We live in a tiny apartment and do not plan to move to a bigger house soon. The rent is decent, and we like to save now so that we can hit our financial goals much sooner. So, when you are on a budget, other aspects of life also need to cope with the same. Our bedroom has a small closet and the closet space is hardly big enough to fit both my clothes and my husband’s. It is not that we cannot afford a bigger house. We want to reach our financial goals as soon as possible and that is our priority now.
As I said, our apartment has a small closet that we share. So, finding the right clothes has been a struggle in those heaps of boxes. It is a real struggle when we are both getting ready for work in the morning. Right now, my closet has one horizontal rack, like most rented apartments, with some overhead space. I am a petite person and reaching the overhead space can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. So, I started to organize our closet to fit both of our requirements. Also, the organizing ideas need to be renter-friendly and must be on a budget.
I know that sharing a closet space is hard for women. It is mostly because we have more varieties of stuff than men. As a follower of the minimalist closet movement, I tried to get rid of many things. Still, there was an overwhelming amount of dresses and accessories I needed to organize, along with his daily outfits, professional attire, and accessories.
So I have looked for inspiration for ways to decorate and de-clutter our closet. Today I will share those tips that will make your and your spouse’s mornings less chaotic, on a budget.
Firstly, purchase a foldable clothes or garment rack for yourself. You should plan your work outfits the night before and ask your husband to do the same. Then hang your work clothes on the portable rack. It is better if you can plan the entire week’s outfit over the weekend. I have realized that this exercise takes away a lot of mental stress each morning. After the formal outfits have been taken care of, move to re-arrange the casuals.
These portable racks cost around $20–$30. There are more expensive ones, depending on the design and functionality. The one in the following image costs around $35.
Hide Away Bulky Sweaters
Pack them in your unused travel luggage and make room in your closet for the new season. I store that luggage under the bed. You can move the luggage under the staircase or atop large furniture pieces like a cabinet, wardrobe, etc. My closet is not a walk-in closet. But if you have a walk-in closet, use a dedicated rack for these suitcases. Pack away any items of clothing that aren’t in use for the current season and bring them back each season. I promise that it removes clutter in the closet and makes it easier for you to decide what to wear.
If you do not want to use luggage, you can buy some under-bed storage boxes like the one in the following image. These also cost around $30 and might come in packs of 2 or 4.
Start with a trip to the donation center
If you live in a tiny place, detest clutter, and enjoy an organized life like I do, you must make room for the things that are important in life. This also applies to clothes.
I continued to hold onto my old clothes even after gaining 10 pounds, believing that I would soon be able to fit into them. However, I’ve been trying to lose weight for the past two years. Thus, if you have clothing from five to ten years ago, now is a good time to determine which items to donate and which to keep.
Buy Lots of Shelf Dividers
To keep his and my sections separate, I use a hanging fabric organizer. There has to be a distinct line that divides the area evenly between you and him. These shelf dividers and hanging cloth organizers give a more organized look to the tiny closet and keep everything in space.
Get Collapsible Fabric Storage Cubes
There’s hardly room in my closet for more than four of these cubes. I use two for his clothes and two for me. Pants go in one box, and underwear and casual T-shirts that don’t need to be hung on the racks go in another. The fact that these boxes are foldable is a really nice feature. When not in use, these can be folded up. These boxes cost around $20–$30. These are my personal favorite items to have in the closet. Also, make sure to label the boxes with pants and t-shirts.
Extra Space Ideas
- Invest in a dressing table if your bedroom allows it. We bought a dressing table as we ran out of closet space.
- We had shoes taking up space in our closet. So, we bought a bigger 5-shelf shoe rack for our entryway. This purchase was slightly over our budget. But this helped to maximize the closet space.
- You can use bathroom racks to store snow boots and heavy winter shoes.
- If you need more space, buy bedside tables with bigger storage drawers.
- Most importantly, don’t forget to de-clutter regularly to keep your closet area light, airy, efficient, and organized.
Your closet space needs might be different than mine. So, it is important to detail your budget and the design.
Pinterest Inspiration for small closet
I found these inspirations on Pinterest. I am a visual learner and these images helped me plan my closet design on a low budget.
