How To Re-do A Room and Make Money (Instead of Spending It)

Last year we survived on my husbands income of only $27,000 for the entire year. It is not an easy task for someone who loves to decorate and re-decorate. If you want the easy way this "how to" is not for you. But it is the way to get the look you want if you want something lovely but you're like me and you don't have any money at all or just don't relish the idea of spending high dollars for fabulous. In fact you don't really have to spend anything (not a single dime, I promise) to get fabulous.

You have probably already seen my "new" bedroom and "old" bedroom. I started doing the math and over some length of time I had spent $147 total on new things for the room to get the final look. I was disapointed to realize I had spent that much. To some of you $147 may feel like a really low amount, to me I might as well have said I spent thousands. It occurred to me though that I had actually MADE MONEY, not spent it. I sold the old canopy bed that was too large for $150 and the vanity that came with my dresser for $50. I didn't make a lot of money, but I didn't really spend what I thought I had either.

When looking at a room to re-do without having money to spend on it the first thing to consider is "what pieces in here can I live without?" What does not make the room special? If you just kind of like it but don't really love it, get rid of it. List it up on Craigslist, Ebay or Etsy and make some money! Then there will be a little jingle in your pocket to get the things you really do love.

Now here is where the work part comes in and patience too. Make a list of what you want for your room. Search other areas of your house and see if there is anything from another room that may not be perfect for that room but would suit your re-do nicely. Re-think and re-purpose. And here is where Ebay, Craigslist and Etsy come in handy....search for the other items you need. Don't be afraid to think FREE either. Freecycle and the Craigslist free section are handy tools. I've found some of my favorite things in the trash. I usually use the money I make for paint and/or new hardware. If you have a Goodwill Outlet near you .69 cents a pound is pretty much the best thing ever! With a little (or a lot) of elbow grease and creative thinking/shopping you CAN get the look you want while spending very little or nothing at all.

Every time I see someone say they decorated a room on a budget and how everyone can do it just like them for only $800 (really anything over $100 seems to me that it was not such a deal and does not feel like a budget make over) I feel slightly let down. Clearly I am not that "everyone" who can afford to spend $800 and to me it does not feel like a good budget make over. And I am sure there are others out there like me who get excited upon first hearing about a "budget make over" thinking there will be great ideas until we see their total and gasp. Not saying it is a bad thing. Plenty of people can afford that and do find $800 to be a great deal. But I feel like there should be a little more out there for those of us who don't have any extra room in the budget department. I hope this helps someone out there!