Q. I love to buy large quantities of paper towels, cleaners and canned goods at the local warehouse club, but I quickly run out of space to store them. How can I buy big so I can save money but still find a place for everything?

A. You can store more than you ever thought possible with a little ingenuity.  Before you figure out where to store additional purchases, you must edit, inventory and organize the products you already have. 

Get rid of what you don’t use, and make a list of what you have to avoid buying extra items unnecessarily. Then transfer the items you kept into uniform-size, stackable containers to save space.  

Next, create more storage options by taking advantage of the vertical space in your house: Install shelves or wall-mounted cabinetry. If you have high kitchen ceilings, you can also put up shelves around the perimeter, 12 to 16 inches below the ceiling. Also, be sure not to ignore an open corner space -- it’s the perfect spot for a cook’s five-shelf corner rack. You will be amazed at how much you can store on one of these units. If you’re concerned about your kitchen looking cluttered, think about repurposing an armoire or freestanding cabinet for additional storage. Now you can shop and save away.

Ann Sullivan is a certified professional organizer and the author of Organizing for Life: The Kids’ Room.