When you have very little money to spend, it can be discouraging to even look for ideas or think about improving your home. It doesn’t have to be that way. Follow along for the best places to shop when decorating on a budget.
#1 Dollar Tree/Family Dollar
We’re going to start out cheaaaap. This is not always the place to go, but I will tell you to look here every now and then for little things. Especially for holiday decor. A lot of the time you can find cute things to add to your current decor or find things to alter slightly and make them cuter.
There’s a difference between all the different “dollar stores”. Dollar Tree, everything is literally $1. In the picture above, I got those little burlap pumpkins and the stems in the vase all for $1 each. Family Dollar is cheaper still, but not $1. But with the higher price tag comes a higher level of quality.
In the picture below, the gallery wall was made from Dollar Store frames and poster boards (all $1 each). I had the pictures printed at Costco. All in all the project cost me less than $20 for 12 frames, mats and pictures.
That’s a very affordable project that makes a big impact on a space. You could do gallery walls of all sizes. The possibilities are endless, my friends.
#2 IKEA
If you’re new here, you probably haven’t heard me talk about IKEA. But trust me, I talk about it a lot because I love it. It’s so budget friendly and cute and makes a fun family field trips. Like might as well go once a month, because why not.
IKEA is honestly a place I look for just about everything, but you can find a list of some of my absolute must haves here.
They have great larger furniture that’s (almost always) significantly cheaper than most stores. The only downside is that you have to put most of it together. However, I feel like they’ve got a pretty good system down and most everything I’ve purchased from IKEA has been pretty straightforward. Like our sectional. Sooo easy to put together and we love it!
Below is our most recent IKEA purchase — nightstands. We purchased the Rast dresser and you can check out what I did to them here.
#3 Home Goods/Marshalls
Home Goods and Marshalls are owned by the same company, so a lot of the time they have very similar things.
Some items that I love to purchase at either one of these stores are bedding, sheets (nice, quality sheets for affordable prices), planners/notebooks, pictures frames, art, faux plants/planters, pillows, dog toys (because they’re cheap and the dog destroys in 3 seconds anyway), adult clothes, baby clothes, the list goes on. Sometimes it’s a hit or a miss, but overall they have really great things to choose from and you most likely will no be leaving empty handed. And a lot of the time they are name brands that are higher quality, but you’re paying Target prices (sometimes even less).
#4 Ross Dress for Less
Surprising, I know! Whenever I go to Ross, I feel like I find several things that I would totally buy. Sometimes you have to dig to find the good stuff though.
They have affordable (and cute) lamps (both table lamps and hanging lights), wall decor, picture frames, throw blankets, etc. Sometimes it’s a gamble, but when you do find stuff, the price was worth the effort. I’ve even found a cute black and white woven rug there before.
#5 Amazon
Amazon Prime. Have you ever heard a sweeter name? All kidding aside, Amazon is wonderful. I’m sure by the time I pay the membership fee, I’m not really saving money on shipping, but I still feel like it’s worth it. And I love it.
Recently, I put out a list of some top finds from Amazon that I’ve recently purchased. You can check it out here.
I got the paint, clear coat and handles for this dresser project from Amazon. Very affordable choices and I’m very happy with the outcome. You can read all about that here.
#6 Thrift Stores
Thrift stores are also a favorite, but it’s a total lottery sometimes. It can take some real devotion trying to find what you’re looking for. And other times, you walk in and find everything you went there looking for. It’s the weirdest thing. Maybe it has to do with your expectations going in……. Probably not. Here is my list of “10 Things to Always Buy at the Thrift Store.
#7 Facebook Marketplace
Let’s just start by saying that Facebook Marketplace makes me feel much more comfortable than Craigslist. On Facebook Marketplace, the person listing the item has a profile and a picture (usually), and sometimes you even have mutual friends. It’s much easier to scope things out ahead of time and make sure it’s all legit. With that said, it’s totally up to you and whether or not you feel comfortable with it. But if you look often enough, you just might find some really great things at really great prices. And it’s much easier to check there often than it is to go out to a store.
There you have it, folks! Those are some of my all time favorite places to shop on a budget. Sometimes it takes some extra effort, a little patience and a few trips to the same places until you find what you need, but if you enjoy the process, it’s so worth it. Happy budget shopping!
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