Around the home

Decorating your home can get expensive quickly.  Sometimes the only way around that is to not decorate.  But there are ways to feather your nest without draining your nest egg.

Here are some sites with home decor money-saving tips.  The biggest tool you have, though, is to upcycle and reuse what you already have at home -- move things around from one room to another if you need to freshen a little!

11 Ideas for Designing on a Budget
20 Low-Cost Decorating Ideas
The Budget Decorator
Ways to Save Money on Home Decor

The last decorating idea I'll give you is a link to my Pinterest board about art in the home.  Most of the things that I've pinned there are projects that are meant to be made, rather than purchased, and can/should be personalized to your own colors, etc.  I recognize that many of these ideas may not be very widely applicable to everyone's tastes or decorating styles.  It's meant only as a starting point, and a demonstration of the power and versatility of doing it yourself.

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Decorating and/or furnishing your home is one area in which you also have to spend money (usually) before you can save money.  For example, I know several families who don't use paper napkins.  At all.  They have several sets of cloth napkins that they rotate through and wash between uses.  It's an investment at the beginning, but over the long-term, saves money.  You can either buy napkins already made, or find fabric on sale and sew your own.  Here are a couple of tutorials/patterns for sewing napkins.  They're super easy, even for a beginner.

Sewing 101: Mitered Napkins
Sewing Cloth Napkins
How to Sew Simple Cloth Dinner Napkins (includes suggestions for upcycling cloth/fabric that you already have!)

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Did you know that certain things are less expensive at specific times throughout the year?  If you know when to buy, you can save money.

Best Time of Year to Buy Essentials
The Best Time to Buy Things, Month by Month