By Elaine King

Tuition. Books. Meal plans. The costs of college add up quickly. Here are a couple basic materials for do-it-yourself dorm room organization, so that college students can keep organized on a budget.

1. Mason Jars Utilizing mason jars is  very trendy. With some paint, glitter, or lights, mason jars can be used as storage for pens, pencils, silverware, cotton swabs, bobby pins, etc…
2. Hanging Shoe Organizer Rather than hanging shoes inside these plastic slots, hang the shoe organizer on the back of a door and place snacks inside. Using this organizer saves floor space needed for a shelving unit as well as clutter from food boxes.
3. Shower Rod To save counter space in the bathroom, hang a shower rod with rings and clips along the wall, or use the shower rod in the shower and attach rings with clips to it to hang hygiene products.
4. Pill Organizer Fear clutter from Excedrin bottles and allergy tablets? Use a pill organizer and fill each slot with the medications necessary, then cut out and tape the labels from the bottles to the organizer to keep track of what is in each slot. This reduces the space taken up by medications that can now be used for more snacks. The same can be done with spices, salt, creamer, sugar, etc…
5. Binder Clips Attach binder clips to the edges of desks, night stands, and bathroom counters; place charging cords or hair styling cords inside the clips to ensure that the cords don’t become a tangled mess.