Both my brother and I have tight budgets for the same reason. We are both going into business together, you see, so we both have to save every penny we can. We like to live large, and we entertain friends and guests, but we can't spend too much money doing it. That is why we both buy discount furniture whenever we get a chance to.
Although I love shopping for discount furnishings, my brother hates it. The difference lies in our approaches. You see, I have always seen buying discount furniture as a challenge. I can get discount leather furniture for a great price if I am willing to look in all the right places. To me, it is sort of like a puzzle. Finding furniture discount is a challenging activity that I get to engage in on the weekends. This keeps me from stressing out about money – if you make it a game, it stays fun.
The key to finding discount furniture is knowing where to look. If you are willing to look at overstock furniture, you can often find completely new and high quality items at a low price. If you have some basic woodworking skills – as I do – and know how to reupholster a chair besides, you can get even better discounts on furniture. You can get discount furniture in bad shape for almost nothing, fix it up, and have an original beautiful chair or table for your living room. Much of my of discount living room furniture was actually obtained in this way – I bought it already made, but finished it myself. It is amazing how much you can save on discount furniture if you are willing to do a little bit of work.
Of course, the best discount furniture store is the thrift store. Many people think of thrift stores as places for college kids and hobos, but the reality is that if you are willing to look carefully, you can find some high-quality pieces of furniture there. Some of the discount furniture in thrift stores just is in need of a good coat of paint and that is all. Other times, you can get by with a sanding and some minor repairs. You can also go to open-air markets and look for the items that people are selling there. The quality of the products might surprise you! I know that I have found some great pieces in some unexpected places.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Affordable And Discounted Office Furniture
As a consultant, it is my job to see the things that most bosses miss. The typical boss is quite astute at certain kinds of cost cutting measures. Bosses like to keep salaries as low as possible, cut down on perks such as affordable health care plans whenever they can, and cut corners by eliminating complimentary coffee and the like. These same bosses, on the other hand, will spend huge amounts of money to decorate their work space with no regard to how this will affect the company. You can find affordable office furniture if you look for it, and you do not have to sacrifice quality. You just have to care enough to realize that your three thousand dollar oak office desk is a bigger expense than keeping the coffee machine running!
Of course, finding good discount office furniture does take a little bit more work than simply picking out the first thing that looks good. The affordable office furniture that is available can vary greatly in quality, so you have to really know where to look. In the long run, however, finding a good source for affordable office furniture will more than pay for the time that it takes. In a decade, a typical medium sized office will go through countless desks, office chairs, computer monitors, tables, lamps, overhead lights, and other miscellaneous objects. Knowing where to get high quality affordable office furniture can save you literally tens of thousands of dollars. That is quite a bit of change, if you ask me.
I like to buy affordable office chairs in bulk. That way, I can save a little bit of money on the purchase, and I will always have a ready supply. If you are running a fairly large office, you will probably have an office chair fail every 4 to 6 months. If you already have some affordable office furniture standing by, you do not have to waste time getting replacements. Good affordable office furniture never really goes out of style, so you do not have to worry about the look getting old unless you have very particular tastes.
The only place where affordable office furniture is not a good idea is in an office with limited space. If you have to maximize your efficiency, it might make sense to pay the extra dough to have custom office furniture made. Most of the affordable office furniture is a little bit clunky, and it can be difficult to get just the size that you need.
Of course, finding good discount office furniture does take a little bit more work than simply picking out the first thing that looks good. The affordable office furniture that is available can vary greatly in quality, so you have to really know where to look. In the long run, however, finding a good source for affordable office furniture will more than pay for the time that it takes. In a decade, a typical medium sized office will go through countless desks, office chairs, computer monitors, tables, lamps, overhead lights, and other miscellaneous objects. Knowing where to get high quality affordable office furniture can save you literally tens of thousands of dollars. That is quite a bit of change, if you ask me.
I like to buy affordable office chairs in bulk. That way, I can save a little bit of money on the purchase, and I will always have a ready supply. If you are running a fairly large office, you will probably have an office chair fail every 4 to 6 months. If you already have some affordable office furniture standing by, you do not have to waste time getting replacements. Good affordable office furniture never really goes out of style, so you do not have to worry about the look getting old unless you have very particular tastes.
The only place where affordable office furniture is not a good idea is in an office with limited space. If you have to maximize your efficiency, it might make sense to pay the extra dough to have custom office furniture made. Most of the affordable office furniture is a little bit clunky, and it can be difficult to get just the size that you need.
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