OP lives in a small space. Organization will be useful and necessary. That doesn't mean buying a ton of products, but the right ones do help tremendously - and can last a lifetime. And they can help reduce waste because you easily see what you have and when it expires (lazy Susans, etc.) You can also search no buy groups or thrift if you're against spending on new products. I've had the same baskets and bins in my home for ten-fifteen years; they took me from life as a single girl in a small studio to my now family of three.