First, as I have told Dick repeatedly in the past couple weeks, next time we move I am packing up every single hanger and spoon, not to mention every ziploc, clothespin, and roll of duct tape. I’m tired of going to Walmart twice a day, six days a week, for essential items like caffeine-free Mountain Dew and special holiday dark chocolate mint Lindt truffles.
At Thanksgiving I was bragging displaying my humility and thrift by sharing how cheaply we were able to furnish our apartment. Cousin Suzy, rather meanly I thought, said I was as bad as Uncle Barry. Horrors! Uncle Barry took me to SeaWorld when I was really young; other than that he’s pretty cheap. And by cheap I mean extraordinarily stingy. As in a real tightwad. And, apparently, I’m coming right along. Except I don’t think I’m as good at saving as he is. I have no idea where all that money I save goes. Probably to Walmart.
Here are a few tips for furnishing inexpensively: 1) Craigslist.com (make sure you type it in right; other similarly-named sites are just scary; trust me, and don’t click on the personal ads. Please.), 2) Local classifieds online; in Utah, that’s KSL.com, 3) garage sales, and 4) (and most important) Let your super-generous family and friends know that you are super-poor and deserving. Also, Freecycle.com is cool if it’s available in your area, as is Salvation Army (or DI, etc), but those places can be really depressing in large doses. Use caution.
Amazing furnishings at Chez Dick and Jane
king-size bed — 215, bedding from Marcy
computer desk — free for hauling it away; cool black paint from Marcy
wood table and five chairs — 65
toddler bed with mattress and bedding — 35
27-inch flat front tv — 100 (could’ve gotten a better deal if we’d held out till after Christmas, but we’re weak).
hutch — from Marcy
single bed — from Mom (I took a bedskirt too; hope that’s okay).
fancy Italian crib — from co-worker in NYC 7 years ago (thanks Leslie!)
two endtables — 35
tv stand/cabinet — 25
couch and chair — 125 (looking for a couch made me long for and really appreciate the leather couches Grandpa Dave gave us in Florida; why didn’t we strap those to the top of the minivan — that would’ve worked, right?)
girl’s dresser and two mirrors — 100
two barstools — 50, computer chair — 50 (the only new items we bought; we’re serious about sitting)
washer and dryer — 250
dishes and random kitchen items — from Mom, Grandma, and M-I-L (thanks for sending my rice cooker!)
miscellaneous items from Walmart and Target — 7 million, 536 thousand dollars and 2 cents.
Dang. We didn’t really make it under a thousand, but, not counting the millions of miscellany, we were just fifty over. Not bad. We did bring our computers and dvd player, ete, from Florida.
I had to sic the kids on Dick to convince him to get a tree before Decemeber. But I’m compulsive about taking it down right away, too. We’re agreed that it has to be a real tree; I got a blood oath from the Christmas tree man to plant five new trees for this one.
That curtain is hiding not-beautiful panty doors. Mostly I just like the color and saw the curtain (still in the package) for $2 at a garage sale. I think we have better pantries and closets in this 1247 square foot apartment than Marcy does in her mini-mansion.
Check out the cool black desk. Dick discouraged me from painting it, but now he loves it!
Those lamp shades feel just as suede-y as the bedspread. Thanks, Walmart!
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So glad to see pictures of your new place! Those barstools are exactly like ours – Target, right? We love our 3 for multiple reasons, mostly because they are big on top and the boys don’t fall off (really I mean they fit me). And I love your flat screen computer monitor. And your tree and decorations. We’re putting ours up as soon as this dumb bridal shower is over, no offense to Jeanna, who is not dumb and I’m happy to host this for her!
so, i think you did an EXCELLENT job! definetily didn’t mean to sound offensive with the whole uncle barry thing. but you know, it just runs in the family. (there are good ways of decorating that way and not so good ways- your’s is awesome!) I would say my house now has been furnished in pretty close the same way. Though, i think more of it has been given to us- i’m that cheap! we haven’t even bought a computer desk ’cause we have a lap top and it just goes nicely on my lap. anyway, i think your place looks great! i’m all about second hand stuff!
Tara– yes, those are target barstools. awesome. i so wanted to get these ones with a back and a cushion, but they were 3 x as much. not happening. i hope you post pics and stuff from the shower!
Suzie, yeah, i’m not offended, and i hope you’re not offended that i pretended to be almost-offended. just saying if for effect, you know. (don’t tell Uncle B i said he was a tightwad). it was so great to see you guys at thanksgiving. we are pretty close to you here in dick and jane land. maybe we can hang out sometime?
It looks great! Don’t forget Freecycle. We got two office chairs and bunkbeds for free.
Your apartment looks great! I should have you come and decorate mine. What kind of rates do you charge? Just kidding, the airfare alone would put me over budget. I love getting free stuff too, maybe because I have no choice in the matter. Half the stuff in our apartment was given to us and the other half came from IKEA. Glad you guys have settled in to your new place.
P.S. You need to post another picture of the computer desk. I couldn’t see it very well in the picture you have up. We bought a chair and an end table from a thrift store and I am in the process (meaning that I work on it every couple of months) of sanding them down. We are planning on painting them black also.