Hi y’all! I’ve been asked a few times recently, “How can you afford to decorate your house?” I have a normal 40 hour a week desk job that honestly doesn’t pay that much, but I try to spend my money wisely and prioritize decorating my home over buying clothes, makeup, shoes, etc. I thought I’d share some tips with y’all on how I make my dollar stretch.
First, I make a list of projects I want to complete and items that I know I want for my home. I try to stick to this list when I’m out shopping. If I can’t picture it working for one of my projects or if it is not on my list I don’t buy it.
Second, know your style and don’t stray! This was one of the toughest things for me to grasp when I moved into my townhouse. Although that mirrored table is beautiful, if you have a farmhouse style home, it won’t work for you. If you don’t stick to a single style, you’ll end up with a hodgepodge of things that don’t look good together.
Don’t stress if you can’t decorate your entire house at one time. When I moved in, most of my furniture was what I had in college or super cheap pieces I bought online. Slowly, I re-decorated each room to better suit my style.
Next, check out second hand stores or your parents basements. Hand-me-downs are great for young adults who can’t afford to purchase all of their furniture brand new. I got lucky because when I moved into my house my mom was also moving into a new house and my dad was moving out of state and getting rid of most of his furniture, so I got my pick of the litter. For example, my guest bedroom’s night stand and dresser are both items that were in my mom’s house, and the chair in this room was purchased at an adorable consignment shop in town.
Invest in pieces that you will have for a long time. Items like your couch and dining room table are focal points of the room, so splurge a little on those items because you’ll likely have them for a long time. Choose to save your money on decor pieces that you will probably change often. I like to spend a little extra on bedding and lighting, but save on accessories and accent furniture.
To save money on decor, consider getting a little crafty. I sew a lot of my accent pillows including the ones currently on my living room couch. I also like to repaint pieces to make them work in my spaces.
Some of my favorite stores to shop at for affordable home decor are Home Goods, Stein Mart (surprising, but they often have really cute things), Target, TJ Maxx (they usually have different things than Home Goods), Kirklands, Hobby Lobby, At Home, Michael’s, and Amazon! A lot of these stores have apps with coupons or send out weekly coupons via their e-mail newsletter, so that is an easy way to save a few bucks.
Sissy says
Really great ideas!