Moving into your first apartment is a big milestone in any young adults life. For some, it happens early on- maybe you were keen to be independent and moved out at the first chance you could. For others it comes a little later, if you live in an expensive part of the world, you might have needed to save significantly before you were able to leave your family home. You could have decided to stay living with parents until you could afford to buy your own apartment, and avoid the rent trap altogether. It’s different for everyone, but one thing most of us have in common when moving into our own place is that we’re short on cash. Therefore it’s important to come up with ways that we can style our space on a budget, and make it feel like home without breaking the bank. If you’ve just moved into your own home or are planning on it soon, here are some of the ways you can cut costs.
Buy Before You Move
If you know you’re going to be moving in the future, one thing you could do is start buying items here and there and put them away so they’re ready. Doing this means you can buy things when they’re on offer so you can find the best deals, and generally spread the cost so you don’t need to purchase every last thing when you’re in your new place. Go with things like kitchen stuff- plates, pots, cutlery and utensils are going to be needed in any home. In the bathroom, towels, a bath mat, a shower curtain and smaller accessories like a soap dispenser and toilet brush will be needed. You could pick up a duvet and some pillows, bedding and any decorative items that you like the look of. Write a list of everything you think you’ll need, and then tick things off as you go. Anything you can purchase beforehand will make life easier and you’ll need to spend less once you’ve moved in. Other things that are well worth purchasing in advance are things like toiletries and any dried or long life food items. Pick them up when they’re on sale, and when you move you have all of the basics already!
Upcycle and Go Thrifting
It’s tempting to want to buy everything new, but don’t be afraid of buying second hand. Thrift stores and yard sales can turn up some real gems. Even junk shops can sell old yet solid furniture that can be brought up to scratch with a coat of paint. You won’t be able to furnish your whole apartment in this way, but any great pieces you can find can save you money, and you get a unique and interesting item for your home.
Find Discount Furniture Stores
If you’re wondering how to buy furniture on a budget, one of your best bets is to find a good, discount furniture store. Some places sell massively reduced yet perfectly good ‘end of line’ furniture for a fraction of the RRP. Others will sell inexpensive yet good quality items so it’s worth seeing what’s out there. eBay and Amazon often have some good bargains, and there are always ex catalogue shops and similar stores dotted around so check your local area.
Scour Dollar Stores
Don’t underestimate how great dollar stores can be! You can find essentials from food to cleaning products to decorative accessories, garden items and so much more. Have a good browse though any dollar or discount store near to you and fill your basket with the items you need. You can save a ton of money compared with buying from the grocery store!
Happy Decorating!
What are some of your budget-friendly decorating tips? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Lots of good ideals here. I am all for goodwill/thrift when I moved from my home to a apartment I wanted all different stuff. I got a lot of things at goodwill/thrift stores a little of this and a little paint and they were just what I wanted.