Save space and scratches by organizing your DVDs

At $20 a piece, DVDs present a problem. We buy them to keep our kids entertained while we get some much needed Mom time, but at that price we hesitate to let our kids touch them. Rather than be the constant middle man between the DVD player and my kids, I created this simple binder system.

The first step (and this is a tough one for some people) is to ditch all the plastic cases. The fact of the matter is that most scratches come not from using the DVDs but from kids trying to take them out or put them back in their cases. Save yourself the hassles, the space and the scratches by purchasing these inexpensive and compact CD cases.

I purchased three different colored cases to help keep my family organized. The first case is for kid's DVDs. The second is for Mom & Dad movies. The third holds all the "bonus features" DVDs that we never watch but can't seem to throw away.

The color coded cases and the easy flip-through, clear sleeves help them find exactly what they're looking for. Better yet, there's no particular order to the DVDs so when they need to put one away, they flip through the sleeves until they find an empty slot. The sleeves are made of soft, flexible plastic so scratches are a thing of the past.

We've also found them very handy for road trips. Rather than sort through which DVDs we want to keep in the car, we grab the entire case and slide it under the front seat. It's also very handy when you want to keep your Mom & Dad DVDs out of the hands of little kids or babysitters. It's not a fancy system, but it simple, cheap and makes life just a little easier. Just thought I'd pass it on.