How To Save Money While Furnishing Your Home

Whether you are moving into a new home, a larger space or possibly just starting over, there are a number of great ways to furnish your home inexpensively. In fact, it can actually be far less expensive to furnish a new home than to move all your belongings from an old one. Particularly if you are moving far away. Here are 5 great ways to save money while furnishing your home. 

Use Freecycle and Craigslist

Most urban and suburban areas have a Freecycle network of some kind. A Freecycle network is generally an email, messaging or bulletin board system of some kind where people can post things they literally want to just give away. Craigslist also has both free and for sale sections, where you can either buy gently used furniture inexpensively or even get a number of household items for free.

Take your time

There is an old saying that applies to almost any area of life, including home decorating. “Good, fast, cheap – pick two.” If you feel like your home needs to look like a designer showroom the day after you move in, you’re going to pay out the nose for it. If you wait, however, and take your time choosing furnishings, not only are you far more likely to be happier with your choices in the long run, but you will most likely save a significant amount of money. 

Go to garage, yard and moving sales

There are few ways to get better deals on home furnishings than by going to garage, yard and moving sales. Not only can you get great deals, but it’s also a great time to practice your bargaining skills. Generally, at yard and garage sales, if people can’t sell certain things they will just go back in the garage. This makes them, what is known as, “motivated sellers.” When people are moving, they won’t have a garage to put things back into for long, which makes them even more motivated. 

Shop around

For items you just can’t live without, it’s always best to shop around. Sometimes, you can find sales or deals at one store that might even be cheaper than what you might pay someone for used items on Craigslist. Companies like European Leather Gallery can have some pretty impressive sales on showpiece items, especially around the holidays (think Black Friday or Labor Day weekend). Check big box stores to see if they have a clearance section or even check to see if the floor model is for sale. You can get pretty steep discounts even at box stores if you just shop around. 

DIY

There are an almost infinite number of home furnishings you can make yourself. There are also a wealth of instructional videos, patterns and just great ideas to be found on the internet. Sometimes, you may find premium items at a yard or garage sale that just don’t match your decor. In some cases, all it takes is a coat of paint or maybe some elbow grease to turn it into a piece you love that also fits your style. If all else fails, both hobby stores and home stores have a number of different kits available to help you get just the look you want at a price you can afford.

No matter what you decide in furnishing your home, always have a budget and check everything that you necessarily need before buying any items. Try not to overspend too much.