We targeted Craigslist to find some bargains. Boy were we excited to find some really great deals on barely used furniture, and even better – everything matched!
She already had a double bed, a big screen TV we had given her for her 16th birthday a few years ago, and she had a big mirror. Her sister gave her two big Ikea lamps she was not using, and took her to ikea for dishes. That was it.
On Craigslist, we found:
– A loveseat $80 (almost brand new – Ashley home furniture brand – excellent condition)
– A small table and chair set – $40 (Ikea brand – excellent condition)
– A coffee table $40 – (exact match to the table)
– A TV stand $40 – (perfect to store books as well)
– A decorative mirror – $10 (really nice)
– A small patio table with wicker chairs $5 (we needed to respray some rust areas)
– A microwave $20 (was only used for a few months)
Total furnture cost: $235
We also shopped some thrift stores to find kitchen utensils, garbage cans and little things that did not need to be brand new. She used the $200 gift from grandma, to purchase some groceries and bathroom items. And I watched for the 70% off sale at Canadian Tire to buy brand new frying pans.
Basically, for the bit of time it took to drive around picking up the items, we were able to outfit her entire apartment for very little money. And it looks great! I estimate we saved over $1300 over paying retail for new items.
She is thrilled with her new space, and with the money we saved. You really can save a pile of money shopping the Craigslist ads. I highly recommend it!
Arlene M and daughter Vicky.