How to Decorate Your House on a Tight Budget {Farmhouse Style!}

Are you trying to decorate your house in farmhouse style but you’re on a tight budget? It can be done! Don’t miss these smart ideas to make your house beautiful without spending a bundle!

Last Updated: September 20, 2022

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Is It Even Possible to Decorate on a Tight Budget?!?

There I was, standing in an empty house, thinking to myself, “How in the world am I going to decorate this on a tight budget?”

Back in 2017, we had a soot puff back in our house that required us to empty out the ENTIRE house – every single thing – so it could be cleaned and repainted. The POD was in the driveway, and that was the First Great Purge

With our house the cleanest and most pristine it would ever be with twin toddlers, we pushed our timeline for selling up a bit and put it on the market.

After a disgusting amount of money for town permits and lots of drama, we finally sold in August 2018. As we were packing up to leave NY and go to Tennessee, that was the Second Great Purge.

As we were sifting through our stuff, we realized that a lot of it wasn’t worth the price to have it moved. Our house in NY was tiny, our stuff old and worm – it worked for a miniature-sized house, but probably not workable in a house for normal-sized people.

We finally got to Tennessee, and after 3 weeks with my in-laws and then 3 months in a rental – we were finally in a house that would be ours for good. We thought we’d need to buy a transition house, but God opened an amazing door, and here we are in a forever home.

And, it’s 3x the size of our old house, {which we bought for about $80k less than what we sold our bungalow in NY for.} Crazy, right?!? I love Tennessee, lol.

But now, I’m looking at this big empty house, thinking – “What the heck do we fill it with? I’m a SAHM, writing and shopping for Instacart for side money. It’s a few years until I’m making a full-time income again. How do I decorate it on a tight budget?” Certainly, we couldn’t stay in an empty house until then.

Happy to say, our house isn’t empty, and there are ways to decorate and make a house a home when you’re on a tight budget. Today I want to share what worked for us, always a work in progress. 

14 Genius Tips for Farmhouse Style Decorating on a Tight Budget

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1| Big Box Stores for Discounted Decor

Modern farmhouse home decor has come a long way in stores like Walmart and Big Lots. I’m not embarrassed to say that we’ve gotten lots of pieces we love from those stores.

They aren’t necessarily high-end quality, so you need to know your end game (we have little kids, so we’re NOT looking for those kinds of pieces – and really, we aren’t fancy people, lol), but some are beautiful!

Walmart’s Better Home’s and Gardens line is better quality than its store line (Mainstay).  Walmart also has an amazing farmhouse line, too – and add new lines inspired by the best Instagrammers – totally have upped their game.  Prices are very affordable for a tight budget!

The cube organizer is from the Better Homes and Gardens Collection at Walmart, in Rustic Gray.

The Farmhouse Plank Clock is also from the Better Homes and Garden Collection at Walmart as well.

 

Big Lots has fantastic farmhouse decor, and we got a couch, dining set, and a rustic bench there.

 

This is the Fairhaven Dining Set from Big Lots.

The gray wood shelves are from Big Lots as well!

{I bought the gray chairs that are against the wall from Facebook Marketplace.  Perfect condition!}

This entryway bench and the wire baskets are from the Rustic Collection from Big Lots

Hobby Lobby is also another can’t-go-wrong store for farmhouse style. Their clearance happens 2x a year, for 70% off and above, and they rotate 50% off sales on all their different items over the course of a few weeks. We got these signs for half off!

Michael’s also offers 40% or 50% off on regular priced items weekly. And to be honest, I think Michael’s has one of the best farmhouse decor lines out there.

You can also find great deals at Kohl’s. Often their prices are 1/2 off (although my hunch is that they’re intentionally marked high so they look like it’s a deal). If you have the charge card, you can get up to 30% off with their coupon. 

Christmas Tree Shop is another one that has a great farmhouse line – The Grainhouse – for a great price! (The mason jar set in the picture above is from Christmas Tree Shops!).

I’ve even scored a few farmhouse deals at Kroger and Aldi!  I’m always looking for deals whenever I’m in any store.

2| Discount Home Decor Stores

You absolutely can’t go wrong with stores like Home Goods, TJ, Maxx, Ross, Burkes, and Marshalls for farmhouse and rustic decor.  And don’t forget Burlington! I wouldn’t say they’re super-cheap for furniture, but definitely reasonably priced if you are looking for higher-end furniture at a lower price.

