HOW TO DECORATE ON A BUDGET

When I moved into my little house a year ago I knew that I wanted to make some updates (a lot of them!) but my budget was a bit restrictive.  Now, a year down the road, a bunch of the work has been done, but not a lot of money has been spent.  I had to do a lot of the work by myself, ask friends for help and find money in new places.

If your bank account is not overflowing with cash, you just need to be creative in getting those jobs done.

Here is a list of tips that will help you decorate on a budget:

 

Sell Old Stuff

All of us have things laying around that we do not use.  We collect, we store and we hoard, right?  Why not take some of that junk and get rid of it?  One of the best places I have found to sell things is on FB in buy/sell/trade groups.  You are sure to have some of those where you live.  I live in a small town and I think we have at least five. All you have to do is shoot a picture with your phone, add a description and a price, and you are good to go.  For safety reasons I always pick a meeting spot like a store parking lot to exchange goods and money.

Take On Another Job Temporarily

If decorating your house is a priority, then treat it like one.  Find an opportunity to earn some more money.  What skills do you have that someone else might need?  Adding one day a week of work for a short period of time will bring in more than you think, and it will not upset your schedule for too long.  If your decorating goals are big, consider a part-time job for a few months.  You will be happy you did it once your remodeling and/or decorating is done!

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Tighten Up The Ol’ Budget

Find the money in your budget.  The grocery budget is the place where I can generally find a little cushion.  Buying less meat and purchasing store brands will leave you with extra each month.  Also, can you tighten things up on the utilities?  Turning off the water while you brush your teeth and being a little crazy about turning lights off adds up when the bills come in.  Just remember that every penny counts!

Treat Yo’ Self

Do you have extra money but feel guilty spending it?  Now, I am not talking about emergency savings, I am talking about savings in general.  Sometimes it is hard to spend money on ourselves…to really make ourselves and what we want a priority.   I am here to tell you that maybe you need to loosen up a bit.  If you have worked hard and you have money just sitting there…and there are no emergency bills that need to be paid…and you can not stop dreaming about that new couch/addition/paint color, then do it.  You are worth it and the updates you have planned will bring a smile to your world.

Barter Work Or Trade Goods

Bartering and Trading are lost arts.  Do you have a skill that would help your friend?  Does she have something you want?  Then trade the work.  Same with goods.  Why keep an item you do not need when your friend needs it, and she has something you want? It is all about supply and demand.  Find someone who can supply what you demand and vice versa.

 

Never let a small budget keep you from creating a home you love. If you are willing to work hard and be creative there is no end to what you can do.  Most of us do not have $50,000 remodeling budgets like the people on HGTV shows.  While I would LOVE to work with a budget like that, I am stuck using what I have.  But I have found that if I am willing to stretch my money out and be careful with where it goes, I am getting where I want to be: A home that reflects what I love and what is important to me.

Have a lovely day, friends!

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