Reuse pool noodles…in your BOOTS!

Aug 12, 2014 | clothing/fashion, Lifestyle, Lookin' Good, Organization, Reuse

Reuse pool noodles as boot forms, tip from FunCheapOrFree.com

As you can see by the above picture…

…my name is Jordan and I have a boot problem.

Sure, I have bazillions of them (all bought for a great price, of course – see below for deets), but the real problem is that they are SO DARN HARD TO STORE! I finally found a fabulous solution of putting them on the top shelf of my closet (which works great because of my go-go-gadget arms)…until they fall on my head, mess up my bouffant, and really put a damper on my day.

Today I'm going to teach you how to reuse your basic pool noodles to save your space, boots, and SANITY! Really, it's so simple…

As the summer winds down, you're probably looking at your garage full of pool/beach paraphernalia thinking, “how the heck am I going to store all this crud until next summer?”. My solution? DON'T! Take that cheap pool noodle (we buy ours at the Dollar Store, as explained in my “what to buy from the Dollar Store” post), chop it to size (I use a sharp serrated knife and cut through it like a loaf of bread), and use it as a boot form!

Reuse pool noodles as boot forms, tip from FunCheapOrFree.com

That's it! I have nothing more to say about it! Really, it's a ridiculously easy concept…that will most definitely save your life. So “you're welcome” in advance.

Since you're all curious about my explosion of boots in my closet, here's the low-down:

I have never paid more than $30 for a pair (including tax) and many of them I've had for over 3 years (many of them much longer). I wear the HECK out of them in the winter (see my fashion posts for my style, see how I work shopping into my budget HERE).

No, really, check out the spread (and there are probably 4-5 pair cut out in this pic)…I seriously have a problem.

Reuse pool noodles as boot forms, tip from FunCheapOrFree.com

Pretty much all of my boots are from either:

  • Plato's Closet
  • Zulily (mostly using “refer a friend” credits that I save up for a few months, then splurge on several pair when they start popping up on their website a lot in the winter)
  • Charlotte Russe (the pair I'm holding in my hands were from there)

See a detailed (though slightly outdated) tour of my closet for even more info on my wardrobe in general.

Sure, my boots aren't genuine butter-soft, hand-made, $350 imported leather boots. But you'll never find me putting shoes like that on my feet for a number of reasons. Main reason? Because I'm HARD on my clothes! Whether they are expensive or not, will not change that fact. You use them to WALK IN for heaven's sake. They get dirty, they wear down over time, they get wet, my kids make them all funky by walking in them…it's inevitable. I have found that just because I pay more for something, doesn't make it necessarily hold up better. In fact, fancy things are sometimes MORE fragile (my designer jeans that I splurged on once in my life were my first jeans to fall apart, and are now cutoff shorts in my closet). Regardless, all my boots have held up like champs for much longer than I planned for them to, and serve the purpose I buy them for – to look cute and cover up my legs in a season where both are just plain necessary.

Plus, let's be honest, being frugal is all about choices. For me, I'd rather have 10 pair of cute boots than 1 pair of cute, super fancy boots. There's nothing wrong with either method, it's just all about choices.   …and I choose quantity.

Quantity for president!

So there you go. Now, if you'll excuse me, my Boots Anonymous meeting is about to start and I really should pay attention.

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7 Comments

  1. Valery

    Quantity for president, indeed! I also like to get new stuff and if I buy designer (or anything that’s not on sale!) I’m RARELY going to get to go shopping! I would much rather keep my closet rotating than have 2-3 new pieces per year.

    Reply
  2. Christy B.

    Awesome boot collection. I say if you’ve got it, flaunt it! I’d love to wear boots like that, and tons of other cute shoes, but my feet and calves just aren’t made for it.

    Reply
  3. Heather

    I’m so jealous of your collection! I have 3 boots so far but I plan to continue adding! I’ve never thought to check Plato’s for shoes as I usually get hung up on the handbags and clothes. Next time I”m in I’ll have to check it out.

    Love the tip to use those pool noodles! Mine are spewed about in my closet so using up the noodles is GENIUS! Definitely just gave me a “why didn’t I think of that” moment.

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      I know right, all the simplest ideas are the ones that give us the “aha!” moments, aren’t they?? Thanks for reading XOXO

      Reply
  4. Hank McKinsey

    Think I can squeeze some noodles in my loafers? lol I need some DIY shoe trees!!

    Reply
  5. Hank McKinsey

    Think I can squeeze a noddle in my loafers? lol I need a DIY shoe tree!

    Reply
  6. John Anderson

    Awesome Boots Collection :O feeling a lil bit Jealous but its okay 😀

    Reply

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