Their decor is definitely priced right. I always look at the clearance endcaps, too. And if you are lucky enough to have an At Home store (think a combo of Costco and Home Goods), get your sweet self there, stat.

This is something I grabbed at TJ Maxx.  Be fast at that store – these items don’t last long! If you love, get it! And you can grab the free printable apothecary labels (I added those!) from this post!

3| Dollar Spots

Don’t neglect Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and the Target’s Bullseye corner! I have scored farmhouse decor at all 3 of those places – chicken wire basket, galvanized buckets, etc. Even Five Below has a cute home decor section.

Below is a mason jar with raffia I got from Dollar Tree, added some chalk painted and clearance flowers from Michaels!

 

They are especially good for seasonal decor that you don’t want to spend a ton of money on – Target is my favorite for that – always on-trend.  But be sure to check Target regularly and snag it when you find it – once something’s gone, it’s gone. You can find some of Target’s Bullseye Corner pieces online, but you usually have to buy 3 or at least $9-10 worth of it.

The ‘Stay Awhile’ signs were from Target’s Bulleye’s Corner! The mason jars and rack were from Christmas Tree Shoppe (I painted them), and bottles and bead garland are from Hobby Lobby along with the shelves. Flowers and greenery from Walmart!

4| Second Hand Apps

I’m talking about places online where people are selling their used goods: Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, Next Door, Craig’s List…. you can even install Freebie Alert to find stuff in your area for free.

I cannot tell you the farmhouse decor deals I’ve found on Facebook Marketplace, and honestly, it’s my first go-to, even before brand new. Why? Because you can get higher-end used items for less than brand-new lesser quality. I usually look for items that are being sold in fancy neighborhoods, lol.

All the furniture you see here is from Facebook Marketplace – couch, chair, table, lamps! (Not the rug- I got that from Rugs USA for a steal – 55% off!) This was when we first moved in, before we decorated the walls. Yes, that’s my son’s legs. Real life, guys, lol.

Here’s a year later, when we did a little more decorating.

 

Here’s an example of a great deal: I was looking for a coffee table. A table that was pressed wood in the style I wanted was about $150-200 brand new. I found one on Facebook Marketplace that was solid wood, bigger, chalk-painted, and refinished for $120. Definitely the better of the options.

Chalk-painted solid wood coffee table from Facebook Marketplace.

5| Thrift Stores, Yard Sales, Estate Sales

This is in line with Facebook Marketplace. You can browse many items at once, and I’ve done really well with these. Yard sales are probably the cheapest priced items, but most thrift stores are reasonably priced too.

I also don’t mind if a thrift store is a little more than a yard sale because it’s usually for a good cause.

Estate sales are amazing, too! They are usually looking just to clear out and willing to negotiate! You can click here to find estate sales in your area!

Another great thrift store is Habitat for Humanity Restore. Contractors donate all kinds of materials here in addition to furniture and home goods – appliances, plumbing, doors, windows, paint, hardware.

It goes to a great cause and you can hit the jackpot here! A friend of mine got marble for her bathroom floors – something she would have never bought on her own!

Use your imagination when you go to these places! You can find a lot of pieces that can be upcycled to become amazing farmhouse decor!

Below you can see a 3-tier tray I made from candlesticks I picked up at the thrift store!

 

Which leads to my next tip…

6| DIY

This is another great option – whether starting a project from scratch or when you are buying on Marketplace or from yard sales or thrift stores.

With a little imagination, you can take something that is a little boring or not quite what you want and add your own touch.

Here’s a DIY floral wall hanging project I did based on something I saw on Etsy (but wasn’t going to pay $170 for it!)

Here’s the link for the floral wall hanging above if you like to give it a try!  PS that little planter on the bottom with the onion grass was also a thrift store find!

And if you haven’t tried it yet, chalk paint is absolute magic. If you’re not a skilled DIYer (like me), chalk paint is a super-easy way to refinish a piece. I used chalk paint on the 3-tier tray above and on a ton of other things in my house!

Shanty 2 Chic is another great site for DIY.  They have some amazing farmhouse pieces, and they post the plans for those pieces for free! These girls are amazing. My dad and I are getting ready to work on these floating shelves. You can also find their stuff at At Home.

