Tips For Shopping For Home Items On A Budget ♥

Beau's beautiful Beatrix Potter inspired nursery with a vintage mobile that was a bargain on Ebay, an old chair which I bought from a car boot and upcycled, pom-pom blanket from AliExpress and sweet dreams wooden garland which I picked up in a Home Sense sale. Everything was bought cheaply but looked beautiful together in his nursery.

Budget shopping can be one great challenges of the material world, particularly if you don’t know how to do it. It might seem easy enough in theory, but in practice it can feel a lot like searching for a ten-euro Lamborghini (in other words: impossible). 

The issue lies in not knowing exactly where to look, which is one of the perils of having too many options! But once you know where all the bargains live, the road to reduced spending will feel considerably less steep and is actually quite enjoyable too! It actually makes me really happy to grab a bargain these days, especially if it's something I've had my eye on for awhile!

Here are my tips on how to shop successfully for home items on a budget.

Online Sites

Online shopping is often the most cost-effective and time-effective way to shop. You might also prefer this option if you are trying to save money on petrol, train fares, or other expensive means of transportation.

Say you are shopping for authentic bedding products, but they are simply out of reach. An online store that specialises in such items, can have your desired items shipped to you before you know it, without you ever having to leave the house. Also, you can find items being sold at shops at much cheaper prices on sites such as Ali-Express - why pay more for the exact same thing?!

If you would rather buy the item in person, there is always the option of seeing it online first, instead of having to trek all the way to the store only to be utterly disappointed with what you find. Also, if you find something online but it's out of stock, you can always ring your local store to see if they have it in stock. If you're looking for something specific and aren't able to find it at your local store, using Head Office Finder to reach the head office of the company you're looking to buy for could be really worthwhile.

Online membership and email alerts will also give you the upper hand because you’ll be the first to know when a sale is on or a price has been reduced.

Charity shops and Car Boot Sales

You'd be amazed at the absolutely beautiful bargains that can be found in charity shops and at car boot sales. I love going to charity shops and car boots and picking up some amazing bargains for my home. Not only is there a lot of furniture on offer - which can be upcycled to suit your own particular tastes and decor, but there are lots of soft furnishings and trinkets on offer to make your home a much more beautiful space on a budget too.

I've picked up my cushion covers, bedding, bunting, etc. all from charity shops and some even still had the tag on when I bought them but were so much cheaper than retail price. It's also nice to know that you're buying something you really want and at a great price, but doing your bit to help charity at the same time too.

Specials and Sales

Depending on where you’re shopping, prices are often reduced later in the day. If you’re grocery shopping, keep an eye out for any specials because chances are they’ll be everywhere, particularly during the festive seasons.

Make sure you also find out when the major stocktaking sales are in your area. These tend to follow Christmas and the end of the financial year but, in many regards, sales are constant - stores such as Debenhams, Cath Kidston, etc. always seem to have a sale on when I visit them and are great for picking up bargains in.

Clothes, for instance, have clearance sales at the end of each season. As soon as the summer stock’s in, the winter clothes couldn’t clear out faster. So don’t miss out, as they say.

When shopping on a budget, it is important not to think of yourself as cheap. There is nothing cheap about spending with care, and having a budget will open your eyes to this notion. Budgeting gives you a chance to better your organisation skills and to be a more sensible shopper in general. Consider the above options and you’ll have more affordable home items than you’ll know what to do with.

Do you find it easy to shop of home items on a budget? Where do you find most of your bargains?

If you're looking for even more ways to decorate your home on a budget check out my post on 6 tips for decorating your home cheaply but beautifully.