moved into a small studio and had too much furniture to fit into the room so we figured out that since she doesn’t have that many clothes, the bookshelf (and later possibly her desk) can fit easily in half the closet without cluttering things up.

Go vertical. All those waist high shelves you have are great, but if you really want to maximize storage, have those shelves go all the way up. If you keep them tidy and just have one wall of shelving it won’t overwhelm or clutter the space.

Digitize media. We ripped all of our cd’s onto a hard drive and made some extra cash and freed up a ton of space. Next we tackling our record collection.

Have a landing strip. This will keep clutter from overwhelming a small space. It could be as simple as a hook for you coat and a shair for your bag and mail. Just something so that when you walk in the door everything in your arms doesn’t end up on the bed or the floor.

Have a space for everything. If something doesn’t have a home, it’s not going to get put away and will likely be sitting around for months. Use some small space shelving ideas to make sure that you have enough room for the things you own.

Put your apartment on a diet. This is good for your space and your pocketbook. Only bring things in if you’re taking something out. This way more stuff isn’t accumulating and it gives you a chance to really consider your purchases and whether you’re willing to give something up for it.

What do you see? Abby rounded up some great small space solutions including keeping things monochromatic and considering site lines to make a space feel larger.

And finally, we asked you what you’re best tips are and here they are ranging from using furniture with legs because they feel lighter in a space to taking your time when purchasing furniture. Our favorite quote from reader, marigael:

“stop designing for who people expect you to be. find out who you are & what you need. then, start to edit.”

Check out the whole article with photos here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-tips-for-small-space-living-80638

It can be hard to organize small or insufficient spaces. Things get crammed in and it’s hard to find what you need when you need it. We specialize in getting small spaces organized. Learning how to organize small spaces will help you to feel like you’re living in a neater, bigger space.

1) First determine what you need to clean. There are usually “hot spots” around small homes that collect junk. Tackle one area at a time. Use the counters, beds, dressers, or coffee table to start organizing. Take everything from the pile and divide it into categories.

2) Create a pile for each category so that you can get an idea of what types of organizational products you might need. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get organized. For storage, you can use old shoe boxes, plastic zipper bags, things of that nature. Avoid making a miscellaneous pile. This is what generally gets us into clutter mode to begin with. Make sure that similar items are kept together so that you can find what you need when you need it.

3) You may want to install some shelves in a closet or in the corner of the room. Shelves give you a space to put boxes, bins and other containers that are storing your belongings. Label boxes so that you can easily locate things when you need them. As a general rule, store things that you don’t need very often up higher or down lower than everything else. Place things that you use more often at about eye level so that you can have quick and easy access to them.

4) Get creative with storage space. There are lots of furniture pieces on the market that are designed to save space in small apartments or homes. Couches have armrests that open up to reveal cup holders, storage for remote controls, magazines, and more. Coffee tables have tops that open up to reveal storage. Even ottomans can open up and provide storage for blankets or anything else that you need them to. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, check thrift stores and used furniture places for trunks and other things that can serve as storage or tables.

5) You can make more space in your closets than you realize by utilizing space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. These hangers are all the rage because they allow you to double or even triple the space in your closet. The slim design helps clothes to fit closely together. The finger clips and cascading hooks allow you to coordinate outfits. The possibilities are endless. You just have to use your imagination.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Small homes and apartments can be so hard to keep clean because of the limited space that you have to stay organized. It can become a necessity instead of a luxury to have an organized home if you live in a small space. Living in small spaces makes it so that you have to get creative and use your imagination. You can also use these tips to get you started on your way to finding all of that storage space that may be right in front of you!

1) Furniture can be your best friend in a small home. If you can, invest in furniture that has built in storage. It could be that the arm rest opens up to reveal storage for magazines, remotes, and hidden cup holders. Or, you can find coffee tables that open up to reveal storage inside. You can even use a trunk instead of a coffee table to keep books, photo albums, and throw blankets. Ottomans and end tables can also open up to reveal storage.

2) Install shelves all over the place. Installing a shelf over each doorway of your home gives you a convenient place to display photos or memorabilia. But, you can also use that space for storing books. You can store smaller things inside of interesting containers that compliment your décor. You can also use that space for baskets or bins that hide everyday items, like camera chargers, video games, or office supplies.