Usually, if I see something I love that’s too expensive, I look for a DIY tutorial (you can read about one of those project here, where I was inspired by a Hobby Lobby piece to create my own ‘faux canvas’ wall hanging!)

I couldn’t find what I wanted and I didn’t want to spend the money anyway, so it’s a DIY project for me!  Below you can see the picture  of a Christmas print I created for the DIY  hanger frame (and here’s a link to the print if you’d like to create one also!)

And if you want to learn how to make a hanger frame, here’s the tutorial!

 

Along the lines of DIY, consider having pieces custom made. There’re a lot of craftsmen out there looking for side work and can build beautiful pieces.

For example, I’ve been looking for end tables and not really finding what I want. I saw someone on Facebook Marketplace who could custom make the tables I was looking for, for less than even Walmart – and, with real wood, not the pressed wood you’d usually find.

7| Online Retailers

You can find some great deals on online retailers like Amazon,  AllModern, Joss and Main. I’ve gotten many pieces from these stores, and it’s easy to shop for the best price and just what you’re looking for.

All Modern also has excellent customer service. I had an issue with an umbrella from All Modern, and rather than pay for shipping to return, they just sent us a new product. With zero hassle.

Zulily is another great place to find discounted home goods online. Their shipping takes a little long, so I wouldn’t order if you are in a rush for something, but if you can wait a week or 2, they have great deals!

One caveat – most of their stuff is furniture you have to build. Ugh. I cannot tell you how many pieces I’ve built since this move! But honestly, the price was right, it’s what I was looking for, so it was worth the effort.

I’ve also gotten fantastic deals on rugs at RugsUSA! Recently, we got 55% off the rug you see in the living room picture!

 

8| Interest-Free Financing

This isn’t something we’ve done, but if there’s something brand new you’re wanting, many places offer interest-free financing for furniture. As long as you can afford it (it can be as little as $15 a month), that’s another option. 

 

9| Shop Your House

This has been a fun one for me lately.  I’ve been spending a lot of time moving furniture and decor around from room to room.  A rug or a lamp from one room moved to another can add a whole new life.

Your attic or basement could have hidden goldmines. You might even have some other decorative items that you can update or repurpose.

For example, the picture below is an 80’s light fixture I upcycled and painted with chalk paint. I added some beaded garland from Walmart that they had out around Christmas. To see the full view, scroll back up to the dining room table picture!

 

You can see how it has evolved over the years below!

 

I’m also a big believer in meaningful decorations – things that remind me of what’s important or something or someone special. Below, you can see where I used one of my wedding centerpieces as decor and hung our bookmark favor onto it. I also framed another one. 

This manzanita tree is a centerpiece from my wedding.  I doctored it up a little and added the Willow People figurines under it, which were gifts from a dear friend. I also decorate this tree seasonally as well! Multi-purpose decor!

 

Here, I hung a bookmark on the tree,  which was a favor from my wedding. 

And here’s another way I used the bookmark!

 

This is from my very first missions trip to Africa.  I bought this from an outdoor market in Kenya back in 1996.  I’ve used this for pens and various other things over the years. Here, I repurposed it to hold some faux baby’s breath.

Dig through closets and basements and maybe you can find some items to repurpose before you Kondo them.  Sometimes a little paint or accessory can recreate a whole new piece of decor.

10| Include Free Decor

So what counts as free decor? Anything you can make using nature, depending on the season: flowers, acorns, pine cones, branch trees… all those things are free.

Upcycled things around the house: glass jars leftover from food, Amazon boxes, old fabric (pillowcases, shirts, sheets, etc), that you can make rag wreaths, mini-pillows, placemats.

And don’t forget other people’s stuff you can get for free. Do you have Freebie Alert installed on your phone? Do it now. It pulls from Craig’s List, Next Door, and Facebook Marketplace to give your real time updates when your neighboring people are getting rid of things FOR. FREE.

Below, you can see flowers from my yard (free) from old food jars (also free).

(PS. In the above picture, the apothecary jars are Dollar Tree DIYs, and the wood candlesticks are upcycled and painted with chalk paint!)

 

11| Fetch Rewards

This is a little out of the box, but it’s helped me! Fetch is an app where you scan your receipts and get points that you cash in for gift cards. 

