Decorating On a Shoe String

Whether it's a first apartment or a new empty nest, furniture and decorations are keys to making a house a home. Lamps, rugs, lots of interesting pictures can give a space definition and appeal. Stylish home accents cost money and if you are not budget conscious, the cost of making your home a personal haven can quickly get out of hand. While you want your home to look the best that it can, does it require everything to be brand new off of the showroom floor? Probably not. In fact, some of the best home decor and furniture can be found right at a local second hand or consignment shop. For a mere pittance when compared to the retail price, you may be able to get some really high end pieces, or possibly antiques, for your home.

In addition to furniture, art is everywhere. When you frequent the second hand or thrift shops, they often harbor pieces of art that people have made for their own enjoyment. You may be able to find many unique works of art that enhance your decor as well, for much less than you'd find at an art gallery. Here are different ways and places that you find home furnishings even if you have a super low budget:

1. Thrift stores - As the saying goes, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." That is the belief that thrift stores were founded on and as a result, millions of people save millions of dollars everyday by using these great resale shops to get their wares. Often, you may find home furnishings in perfect condition but have been donated for any number of reasons. If you live in an area with a large military base, soldiers relocate frequently and instead of taking the furniture, they may donate it. The best thrift stores are usually the ones that are located near an upscale or high income area, as they often receive donations from people who may just be switching out looks in their home or upgrading to more lavish items. These people often don't have the time, nor the interest in selling their items themselves, and so they donate them and get a tax break for their contributions. But, ultimately, you can score great furnishings from their excess. Shop thrift stores with the expectation that you will have the furniture cleaned, as it may have been sitting in a storage space or garage and may have accumulated a lot of dust, or look for furniture with strong "bones" that can be either recovered or simply fitted with a slipcover.

2. Seek out garage and yard sales. With people constantly relocating and cleaning house, there are tons and tons of opportunity to buy for cheap all types of household decor. Any frugal fashionista can find listing after listing in their local newspaper for yard and garage sales. Plus, you can always find signs posted pointing you in their direction. Just remember to show up early for the best selection and be prepared to move big items that same day.

3. Surf the internet for savings. Online auction sites such as Ebay offers lots of bargains on art and household furnishings. If the word FREE gets the frugal fashionista in you all stirred up, then, Craigslist.org or Freecycle are a perfect search option for you. On these sites you could find just about ANYTHING for free. However, a word of caution, act early and always go with at least one other person to retrieve any items that you get.

Furnishing your home doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, you may be able to get some really chic arms and legs on all of those low and no cost chairs and tables that you'll find!

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June 08 2009 | Home Improvement | No Comments »