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“We are moving and will have to get some things to make our new place work. Any ideas on where to get any of this, as affordably as possible, would be greatly appreciated. Of course we want beauty, environmental excellence and very low cost. Natch.”
My response:
Everything that you are wanting is available for free or drastically reduced rates on Freecycle, Craigslist, Recycler, thrift stores, or yard sales. Shameless promotion: you’ll also find a lot of housewares at the Frugal Festival Summer Swap this Saturday, June 19 in North Hollywood.
The biggest thing is that you MUST have access to a van or truck to be able to easily pick them up (especially with freecycle.) People move all the time and practically give away their furniture because it is cheaper to give it away than to move it or store it.
It is also important that you know your color scheme. If this is something you care about, then carry color swatches with you at all times.
Measure the space you have available for your items (couch, bookshelf, etc) and have this information with you. Measuring includes knowing the size of the doorway or hallway you have to fit the item through. There is nothing worse than finding out that your new couch or fridge doesn’t fit through any of your doors. Big bummer! Have a tape measure in your purse or car so you can get the exact dimensions of a potential item when you come across it. You never know when you will happen upon a desk with a free sign or a random estate sale.
You should easily be able to pick up the following items for no more than 10% of the original price:
- Tables and desks
- Chairs
- Headboards
- Chest of Drawers
- Refrigerators & Stoves
- Bookshelves
- Lamps
- Fans (in the winter)
- Heaters (in the summer)
- Kitchen items
- Flower vases
- CDs & DVDs
- Books
- Clothing
- Knick-knacks
- Picture Frames
- Couch
- File Cabinets
I suggest you do not buy the following items used because they could carry pests:
- Rugs
- Mattresses
- Pillows
Have you found great stuff for your home or apartment for free?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Great post. I love this time of year not only for the great weather but there’s so many yard sales! One of my brother’s just bought a new house and needed more furniture to fill it up. We hit up a few yards sales early one Saturday morning and really lucked out. A couch, 2 good size book shelves and a dresser for $45! Not free but still some great finds!
@jennifer Awesome! Did you go to the yard sales with a truck?
@bobbi my lovely husband let my brother use his truck to move AND go furniture hunting. He didn’t want my brother to miss out on any good deals that he could grab and go. Always be nice to the guy with a truck!
@jennifer So true! Maybe that is why I (also) married “the guy with the truck.” ;-))
Don’t forget to hang around colleges and universities as school ends. The students need to vacate their dorms rooms and you can often find some great bargains that way as well.
@iggy What a great idea. I totally didn’t think of that. How exactly do you “hang around” colleges and universities? Do you just see what gets put out on the curb or do you look for notices of “dorm” sales?
We enjoy going to Wrightwood (local LA mountains) every summer, and they have yard sales where MANY items are free (including tables and things that just need a little TLC). Best bargains ever! People who fretted out the snowy winter LOVE sitting in their front yards in the cool, giving things away and talking with their neighbors. 😉
@jenniporter That sounds great. I’ve never even heard of Wrightwood. I may need to take a little road trip. Must say that one of the best things about having a yard sale is taking the time to sit in your front yard and chat with people who come by. It’s fun to have some lemonade and cookies and just give them away or have the kids sell them.
Great ideas! Mine isn’t furniture; but, I’m pretty happy about my bargain! For the past 5 yrs., I go to my local hardware store and ask if they have any broken bags of mulch. They’re usually outside on pallets and “Damaged” bags are usually nothing more than a small hole or rip in the bag. You can tell how much of the mulch is gone by what is lying on the pallet or ground, as they’re usually aren’t too many bags there. I get them for 1/2 price. They’re 2 cu. ft. bags. I got 3 of them for $3.29 each. Also, I used to shop at Goodwill until someone told me about the Salvation Army store. I never knew it existed. Ours is much more organized, better prices and a cleaner store. Every Wednesday is 1/2 price day. Every Thursday ’til 1 P.M. senior citizens get 1/2 off. Monday & Tuesdays- 1/2 off housewares. Everyday a specific color ticket is 1/2 off. I’ve gotten many clothes that still had the price tags on them. Expect to spend time hunting ’cause like all places of this type, it’s “hit and miss” for items you may have had in mind to buy. This is my 1st time on your website, so I hope I haven’t repeated old info. So far, I’m lovin your site! Thanks so much!