A Budget-Friendly Hack That Finally Solves The Messy Food Container Lid Problem In Your Kitchen

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If you've ever rummaged through a drawer full of plastic lids, trying to find the one that matches its corresponding container, we feel your pain. As much as we love storing leftovers, those containers can be awful to keep organized when not in use. That said, there is one kitchen organization essential you should buy at the Dollar Tree that may just solve this problem once and for all — the plastic book bins.

These Dollar Tree bins are large enough to hold lids of different sizes and cheap enough to buy multiples, depending on how many food container lids you're trying to store. Because they're designed for classrooms and children's rooms, they come in fun colors (green, blue, pink, and purple), making them a good match for bold, colorful kitchens. If you're looking for something more neutral, Dollar Tree also offers them in black and white, with slightly different dimensions.

You can find similar products at other retailers, but they will likely cost more than $1.25 apiece. 4E's Novelty Durable Book and Binder Holders on Amazon come pretty close, but they're priced at $22.99 for a pack of six. If searching for book bins isn't yielding good results online, look into magazine holders — just double-check they're not made of paper, as that won't make them durable enough for the lids that often make it to storage still a little damp. The Delifox Three-Pack Magazine Rack is a solid choice.

You're probably not thinking about the kitchen as you're strolling the office supplies aisle at the store, but some of the best organization hacks begin by thinking outside the box. For example, stackable letter trays are yet another Dollar Tree solution that organizes cluttered kitchen cabinets. Small, multiple-compartment organizer cases can turn into snack storage, wire pencil holders can double as chic utensil stations, and expanding file organizers can hold the recipes you've printed out or pulled from magazines. There are many unexpected Dollar Tree finds that will help you save major kitchen space.

Even something as simple as clear organizing trays can transform the mess on your counters or serve as storage bins inside the fridge. As for the lids, if the book bin hack isn't your cup of tea, you may find better luck with mail organizers instead. They look very polished and come with a various number of compartments — could be as few as three, like this Supeasy Mail Organizer, or as many as seven, as in the case with this Luoker Acrylic Mail Organizer.