3 Tips for Buying Furniture on a Budget
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Are you in the market for new furniture?
Are you heading back to school trying to fill that dorm room or apartment?
Maybe you currently have furniture that’s falling to pieces and it desperately needs replacement. Or, perhaps you recently moved across the country and sold your old furniture so you didn’t have to move it.
Whatever the case may be, you’re in the market for some new furniture and you don’t want it to cost you an arm and a leg!
So what’s the average cost of new furniture today?
If you’re looking at designer furniture, it wouldn’t take any effort whatsoever to drop $10,000 on a sofa and chair set, but I’d say that for most of us, this simply isn’t in the budget.
So, put down that designer magazine and wipe the drool from the side of your mouth. It’s time to get practical.
There are ways to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.
1. The Magic of Craigslist
I think it’s pretty fair to say that I’m in love with Craigslist. No matter what it is that you need, my answer is almost always, “they have that on Craigslist, and you can find it at less than half the price of retail”.
While furniture can be a little tricky to find, the statement still holds true.
Most days, the furniture on Craigslist is terribly ugly and I wouldn’t want it in my living room (and believe me, I’m not that picky).
But there are also some fabulous picks out there. You just have to be patient and you need to know what you’re looking for.
If your living room is absolutely empty, then you’re in a position to score a great deal!
When I was in that situation, I would hunt Craigslist every day and search “living set”. For the first couple days, I had absolutely no luck, but later that week, I stumbled across a gold mine!
This seller was moving out of town and needed to get rid of everything in the living room. They were selling a leather sofa and love chair, along with two end tables, two lamps, a TV stand, and a 55” flat screen TV for $850!
Unfortunately, I was one caller too late, but it goes to show you the deals that you can find if you’re looking for them.
2. Make Friends With a Furniture Mover
One of my friends recently accepted a job as a furniture mover for a well-known furniture company in the area.
This company leased furniture, which was typically for a year or two, and when the lease was up, they would pick up the furniture from the property.
I soon learned from my friend that they were not allowed to resell the leased furniture. Either they gave it away to their employees, or they donated it.
If you’re interested in some very lightly used pieces of furniture for your living room, you may want to find a furniture mover and buddy up!
3. Don’t Get Fooled By The Deals
Furniture sales are a pretty tough business. If your area is anything like mine, you receive flyers in the mail for three or four different furniture companies.
They all claim to have ridiculously low prices, but in actuality, they are earning two to three times more than the original cost of the furniture.
If you head to the store with a 10% coupon, you aren’t saving enough. Do your homework and shop around first.
It’s very likely that you can find the same model in a couple different stores.
Head into the first one with as many promotional discounts as you can, and then head to the second location to see if they can beat that price for you.
Your $5 drive could save you hundreds!
Do you have any tips of your own when buying furniture?
Photo credit: tjdewey via photopin cc
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Your max tax refund is guaranteed.
