10 Ways I Maximized Every Purchase in My New Home (+ What You Should Splurge On)
Get the most bang for your buck.
There’s plenty of home decor ideas out there, but I’m sharing the building blocks I’ve learned after buying & furnishing my new home that you might not have considered before.
With these tools, you’ll be on your way to maximizing every purchase you make and saving your hard-earned money while you’re at it. 🙌
Here are a bunch of home decor ideas & ways I’ve saved money when making my house a home:
1. Try “Open Box” items and you might even get them FREE.
You can find just about any major home appliance or piece of furniture at an open box price if you’re willing to be a little patient and accept a few defects. I was obsessing over this coffee table from Lulu and Georgia but ended up finding an identical one (shown above) at AllModern for a couple hundred less!
When I saw an open box pop up for this coffee table on Wayfair I knew I needed to go for it! Best of all, I already thought I was getting a great deal because it was so much cheaper! 😍
Unfortunately, my open box came with a few manufacturing defects making assembly nearly impossible. The metal legs were uneven, the holes didn’t align, and we were ready to send it back. 😕
However, after calling Wayfair’s customer service, I had a full refund within minutes and I even got to keep the table! 🤩
While there are many cases items will need to be returned, I can whole-heartedly say it’s worth the risk. Worst case, you’ll end up having to send an item back, but you’ll get a refund either way. Needless to say, our coffee table legs may be uneven and it may be missing half the screws, but ya just can’t beat FREE! 🤣
Here are some popular stores that offer open box items:
2. Hold onlinepanies responsible for their shipping and you could get a full refund.
Something a lot of people don’t know is that onlinepanies take pride in their guaranteed delivery dates – specifically, Amazon. Sure, onlinepanies can’t always be on point and delays are inevitable from time to time (especially during COVID), but when you pay for a monthly service, like Amazon Prime, you can ensure you’ll be onlinepensated if your items aren’t delivered when they’re expected.
In fact, more than once I’ve received an entire refund when I didn’t receive something on time. 😱
Any time I don’t receive an item by the date it’s promised, I contact Amazon through their online chat and explain the situation which either ends with a partial or total refund!
Aside from Amazon, another onlinepany I ordered our new dining room table from notified me that our dining room table was delayed six more weeks from the original date (which was already quite some time after I ordered) and they onlinepensated me 10% back from our total order! Anything’s better than nothing, right! 👏
3. Stalk Facebook Marketplace for high-end items.
You can find some incredible deals on Facebook Marketplace whether someone wasn’t able to affordably return a piece of furniture or their style and home decor ideas change with the seasons. Either way, their loss is your gain!
After one quick search, I saw many listings for high-end items like Studio McGee, who also just launched their own line with Target!
I also happened to find a huge wooden dollhouse for my daughter’s room for just $95 (onlineplete with all the furniture!) which is currently being sold at Crate & Kids for almost $400 without furniture!
Of course, if you’re particular about the items you’re looking to buy, you’ll have to be a little more patient until the right things pop up.
4. Sell stuff you already own or plan to replace to fund your next project.
The invention of Facebook Marketplace has also made it pretty convenient to not only find great deals but earn some cash too! It’s simple to list any item you no longer want so you have cash for the replacement once you get into your new home.
Selling items such as lighting fixtures, cabinets, and more can help fund your next home decor idea, reno project, or whatever you plan to replace it with. Just as an example, I wanted to replace our dining room lighting fixture which I ended up selling in a month on Facebook Marketplace for $100 (retails for $220!). Needless to say, it was a good chunk of change to put towards our new light, table, and chairs.
5. Buy washable rugs so they last longer.
Rugs are an investment and if you have kids or pets running around, that’s all the more reason to invest in a rug that can easily be cleaned. As one home decor idea, you can find quality washable rugs from brands like Lorena Canals or Ruggable. Just keep in mind, these are not the most inexpensive rugs BUT considering they’re a cinch to clean and very well made, you can ensure they’re in it for the long haul and will more than pay for themselves over time!
I’ve had this Lorena Canals rug in my boy’s room for over 4 years now (which moved with us to our new home) and it still looks onlinepletely brand new! I never panic when the boys and their friends track all their dirty shoes upstairs, when we do popcorn movie nights, and so much more because cleaning their rug is as simple as throwing it in the wash!
6. Go to consignment shops frequently to score great deals.
There’s no denying the best home decor items go fast when we’re talking consignment shopping. When I was on the hunt for new furniture and decor pieces, I was making a point to scope out all my favorite consignment shops about twice a week or whenever I knew they put new items out.
