Living in a small space can be very rewarding, but it also presents some challenges. Overcoming these challenges can help you to feel like you’ve “won the war” against big house living. Not only must you conquer organization, but you must also use your creative mind to figure out the best ways to live in a small space. Simplifying your life means eliminating useless or unnecessary items from your home and making the most of the space that you have. Many people report better health, less stress, and less spending because of their decision to live in a smaller home. When it comes to spending money, you’re forced to ask yourself “will it fit” instead of “can I afford it”. This change can free you from much of the commercialism and free spending that many people are plagued by.

One way to be successful in a small home is to only buy high quality, efficient products that hopefully serve more than one function. Investing a little in quality will save you from buying more products to replace the one that breaks or doesn’t function as you expected. For example, one set of built-in shelves will last you forever, taking up very little space, whereas multiple cheap plastic drawer systems take up space and break, resulting in the need to invest in the shelves after all.

Buying furniture and storage systems that have multiple functions is the best way to ensure that you avoid buying more later and make the best use of your space. A couch with a pull-out bed gives you a place for guests to sleep, without using precious storage space for inflatable mattresses. A chair whose arms open up to reveal storage for remotes, magazines, and your latest knitting project reduce the need for an end table or bulky magazine rack. A coffee table that opens up to store linens and throws can free up the small amount of closet space that you have. Using areas that aren’t traditionally used for storage will help you save space, too. You can use large, shallow containers for storing items underneath your bed, chairs, or couch.

In your closet, you want to make sure that you’re using as much of the space as possible. You can hang things up really high and use a hanger retriever to get them down. You can use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, or cascading hangers to use a lot less space than you traditionally would to hang your clothes. Combining outfits or multiple items onto one hanger is an easy and economical way to save closet space.

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.

First, get rid of things that don’t enhance the space. Many things that we own turn out not to be as useful as we planned or take up to much space to be worth the “convenience” they were supposed to offer. Limiting your belongings so that you only own practical things will lighten the load in your apartment and your life.

Of course, you don’t want to just throw away everything and live with one plate and one cup. You should also surround yourself with things that inspire you. If you explore and search for items that are useful and also beautiful, you can really make your apartment or small home a personal retreat. Now, you’re probably saying to yourself that that is easier said than done, and you’re right.

Making your life more simplistic is a lifelong endeavor for some. It takes making a mental adjustment on the way that you see the world. It can be hard to resist things that you think you need. But, you’ve probably lived without it up until now. Before you buy something, ask yourself if there is any other way to get the use that the item offers without actually buying the item.

For example, you see a wine rack that would be beautiful in your kitchen, but deep down you know that it would take up some valuable counter space. But, society has conditioned you to constantly be a good consumer and fill your home with things. You’re fighting back, but you still want that wine rack. You go home and suddenly you’re not content with the wine sitting up beside the refrigerator any more. The product has accomplished its goal. It made you feel like you couldn’t live without it.

You really need to rebel against advertisements and figure out a way to be creative instead of spending a lot of money. If you really want to get the wine bottles off of the countertop, find another way. For example, you can easily install a wood shelf with slat dividers that hang down from your upper cabinets. Voila! Wine rack that didn’t cost but a couple of bucks and you’ve made more space on your counter than you had before.

Use your creativity to make space in other ways around your house. Get rid of things that aren’t necessary and consolidate items around your house. Do you really need to keep every book that you’ve ever read? Do you need all of those sheets that don’t fit the bed that you’re using now? Does your closet have clothes in it that you haven’t worn in forever? You can make space not only by getting rid of things, but by using sneaky ways of forcing it to happen. For example, those slim velvet hangers are the latest in space saving hangers, tripling space in your closet without getting rid of anything. If you really try, you can make a lot of use out of small spaces, without spending a lot of money.

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.