Magazine Boxes Are the Best Economical Storage Solution

Growing up, I saw my mom use magazine boxes to store all sorts of non-magazine items in our home. It was a smart and economical way to keep everything organized. But as I got older and started organizing and managing my own home, I became fascinated by the increasingly expensive and often flashier options on the market. Imagine my surprise when I started noticing log holders popping up as a storage hack all over TikTok and Pinterest . As usual, my mother was one step ahead of everyone, and I should have listened to her.

However, it is never too late to save a significant amount of money while keeping your home in tip-top shape. Here’s how to use these versatile containers to organize your belongings.

Why use magazine holders to organize things?

First of all, I know I say this all the time, but you need to use the principles of the organizational triangle to manage your assets. Essentially, this set of rules encourages you to store similar items together and make sure that they all have a designated storage space. The Organization Triangle and other organization methods like Core 4 work best when you use storage containers for these purposes. Containers separate your categories, keep everything you need in its designated place, and serve as a reminder of how much space you actually have. When a container is full, you know you don’t have room to replenish it, so you’ll have to stop getting new things in that category or cut back on what you have. Storage containers are designed to hold everything from physical organization to your budget. That’s why I talk about them so much .

Not only are magazine holders fairly inexpensive, especially compared to more expensive options like plastic boxes, but they’re also especially useful because they’re so affordable. They’re thin and stand upright, meaning you can use vertical space on shelves and flat surfaces instead of stacking items on top of each other. Plus, they’re open at the front, making it easy to grab what you need. The ease of using a magazine container instead of stacked boxes with lids is obvious. And, again, it’s not even a lot of money. Check out this 12-piece set for under $20:

How to use magazine holders at home

Now comes the fun part: thinking about how to use these bad boys to organize your things. Like I said, my mom was always one step ahead, so she worked from home in the 1990s. She used magazine holders for everything in her office, from documents (obviously) to tools like tape, staples, and pens—all things she needed quick access to while working—but they’re used in just about every room. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Use magazine holders to store pot and pan lids in cabinets.

• Set aside one for cling film and foil.

• Some are large enough to store and distribute canned goods or spices.

• Use them to keep water bottles in a neat line and/or keep their caps in order. (No more random games of dominoes while you’re reaching for the bottle from behind.)

• Keep Keurig or Nespressos coffee pods that can be placed next to the machine on the counter.

• Roll and place dishtowels and rags in magazine holders in the kitchen or…

• …use them instead of washcloths in the bathroom

• Store other bathroom essentials in them as well, and allocate one for each family member to store toothpaste, face wash, etc.

• Use magazine holders to organize toilet paper behind the toilet.

• They are also useful for keeping corded beauty tools, such as curling irons or straighteners, organized.

• Keep tech devices like iPads, e-readers, and phones in a safe place.

• Store socks, underwear and basic clothing in magazine holders in your closet.

• Place one on your back to store bottles of wine or other drinks vertically in your refrigerator.

Tupperware lids, craft supplies, bills, documents, cleaning supplies—you can use them to store a variety of items while keeping them easily accessible. The above are just a few ideas, but you can use magazine holders for any unique needs your family has.

Plus there are cute options. Most dollar stores have several of these in stock, and you can find wire mesh , colored , and even foldable and expandable models, depending on how you want them to look.

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