Furnishing a Home on a Budget
Furniture is part of what makes a house a home, but nice furniture can be pricey. While furniture prices may scare people away from embellishing a home to their liking, there are several ways to find the furniture of your dreams without breaking the bank. If you’re on the hunt for new furniture, below is a list of ways to save.
Go Secondhand
One of the easiest ways to avoid paying full price for furniture is by purchasing it secondhand. Thrift stores and garage sales are great places to find used furniture. Although some secondhand furnishings require TLC, others may look brand new. Scouting thrift stores and garage sales may also result in spotting a unique piece of furniture that can’t be found anywhere else. There’s also nothing wrong with taking advantage of “curb alerts” where people discard unwanted items on the curb adjacent to their home. Just be sure not to trespass on someone’s property when sifting through unwanted items.
Discount Retailers and Furniture Warehouses
Several retailers sell new home furnishings and decor at discounted prices. Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Ross are just a few examples of stores that sell quality home furnishings on the cheap. Furniture warehouses, including IKEA, also provide lower-cost furniture options than traditional furniture stores. If you’d prefer to purchase your furniture online, overstock websites are a great low-cost alternative.
Shop Sales
A lot of furniture stores sponsor sales around the Fourth of July, Black Friday, and the holiday season. If you’re in the market for a particular piece of furniture from a store, consider waiting until a sale arises. For those purchasing furniture online, promo codes can help save you money. Some retailers advertise promo codes online or on television, so pay attention around you. Setting up price alerts is also a smart idea, as you’ll be notified when the price of a furniture item you like drops. Several websites, including Google Shopping, allow you to sign up for price alerts.
Friends and Family
If you have friends or family who are giving away furniture, don’t hesitate to take them up on the offer. Repurposed furniture can give your home a new look, and may put a smile on your friend or family member’s face. Another possible way to get the furniture of your dreams is by hinting at it with close friends or family members on special occasions, like around the holidays or on birthdays. While not every friend or family member will purchase this furniture, you may be surprised at what could happen.
DIY
A simple way to fill your home with low-cost furniture is by building it yourself! While not everyone possesses carpentry and upholstery skills, those confident in their furniture-building abilities can save a lot of money in the long run. Plus, building it yourself allows you to craft furniture to your liking and needs. When building your own furniture, ensure you’ve picked out quality materials that won’t easily break or deteriorate. It’s also smart to craft within your limits.
Although furnishing your home can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Like many essential purchases, there are ways to save money on home furnishings. All you have to do is put in the work. Happy home furnishing!
Hunter Morrison
About Hunter Morrison
Hunter has freelanced for various print and radio publications across Northwest Florida, including The Bay Beacon, Navarre Press, Inweekly, Crestview News Bulletin, and WUWF. He was also the Editor in Chief of the University of West Florida’s student newspaper, The Voyager. In 2023, Hunter moved to Kenai, Alaska to take up a news reporting position with KDLL Public Radio. For fun, Hunter enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking, photography, thrifting, traveling, and looking for the best Thai food around.