Styling Your First Home on a Budget
Monday, January 28, 2019, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
I cannot describe the joy in my heart the first time I bought my own mattress. The young adult I was at the time was finally freed from the shackles of college futons and childhood bunk beds.
The purchase also felt good because I bought it with my own money. At that age, with a limited budget, the prospect of outfitting a new adult apartment felt like an impossible task. Actually completing it with the mattress, felt like scoring the World Cup winning goal.
Well, that may be overselling the point. It felt like a worthy accomplishment. And, with realistic expectations and some planning, you, too, can feel the deep satisfaction of outfitting and style your first home without spending beyond your means.
Photo by Pexels
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Do your online homework
There are so many places you can look to find good deals on home decor items and good ideas for putting rooms together harmoniously. You need to narrow things down before you start buying anything.
Start by visiting sites and just reacting to them. Are you pleased with the aesthetic you see on the home page? Do items on the page advertisements catch your eye and fit your tastes? Don’t waste time on sites that don’t tickle your fancy. If you vibe with a page, bookmark it so you can go back to it and use it for inspo.
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Splurge on the necessities first
If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that there are a few things you should spend money on. Shampoo, socks, and maple syrup to name a few. But I’ve also learned a good quality mattress is literally too important to your health to skimp on.
You don’t want second-hand version. Any piece of furniture that can harbor dead skin cells, dust mites, bacteria and allergens, needs to be new when you move it in. Also, a bad mattress can cause back pain, numbness in the joints and affect posture. A dirty one can exacerbate health issues like allergies and sleep apnea.
Of course, a new one can break a budget if you’re not smart about it. Be smart about it. Consider how you sleep and what support you need from a mattress. Then raise your mattress IQ by reading reviews before you choose one.
Here are a few more items it’s worth spending some extra change on at first:
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A sofa. The statement piece of your living room where you will entertain.
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A dining table. Where you will gather for meals and make memories.
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Pots and pans. You want your meals to taste good, right?
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Attack it room by room
You don’t have to do everything at once. You can outfit as you go. This will allow you to plan for the other splurge items you probably should get, like that couch for the living room, and a vacuum that will keep your floors clean.
Try not to rush the process. Rushing could lead to bad purchases, like a hula girl lamp or purple curtains. Unless you need purple curtains. Hey, we don’t know your life. Maybe that’s important to you. You get what I’m saying.
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Let your creative flag fly
The best way to save money is to get creative. Shop secondhand for appropriate items like art and decor pieces. Repurpose antiques like dining chairs or coffee tables with a quick DIY weekend project. Letting your hands get a little dirty can save you money and help add some personality to your home.
Styling your first home doesn’t have to be stressful on your mind or bank account. Use these tips to make your home everything you’ve ever dreamed of.
Throw us a like at Facebook.com/doable.financeAuthor’s bio
Laurie Larson is a freelance writer who enjoys writing on home, health, and lifestyle topics.
