When money is tight, it might seem like you are stuck. Maybe you dislike the boring gray color scheme of your apartment, or you are tired of everything in your wardrobe. Maybe you’ve had the same hand-me-down furniture your parents gave you when you were in college, and you’re ready for something new. Or maybe you want to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but you don’t know how affordable it is. How do you improve your quality of life when you’re on a strict budget?
- Being eco-friendly doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t have to drive a Tesla or change out all of your appliances for new high efficiency models to make an environmental impact. You can make small changes to your daily routine that make you feel good about your place on the planet. Try using eco-friendly laundry products instead of dryer sheets made of synthetic materials and big plastic jugs of laundry detergent. Make a compost pile in your backyard to dispose of household food waste, instead of disposing of it in the garbage can where it gets messy and smelly before it eventually ends up in a landfill. Buy a set of reusable utensils and a reusable straw for eating and drinking on the go so that you can opt out of plastic offerings from restaurants and coffee shops.
Source: Skorzewiak/Shutterstock.com
- Save money with reusables. Stop wasting your hard earned cash on disposable paper towels and cleaning wipes and try reusable paper towels made of absorbent cloth for cleaning up spills. Plastic food wrap and sandwich bags get thrown out after a single use, so you have to continue shopping for them out of your grocery budget. Instead, try reusable glass food storage containers for tonight’s leftovers. Seal your kid’s sandwich for a packed lunch in a silicone resealable sandwich bag. Wrap the second half of that cucumber that you didn’t need for tonight’s dinner salad in reusable beeswax wrap.
- Purchase second-hand items instead of hitting big-box stores. There are endless options for purchasing previously-loved items in excellent condition. Check your local Facebook Marketplace for items like bicycles, bed frames and bookshelves. Make a day of thrift-hopping, checking in at all your local thrift stores to see what’s new to you. Garage sales, yard sales and street sales are all treasure troves for inexpensive items like dishes, home decor and furniture. Consignment shops are a little more expensive than thrift stores, but you can still get a deal on a lovely dining set that beats the cost of a brand new set. Flea markets are packed with vintage clothing, antique rocking chairs and everything in between. Is your heart set on a Persian rug, but you have no idea how you could afford one? Find an estate sale near you and bid on that luxurious beauty. You never know what you could end up taking home for a fraction of the cost of buying new.
Source: Armin Staudt/Shutterstock.com
- Refinish or paint old furniture items to give them an updated look. Your great-aunt’s china cabinet is looking pretty tired, but you can’t afford to replace it. How about a fresh coat of paint and a little distressing to give it a makeover? Or perhaps you’re sick of the shabby-chic dresser in your bedroom and want something more modern. Pick a bold hue for a pop of color and change out the cabinet hardware for something a little more contemporary. Some people make an entire career out of curb-shopping for discarded furniture, refinishing it or repainting it and selling it via live sales on social media. Sometimes, a good buffing with a little furniture salve will do the trick to bring that old, scratched side table back to life.
- DIY home repairs and renovations. Tired of your clogged bathtub drain? There’s a YouTube video on how to fix it. Not sure how to patch the hole in your drywall? There’s a YouTube video for that, too. Leaky kitchen faucet? YouTube. There was a time when people handled most of their own minor home repairs, so it’s not unthinkable to take these matters into your own hands and save the money that you would otherwise have to pay a plumber or contractor. Even simple things like painting an accent wall in your dining room or installing indoor-outdoor carpet tiles on your sun porch can go a long way to improving your atmosphere without a huge price tag.
Source: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com
The bottom line: Whether you are doing hard things, like repainting your old sideboard for a more modern look, or easy things, like washing your newly-purchased second-hand clothes with zero-waste laundry detergent sheets, you can make it all happen on a budget. Be bold and step outside of your comfort zone. Not only will you save some serious cash, you could even learn something new in the process.
