Domestic Dog

Ed. Note: My home computer is essentially dead at the moment, which means that, until I get it fixed, I may not be able to post regularly on Domestic Dog. I will do my best to post from other computers, so that your reading schedule continues uninterrupted, but if I miss a post here or there, that’s the reason.

Like too many young people, I am very fond of IKEA. It would be tempting, were I starting from scratch, to furnish my entire home entirely with products from IKEA. As it is, between 2/3 to 3/4 of my furnishing are from IKEA and, as I will likely have to replace my rickety kitchen set in a few months, I’ll likely be getting even more IKEA furniture.

However, despite the fact that it is relatively inexpensive and well designed, IKEA is not necessarily the place to go if you’re trying to decorate on a budget. Second-hand stores, clearance centres, and free stuff inherited from friends and family are much better routes for someone shopping on a tight budget.

Second-Hand Stores

Second-hand stores almost always seem to have a variety of ugly couches and armchairs to choose from. Many smaller shops will not have any furniture, simply because they don’t have the space to store it. And, in my experience, smaller thrift stores (especially those that bill themselves as “vintage boutiques”) also have a tendency to be more expensive than big boxes like Salvation Army Thrift Stores or Value Village (which I believe is called Savers in the US and Australia).

Stick to the bigger chains and you should be able to find a find array of furniture. Don’t worry too much about aesthetics at this point. The main things to take note of are the physical condition of the item (i.e., is it damaged; does it appear to be clean?) and how comfortable it is.

If you find a couch that is it good shape and incredibly comfortable, don’t worry too much if it’s the ugliest couch on Earth. Couches from thrift stores can sell for as low as $10. For that price, you shouldn’t worry about the fact that it’s ugly. Besides, there are ways of fixing ugly couches and chairs.

The simplest way to “fix” a piece of ugly furniture is to buy a slip-cover (or, if you’re able, make your own). While slip covers aren’t necessarily cheap ($50 seems to be an average price, at least here in Canada), you’ve likely saved $100s of dollars by buying you couch form a thrift store, so another $50 is actually quite reasonable.

Clearance Centres

Clearance or discount centres are also a great place to get inexpensive furniture. While much of the furniture at clearance centres is marked down due to damage, the damage is often minimal. I once saw a kitchen table marked down 75% simply because their was a small scratch on the tabletop. While the scratch did detract from the appearance of the table, it could be easily covered by a tablecloth.

One advantage that clearance centres have over second-hand stores is that the furniture is usually new. In fact, it’s fairly common for furniture to be sent to the clearance centre simply because it is no longer considered a fashionable style. This means that, if you like the style, you can often get it for cheap just because it is no longer considered “trendy.”

Clearance centres pricing can be deceptive, though, so be careful. Just because an item is in the clearance centre doesn’t mean that it’s a good deal. I’ve occasionally seen furniture in clearance centres that have significant damage, but are marked down by less than 10%. In these situations, you might as well go the companies regular showroom and pay full price for a new, undamaged piece of furniture.

Freebies

While thrift stores and clearance centres are great places to save money on furniture and other apartment decorations (art, wall clocks, etc.), the cheapest option of all is free stuff. The easiest way to get free stuff, especially if you’re going to be moving into your own place for the first time, is to hit up family and friends for items they no longer need or want. If you have friends who are moving, they might be looking to unload some old furniture, too.

If you can’t get anything from friends and family, I’d suggest checking out a group like Freecycle, which helps people connect with other who are giving away a wide variety of free things. You can request items, or just look at what’s already listed. You should keep in mind, however, that while you are allowed to respond to current listing, you can’t ask for anything specifically until you’ve offered up something first.

Of course, you offer doesn’t have to be something big. It could be something as simple as a bunch of washed and empty soup cans (trust me, someone will want these). As long as you make sure to offer something to the group every so often, to keep the cycle of living going, groups like Freecycle are a great source of free items.

Your Take…

This is my take on the best places to get inexpensive items for decorating your apartment. Did I miss anything? Do you have any secrets of your own that you’d like to share? Drop me a comment and let me know.