Ann had come around to pay me a visit to celebrate with me on the increase of my salary at Davies Dane corporation, a private Digital Marketing Agency.
So, while we sat down to have some wonderful conversation and a kind of rewind on some events that had transpired before now, Ann brought up a very awkward memory. What prompted her bringing that up was probably the fact that I had just mentioned how much I have enjoyed my current apartment: like the comfort it brought to me, the consistency of the rent, and a couple of other things.
But wait! Did I mention that the memory she brought up was kind of awkward?
Yeah, I did. And why was this memory not particularly pleasant?
Here is the story: I had just received news of the acceptance of my job application in Davies Dane, this is after having no response from a couple of resumes I had sent to several firms.
The pay was at a pretty low rate, but considering I was just starting out and having had no response from other resumes I had sent, I accepted. This shouldn’t make the story awkward, should it?
While I was all happy and excited about the new job, Ann and I had just checked out the apartment she got for me.
There was nothing wrong with the apartment, but when I thought about the vast amount of space in the house and the fact that my salary was on the low side, my mood immediately changed because I wondered what I could do in terms of decoration for the apartment, considering I was in a position where I couldn’t budget very much for decorating the apartment.
Long story short, I eventually got over that sad feeling, made some decisions, got some things and sorted out decorations for my apartment even though I had a limited amount of funds to work with.
This is just so you know, this article is practical and will give you easily applicable ideas for decorating your apartment even though you have limited means to work with.
WHAT DO YOU WANT VS WHAT DO YOU NEED
The fact is, whenever you intend to get things done, and you do not first picture the end in your mind, things will never look as good as they could have.
The first point here is to determine exactly what you want your apartment to look like. Trying to go furniture shopping for items and other things will seem pretty daunting if you do not first consider exactly what you want your apartment to look like.
Once you have decided what you would like your apartment to look like, you should determine exactly what you need in order to make it look that way. Do you need all of these things straight away, or can you purchase some things now and some things later down the line? Obviously, you will need a bed immediately, and some kind of storage in your bedroom whether it be nightstands or an armoire or a chest of drawers.
Does your living room have room for more than just a couch? Do you need that couch to convert to offer sleeping arrangements for visitors?
You must consider all of these things before you even begin to shop for furniture.
If you keep in mind that human desires are insatiable, you will quickly work out the fact that some of the things you have on your list may not really be needed.
I mean, this apartment may probably be on rent for you, or that dream home you have in mind, but even if it’s not, the point is, what’s the importance of customizing your bed like those seen in the king’s castle.
It is important to remember to go for essential things first before worrying about anything else.
SHOP FOR CHEAP AND MULTIFUNCTIONAL ITEMS
Decorating your apartment is simply about maximizing the space in the apartment, i.e. keeping the space in balance, so there isn’t too much space nor are you getting the apartment cluttered up.
If you keep this in mind, then as much as you can, the items you should be shopping for are:
– items that you can easily get for cheap,
– items with lease to own option,
– items that can serve multiple functions.
Some items that can be multifunctional are:
Bar carts: If your apartment is such that you do not feel there is enough room for a side table, then what you can do is get a bar cart and you can use it as a side table.
Indoor/Outdoor rugs: considering that people love extending what’s going on inside the room to outside, shopping for a rug that can be used both indoors and outdoors would be a very effective way to cut costs.
Saving Money on Items: You can engage Facebook Marketing or some sales sites to get some of these items. In these places, you will get to access some items that are being sold off at a cheap price because the owner is probably not looking for huge profit and even in some cases, the seller may just want to get rid of the said item.
Occasionally, all you need to do to the item is a little brushing up and it’s almost as good as new.
Engaging this type of marketing is a perfect way to cut down expenses.
DO A LOT OF REPLACEMENT
You do have in mind that the entire idea is not just to decorate right? You also want to decorate and furnish your apartment as cost effectively as possible, thereby saving as much as you can.
Hence the very wise thing to do will be to save in any way you can. A perfect way that you will be able to do this is by carrying out replacement of natural and inexpensive stuff for the income consuming items. A couple of examples would be:
– Replace floor vase and whimsical branches with a hard-to-kill living plant.
– Replace expensive and trending bedding with statement throw pillows and blankets.
RENDER ANY DO IT YOURSELF (DIY) SERVICE YOU CAN
Like we mentioned before, the idea in your decoration is to cut costs, right?
Then the next idea you should be exploring is looking out for areas that you have an expertise on. Simply put, check out areas that you can DO IT YOURSELF.
Do some work yourself, (such as art works like painting, wall designs, and so on) if you have the expertise, or basic wiring and setting up your lightings, etc.
CONCLUSION
As you must have taken note of by now, decorating your apartment (especially when you are low on income) can look like a daunting task, but I believe when you properly consider the ideas shared in this article, you will definitely find it much easier to do.
Also, keep in mind that there will always be room for you to improve the decorations on your apartment, because as you grow in income and other things, your taste will change. Hence, this article is a general guide on the most relevant.
PS: I should add, just in case you are going blank trying to come up with the kind of picture you want your apartment to look like, because we mentioned that you must have an idea and determine how you want your apartment to look, you can check out some photos on Pinterest.
But keep in mind, the idea is not to replicate what you see, but to get inspiration from it.
