Dollar Frugal

As I have been thinking more and more about waste, I have been thinking of better ways that I could have procured my furniture.  Here are some ideas that I used.  Remember, if you’re using something that’s used, that’s one less thing that must be produced and/or thrown away!

1.  Subscribe to your local Craigslist “Free” items.  You’d be surprised at the kinds of things that people just decide they don’t want anymore.

2.  Freecycle.  You can easily ask for all your furniture on Freecycle.  Remember to “give back” to Freecycle when you have items that you don’t need anymore.

3.  Be creative.  We have had our TV on an antique sewing machine table forever.  We keep the “valuable” antique sewing machine that my mom gave us, but we make it useful!

4.  Let friends and/or family know what you’re in the market for.  If they don’t have it, they probably know someone that does.  It will turn up, sooner or later.  And it always happens to me - as soon as I buy things, they turn up elsewhere for cheaper or free!

5.  Work part-time on Saturday mornings for a moving company.  No, I’m not talking about the back-breaking furniture moving.  They need someone to “pack” boxes.  My mom did this for a time to earn extra Christmas money, and she learned so much.  Moving people give away cleaning supplies (the movers cannot pack chemicals) and tons of things they just don’t want to take with them.

6.  Estate Auctions.  I don’t know why more people don’t attend auctions.  They are hilarious!  Plus, you could furnish a whole house for probably $10, as long as you’re not too picky.

The key to these ideas is not to “clutter up” your house.  Don’t increase your wants, just wear your things out normally and replace them with cheap or free items.