Real life struggle: organizing a closet. Every morning, I waste time clawing through my closet, trying to find something to wear to work. (I know that sweater is in there somewhere, but the mess is staring me down. Keeping me from finding it - and making me late for work.) So I’m clearly in need of a closet overhaul - but without commitment to custom installations or crazy gadgets.

It's time for me to step up and become the storage master who uses these spaces to their fullest potential. Here are 8 closet organization hacks that can change a life:

1. Start with the (probably overdue) purge

Before you organize your closet, eliminate what no longer needs to be there. Donate your excess items to a local thrift store, charity shop or homeless shelter.

2. Go crazy with the labels

Labels galore make for easy grab-and-go bins, plus everything will have a designated home. You can also choose clear boxes to help identify what's inside. House Logic suggested another genius solution: Use a Lazy Susan to house some of these containers and easily spin your way to the ones at the back of the shelf.

3. Don't ignore the bottom of the closet

Rather than let disorganized piles crowd the floor, use a small dresser or shoe racks underneath hanging clothes to take better advantage of the space. Plus, baskets are a great way to store things like shoes, socks and workout clothes without cluttering the closet.

4. Don't leave useful space behind

Every inch counts, especially when you're in need of ideas for small closets. Use organization solutions that hang on the back of the door, plus try hanging organizers to store double the clothes and accessories in the same amount of space.

5. Pile high with side supports

House Beautiful suggests using shelf dividers for neater stacks of sweaters and other items on closet shelves. That way, you can pile high without worrying about toppling, as well as easily separate different stacks.

6. Hang your purses

Hooks are among the best purse organizers for closets, plus they're a one-way street to tangle-free straps. Hanging purses rather than shoving them in any corner you can find also means they won't be bent out of shape when you want to use them.

7. ... and line up your wristlets and clutches

House Beautiful also found a great hack for organizing wristlets and clutches: Use a document or mail organizer to keep these beauties standing upright. This savvy storage solutions prevents creases in the bags but also makes it easy for you to see your options.

8. Store it like you use it

Apartment Therapy suggests storing your most-used items at eye level, giving the ones you use less often the harder-to-reach bottom and top positions. If that's too complicated, you can also organize your clothes by color to make it easier to find the item you want.

While you're on the organization path, get prepared in other areas of your home with a home warranty or home repair plan. Being prepared before issues arise is a good strategy. Plans from HomeServe can help with the costs of covered repairs. See what plans are available in your area.