A lot of us like to splurge a little bit when it comes to having an entertainment system in our living rooms. We get a large HDTV with a sound bar (and sometimes peripheral speakers). We convince ourselves we need the cabinets and stand. And we even include things like old record players, DVD racks, book cases, video game systems, and decorations. Well, at least I do.

But the one thing everyone knows when it comes to these electronic masterpieces is how dang messy the cords and plugins can be. Things become tangled of their own accord. Plugs pop out of their sockets. Extension cords are in abundance just to be able to reach an outlet that’s farther away than you’d like it to be. Everything is in a state of disarray, and it only becomes worse if you don’t get it all organized from the get go.

We’ve got a few quick tips on taming the beast that is home entertainment system hookups, and it takes less time than fixing it all months down the road.

Bind your cords.

This is one of the most important and useful tips I can give when it comes to organizing your home entertainment system. If you have any cheap shipping supplies lying around like labeling tape, zip ties (these work best), or even twine, get to using them on your cords.

One thing I will note is that you’ll want to bind together like cords. So, having your video game console cords bound together separate from your TV cords is a smart idea. You can even go so far as to color code them if you want. Some electrical tape is colored and would do the trick here.

Use an outlet extension.

And no, not the two outlet brown cord we all seem to have lying around. Get yourself a heavy duty extension cord that has a power button and at least 5 to 6 outlets on the strip. These will allow you keep everything in its proper place and have an extension cord that’s grounded. Without this useful tool, powering your entire entertainment system is nigh impossible.

Keep it hidden behind the system.

You don’t want unsightly cords and the shipping supplies you used to bind them all to be all over the place, do you? Keep it all hidden and away behind your TV stand and cabinets so that it looks clean and organized up front.