Happy Tuesday everyone! Something I was asked A LOT when we were living in the apartment was how I decorated it so cute while being on a budget. Obviously, since Jaden and I were just starting out AND getting pregnant so soon, we did not have all the money in the world so budgeting was important for us. However, I still wanted to decorate our little apartment and make it feel more at home.
When we first moved in, I HATED it. It was so noisy, we had horrible neighbors and the apartment itself wasn’t in the best shape. I tried to be humble and most of the time, I was fine, but being pregnant and dealing with everything was super stressful for me so it was important that I make our apartment as comfortable for us as possible.
I have to point out, my parents were a HUGE help when furnishing our apartment. My parents bought our dining table (from At Home) and they helped pay for half of our couch (from Living Space). This past Christmas, my parents gifted us with our coffee table because before, we were using the cheap little 4-foot foldable table and my mom couldn’t stand it! So I do have to give them some credit there but even though they did gift us with stuff, Jaden and I still had them buy our stuff from stores that were running deals and wouldn’t be crazy expensive!
Alright, now let’s get into it! Here are some tips on how to decorate on a budget:
1. ALWAYS look in the clearance section!
Home Goods and Target’s clearance sections were my best friend while living in the apartment, I’ll admit that 75% of the time, I did not find much but man, those times where you find that ONE item you have been waiting to enter the clearance shelf…it’s the BEST! I used to work at Target and a lot of that time, I spent in the Home section so I figured out that twice a year, Target will clearance out a ton of home stuff! How to know when those times are coming up? Well that’s my next tip…
-Also with Target…download the app AND get the Red Card! You save 5% every time you use your Red Card and you get free shipping online. When you use the Target App, you will always know what deals are going on and what they have on Cartwheel. I LOVE when they do the “Spend blank and get blank off”, I usually take advantage of those when they have them for home or groceries.
2. Ask the employees what they know!
Always get in good with the employees! At Target and Victoria’s Secret, we always knew in advance what promotions were going to be happening and if we really liked a customer, we would let keep them in the loop! At our Home Goods, we found out when the best days to go shopping were and when they got their shipments.
3. Always stick to neutral colors!
This is something I have had to learn over the years and it’s really helped me! I know by now that I get tired of color REALLY quick. For example, I will see a blue rug and I will ADORE it…for a week. Then I want a new one! And we all know rugs are super expensive!
So I have learned, that ESPECIALLY for high price tagged items, stick to neutral colors. You will keep them longer and won’t get sick of them as quickly. If I do want to add some color into my room, I do it with little decorations that do not cost a lot like pillow cases, little plants, or even throws.
4. Shop Around for the Best Deal!
Don’t be quick to buy furniture without shopping around first. Before buying anything, I spend like a few days researching numerous store to see who has the best deal on what I am looking for.
5. Some Things Can Be Bought USED!
I’ll be honest, I am not a fan of buying used and I rarely do it but I think my issue is I am super picky and I don’t like DIY projects because THB I am too lazy for that! However, I know a lot of people enjoy doing that and I SO wish I did because I would love to buy used items and repaint them or vamp them up!
I always browse through Facebook Marketplace and I find so many cute bookshelves, chairs, and other furniture!
The important thing to remember is what is okay to buy used and what’s not. Anything like couches, beds, pillows or appliances, I personally would never buy used. But things like bookshelves, tables, and chairs are totally okay!
6. Three Letters…D I Y!
Okay, so like I said, I am not a big “DIY” Person and I think it’s because I do not have a creative mind what-so-ever! I wish so badly that I did but I am hoping that once we move into our house, I will be inspired to get more creative and try more DIY’s.
If you are in touch with your creative side, I highly suggest looking up DIY’s. I recently found this girl who is the QUEEN of DIY’s and her Instagram handle is @frillsanddrills or you can check out her blog by clicking here. It is AMAZING what she does and she walks you through how to do everything!
7. Take Advantage of Those Holiday Sales!
When Jaden and I moved into our apartment, it was the beginning of November which means that Black Friday was right around the corner. We got most of our furniture around that time because we wanted to be able to take advantage of the Black Friday deals!
This time around, we are moving at the end of September so we JUST missed Labor Day deals. Luckily, some of our appliances are being held for us so we can pay for them after we close, that way we can still take advantage of those Labor Day deals.
If you are moving in around holiday’s where stores run their best deals, I highly suggest waiting to take advantage of them so you can get some furniture for a good deal! Especially the bigger pieces like appliances and couches!
Well there you have it! My best tips for decorating on a budget! I looked through all of my pictures to find as many pictures as I could of our apartment but turns out I never took ANY! I posted a ton in my Instagram Stories but I never saved them so this one above is the ONLY one I could find. This was our living room!
Couch was from Living Spaces. The white pillows are from Home Goods. The light blue pillows are from Target. The coffee table is from IKEA. The candle is from Bath & Body Works. The little plant is from Home Goods. Finally, the gallery wall frames are from Target!
Nissa St Gelais 