3) Shelves can also easily be installed in other neglected areas. Up each side of your fireplace, underneath windows, and in unused corners of the room can all be utilized as storage space. Shelves are a great way to add storage space for very little money. You may only need the board and brackets to make the shelf look nice. Paint them black if you want them to blend in with darker surroundings or pop out as a contemporary accent.

4) Make the space look bigger than it is by using sheers instead of curtains, adding light sources around the room, and leaving the space simple. Busy fabrics and decorations can make a space seemed more closed in. However, using them as accents will actually make a space look larger if they are in contrast to lighter colors surrounding them.

5) Utilize your closets to their full potential. Most closets have a design that wastes the space that they have to offer. Use that area up high on all sides of the closet. Use those neglected front corners for shelves and cubbies. Figure out how to most effectively use shelves and bars for making the space work for you. Use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to maximize space on the bar when you’re done.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Enjoy these great closet space saving tips from The Container Store.

Save Space In Your Closet

For many of our customers, their closet is at the top of the list of areas in need of organization. Here are some quick and easy strategies to immediately create space and add organization to your closet.

Follow the two-year rule to purge outdated or ill-fitting garments. If you haven’t used it or worn it in two years, it’s safe that you won’t use it again.
Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in the closet. Move it to another area of the home, donate or sell it.
If possible, move out-of-season garments to another area of your home. The space under your bed is a wonderful solution when you use an underbed storage box.
Take advantage of all vertical space by stacking sweaters, shoes and handbags on shelves. Use stacking drawers or shelves to prevent items from toppling over.
Use add-on hangers which take up as much space as a single hanger and store four times the amount of clothing.
Remove empty hangers from the closet rod; throw away or recycle unused wire and plastic hangers.
If most of your clothes are short hanging, add an extra closet rod to instantly double the amount of hanging space.
Separate clothing by long-hanging and short-hanging items. Color coordinate items to make selecting an outfit easier.
Utilize the back of a closet door to store shoes, belts, jewelry and other accessories.
We can show you how to maximize your closet space with elfa, our premier closet system. Try our FREE design services!

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Do you live in a small apartment or home that just doesn’t have enough space? The good news is that every home, no matter how small, has potential storage space that we just don’t use or notice. With these space saving tips, you can discover the storage space that you didn’t know you had.

1) Reuse containers that your food comes in if you are able to wash it. Butter tubs can be used for craft supplies, two liter soda bottles can be used for dispensing yarn, oatmeal canisters can be used for toys. The possibilities are endless and you can make space by organizing all of those little things that can make an area turn into a heap of junk.

2) Make space under the bed and furniture. Risers are readily available and are so useful when it comes to making space. Risers are plastic stands that go under the legs and feet of your beds, couches, end tables and more. You can raise up an end table, cover it with a table cloth or sheet, and have instant living room storage underneath. By raising up your couch, you can store things under it. You can store toys, large shallow containers filled with winter coats, art supplies, or even your broom. You can do the same thing with your beds, making instant space for storing out of season clothes, books, files, shoes, or anything else.

3) Installing small shelves in the kitchen can double your pantry space. Start by cutting and staining boards that are 6” wide. Install them about 8” apart on a side wall of your kitchen. These are perfect for storing all of your canned goods, freeing up cabinet space. You can install doors on the front, a sheer curtain, or just leave it open to give your kitchen that charming country feel.

4) Use bags that you can suck the air out of with your vacuum for storing bulky clothes and linens. These space saving bags can save up to 80% of the little space that you have available. You can stack thick comforters, sweaters, sheets and more in a fraction of the space that they took up in the linen closet. Another benefit of this is that they come out smelling as nice as when you put them in!

5) Get rid of whatever junk you can. We tend to hoard things that we think we can use later. Donate extra office supplies to your local school or church. Clothing can be donated to help clear out space in your closet. Once you get it cleared out, you can still save more closet space by using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers to maximize the space that you have left.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Being organized takes patience and some skill. But the first step is committing yourself to a project. So, to start, how about organizing your closet?

