Here are 5 tips to help you do just that…
1. Shop Craig’s List
Craig’s List is a gem of a website for locating pieces of furniture at majorly discounted prices. Since the listings are tailored to your specific area you can usually find furniture relatively close by and most people selling are trying to get rid of it as quickly as possible and are willing to bargain with you on the price. If you look around enough you can frequently find pieces that are almost brand new with little to no wear and tear.
2. Stock Up During Sales
To get the necessary office supplies like staplers, pencils and notebooks shop places like Target and Walmart after school starts or whenever school lets out for the summer. Stores like this usually start putting these items on clearance around that time and you can stock up on these supplies for pretty cheap prices if you’re smart about when you buy them. Not to mention after colleges start you can usually find things like filing cabinets and office organizers making their way to the clearance racks as well.
3. Utilize Your Computer
Instead of wasting money on unnecessary paper products, use your computer to leave yourself notes and maintain calendars. There are a number of programs you can download for free on from the internet that are designed to help keep your organized and on track, and you can usually find something to set reminders for yourself on your computer also so that you never forget about an important to-do item or task.
4. Reuse Things You Already Own
Instead of rushing out to buy all new items for your office look around your house and see what you already have that can be repurposed to fit your needs. It’s more than likely that you have plenty of things packed away in closets collecting dust that will fit perfectly in your office.
5. Build Slowly
Don’t rush to get a complete home office put together all in one weekend. Take your time setting it up that way you can search around for the best deals on supplies and furniture. Get the things that are absolutely necessary and then take your time filling in with other things like decorative pieces that aren’t “must-have” items for your office, just pieces you want to spruce up the space.
If you aren’t careful it can be easy to get caught up purchasing items and setting up a home office can end up costing you a fortune. However if you take the time to set up slowly and purposefully and to shop around for good deals, you’ll find that there are more inexpensive alternatives out there than you probably ever imagined. Buying clearance items doesn’t have to mean that they are cheap or in bad condition, it just takes time to pick out the hidden gems lurking in the sale sections – and every store, both retail and online, have those buried treasures waiting to be uncovered and brought to your home!
