Furnishing a second home on a budget...

Who can afford to run two households these days? ME! Because i'm cheap thrifty! Here's a glimpse of how I did it. My goal was (read that as GAME) was to do it all, minus the appliances, for $1500. You saw the before photos...the previous owners took half the light fixtures - so it was EVERYTHING. Needless to say I didn't make my $1500 goal, but I did it all, INCLUDING appliances for about $3000. Yes, I furnished and decorated an entire 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house for $3000...ish.

Plastic dishes for when little ones are visiting - $2 for each set of 4 plates and bowls, $4 for the set of storage containers.

Beautiful isn't it? I actually LIKED the paint on this funky dresser, but the green just wasn't working with the Americana / red, white and blue theme. Of course I bought it anyway. It was solid and like I said, I liked it's chunky quirkiness...reminds me of myself (chunky and quirky - ha!) $50 at a thrift store owned by some people that live a mile up the road from us...the thrift store however...is in the next COUNTY like 35 minutes away. Weird.

Gotta love a barn star candle sconce - blue even! Clearance section at Beall's Outlet - on a Friday of course (to get my extra 15% off). Less than $3.

These were a splurge - they were on clearance at TJ Maxx and I paid $7 each for them. There were 2 others that were in the "set" that I didn't pick up (hello $14 more?!) of course after getting back into the cabin I was wishing I had bought the other two. Live and learn...

I paid full price for this. It was $3.99 at Marshall's. Don't ask me why...it was a weak moment. I could have made it myself from scraps I had around the house.

$2.00 each...but it was 50% off day at the same thrift store where I got the green dresser. So $1 each. The heart is painted slate.

The quilt square piece was on clearance at Big Lots for $2. It's from Home Interiors. The other one was $6.99 from a catalog - yep, another splurge. It was on sale though...

Another Beall's Outlet clearance piece. Now wishing I had chosen the one that said LIBERTY instead, but whatever. It works. Less than $5 after all my discounts (Friday 15% club, 20% full punch card, etc)

Paid full price...$9.99 for this from a catalog. You can actually put stuff in the boxes too.

Barn star toilet paper holders - one for each bathroom. $4.99 each from a catalog.

Yard sale! $8 for the pair.

Rustic blue and honey pine dresser made in Chile...$40 on Craig's List. It was missing a knob. I changed them out to iron stars - they look cute but they stink for grabbing on to for opening drawers. That's why it's in the guest room!

Americana / Primitive birdhouses. They were all found at different times on clearance for $2.99 each at Marshall's.

Olde Glory canvas - Beall's Outlet $9.99 (minus the 15% Friday discount and the 20% full punch card discount)

Adorable antique chair...Go Green Winter Park - a small chain of local furniture resale shops - this location was going out of business so everything was 50% off. I don't remember what I paid for this. It wasn't much...I also got a porch rocker and a large amberina vase and it was around $75 for all of it.

The wall hanging came from Marshall's...clearance of course. $2 - they will pretty much give their stuff away. The America was another clearance item from Beall's Outlet (standard discounts apply LOL)

Paid $14.99 for this...because I loved it so very much. It's a 3 way - you can turn on both lights or just the lamp or just the little night light. Yep, it came from Collections Etc.

Down filled throw pillow - clearance at Target for $4.99. Good for napping on the couch...but it will live on a rocking chair once I get them repainted.

"Indigo" (navy blue) grass cloth Tommy Bahama bed skirts. I bought 4. 2 were $5 each, 2 were $3 each. Clearance at Marshall's. Hello - I couldn't buy the fabric to MAKE them for $5. Oh and I sold the extra 2 on ebay to make up for some of my splurges...and I got WAY more than $5 for them!

$40 for this vintage Singer sewing table (or TV stand as I like to call it). Craig's List...

Tuesday Morning had this cute little Boyd's Bears pillow for $3.99. 

They also had these Laura Ashley down alternative blankets for $25. I got a king size one for my mom too...it was $35. She paid me back.

Spring / Summer weight blankets - clearance at Ross for $7 and $13 - you're probably wondering what's with all the bedding sizes. We have 2 queen size beds there, plus a queen size air mattress (with a frame so it's like a real bed), plus THREE folding cots (beds really...like they have at hotels).

Another Ross clearance find. $3.99.

It's awesome to decorate in a style no one else has any interest in LOL

$7 per 24pc set of flatware - Beall's Outlet. 50% off, plus my other discounts.

In addition the sofa and love seat were purchased from someone on Craig's List for $250. I also scored an entire set of appliances for $250 - full size washer / dryer king size capacity, glass top range, over range microwave and full size dishwasher. I swapped out the W/D with my ancient set. The range and microwave are at the cabin, the dishwasher will get resold on Craig's List or in the paper (items under $100 can be sold in the classified ads for free).

The small size fridge was purchased at Scratch and Dent World (aka Appliance Direct) for $400. The 18" dishwasher was $300 brand new off Craig's List. Those little ones are hard to come by...and ridiculously expensive.

The single most expensive thing in that cabin is the mattress set upstairs. We bought it new, locally and it was a little over $400. The bed frame was $20 off Craig's List. The other bed we bought off Craig's List as well - this nice young couple had just redone their guest room in their 2 bedroom house when they found out they were expecting...out with the new and in with the nursery stuff. Lucky me! We got it for $150...mattress, box springs and bed frame. It was slept on a few times by the girl's in-laws when they were visiting. 

Just a few examples...I could point out everything else as more photos of the other rooms turn up here on the blog...for now, I am calling it a night since I still have to make mashed potatoes and frosting (not together...that would be weird) to finish my potluck dishes for tomorrow.