From what I’ve heard, it’s easier, more convenient and better than Ibotta (I haven’t used Ibotta).  Certain items are worth more points for the week, but it all counts. You can scan up to 14 receipts a week from just about any store. 

I’ve gotten many $25 gift cards to Home Goods (you can pick the card you want)! Free money to spend on your house, just for doing your regular food shopping! Here’s my referral link if you’d like to download the app! 

12| Roadside Warehouse

I have to give a shout-out to finding pieces on the side of the road.  You know the saying, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ My dad was the master at repurposing furniture and other pieces people were throwing out. 

Try a drive-by the night before the trash is collected, especially in upscale neighborhoods! You might have to get over your pride here, but once you have some great new items in your house, it’s worth it.

And here’s a cautionary tale to motivate you: When we were doing the First Big Purge, my husband was something of a tornado, just chucking everything to the curb. 

I had a big chair from Pier 1 in the basement that I just loved.  No room upstairs, but I was hanging on to it. My husband wanted me to get rid of it, and I reluctantly gave in.

I saw someone stop and get it, which was fine – I was glad someone could use it. It just needed a good wipe-down. Well, a few days later, I saw it for sale in a local Facebook group for $75!! Ugh!

My husband and I had some bitter words over that for a good, long time! Moral of the story – don’t be too proud! There might be a husband talking a wife into throwing something out right now that would look amazing in your house!

13| Friend Decor Swap

This is another fun and budget-friendly way to decorate! Host a girl’s night where some of your friends get together and bring over decor that they no longer want or need.

I promise, what you are bored with, someone else will love! And vice versa! It’s a great way to snag some new-to-you decor. And if these girls are your friends, you likely have similar taste. Win-win!

14| Neutral and Transitional Seasonal Decor

I always try to include neutral pieces that I can keep out all year long, that go with any type of seasonal decor. It cuts down on what I have to buy or create each season (plus it simplifies the whole decorating process!).

I also try to seasonally decorate for one season, keeping the next in mind. For example, when I decorate for Christmas, I try to include things that I can keep up for winter. Then, I see if any of my winter decor (think ‘white’) would work for Valentine’s Day. 

If I use pink for Valentine’s Day, I see if I can use some of those pieces (flowers usually) for spring. And then I  try to transition some of my spring decor to summer.

See what I mean? Make your decor multi-functional, and squeeze the most you can out of every piece! I made an Instagram reel showing some of these tips I shared today, as well as how I went from Spring to Summer (I also highlighted the entire ‘before and after’ from spring to summer in this post!)

 

Decorating Your House on a Tight Budget is Possible!

We are nowhere near done with our house. Still more paint, decorating, and getting settled, but it’s been so fun.

And in all this, I have to keep checking my heart. We weren’t homeless, but we were in houses that weren’t our home.

I’m so antsy to make this a home – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But home is more than things and an Instagram-worthy space. It’s a place to bless others, space for us to recharge, and have peace.

I’m all for pretty things, but I know I need to keep myself in check from being obsessed about it. Family and home are more than just objects and materials.  But having a place you love to live life and share your blessings is worth it!

And I think you’ll be really proud of yourself when you see the results!

Decorating Specific Areas on the Home

If you are looking for more room-specific ways to update, decorate, and refresh, I’ve got a few more resources for you.

If you’re working on a kitchen update, take a look at these 15 Genius Ways to Update a Kitchen on a Budget. 

If your family or living room is on the agenda, here’s an article with 7 Super-Easy Living Room Makeover Ideas.

If you need to create or transform a playroom, here are 7 Cheap Playroom Ideas on a Budget (Must Haves for a Super-Fun Room)

If a new master bath is in your future, read about what you need to know about Master Bathroom Floorplans BEFORE you start!

And, lots of these ideas also translate to your backyard! If you’re looking for backyard ideas on a budget and ways to get the perfect summer backyard, you’ll love this article, too!

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! If you have some tips of your own, please share!

More Home Decor Inspiration:

6 Genius {&  Pretty!} Ways to Use Kitchen Towels as Home Decor

Easy Farmhouse Dollar Tree Crafts

21 Must-See Rustic Farmhouse Spring Decorating Ideas

25 Ways to Decorate with Old Windows

25 Budget-Friendly Rustic Farmhouse DIY Home Decor Projects