We Answer Wednesday - Where to save and where to spend when buying furniture

"We have bought our first home and we need to make a lot of furniture purchases.  We see the price tags and the costs add up, and quickly.  When it comes to buying furniture - which pieces are worth splurging on and where can we save?"

Congratulations of your home purchase ! What an exciting time! Furnishing and decorating your first home is a fun experience, it is a great way to bring your sense of style into
YOUR space.  But you are right, the costs can really add up and very quickly.

The first thing you need to do - is figure out your budget.  Your budget is determined by what you feel comfortable spending.
Figure out:
What you need to buy?
What (if anything is coming with you from your last place)?
Are you getting any furniture pieces from friends or family?
What would you like to have but it's not needed now.
This is a great guide to figure out what you need to spend now and what to focus on later.



When it comes to actual items that are worth the extra cost, we have some suggestions.

- Sofa, it is worth to spend on a sofa but again be sure it is an amount you feel comfortable with.  Not everyone feels good about spending $5,000 on a sofa.  But when it comes to sofas, there is a quality and comfort difference that is attached to price.  We also suggest 'test driving' a sofa in person - make it is comfortable and supportive - don't just buy a great deal because it is a great deal.

- Mattress, you will sleep every night on that mattress so find the right one and be sure to check them out in person.  Buy the best mattress that you can afford.  You don't want to live with neck and back pain everyday because the mattress was a great deal!

- Flooring, if your current home has ugly or dated flooring or flooring that is is terrible shape, it is worth spending now on the update (before you move in). 

- Labour, when it comes to work that's being done in your home, don't skimp - it will be noticeable and you will end up spending more to have someone else come in and fix what was already done. 

- Window coverings, we would put this on the 'maybe later' part of your list but that does depend on your size and style of windows.  If you have a standard size window, store bought pre-packaged panels with a rod will be just fine.  Custom window drapery varies in price but if you have oversized windows, or odd shaped windows - the extra cost is worth it.




Where can you save?

On just about everything else.  You might be at a point in your life where you are figuring out your taste and style and this is a great time to experiments with less expensive pieces like dining chairs, armchairs, rugs and bedding.



When you move into your first place it is exciting but also a bit overwhelming.  Many feel that they need to drop a fortune to furnish their place.  Don't spend anymore than you are comfortable with and don't invest in anything that you don't love or is uncomfortable - it's not worth it!  True personal style comes from mixing the pieces, colours and textures that you love and building that 'nest' takes some time....Rome wasn't built in a day!

Your First Kitchen : The Basics you really need

Have you ever started from scratch in a new kitchen? Perhaps you were leaving for college, or disentangling one household from another. Maybe you were outfitting a second home, or helping a young friend or family member set up with their own kitchen for the very first time.
Is it possible to equip a kitchen for robust daily cooking on a relatively small budget? We say yes. If you are starting from scratch, without a spatula to your name, here's your checklist of essential equipment — and all for under $300.


A Checklist of Kitchen Essentials for $300
Wait, you may say — $300 sounds like a lot of money! To most of us $300 is not pocket change. It could represent half of your monthly rent, or the cost of your textbooks for a semester. It's about the same price as a new iPhone, or another tech bauble like a tablet.
But keep in mind that you can easily spend nearly that much for a single set of cookware or knives (heck, for a single pan or knife), and we're not just outfitting you with a set of pans, but with everything you need to take an empty kitchen from useless to delicious.


 


The 'Basics' List

- Saute pan with lid (so versatile)
- Dutch oven (perfect for soups, chili, sauces, etc...)
- Sheet pan (everything from cookies to veggies)
- 9 x 13 baking pan (everything from casseroles to birthday cake)
- Chef's knife
- Paring knife
- Mixing bowls
- Colander
- Wood cutting board (for fruit, veggies etc..) and a plastic cutting board (for meat)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Tongs
- Wood spoon
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Can opener
- Meat thermometer
- Kitchen towels
- Potholders

The Goal of This List
Our goal was a list of essential equipment for daily cooking, aimed towards the beginner cook.

• We prioritized the things you need for habitual daily cooking.
• We looked for smart buys, focusing on commercial kitchen tools.
• We looked for quality materials and avoided plastic.
• We looked for tools that are pleasurable to use. Extremely cheap cookware is often false economy, since it's harder and less fun to cook with, and produces discouraging results.

What's Not on the List
We designed this for a new cook who's just learning the basics, and we think it would help someone just starting out to cook a wide range of dishes. But as cooks gain experience they form opinions about the tools that work best for them. So of course, if there's something not on this list that you couldn't live without, customize away!
A few things we didn't include:

• Tableware: Dishes, glassware, silverware, serving dishes and serving utensils.
• Small Appliances: Blender, toaster, food processor, mixer, kettle.
• Storage: Jars and storage containers.

More Ways to Save Money
Could you buy this list of 20 essentials for less money? Most likely. But we didn't want this to be a gimmick, full of dollar store finds and really cheap cookware sets. Having said that, you can probably find items here for cheaper locally. Places to try:

• Thrift stores
• Discount stores like TJ Maxx and Ross
• Garage sales
• Church rummage sales
• Craigslist

Damaged goods??

If you are looking for a unique piece or maybe just a little something to liven up a room, try the clearance aisle.

I know it's a lot of junk, right? Wrong. Often the clearance aisle (in many cases) consists of items that were once floor models, items from 'last season' and pieces that have been on the show room floor for too long. Yes, there will be some damaged goods but take a close look before you buy you can find some really great deals.

Just last week at Home Sense, I purchased a beautiful, crochet-knit blanket in a sage green for $3.00. This week, I purchased some Italian glass vases for under $20.00

You can find art pieces and even furniture at IKEA. Their floor models always end up in the "as-is" section. A few weeks ago, they had a great chrome and glass kitchen table set with 4 chairs for under $100 and in great condition.

Clearance, sale or as-is shopping can be like a fun treasure hunt, you just don't know what you'll find. It is also great for anyone on a tight budget or shopping for your first home.