Furnishing Your First Apartment on a Budget

When it comes to furnishing your first apartment on a budget, it's all about knowing where to shop.

Just because you have a small budget, doesn't mean your destined to buy Walmart furniture. Please, please think outside of the Walmart box!

The Budget Diet Girl would love to expand your furniture shopping horizons…on a budget, of course!

My 22 year old son is going to be the subject of this post since I was recently “hired” to decorate his first apartment on a budget. He has a great job, but he also has parents that have taught him to save money.

7 Great Resources for Furnishing Your First Apartment on a Budget

Pinterest – You don't need an interior decorator, you just need Pinterest! Put together a board with images of rooms you love, and then set out on a mission to duplicate the look for less. I made the board, my son chose his favorites and we made a shopping list.

Craigslist – We began scouring Craigslist daily for some of the items on our list. Success! A vintage, leather trunk for $60! This trunk works great for storage and for a TV stand. It's important and budget friendly to choose furniture pieces that can be used in different ways. His trunk is a TV stand is this apartment, and it may become a coffee table in his first home.

Etsy or Local Craftsmen – How much do you think my son paid for this handmade, one-of-a-kind, reclaimed wood headboard? And the answer is…$300. This local craftsman also built a small desk for my son that cost less than $100. When one of his neighbors saw it, she kicked herself for spending $6000 on a Potterybarn bedroom set. Etsy is a wonderful website for discovering handmade furniture, but I suggest searching for someone in your area or shipping costs will blow your budget.

Local Resources – Talk to people in your new neighborhood, and you'll likely find out about some of the best places to shop. The gentleman that built the headboard suggested Dallas Discount Mattress, and they had the best prices we'd seen…probably because they operate out of a warehouse rather than a traditional retail store.

Repurpose – Remember when I sent you to Pinterest to bring out your inner-interior designer? Pinterest will also inspire you to repurpose all sorts of things. One man's trash truly is another man's treasure. I've seen a photo display made from an old sand dune fence, a memo board made from a rusty mattress spring and a side table made from vintage suitcases. For Christopher's apartment, we made this tree stump coffee table from a stump we found on the side of the road. If you want to build one, check out How to Make a Tree Stump Coffee Table.

Consignment Stores and Thrift Stores – There are treasures to be found! Remember to use your imagination because a little paint or new upholstery can give a tired old piece a new life. Our treasure? These barstools made in France for a total of $60. You can get the “made in China” version from Target for $100.

Homegoods and Tuesday Morning – When you've exhausted all of the above options, it's time to take a trip to a discount store like Homegoods or Tuesday Morning. Decent quality, decent prices and nicely displayed!

Please leave a comment to share your favorite ways of decorating on a budget.