Frugal Tips for Decorating Your Living Room
So, as you already know – I am 23 years old, a recent college graduate who is learning how to become 100% financially independent. Yes, it’s hard and sometimes annoying, but it is empowering. In a step towards becoming self-sufficient, I have moved out of my mom’s house and into my very first apartment all by myself! YAY! Of course in college, I lived in an apartment with roommates, but I never lived alone. On this independence journey, I have realized there are ups and downs to having an apartment by yourself. There is no one to split the cable, water or electric bill with any more. I pay for everything on my own. With that being said, buying furniture is also a cost that doesn’t get split. Luckily I have an amazing landlord who left me a very nice bed in the apartment, so that was taken care of for FREE. But now I am on a mission to find living room furniture. I know young men and women just like me all over the country are dealing with this same dilemma so I figured, while I’m doing research to solve this personal problem, why not blog about it…
Buying big ticket items like living room furniture while trying to be financially independent and not calling mommy and daddy for money, is a challenge. But after doing some research and strategic thinking, I have devised a list that I am following to accomplish this task. Check out my list of resources and frugal tips for saving money on living room furniture.
1. Ask friends, co-workers and family first.
People are always moving or redecorating their homes and they may no longer may want certain furniture or home goods any longer. Make sure to ask your family and friends to ask around or listen for anyone looking to get rid of furniture or who will sell it for a good price. This has worked for a few of my friends, and I have found a nice chair for my living room through this method.
2. Dedicate a Saturday to Garage Sale Shopping.
Ok, so I understand the logic of not buying used furniture – you don’t know where it’s been and if it’s sanitary, etc. I feel the same exact way! But, my mom opened me up to the idea that you can buy accessory pieces from garage sales, not just furniture. It won’t hurt to spend a Saturday morning checking out your local garage sales to see if they have any cute and chic furniture that you could use for your home. I guarantee if you try it, you may find some great pieces for your living room whether it’s a picture to hang on the wall, book shelf, TV stand, coffee table, etc. You don’t necessarily have to get a couch or chair from a garage sale. In an effort to save money and live frugally, be open-mined! You’d be surprised at some of the things that people sell at garage sales.
3. Shop Online for Deals.
I could list a million great website to find cheap and stylish furniture, but here are my fav’s:
– www.IKEA.com – Very popular national furniture company that offers inexpensive furniture. The only catch is, you have to put the furniture together yourself, or pay an addition price to have them do it for you.
– www.nextag.com – Compares furniture of all types and provides the top three cheapest prices. Also offers FREE shipping too!
– www.craigslist.com – Check out people in your local area selling affordable furniture.
– www.overstock.com – Sells everything, including great and discounted furniture.
– www.cheapstingybargains.com – The name is kind of self explanatory. 😉
4. Shop at thrift stores and consignment shops.
The Salvation Army, Goodwill and other consignment shops are always a great resource for finding living room furniture. Don’t cross out any options. There are actually consignment shops dedicated to selling furniture. A simple Google search will help you in finding them.
Hope these tips and resources will help you or someone you know create a stylish living room on a small budget! Until next time……;-)
PS: Happy Holidays!!
About the Author
Samantha Savory is a 20-something-year-old recent communications graduate whose mission is to financially succeed and thrive in this economy. She writes about personal finance and anything related to shopping and saving money.