How To Save Money Buying Furniture

HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHEN BUYING FURNITURE

Buying furniture can be a big expense and one that can be very confusing especially if you don't know what you're looking for.  If you do know what you're looking for and have high ticket items in mind, then it becomes a matter of can you really afford those prices or can you possibly find them cheaper somewhere else?

Before buying furniture for any room in the house, take some time to think it through. 

Consider the value of the pieces that you're thinking of purchasing and then ask yourself if you really need something or if you merely want it? 

There are some items that are a necessity such as a bed or a sofa but when it comes to other pieces of furniture like a dining room table or a coffee table, dressers, end tables, etc., are there other alternatives out there rather than paying full price for expensive pieces of furniture? 

There indeed are! Let's have a look at some of them.

TIPS ON BUYING FURNITURE

If you have your heart set on a certain furniture brand, shop the web. Look for furniture discount stores on line and shop them until you find the best rock bottom price.

Look on the manufacturer's website and see if there are special deals and/or coupons or rebates. Even email and ask for rebates or coupons. Above all, if you're buying brand name furniture, get free shipping! Ask for it whether it's offered or not. All they can say is no.

• Investigate other brands. If you can't afford the Ashley dresser that you have your heart set on, start looking at other brands. Check outlet stores in the bricks and mortar world or shop online. Again, only settle for free shipping because the shipping prices on furniture are outrageous. If you find the right dresser in a local outlet store but the price is higher than online, ask the outlet store to match the online price. If they want the sale, they'll do it.

• Used is just as good as new. If you find something in excellent condition, who cares if it isn't brand spanking new? It is worth the effort to check the newspaper, on Craigslist and eBay because you will find deals you never dreamed imaginable. Target moving sales and estate sales because these are folks who need to move the furniture and get rid of it. Look for garage sale ads that advertise home furnishings or furniture and then make sure you're an early bird to get the best deals. Start frequenting swap meets. You can find some incredible deals there as well.

• Look for furniture and home furnishings at discount warehouse stores like Costco. They even have furniture stores where you can get incredible deals on all kinds of furniture and everything from lamps to coffee tables. If you're trying to save money, stores like Walmart, Target and Fred Meyer for example also sell furniture. If it is an accent piece, it doesn't have to be the highest quality piece of furniture. It just needs to be well made, the right color, and the right price!

• Ross and TJ Maxx are also excellent places to purchase furniture. You can buy end tables, lamps, all manner of pictures and wall hangings, chairs, ottomans, rugs, etc. Why pay top dollar when you can buy for less?

TIPS AND ADVICE ON SAVING MONEY ON FURNITURE

• Shop IKEA for furniture. They have many unique styles to choose from and many people buy at IKEA claiming that they save a lot of money. Look for sales to save even more and check local papers to see if there are coupons or rebates. Also check in store for deals.

• Always check the back rooms, clearance aisles or damaged items. If you're handy with refinishing or repair work or know someone who is, you can save a fortune on furniture. For instance, if a dresser is on super sale and is missing a knob or two, the cost of replacing all the knobs is miniscule and you'll have a brand new dresser. Or if the piece is scratched, refinishing it can leave you with a beautiful piece of furniture for minimal cost and a little effort.

• Think about buying unfinished. There are stores that sell unfinished furniture and with again some elbow grease, you can save money and have yourself a custom-made piece of furniture. The beauty of unfinished furniture is that you can pick and choose your colors so you end up with something that is unique.
• Shop furniture outlet stores for huge savings. Some claim that they can save you up to 70%! Just remember that a lot of their items can go quickly and selection may be more limited. 
• You can even buy furniture on Amazon.  Check out some of the offerings below!

CUTTING COSTS ON FURNITURE

In short, there are a lot of ways to save on furniture. None of the ideas is the only way to go and none of them are right or wrong.

It all comes down to how much money you have in your furniture budget, what your time frame is for purchasing furniture and what your skill level is. If you can buy something used and for example refinish it or reupholster it, you will end up saving a bucket load of money. But if you're shopping for new, then you have a different mindset and then should set about getting the best price you can.

Shopping online can be a great boon to knowing the true value of anything you buy. If you can find it online and get it there, do it. If you don't want to go that route, make sure you ask for a price match when you do purchase the item somewhere else.

Shop the sales in the paper if you're thinking bricks and mortar furniture stores, and look for throw-ins like free lamps with the purchase of a sofa.

Don't forget about drive by purchases either. You never know who might put something out in their driveway as "free" like book shelves or an end table.

Browse garage sales, swap meets, or for sale by owner in the paper.

Check every and any source that you can think of to save on furniture simply because it makes more sense in the long run to get the most for your hard earned money.

Last of all, don't impulse buy and know what you need versus what you want.

If you have more money saving ideas for buying furniture, please add your comments in the space provided below!