Everyone has a dream home complete with furniture and appliances that suit their style. Yet more and more people are finding that achieving that look for the home is next to impossible. Poor job security and poor conditions in the economy have made people’s budget very limited that buying dream items is often at the bottom of the priority list

Then there are also practical reasons for not wanting to be tempted to buy those pricey yet beautiful furniture for the home. Those with kids and pets believe that spending much on furnishings that are likely to be damaged is just not worth it now. So do those who are merely renting and foresee themselves moving in the future.  We all know that transporting furniture from one place to another exposes them to risks of damage.

Should you be in any of these situations, then here are some options that you can work on. For there is no doubt that any home should at least have the basic furniture for it to function and at least provide the family with comfort and convenience. And more importantly, these ideas come cheap and wallet-friendly.

1. Do a Scavenger Hunt

Start at your family’s or friends’ house. Ask for used furniture that they no longer need and are itching to get rid of. Your parents for instance may have accumulated a number of sofa sets over time and asking to “move” a set to your place is a good way to acquire “free” furniture. Otherwise, visit flea markets and yard sales for furnishings that are still in good condition and have some potential for improvement.

Be wary though of upholstered and soft items from strange places. These items may be the residence of bed bugs, fleas and dust mites, mildew and mold, that may cost you more to get rid of. So unless you are willing to get them professionally cleaned or re-upholstered, avoid them altogether and just focus on hard materials like metal and wood instead.

2. Do it Yourself

There are many furniture shops like Ikea that offer affordable furniture that well, you have to assemble yourself. A hammer or a screwdriver and a great deal of patience is all you need and you’ll save some dollars in the process. And if you are up to the challenge, grab used materials in your scavenger hunt that you can assemble together to make something you need at home.

Wood pieces that are on clearance sale for instance are excellent for building a bench that may be perfect for your dining table. Book shelves are also easy to make with the proper sawing and hammering skills. Leaf through DIY magazines and DIY blogs and invest time watching renovation shows to get your next inspiration. Sometimes all you need is a few hours and a fresh paint of coat to turn trash into treasure.

3.  Turn to Plastic

Perhaps one of the items that many home cannot live without are storage spaces. You may not have furniture with a pricey tag but keeping the rooms organized lowers the stress level at home. Department stores may be your best friend when looking for storage solutions as a number of plastic sets come cheap there.

Demands for affordable products to help in organizing have helped the market produce many designs that are aesthetically appealing without breaking the budget. Crates that are originally used for outdoors will also work indoors and are great for keeping toys for example.

4. Consider Outdoor Furniture

Lawn accessories and furnishings are relatively cheaper than indoor ones so why not get them instead. Seats are seats anyway and those that are made from natural materials like bamboo or wicker are perfect for creating a relaxed ambiance inside.

Coffee and end tables will also suit inside so why bother with expensive items just because they are labelled as for the “inside”. Outdoor furniture are also likely to be on discount at the end of summer so schedule your shopping time around this season to save extra.

5. Customize

There are plenty ways of making the items you bought at the cheap look more expensive than what you actually paid for. Place a fresh paint of coat or varnish on tables you salvaged to match other items you have. Re-upholster seats with modern fabrics for that new look.

Decorate chest drawers with fancy tablecloths and place interesting display items such as photo frames to complement. Ask friends for suggestions and look at what other people have been doing to get ideas in the net. Let your creativity work its magic but do not go overboard renovating something. Set a budget as with anything else. Borrow tools when you do not have any and ask for leftover paint and nails from your local handyman.

Annie is a frugal blogger for CreditCardFinder, an open web-based tool to compare frequent flyer credit cards. Check out our free calculator as well!