Have you been stuck at home more often than usual these past few months because of COVID-19? Staring at the same old walls and furniture in your house every day might have become quite boring, especially if you’ve also been working from home. Because of this, you might be seriously thinking about redecorating your home. But with the economy being a little uncertain, you probably have a tight budget as well.

We feel you, which is why we’ve come up with five ways you can redecorate your home even if you’re on a tight budget:

1. Secondhand items for the win!
   Forget that brand new bookshelf you’ve been eyeing. Look up secondhand websites like Carousell and even Facebook groups to pick up these same fancy items at a fraction of their original prices! Some of these items might also be almost as good as new, so keep your eyes peeled for people advertising used items for sale, and shop around for the best quality secondhand items you can find. Look for terms like ‘gently used’ or ‘pre-loved’, which usually mean the items are still in pretty good condition.
   You could also ask around among your friends to ask if anyone might have used items they would like to sell. You might even get it at a special friends’ price!
2. Ditch the regular stores, check out cheaper chains
   Want a new photo frame for your living room wall? Or how about a new vase for your dining table? You can find these and more at the different budget-friendly chains scattered around town, such as MR.DIY, Mr. Dollar, Eco Shop and many others.
3. Explore the ‘burbs’
   Sometimes the suburbs further away from a city or town centre will have much better prices for furniture, appliances and other home decor items. So make some time to venture out to these cheaper furniture makers/providers.
4. Do it yourself!
   The ultimate money-saving tip? Do as much of the work as you can yourself! Want a cool new plant to decorate your TV cabinet? Buy the plant you need at the nursery along with a nice pot and transfer the plant over to the new pot yourself. You could save as much as RM50 each time, just by doing this!
5. Check for any special sales coming up
   When’s the next 10.10 sale, 11.11 sale and/or home expo coming up? Set aside some time to shop during these promotional campaigns – you’ll find huge bargains for home decor items here.

So, there you go! Try out these tips and see how much you can save on your home-decor costs.

If you want to learn more about how to plan, budget and save, check out our planning a budget and savings guides. Also check out our savings calculator to see how even a small amount of savings can grow in the long run!