Saving On Bedroom Furniture

If you are familiar with my blog, then you are definitely aware of some of my extreme frugality. Today I wanted to tackle bedroom furniture because the holidays are approaching so there will be some serious sales. Also, after the holidays markdowns could come in handy for this big of a project.

So, you want to redecorate your bedroom or maybe you are only looking to add a few new pieces? Either way, you should be able to find some seriously great deals if you do your homework. I’m here to give you a few tips on how to start because I want you to get the best deal for your money.


Surf The Net

It’s probably not any surprise that my first tip is to start scouring the internet. As much as we love to patronize our local stores, there is no harm in checking out what they have to offer online. Plus, when you make a great purchase, like a dresser, brick and mortar stores have far more overhead than online shops.
This is because the product is typically shipped from the factory or an inexpensive warehouse. You can find anything you need with just one click of the button as well. I bought my couches, refrigerator, oven, washing machine, and dryer online. This was much cheaper than buying them in any local stores; my couches alone, both of them together cost what one smaller one generally cost in a brick and mortar store.

Let’s consider one of the biggest purchases you will make for the bedroom; the mattress.

Between memory foam, innerspring, latex, hybrid, and air, there are a ton of options for the would-be bedroom decorator. Jumping into a mattress purchase isn’t a great idea and you should definitely educate yourself before buying. What type of firmness do you and your partner like? Is saving money truly worth quality when it comes to the pain you can get from a bad mattress? The answer to the last question is that you don’t need to compromise comfort for frugality. Check out this list of inexpensive mattresses ranked here.

When you are purchasing a product that is going to need shipment, doing it from the comfort of your home is attractive, especially when it saves you a good deal of money.

Buy at the Right Time  

It’s important to make sure that you are buying any bedroom furniture at the right time. If you don’t buy on the right date, then you will always end up paying more than you should. For instance, you might need to purchase a new mattress for your bedroom. If that’s the case July 4th is a good time to buy if you want to get a great deal.

Look For Lawn Sales

Everyone knows there are a ton of great deals right in your own neighborhood if you are just willing to put in the legwork to look for them. You can check the internet for local yard sale ads, you can check your local print paper, or you can drive around the neighborhood and look for signs.

If you live in a more populated area, like a suburb of a major city, then you can check neighboring communities. In fact, there is nothing wrong with heading to a wealthier neighborhood than your own. Rich people like to have garage sales too, and they are in a position to have some super nice stuff to begin with.

It’s a good idea to get an early jump on the day. Plan out the sales you found via ads while looking at a map. There are a ton of savvy yard sale shoppers who get out at the break of dawn. Contrary to that, you can also haggle better if you wait until the end of the day.

Check Out The Thrift Stores

Your local Salvation Army, Goodwill, or consignment shop in your area should have plenty of furniture options. There are tons of folks who donate their items, or try to sell them through these little businesses. Haggling might be an option in some of these places but sometimes you’ll find things that are marked down so much haggling wouldn’t make that much of a difference.

Going Out of Business Sales

There are warehouses, department stores, and other places that go out of business all the time. It’s actually quite sad but in the state of our economy, it takes a lot to keep a business afloat. This is one of those ways where someone else’s misfortune could turn into your treasure because, when places like this go out of business they slash prices on all items just to get rid of them.

You, the frugal furniture shopper, can swoop in and get a monster of deal.

Try Discount Stores, Warehouse Sales, and Outlets

Just as there are departments stores that charge a good chunk of money for all of their products, there are department stores and outlets that cut the cost of all types of things, sometimes because they are last season’s style. Penniless people like us won’t let something small like “being last season” stop us from getting a great deal on a full length mirror.

Check out where the outlet stores are in your area. You might actually find other items you need for a steal.

Go Dumpster Diving

I don’t mean to go to the junkyard or to actually jump into dumpster but sometimes it’s worth driving through the alleys in your neighborhood to see what folks might be getting rid of. There have been plenty of times people have disposed of perfectly good furniture. Sometimes all it needs is a good wash and a clean coat of paint. And sometimes, if you go dumpster diving in wealthy areas, there is no need to fix up anything at all; people dispose of furniture simply because they are upgrading, and their trash is your treasure without any need to make any changes at all.

Repurpose Something You Already Have

You can see if your family has anything they aren’t using anymore for bedroom furniture. If you choose to repurpose something, the coat of paint idea should work wonders. You can pull stain off of wood and sand it down to stain again. You could just slap a coat of paint on it but make sure to research how to do all of this. If done incorrectly the paint or stain may not lay correctly or may start chipping off, as I learned when I painted my dining room chairs without first sanding them or putting on primer.

Build Your Own
Of course, if you're handy like my husband is, you can build your own furniture for your bedroom without spending a lot of money, and sometimes making it entirely free (like his pallet night stands). Homemade headboards are quite simple to make as well- I've even seen headboards painted onto the wall (what I was going to do in my bedroom before I decided to make headboards out of Ikea shoe boxes to use for storage).

Even if you plan on redoing your bedroom, furnishing a new bedroom, or otherwise have a need for bedroom furniture, there are lots of ways to do so cheaply; a nice bedroom doesn't have to break the bank, and it's so nice to come home to at the end of the day.

What are your tips to furnish a bedroom, or any other room in your house, on the cheap? 

See my disclaimer.