The cost of clutter: How an organised home can save you money

Chuck out your junk, tidy those shambolic drawers and cupboards and watch your savings grow, writes Frances Cook.

Look around the room you’re in right now. Everything in there with you, used to be money.

The jampacked kitchen cupboards, the wardrobe stuffed with forgotten clothes, the bathroom drawers full of half-used products, are all not only a reminder of money that’s been spent, but worse, often money wasted.

Clutter can cost us and not just in the original purchase price. It can also cost us a second time, by making it hard to stay on top of life, buying more when we forget we have something tucked away already, or by items expiring because we forget they’re there.

So getting organised can be a genuine money saver that helps you use what you already have, and waste less. It can also give you some mental space, and give you back hours of the day which you used to spend hunting for things.

Do you now need to spend hundreds on fridge organisers, cute stacking boxes, and creating the “Khloe Kardashian Kitchen”?

Not at all. Invest a bit of time, and you can get organised for free, then start stacking the savings.

How many times have you bought something, only to find you already had something similar buried at the back of a drawer?

It happens with everything—groceries, cleaning supplies, clothing, makeup, tools. We forget we own it because we can’t see it, so we buy another.

A messy home creates this cycle where you spend money just to replace things you already had in the first place.

The fix: Organise your things so you actually know what’s there, and have it in plain sight.

Go through your bathroom drawers and group similar products together.

Organise your pantry so you can see your stock at a glance, canned goods together, baking supplies on their own shelf, breakfast foods in the same place.

Organise your wardrobe in the way that works for you, whether it’s by colour, or grouping by function, such as workout clothes versus office clothes. Either way can stop you from buying yet another black T-shirt.

You’ll be surprised how much you already have—no extra spending required.

A weird thing happens when people decide to “get organised.” Instead of decluttering, they go out and buy things—baskets, drawer dividers, new shelves.

But more storage doesn’t necessarily mean more organisation. Often, it just means more places to hide clutter.

If you want to organise in a way that actually saves money, start with less, not more.

Declutter first, store second. Before buying a single storage item, go through what you already own and get rid of what you don’t use.

Use what you have. Shoe boxes, old jars, even repurposed containers can work just as well as something from the homewares aisle.

Don’t create “junk zones". If you have a drawer or bin labelled “miscellaneous” there’s a good chance it’s just a clutter trap.

Less stuff means less need for storage. And less storage means less money wasted on things you don’t actually need.

Once you’ve had a genuine purge, feel free to consider some of those organisational storage options.

If you’ve ever thrown out food because it expired before you got to it, you’ve literally thrown money in the bin.

But also, we’ve all been there. I’m looking at you, sad unopened bags of wilted spinach.

Food waste is one of the biggest hidden expenses in a household. We overbuy, we forget what we have, and we lose track of what needs to be eaten first. A cluttered fridge and pantry make it easy to waste food.

How to fix it: If you stock up, make sure it’s on non-perishable items, and that you have space to store them and see what you’ve got. Otherwise, work on keeping the fridge and pantry more minimal, as a less crowded space makes it easier to see what’s inside.

Use a FIFO system (First In, First Out). Put older items at the front so they get used first.

Store leftovers in clear containers. If you can’t see it, you’ll forget it exists.

Do a weekly food inventory before grocery shopping. This stops you from buying another bag of rice when you already have two.

The more intentional you are with food storage, the less money you waste on expired groceries and takeaways because “there’s nothing to eat.”

How many times have you bought a new sweater, only to realise later that you had three similar ones buried in a drawer?

Or you keep buying random items to fit an idea of who you’d like to be, instead of narrowing your wardrobe down to what you really wear and that way working out your own true style.

What to do: Declutter your wardrobe so you can see what you own. If you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it.

If you’re unsure, put the item on a hanger, but backwards so that it doesn't face the same way as your other clothes. If it doesn’t move over the next year, time for it to go.

Group similar items together (all jeans in one place, all tops together) so you stop rebuying the same thing.

Try a “wear everything” challenge. Force yourself to wear different outfits each week instead of defaulting to buying new clothes. Put clothes you’ve worn recently to the bottom of the pile, so you try out the options you don’t reach for as often. You'll soon find out what needs to go and you might rediscover some treasures that freshen up your look.

The better you organise what you have, the less you’ll feel the need to shop.

Decision fatigue is real. When your home is cluttered and disorganised, your brain is constantly making tiny decisions– where to find things, what to wear, what to eat. It’s exhausting.

When we’re mentally drained, we’re more likely to make impulsive, bad-money decisions – like ordering Uber Eats instead of cooking or impulse shopping as a “treat.”

The fix: Create a home where everything has a place and a purpose.

Keep essentials (keys, wallet, chargers) in the same spot so you’re not scrambling every morning.

Have a meal plan or a go-to list of meals so you’re not deciding on dinner every night.

Keep your work and relaxation spaces separate to mentally shift between “focus mode” and “chill mode".

A well-organised home makes life easier—which makes it easier to make smarter money choices.

Bottom line? Declutter first, take stock of what you have, and make your space work for you.

Because when you organise your home the right way, you’ll end up organising your finances too.

The opinions and information in this column are general in nature and should not be taken as personal financial advice.