My husband and I moved into our first “real” apartment last year (2018). I say “real” because our actual first apartment was yucky and the only option our university gave us. We didn’t bother making it feel like home because we were only there for 4 months anyway.
Let me just say this: decorating is not cheap. Sure, you can buy everything on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, but in my opinion, that might be a bigger hassle than just going to the store or being smart with your promo codes/coupons. My family calls me the “Coupon Queen” for a reason so here are some tips to decorate your home and save money!
Kohls is the bomb.
1) A wonderful perk about Kohls is that they have coupons regularly that range between 15%-30% and those coupons work on clearance and on top of sales! Download the Kohls app on your phone and it automatically gathers the current coupons and puts them in your “wallet” so you don’t have to scour the internet to find something that works.
2) Before you make your first purchase at Kohls, sign up for Yes2You rewards. This is different from the credit card. When you buy something, you get points. Those points add up and turn into $$ to use later.
3) Be aware of the current Kohls Cash deals. Depending on how much you spend, this can come in handy, especially on top of the coupon and Yes2You rewards.
Kohls has a lot of wonderful home-decor. We were able to get a $150 quilt for $20 and curtains for $8 total using the methods I mentioned above.
Target comes in clutch.
You already know that Target is a dream, but keep an eye out for their furniture deals! When we purchased our dining tables, they were running a special for $25 off of $125 (or something like that). Our chairs, in a set of 2, were on sale for $135 (originally $175) We separated the orders to use the promo code twice which saved us $50 total. I recommend signing up for their emails to get notifications on promotions!
TJ Maxx/HomeGoods is your friend.
TJ Maxx and HomeGoods don’t run promotions or coupons outside of clearance, but their prices are already very low and you can find some real gems by keeping an eye on what you want. I got my entertainment center for $80 because I kept going back and watching the price tag. I almost bought it at $160 but when I saw it had dropped to $80, I knew it wasn’t going to be there if I let any more time go by. It’s always a risk because their inventory moves so much, but sometimes you can come out with a major win.
Wayfair is a surprise.
I ordered a console table from Wayfair and they sent me a queen-sized platform bed-frame. At first I was like, “What the heck am I going to do with this?” But once I looked up what they had sent me and they didn’t want it back, it ended up being a huge blessing because it fits our bed and it’s CUTE! The console table ended up being good too. So all in all, I got a table and bed-frame for $52. Don’t count on that happening to you, but I think I love Wayfair. It worked out great for me.
