Now that I have made the biggest purchase of my life, I have a limited budget for furniture. What are my options?
Furnishing your new home can be expensive. A 3-bedroom, 2-bath home can easily cost you upwards of $20,000 to furnish! Unless you have the budget, it’s not necessary to rush out to the priciest furniture store in town. It’s also unnecessary to spend hours browsing through boring swatches if you have limited time or interest.
Here are tips for furnishing your place on a smaller budget:
1. Collect nice pieces from family members that are downsizing. We all have that one relative that attempts to unload furniture on you from time to time, especially when you don’t need it. Finally, it is time to take your sweet aunt up on her numerous offers. She'll be even more thrilled than you.
2. Check out garage sales. You’ve heard the cliché – one man’s junk is another's treasure. Garage sales are a great place to find hidden treasures. It’s fun to sort through what is available and often times, you’ll find something really spectacular that you wouldn’t have thought to get otherwise.
3. Shop online. Craigslist.com and Kijiji.com are wonderful places to find inexpensive furniture in good shape. You can even find items that people are just giving away!
4. Splurge on selected items. If you are saving in other areas, it’s ok to spend a little more on a leather couch or the formal dining set. Also, there’s no rule against a phased approach – furnish your new home with the essentials first and slowly acquire the other items when you are ready.