Whether you hire a professional to do the work for you of organizing your closet or you take it on yourself, start with a clear, well-conceived plan. Why plan? Once you start taking on a big project such as organization, it is easy to get distracted and sidetracked. By having a plan you can stick to what you are aiming for and in the end not end up with a mound of stuff piled on the floor with absolutely no idea how to organize it in any better manner than the way it was. This kind of impulsive behavior leads to frustration and discontent.

With a carefully crafted plan, you can also look forward to a smooth and swift process. The finished project will be comfortable to live with, and you won’t encounter any difficulties or unpleasant surprises during or after the project’s completion. Remember this simple equation: The more time spent planning, the less time or money spent later in physical labor or correcting mistakes.

With closets, you may find that yours isn’t big enough or is out of date. If this is the case, you may look into getting an estimate for a new closet or hiring a closet designer who can take what space you have and restructure it.

All right, now to get started on organizing your closet. Believe it or not there are some specifics to stick with or tips in getting things organized. Some are common sense but here they are:

Keep It Simple. Conserving space is important, but not if it makes the system harder to operate than a system using a little more space. Keep it simple; a system that isn’t being used isn’t a system at all, no matter how much space is conserved.

Tall or short people might consider shelves to accommodate their height, for more comfortable access.

Someone whose wardrobe leans heavily to folded sweaters has different requirements from someone whose closet is crammed with hanging suits.

A person with an extensive collection of shoes or hats might need more shelves and bins than hanging space.

If a bedroom is small and crowded, some bedroom furniture can be eliminated if, for example, a dresser is built into the closet.

Compromise. Few things in life, including organizing a closet, can be attained without some amount of compromise. You may have to forfeit advantages in one area to achieve advantages in another. Many parts are contingent on other parts, just like the pieces of a puzzle.

Hanging Your Clothes – Now for the other part of organizing your closet – how to hang things properly. Clothing has a particular way it should be hung, be sure to read the requirements. For hanging blazers, leather jackets etc, you should look out for heavy wooden or slim line hangers, that can give your ensemble that extra support to carry off their weight. Pants demand a proper folding style, which is placing both the legs parallel one on the top of the other. While hanging them ensure that there is enough space between different trousers in the cupboard.

Uniformity. The finished project will look more attractive if the products, hardware, materials, and appointments go together well. Personal preference influences whether the look will be utilitarian or decorative, but standardization and unity are impressive ingredients.

Organizing your closets can appear to be a daunting task. But with the right determination and well-crafted plan, you can work your way toward a well-organized closet!

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Coat Closets

Coat closets can easily become cluttered, especially as the seasons change. We tend to buy new coats or jackets every year, but our old ones rarely become worn out enough for us to think “I should get rid of that”. Add to that the shoes that are often kept in coat closets. Winter boots, tennis shoes, kids shoes, rain boots and more can become a cluttered heap at the bottom of the coat closet.

Adding shelves underneath the coats can help. Make more space here by moving your hanging bar up higher in the closet. Put a hanger in your hand and see how high you can comfortably reach. If it’s higher than the current bar, then you should move it up higher. If the closet is deep, you may be able to move the bar back some, making the bottom of the closet more visible and easier to manage.

If you have small children, you can either put a bar down low, just for them, or install hooks for their jackets. Think about putting their bar on the left or right side of the closet so that they don’t obstruct the view of the the shoe shelves.

Linen Closets

Make more space in your linen closet by getting the things that you don’t use often out of there and into storage. You can install a hanging bar up high in the closet to take advantage of the vertical space. Here you can hang things like table cloths, quilts, curtains, sleeping bags, or even sheet sets.

Bedroom Closets

Here’s where most people have problems. Bedroom closets are notorious for causing organization problems and clutter. Of course, the first thing you should do here is to go through and get rid of some things. Organize by color or clothing weight and type to see what you have too many of. If you have four, black long-sleeved, mid-weight shirts, then maybe you can keep your favorite and get rid of the other three.

Using specialty hangers can really save you a lot of space. The best space saving hangers on the market are the revolutionary velvet hangers. These hangers grip clothing to hold it perfectly straight and wrinkle free. They fit so closely together, that they take up the space of a wire hanger, without all of the snagging, shifting, crossing, and rusting. Velvet hangers are the favorite of closet organizers everywhere. If you try them, you will instantly see why.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.