Rant about your money and decoration

13 Dec Rant about your money and decoration

Today, I wanted to do a rant about something. Yes, from the title you read that right: I’m going to talk about your money and your passion for decoration.

I know that you love decoration. I share your passion too. I understand that you want to make stuff pretty around your home. After all, who wants a place that looks boring and dated.

And that’s exactly why you spend so much of your time and money on decorating your home. You find pieces that get you compliments from your friends and family. You invest in stuff that lightens your mood and makes you feel good when you enter your home. You find items that represent who you truly are.

But the thing is all these decoration items cost money. The money that you (or your partner) make by putting so much work in. And with an economic condition like ours, (talking about COVID-19 and the Ukraine war), every dollar should be spent wisely. So in a time of crisis, should you really spend $1,500 on an artist’s painting or $5,000 on a designer sofa?

Let me tell you that you shouldn’t. With that money, you can pay off your debt. You can start an emergency fund. And after doing these two important things, if you’re still left with any money, you can invest it somewhere so you can grow financially and live a life free of money problems!

As a decor blogger, why I’m telling you all this? Well because I’m a big advocate of budget home decor. Don’t get me wrong: I love making my home beautiful and functional. But I’m just not a big fan of spending too much money on it.

Think about it: every month you have groceries, power and gas bills, different subscriptions, transportation costs, and many other things to cover. Considering all this, would you let a decor item hurt your budget (Considering that you’re living with a monthly budget, which you must!)?

Your food, transportation, and career are more important than decor. There you go. I’ve said that. It’s the reality check you needed for a while.

Just consider the importance of the following things:

1. Food
2. Utilities
3. Housing
4. Transportation

I want you to take a moment and think about how important they really are!

Now, if you realize how important these things are, these will be the only four things you will spend your money on first. And unsurprisingly, decorating your home is not there.

Cover these four things first, and if you’re left with some money, you can spend it wisely on home decoration and other passions of yours.

Here are a few ways to decorate your home on a budget (and free as well):

• For starters, you can use the stuff that’s already available in your home. Look in your drawers. Find items like leftover fabric and put them to good use.
• Try DIY. It’ll help you save tons of money.
• Focus on free stuff, like natural items. Examples would be beach finds, dried botanicals, etc.
• Don’t impulse buy. If you think you like it, wait for a couple of days. Look at your budget. Does it allow you to spend a couple of hundred dollars? If it does, only then you should shop.
• Don’t follow the crowd. Stay in your financial lane. If your friends can’t get enough of a cool $5,000 sofa, you don’t have to buy that. You can always repurpose a few old chairs to get the same function.
• Speaking of old chairs, garage sales, flea markets, antique shops and thrift stores are your best friend when it comes to budget home decor.
• When you decide to shop for new stuff, compare different stores.
• And finally, avoid designer stuff. You’re mostly paying for their advertising costs and cool name.