I know this may seem excessive, but when you’re looking for trendy items, they’re not going to stick around for long so knowing when to shop is crucial. With some patience, persistence, and a little bargaining, you can score some awesome deals!
After months of searching, I scored a modern leather accent chair for CHEAP at my local consignment – exactly what my vision had in mind! Best of all, I did some online searching after I brought it home, and turns out the EXACT same chair is currently on Wayfair for over $900! 😱😱😱 (Which isn’t even close to what I paid buying it second-hand!)
7. Ask friends to keep an eye out.
Anyone who knows you likely knows what your style is or what you still need for your new home, so having a good friend or some family to keep an eye out is another great way to score awesome finds. Plus, it allows you to have an eye out in two places at once, so to speak!
Whenever they pop into a yard sale, consignment store, or think they may have found a thrift store find you’d love, they can easily snap a photo to send to you or even do a FaceTime if time’s of the essence so you know whether or not you need to make a run to the store.
8. Buy paint when it’s 40% off to save hundreds on your home projects.
Sherwin Williams offers quality paint and frequently has sales on their paint. While there’s no actual schedule for these sales, you can expect paints to be on sale about every couple of months. Plus, in between their 40% off sales you can likely always score 30% off if you’re in a pinch.
As a tip, you can buy untinted paint and get it colored later, so don’t be afraid to stock up on gallons of it when you’re getting 40% off.
Even better, these sales almost always include 40% off all their paint supplies too so if you need brushes, rollers, and everything in between, you can always count on a good deal.
Get $5 off some Samplize paint samples while you’re still deciding.
Unlike traditional paper paint samples that are dyed to mimic the paint color you love, Samplize uses a larger scale, 12″x 12″ square that’s hand-painted with two coats of the exact color you want!
I was excited to learn they even use high-quality paints from Sherwin Williams, Farrow & Ball, PPG, and Benjamin Moore so you can guarantee you’ll get the exact paint sample you’re looking for! Plus, they’re quickly shipped right to your door so no more waiting in line at the paint store! 👏
Read more about Samplize and why we love it HERE!
Hip Tip: Head to their site so you can score $5 OFF your first sample with promo code FIRSTFIVE at checkout!
9. Go for walks around your neighborhood on bulk trash night.
In my neighborhood, homeowners are able to put out bulky & heavy items like furniture, appliances, and whatever else they’re getting rid of for trash pick-up once a week. If you’re out at the right time, this is a fantastic time to score FREE deals!
Like that time I scored this wooden kid’s playhouse and spent almost nothing to make it look new again! 😍
In addition to the incredible playhouse I scored, I’ve also found numerous other free items out for trash like painting supplies, scrap wood, an entire box of old vinyl, dining chairs, and so much more! Of course, every street and week will be different (and just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s always worth taking), but this is also a great way to meet some new neighbors.
As a bonus, you’ll also be getting some exercise while you shop around your block so even if you don’t find something every week, you’re still onlineing out ahead. 😏
*You can find out when your neighborhood bulk trash night is by calling your local township number.
10. Replace outlets & light switches for a more updated look.
If you’re moving into an older home that’s rocking some dirty, old light switches & outlets, swapping them out for something new is a very inexpensive update that also makes a huge impact. Plus, they’ll make all that painting you just did look even better and so much crisper. After all, when it onlinees to home decor ideas, it’s all in the details, am I right?!
In all seriousness though, these little updates will make every room look more updated. If you’re onlinefortable enough on your own, you can replace these in just minutes or hire a professional to tackle your entire home in a day’s work. To make the DIY seem less daunting, we swapped each room with new outlets and switches as we painted, that way redoing the entire house didn’t seem like such a task and before you know it, they’ll all be done!
Shop these popular & affordable options:
- Outlet & Light Switch Cover Plates – Starting at less than $1 each!
- Leviton 15 Amp Single-Pole Toggle Light Switch – $0.68 each!
- Leviton 15 Amp Residential Grade Grounding Duplex Outlet – $4.98 for a 10 pack!
Here’s one thing I’ve splurged on:
Splurge on the things that matter to you most.
This home decor idea will be totally different for everyone from the budget to the actual item you’re splurging on. It’s great to save money on many things in life, but if there are a few must-have items you want for your home, then treat yourself to these items when you’re able to work them in your budget. Sometimes there’s no substitute for having that high-end item you’ve been obsessing over and many times they end up paying for themselves in the long haul.
For me, it was my beloved couch. I knew I wanted a white couch, but the only way that would be possible with active kiddos running around was to invest in something washable and built to last. It was pricey but totally worth the splurge and I have ZERO regrets.
