Home Decorating on a Shoestring

As newlyweds, my husband and I have been working new jobs, preparing for children, unpacking from a cross-country move, and setting up our home while paying off wedding debt amid our concerns with the economy. We spent just $800 for home set-up and decorating by taking advantage of sales and sage advice! Here are the best tips and tricks we learned to benefit you and your family:

First, determine your budget, your needs, and your wants. How much can you afford to spend right now (or each month)? What items are essential for your home to function well? For example, are you in need of a dining room table, a sofa or a bed? Next, choose what items you want to make your home beautiful, warm and comfortable for you and your family. For us, this included a potted bamboo plant, warm and colorful fleece blankets, home office furniture and kitchen items. Now, take advantage of some of the ways we learned to save money in setting up and decorating our home!

We started by going to the Craig's List online classifieds (www.craigslist.org). Some of our top finds include two folding bookshelves in gently-used condition for just $10 apiece (these same shelves retailed for $150 each at Target online); a baby crib that turns into a toddler bed for $40 (the owner even gave us two baby quilts and crib sheets for free); and a brand-new Kitchen Aid mixer for $150 (half the retail price!) from an elderly couple who received it as a gift and left it unopened on a shelf for several years. Our one not-so-great deal was the purchase of a washer and dryer for $200 (including delivery) since we had to spend an additional $125 to repair the dryer. Although we feel we still saved money, if you are considering purchasing used appliances on Craig's List, we caution you to check them over carefully before buying.

Our experience is that Craig's List has the best deals available in larger cities and more affluent communities -- especially as people who are house-poor due to the economic downturn are now looking to sell items for quick cash. Don't be afraid to ask for a lower price than what is posted online, as most sellers readily agreed to lower their asking price. Many people are also selling additional items than the one you want to buy, so always let sellers know if you are looking for a particular item, and they may have it. This will save you from making trips to many different homes to pick up your items. If you are buying furniture, be certain to arrange delivery from the seller, or bring a truck for pick-up. Sales are in cash and not refundable or returnable, but the deals are fantastic!

Another wonderful discovery was the Ross Dress for Less store, which sells overstocked or slightly-damaged items from retail stores. We found king-sized, cozy fleece blankets for only $15 apiece (at least half of retail price). Draping solid and patterned fleece blankets over our sofa and loveseat have made our living room more comfortable and welcoming, and given us an extra excuse to cuddle up on the couch together in winter!

We also found a $4 embroidered formal table cloth with matching napkins for hosting dinners at our home; a 24-bottle stainless steel spice rack with spices (purchased at $24 instead of $44), and we doubled our closet space by purchasing double-hangers and pant hangers that don't let pants touch the floor if they hang on the second row. Ross' also sells fun household organizational items for roughly one-third of retail price. These include under-bed bags and boxes to store blankets and sweaters, Christmas wrapping paper, dishes and surplus items, and attractive baskets to hold magazines and mail in the living room.

The dollar stores and 99-cent stores can also produce amazing finds. Our sofa is cozy and modern with eight maroon and gold pillows that were purchased for $1 apiece from the local dollar store. We also bought picture frames and plants at 40-70% off by watching the sales at local craft stores such as Michaels and Roberts. In addition, if you have a ShopKo nearby, this store has held 40% off sales on all household items for the last two months. We purchased sets of Corell dishes in our desired Urban Red pattern for 40% off retail price. Watching for Going Out of Business sales in your community can also be a good opportunity to purchase needed items.

Some of my favorite home-decorating tips include giving your living room a softer effect with daylight-spectrum lamps (energy-efficient "daylight" lightbulbs that last for seven years can be purchased in bulk packages from Costco or Sam's Club) and decorating your kitchen with trendy-looking kitchen utensils and colorful trivets. We spent $20 for four bright red trivets to hang on our kitchen walls, and added hooks for red and black utensils. We put red glass bottles that catch the light into the windowsill above the sink to have something beautiful to look at while washing dishes. You would not believe what a lovely difference it makes! We added a $15 cranberry and grapevine wreath hung by a ribbon. We also put the small floral table decorations from our wedding reception into our windowsills in every room of our home to lend color and joy, and hung the large framed wedding photographs from our reception on the walls.

If you are setting up a home office, a good opportunity for college students is to see if your campus has a surplus or clearance center. You can pick up used desks, filing cabinets, office chairs, computers, printers and other items for free or for minimal cost. If your university recently underwent renovations, expect the old desks and furniture to end up in clearance, awaiting smart shoppers like you. This is an inexpensive way to set up a quality home office for you and your spouse.

Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army and Deseret Industries stores can also have excellent home decorating items in gently-used condition. It is amazing to see the quality of items that people will donate! Savers consignment stores can also be good sources for home decorating and set-up. For all of these stores, look carefully, as some of the more scary items (that sun-faded green couch with orange flowers that your grandmother had on her back porch for 10 years) might eclipse those stunning and useful items you can really see in your home. If the item is slightly damaged, but you still want it, ask the store manager to lower the price by 20-40%, as most will do it for you.

Although we forfeited wedding gifts by instead asking friends and family to contribute to charity, we did receive a few standard gifts. We kept those we liked, and turned others into cash to help us purchase some of the items we needed, such as new pots and pans and kitchen towels. It is amazing how generous and wonderful people can be in hard times as well as in good ones!

Thankfully, we did not have to purchase new furniture. Several years ago, I had bought virtually all the furniture we ended up needing for just $2,000. I spent only $1,200 for our sofa and loveseat, coffee table, two sidetables, entertainment center, dining room table with four chairs, small writing desk, two endtables, queen-sized bed headboard and vanity dresser with mirror - $50 per piece. The furniture is good quality wood with a deep blonde finish, comfortable to use and lovely to see.

The key to buying quality, low-cost furniture was shopping at the clearance warehouse of Cort Furniture Rental (http://www.cort.com/furniture/), a nationwide company that rents home and office furniture for movie sets, diplomats, corporations and individuals. Furniture is sold to the public through clearance warehouses while still in good condition after rental. Delivery fees are reasonable, but you can save additional money by renting a small U-Haul trailer and moving the furniture yourself. You save the most by purchasing entire home and room sets, so save up and treat yourself! Cort even threw in for free a large-framed picture of a magnolia for the living room, four decorative pillows and two lamps because I had purchased an entire home furniture set.

Prior to our marriage, I had purchased a queen-size bed through the Memorial Day Sale at Mattress Discounters, paying just $800 for a firm mattress worth $3,000. Our T.V. set was given to us by my husband's grandmother, and my parents gave us a bread machine which they had purchased but never used. Never hesitate to let your family and friends know what furniture or household items you are looking to find, as they may have something to give away, or know of someone who does!

If you have recently moved, change your address with the U.S. Postal Service to receive a 10% off coupon from Lowe's hardware store in the mail. We purchased a set of living room floor lamps for $70, and wooden coat hangers and towel hooks for $20 using our coupon. These items have helped our home be well-lit and organized as guests come and go in the Rocky Mountains in wintertime.

The best book that I read on home organization is "Organizing From the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern. This book is short, simple and to the point. It deals with real-life organizing situations and is written for those with clutter-tendencies (like me!) You can check it out from the library or purchase it on the cheap from www.dealoz.com, my favorite online bookseller comparison tool. Another good find is Don Aslett's book "Clean in a Minute" to help you maintain your new home.

We sincerely hope these affordable tips help you create a home that you and your family will love!