How can i find cheap furniture n stuff for my apartment?

Question

* Cheap stuff that looks nice**

Answer 1

go to the goodwill or rummage sales if they are still going on your area or browse your internet / paper for sales in your area

Answer 2

I have seen some good looking furniture pass through Goodwill and college students usually grab it right up, so if you can find out what time of day the store sets the new arrival furniture out--you can be the one to scoop it up. I have seen a few badly managed thrift stores--but also some that look almost like show rooms and only accept better-type furniture. Some thrift shops have a lot of consignment furniture which tends sometimes to be a little more pricey--but also is often better quality. I have seen beautiful leather couches for great prices at garage sales--but go to the classier neighborhoods if you want great looking, often hardly used items. The end of the school year is great if you live near a University. Here, where I live, students often abandon furniture in their front yards--free for anyone to pick up. We also have a non profit organization called "Furnitue share" that picks up alot of that abandoned furniture, or used furniture that is donated for recycling to people without a lot of money or resources. Right now, depending on where you live, you might be able to find nice patio chairs and other outdoor furniture at end of the eason prices--and that will get you through until you can afford to replace it bit by bit with nicer stuff. Then there's buying raw wood furniture and staining and finishing it yourself -sometimes you can save a little money that way--plus it gives you a project to work on if you like that kind of stuff. I always shop for clearance items. Often a chair or table will have a barely noticible nick or flaw that you cajn sand out or paint over or use a table cloth to cover--and it doesn't affect the functionality of the item one bit and you can save 25-40%. Sometimes you can talk the manager into giving you a discount-20% or more if it is the last one in stock and has been sitting out as a demo. Some stores will even give you that discount even if that item is on sale. So if it's a $200 item on sale at 15% and it's the last one and a floor model and you talk to the manager (not just a sales clerk) and get another 20% off- that's 35% off, and if it's a discount warehouse type of place where you know the everyday price is 5% less on most items compared with other stores in the area--you've saved yourself 40%-on essentially a new item--nearly half off. We, for the most part are not used to bartering in our culture. You can start out at garage sales. If it's 4PM on a hot sunny day, the last day of the garage sale, the sellers are not going to want to pack all that stuff back up to give to Goodwill or take to the dump. They are burned out, they just want to get rid of the stuff and finish the ordeal. If they want $10 for a chair that you like, you just ask them,"Are you willing to take $8 for that old chair over there?" The worst they can say is "no", which they probably won't. They'll probably take $8 and you'll both be happy. Even if they say $9, you've still saved some money and it boosts your confidence. As you do that more and more and have successes, it will boost your confidence to barter in thrift stores if you think the price is high. After you've had successes there you can ask a clerk at a regular store if the furniture item you want has been on sale recently and if so, what was the sale price. Then you ask to see someone who has the authority to actually lower the price for you-- usually the assistant manager or the manager, and you say something like, Steve the clerk, or sally the salesperson (who ever it was), told me that you had a sale on this item 2 weeks ago. I would like to purchase that item at that sale price. I have the money to pay for it today." What will they say? If they say yes, you've saved money, and the manager feels he has created customer goodwill that will help his store. If you feel like you are manipulating people, it probably won't work for you. You're better off if you have the attitude,"Who wants to say 'yes' to my request today".
Hope this helps and that you can find some real treasures. Sometimes you have to start out simple, and gradually buy things as you can afford it. Using credit cards is not wise. It can really bite you, and you'd be surprised how much power cash has. Have fun and I wish you well. Make it an adventure! .
-Spec

Answer 3

It looks like everyone is in agreement-Goodwill, Salvation Army etc. Someone else's trash can really be your treasure. It's amazing what a little paint or stain can do to re-vive an older piece of furniture. Also, if you're looking for window treatments and you can sew just a straight stitch, you can find inexpensive sheets and make your own curtains or drapes. Be creative with the curtain rods too: tree branches, bamboo, old pipes even clothesline and you can attach the drapes with clothespins! Have fun decorating!

Answer 4

Craigslist.org! click on your city on the right, then on "furniture" (in the middle under For Sale) It's a listing of free online classifieds... There's also a "free" section. =)

Also, check out Yahoo groups, search your city and "freecycle" to see if there's a group in your area. It's another listing by people who are looking to give away various items including furniture.

Answer 5

I am a frugal lady.

I don't know wher u live?

you can find them at garage sales, thrift shops; such as Salvation Army, Furniture Surplus, or look in to penneysaver ads.

Good luck and let me know if you find nice and sturdy.

Answer 6

Have you tried this site called "FreeCycle.com? They have people post things they want to get rid of & you can pick it up for free! There's a way to navigate to freecycle in your area once you get there. That's what I call "cheap",right? and you can always look in the paper, people a lot of times just want to get rid of stuff w/o the hassle of selling or moving it themselves. Goiod luck in your new apt. hon. ;-)

Answer 7

Go to goodwill, buy one of the bride dresses with long poofy veils, use the veil as curtains or wall hangings ect., mangle the rest of the dress into some kind of social statement or art masterpiece. At least that's what I would do.

Answer 8

I've had good luck on craigslist.org...if you have one located in the city near you. I bought almost a whole bedroom set, with mattress, for $350...sweet...I did have to pick it up myself, but it was well worth it!

Answer 9

Yard sales, moving sales, second hand stores, local newspapers

Answer 10

go to good will, not only cheap but your money goes to a good cause.