How to Furnish Your Home on a Budget: 6 Smart Ways to Save Money

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2019. 

Moving into a new house is exciting! But transforming a house into the home of your dreams is too expensive for most homebuyers. In 2026, it can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 to fully furnish the average home.

Don’t have that much cash to spend after you purchase a home? Here’s the trick: Take inspiration from your dream furnishings, but track down cheaper alternatives. If you need a little guidance, these six tips can help you get started.

1. Create a furniture budget

Buying home furnishings feels emotional for most people. To avoid buying based on emotion or impulse, arm yourself with a budget before you start shopping.

The best approach to furnishing your home is to use money you already have saved. However, if you have an emergency fund, don’t dip into that for furniture, as you may need to use the money for things like plumbing repairs or medical bills. 

If you don’t have any money saved for home furnishings, you might start by asking friends and family if they can donate any old items, and then save for better items. Alternatively, you might carefully consider taking out a loan from your credit union or bank. Just make sure the payments fit comfortably into your budget. 

If you’re tempted to use credit cards, do the math first. How much will it cost you to pay off your credit card debt if you use it to buy a $4,000 couch and loveseat set? If you owe $4,000 and you make a $75 minimum monthly payment, with an APR of 21% (that’s the current national average rate for credit cards), the purchase will end up costing you $7,707, and it will take you over 13 years to pay off.

2. Buy used furniture and home decor

Your biggest opportunity to save money is to buy used furnishings instead of new. Here are a few great places to find what you’re looking for:

• Thrift stores
• Yard sales
• Facebook Marketplace
• Flea markets 
• “Buy nothing” groups

Before you go bargain hunting, measure your space and keep the dimensions with you. That way, if you fall in love with a piece of furniture or an appliance, you can whip out a tape measure and make sure it fits. After all, you can’t usually return used items.

3. Get designer looks for less

Did you fall in love with a lighting fixture? Do you feel your life won’t be complete without that stone backsplash? Whatever it is you want, there is probably a cheaper version. 

A quick Google search is often all you need to find a budget alternative, and chances are you’ll find something that’s nearly identical for a lot less. Here are some sites and services to try:

• Upload a photo to Google Lens 
• Copy the website link into Dupe.com or Spoken.io

4. Make these low-cost kitchen updates

Is your new kitchen a bit lackluster? Sure, you can do a complete kitchen remodel, but in 2026, the project can cost around $25,000. Here are a few clever tricks to update your aesthetic for a lot less:

• DIY cabinet makeover: If the cabinets are functional, painting them can change the look of the room for very little money. Alternatively, you can remove the cabinet doors to create modern open shelving, or remove an entire cabinet to open up the space.
• Change out your hardware: Changing out the hardware in your kitchen (knobs, hinges, etc.) is a cheap and easy way to update the look and feel of your kitchen. You can maximize your savings by shopping online for discontinued or sale items.
• Replace the faucet: Is the sink a problem? Changing a sink’s size often requires a plumber and new counters—but switching out the faucet is easy. Just make sure you choose one that works with your existing setup.

5. Make your old appliances look new

Did you inherit appliances that are unsightly, but they work just fine? Paint might be the way out of this dilemma. 

You can cover a lot of stains and dings with appliance epoxy paint. Plus, having colorful appliances is a modern way to add a little style to your kitchen. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose your color of epoxy paint.
2. Check the paint product for tips on proper tools and application.
3. Remove handles, knobs and seals. If they can’t be removed, mask them off with painter’s tape.
4. Clean the appliance and remove any loose paint with sandpaper or a wire brush.
5. Paint the refrigerator, stove, washing machine or other appliance in your chosen hue.
6. Top it with an enamel-gloss spray to protect the paint and make it shiny. 

Alternatively, you might apply chalkboard paint to the fridge for a fun and quirky finish that can double as a message board.

Note: If you’re painting a stove, be sure to buy heat-resistant paint.

6. Turn your photos into affordable wall art

Buying art can be one of the most expensive parts of decorating a home. But leaving the walls blank makes a home feel impersonal and empty. 

For a more affordable option, look through your phone. You might find artsy shots of flowers, scenic photos of the beach, or cute pictures of your kids. Your phone probably holds hundreds of photos that would look great hanging on your walls. 

To transform them into art, do a little editing, have them printed on canvas or art paper, and voila!—every piece will tell a story.

Christina Wood covers topics including money-saving advice, technology, and business. She contributes to publications like Family Circle, PC World, Better Homes and Gardens, Popular Science, This Old House Magazine, NASDAQ International, Working Woman, Discovery, Greatschools.org, Jaguar Magazine, and JeanKnowsCars.com. She covers money-saving and shopping tips for Groupon.