“How do you get such great deals on home decor?”
This is a question I get asked weekly and I must say there are many tips and tricks I have learned over the years. Saving money requires time and patience, but who doesn’t love a good deal? Today I am going to share my favorite tips on saving money and how you can get any thing for your home for a price you want to pay.
Before we go any further, if you did not read my last my blog “TIPS ON MAKING SMART PURCHASES” go ahead and read that now. Here is the link. I say that because the first tip for you to be happy with your purchases and home is to HAVE A PLAN. This is something that I have been very intentional about while decorating our new home. I had the rare opportunity to start from scratch and I am refusing to not end up with the WOW factor I want. You have to know the end result of your home before your start and that blog will help you to make sure you want what you buy.
With home decor, or anything really, I very rarely pay full price. I can count on both hands what I have paid full price for and it is only the items that I know I love. There are very few times that I would rather just pay full price instead of waiting to save money. I may even write a blog later on when it is ok to pay full price for something because that in itself is a long, but good, one. I am also thinking about a blog post on ways to save money while shopping online.
Before I get on another rabbit trail, lets get started on ways to save money while getting a home you love:
1. SHOP DISCOUNT STORES
TJMaxx, Ross, Dirt Cheap, Burkes Outlet, Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, and Home Goods are a few of my favorite discount stores. I am sure there are plenty of others, but in our area this is what we have.
TJMaxx and Tuesday Morning can be pricey, but they also have great deals one high end items that you can not find anywhere else. They have great furniture, pillows, and baskets. You can find bedding and shower curtains as well, it really depends on when you go and what shipment they have gotten in.
Ross is my favorite past time. You never know what they will have and you might just find exactly what you have been looking for. I found the perfect rustic/french country lamps from there for a steal. I purchased our round woven placemats from there for more than half of what I would have paid at any major retailer.
Dirt Cheap is a store you have to be willing to walk away from empty handed, but you can find the deal of lifetime if you hit the story just right. I purchased the 5×7 woven rug for our den from there for $27. I have gotten Target decor for half off, a chair slipcover for $15, and target linen curtain panels for $.50 a piece. I have also walked out of the store having purchased nothing and being ok with that. Like I said earlier, patience is key with saving money on your home decor.
2. SHOP THRIFT STORES
No, thrift stores and discount stores are not the same thing. Thrift stores are my go to for books and picture frames. You can typically find those every time you go. Furniture and other major home decor pieces, milk glass included, are gotten by going at the right time. I wish there was a way to know that I could tell you about, but unfortunately there is not. Find the thrift stores that you know carry higher end items or are in great locations and those are the thrift stores you will want to visit frequently, like once a week at least. My thrift store finds vary, but my favorite is our 9×12 jute rug that cost over $500 I picked up for $25. Spring is a great time to check out your local thrift stores because people spring clean and get tax return money. They buy new stuff and the old goes to the thrift store.
3. ALWAYS USE A COUPON
I can not stress this one enough. Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Kirkland’s will always have a coupon you can use. ALWAYS! If you have a smart phone, download the apps for each of these. Michaels and Hobby Lobby can be found by searching the names in the app store. Kirlands app is called “spin to win” and is also in the app store. Michaels coupons vary, but you can typically find a 40-50% off coupon every day. Also, be sure to sign up for there rewards program. Hobby Lobby always has a 40% off coupon so you never have to pay full price. Kirkland’s app is different and you don’t know what deal you are going to have for the day. You literally spin to win whatever discount you land on. The coupon is only valid for that day. So if you are waiting on a good sale for a specific item, spin the wheel at home. If you don’t like the coupon you got, spin again tomorrow. Patience is key…
4. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE
I know, you are tired of hearing the word patience because you want what you want right now. I suffer from the same disease, but it really does pay off to wait. For instance, Hobby Lobby has a cycle on what decor goes to 50%. You can usually get what you want 50% within two weeks. You can look up the weekly ad online or on the app to see if what you want is on sale and then go that week. Kirkland’s has great sales, but you do have to have patience to really get a good deal. I recently decided I wanted the white arch mirror they have, but it is $170. It is huge and that really is not too bad, but I knew I could get it for way less. So I waited patiently and did not settle until I got it for what I wanted to pay. On my birthday I was able to stack a 15% off coupon (given on your birthday), a $10 reward (earned through the Club), and $20 off a $100 purchase (Spin to Win app) to save over $50 0n the mirror. It is a huge mirror, so I was willing to pay for it but I didn’t want to go over $130 and I didn’t.
Clearance aisles at Target are a favorite, but they take being patient too. If you spot something you want, wait until the season is over and it will go on clearance. The beloved aisle of decor they change often is going to be marked down eventually.
It is worth the wait to save big on items that you don’t have to have. You can get what you want for a great deal, but you have to be willing to wait. You have to search for what you know you want, and then sit back and be ready to jump when you find the deal you have waited for. There is definitely a feeling of success that accompanies the purchase when you find that deal. For me, there is a greater feeling of joy when I walk by my finds in our home. I know I have a home I am happy with and I have gotten it for a price that makes me even happier.
I hope this post has helped to answer the original question, “How do you get such great deals on home decor?” Just remember, you can get the home you want on a budget and you don’t have to settle for less.
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