Inexpensive Furniture Shopping For The 99%

[Tck13]

We're talking Pier 1, Target, IKEA, Bed Bath & Beyond, Auctions, yard sales, etc...

I've been unemployed for the last year (just barely started working again) and am living in an apartment. I'm not interested in spending a lot of money on furniture / accessories but need to make things look decent for the next couple of years (until I'm done with school).

Suggestions? Discussion? Websites?

 

[KurtS90]

Most of my furniture was free in the living room... My room well I got a nice bed and cardboard nightstands.

 

[imatlas]

Between Freecycle and Craigslist you should be able to furnish almost any size home for under $100 all in.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Craigslist is a good option, but keep in mind the crap for sale on it at any given time for outweighs anything of good taste. Target actually carries some decent stuff if you buy the right brand/line. Also, keep an eye out for sales from more expensive stores like West Elm.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

What do you need? Small round dining table or just bar stools? Decent couch, tv, bed, desk?

 

[Tck13]



What do you need? Small round dining table or just bar stools? Decent couch, tv, bed, desk?

I wasn't looking for anything in particular yet looking for anything that's appealing (if that makes sense). Just looking to get ideas and suggestions regarding what's out there. I always forget about Craigslist.

 

[Joffrey]

A little late, but 2nd craigslist. It's most useful if you know brand names you're looking for. Like Cb2, eames, etc.

 

[paradoxical3]

Craigslist. I got a free Noguchi table and a Paulistano chair for $200. Both in mint condition (one scratch on the table). Had to drive two and a half hours, but common....ridiculous score.

Just figure out some pieces that you want and check craigslist everyday for them. Took me a few weeks before I came across anything decent.

 

[sportin_life]

The problem with Craigslist though is that you need a truck to pick up the stuff. For me, this has never been an option since nothing fits in my car and none of my friends have trucks either.

Relatively cheap, decent furniture would be IKEA (as you mentioned) or check out Living Spaces.

 

[StephenHero]

I'd rather sit on the floor than some ****** couch. Save your money, buy a great couch or table, and feel the joy one can experience when you realize you didn't waste money on a bunch of **** that was going to hold you over for about ten minutes before you started to envy something better. Just do it right the first time. Accumulate your life's material slowly if necessary. There's no need to race to the finish line.

 

[cheessus]

im in the same boat. while id like to buy a very nice couch or whatever in the future, that future is somewhat far off. currently im living in an apartment and am pretty much moving every year.

ive come to the conclusion that there really isnt any point in buying furniture anymore, or at least until im in a much more stable situation. the only thing i will buy is a (king?) mattress. so ive been really thinking about just getting a bunch of free **** off craigslist and giving them new life by restaining, painting, etc. them. i think that its just easier to coordinate everything that way. and that it would be cheaper than if i actually bought cheap stuff on craigslist.

im currently in the dc/nova area, and theres always a lot of good stuff it seems. i have access to a large van and im also living close to my parents so ill have a workspace to do the projects.

ive been trying to think about what it is i should get as i am about to move again next mo. from my fully furnished apt and some ideas as to what i should do with the items i acquire. im thinking i should start a thread about the projects ill do throughout the course of the next 30 days or so. do you guys have any recs as to where i should look to for inspiration (blogs, vids, articles, pictures, etc)? ive looked through the nester.com which is pretty interesting. ive also looked through some stuff on pinterest, but find a lot of that stuff is too precious for my tastes.

thanks.

 

[NORE]

Another vote for CL. We've scored some unbelievable deals on there. Some of the best stuff came via Connecticut. The main thing is to use key words in your searches, brand names, terms like 'solid wood', etc. It helped that I had a truck at the time to move stuff but sometimes the deal is worth paying a dude with a van to pick it up and deliver.

 

[Joffrey]



The problem with Craigslist though is that you need a truck to pick up the stuff. For me, this has never been an option since nothing fits in my car and none of my friends have trucks either.
Relatively cheap, decent furniture would be IKEA (as you mentioned) or check out Living Spaces.

If you're saving real money when getting larger furniture (say a $1000 couch for $200), I don't see why you can rent a truck.

 

[imatlas]



Another vote for CL. We've scored some unbelievable deals on there. Some of the best stuff came via Connecticut. The main thing is to use key words in your searches, brand names, terms like 'solid wood', etc. It helped that I had a truck at the time to move stuff but sometimes the deal is worth paying a dude with a van to pick it up and deliver.

As I was reading through the last couple of pages I was picturing the efforts my siblings and I undertook to empty out my mother's house - in Connecticut. She'd developed some hoarding tendencies, so the house was stuffed to the rafters, and her HOA wouldn't let us have a tag sale and we gave away a lot of stuff on CL just to have somebody else do the heavy lifting. One woman hauled away thousands of dollars worth of upholstery fabric, hundreds of patterns, quilting equipment, etc. Her Honda CRV was stuffed so completely there was barely space for the driver. It was kind of hilarious. Another woman scored dozens of orchids, hundreds of other houseplants, pots and potting tools, etc.

 

[imatlas]

The problem with Craigslist though is that you need a truck to pick up the stuff. For me, this has never been an option since nothing fits in my car and none of my friends have trucks either.
Relatively cheap, decent furniture would be IKEA (as you mentioned) or check out Living Spaces.

If you're saving real money when getting larger furniture (say a $1000 couch for $200), I don't see why you can rent a truck.

And, it's easy to find a mover on CL.