1. Do the labor yourself - this is by far our greatest savings. I know this can be difficult and time consuming but on this project we saved by not having to hire a contractor, electrician, dry waller, painter, floor lay-er, or any other workers.
2. Buy used - MANY of the items for this room were bought used. I knew I was going to redo this room and had a vision for it for a very long time. I started buying items for this room many months ago.
3. Repurpose furniture and refinish it to make it look "new" - we have often repurposed furniture...like the time we used an old dresser to add storage under our basement steps, or turned a changing table into a bench and shoe storage in our entryway, or for this project when we turned old tv cabinets into dressers.
4. Use coupons and coupon codes - We have a Home Depot just a few minutes from our home and so that is our primary home improvement shopping location. Their coupons are hard to come by but they will also use competitors coupons so be sure to check into those too.
I have also recently been introduced to a new website called Save1.com . Save1 is a website that offers coupons and special deals from thousands of top online stores in America including Home Depot.
5. Use reward programs - there are many reward programs out there...like if you use this credit card they will give you cash back. Utilize these...that 5% (or whatever it is) can really add up. Make sure you pay off your bill each month to make the reward worth it though. A reward program that I really like is Fuel Perks. My local grocery sells gift cards for many retailers including Home Depot. During this home improvement project, for each $50 giftcard I purchased, I earned 20 cents off each gallon of gas I bought at their gas station. I showed you the time I got free gas.
I didn't do as well this time but still saved about $75 on gas, over the course of this project. So, don't forget to take advantage of these reward programs.
I hope you found some new ways to save or were inspired to try to save by hearing about some of our money saving tactics. Now you just need to get busy, and save along the way!
Don't miss out on any of my upcoming posts...Follow along!
Linking to some of these fun linking parties:
Sunday:
Under the Table and Dreaming , DIY Showoff , Nifty Thrifty Things, Homemaker on a Dime , Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Sew Many Ways
Monday:
Skip to my Lou , Craft O Maniac , Keeping it Simple, Creating Really Awesome Free Things, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Between Naps on the Porch , Mad in Crafts , I'm An Organizing Junkie, Sew Can Do, I Should Be Mopping the Floor,
Tuesday:
Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons , Tip Junkie , Sugar Bee Crafts , Not Just a Housewife , Today's Creative Blog , 5 Minutes for Mom , Funky Polkadot Giraffe , Hope Studios , Time Warp Wife , Chef in Training Home Stories A to Z, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Blackberry Vine, Carolyn's Homework, The Kurtz Corner, Growing Home, Cornerstone Confessions, Mercy Ink, Ginger Jamboree, The Gunny Sack
Wednesday:
Raising Homemakers , Crystal & Co. , We Are THAT Family , Women Living Well , The Trendy Treehouse , Someday Crafts , Seven Thirty Three, Sugar & Dots, Dragonfly Designs , Creations by Kara, Gingersnap Crafts , Uncommonly Yours, My Girlish Whims, DIY Crafty Projects
Thursday:
Shabby Creek Cottage , House of Hepworths, The Frugal Girls , Miz Helen's Country Cottage , The Thirty Sixth Avenue, Beyond the Picket Fence, A Glimpse Inside,
Friday:
The Shabby Nest , Fingerprints on the Fridge , Chic on a Shoestring, Miss Mustard Seed , Tidy Mom , Whipperberry , French Country Cottage 30 Handmade Days , Finding Fabulous , Naptime Crafters Tatertots and Jello,My Romantic Home , While He was Napping , Comfy in the Kitchen, Bacon Time with the Hungry, Hungry Hippo, The Country Cook, Six Sister's Stuff, Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons, Simply Sweet Home, Craft Junkie Too, Simply Designing, Happy Hour Projects, A Little Knick Knack, Young and Crafty, Five Days Five Ways
Saturday:
