I Spent $5213 on Organizing Bins (and this is what it got me)

We counted up every bin in my house and calculated how much I've spent in total on bins in my home….$5213!!  I know that number sounds, um, CRAZY.  If you want to know what that $5k got me, keep reading, or check out the video here!

Buying those bins did NOTHING for me.

Here's what I mean– just buying those bins and bringing them home or ordering them online didn't benefit me in any way.  Actually using the bins to organize your home is where the magic happens!  It's kind of like deciding you need to get healthy.  You can buy a treadmill and a bunch of healthier foods, but if you don't actually use that treadmill or eat the healthy foods, it doesn't help you at all.  Ask me how I know, LOL!

I've always said that being organized requires only two things:

1. Every item must have a home (and everyone who lives in your home has to know where that home is!).
2. It has to make you happy.

It can look however you want.  You can recycle shoeboxes as your bins.  If your system gives everything a home, and you're happy and satisfied with it, that's really all that counts!  If this means buying bins, or upcycling boxes, you can do whatever works for you!

What did buying all these bins get me?

Yes, I have a LOT of bins.  And honestly, I don't have many regrets about spending that money.  People have told me before that with the amount of money I've spent on organizing, I could send a kid to college.  Well…I'm not sure what college there is that only costs $5000, but the point is a good one.  There are a lot of things you can do with that much money!  Here's why I don't regret spending that money on bins:

1. It gave me peace of mind.  They 100% help me keep my home tidy and organized, and my mind would not be at rest in my house without that organization.  It literally keeps me sane.
2. It makes me happy.  I smile when I look at my shelves with the pretty pink labels.  Yes, it took time and a LOT of effort to think about which bins fit best where and then more time to cut out and label everything.  To me it has been so worth it because it was a labor of love and brings me joy!

I've really only spent about $500 per year.

I've acquired all these bins throughout the last ten years or so.  They've gone with me through multiple homes, and most have held up pretty well!  If you average out that $5213 over ten years, it's only about $500 per year.

It costs our family of four about $50 to eat out at Chick-Fil-A, our favorite fast food restaurant.  So our organizing bins cost less than one fast food meal per month for my family.  I would totally rather have the bins to organize my home than eat that meal out.  Not everyone will feel the same, and that's okay.

I buy more bins than the average person.

• My job is literally organizing.  I buy things to review sometimes when I probably wouldn't buy them for myself if I weren't needing things for videos.
• My house is on the larger side.  I love having a lot of open space, and I work from home, as does my husband, so we also have work spaces in our home.  Because of that, my house is larger and has more rooms than most people.  So I have more spaces to organize.
• I care about how the organization looks.  Many people don't care as much what things look like in the closet because it's hidden.  I'm just not one of those people.  The inside of my closet often looks tidier than my living room, LOL!  And I know that's a quirk, but I own it!

What I would do differently.

If I were starting over from scratch, the biggest thing I'd do differently is that I would buy fewer types of bins.  This helps in soooo many ways:

1. I would save money because I'd end up buying fewer bins overall.
2. You can mix and match, which saves effort and money.  I always end up rearranging things when we move or as the kids grow, hobbies change, etc.  When this happens, I can pull bins out of one room and use them in another if they match.
3. Everything looks more uniform, which makes me happy.
4. I know the bins better.  This sounds odd, but I know easily what will fit in my favorite bin, the Multipurpose Bin from the Container Store.  I'm so familiar with the size that I can easily tell where it will fit, and what will fit inside it when I'm working on an organizing project.

If I had to start over, my main bins would be the Container Store Multipurpose Bin or the new dupe from Target!  I go into a lot of detail on those two bins in my video here, but they are definitely the most useful and most loved bins in my home!  I did a whole video here over why I love these bins so much!

Isn't buying so many bins wasteful?

I really don't think so.  I would say around 95% of my bins never go into a landfill.  The only time I throw them away is if they actually break.  Otherwise I keep them in a room in my basement.  I'll reuse them for videos sometimes.  If I know I”m not going to need them again, then I'll let friends come over and shop my bins, LOL, which is fun for all of us.  I will also donate them so people who want/need them can use them.

I always prefer to buy sturdier bins when I can.  It means they'll last longer.  The Dollar Tree does have some good ones, but I've found they also tend to break more easily.  So if I can afford ones I think will last longer, I'll go for those instead to avoid having to throw them away in a landfill.

Do I think everyone needs to buy a bunch of bins?

Um, NO!  I'm DEFINITELY not saying everyone needs to go out and spend a bunch of money on bins (especially if it's not in your budget)!  There are multiple options for cheaper bins, dollar tree bins, ways to upcycle free things like shoe boxes, etc.  You can absolutely get organized without spending a bunch of money!

Some people also don't get super excited about bins like I do.  If this isn't your thing, you should do what works best for you!  But if you're like me, and you love bins, too, buy what is within your budget, works for your organizing needs, and makes you happy!

I'd love to know– does spending this much on bins seem crazy to you?  What do you think you've spent over the years?

Organization that actually sticks for busy, happy lives.