31 Days Towards Financial Freedom ~ Day 5 *Think Outside the Box*

Have you ever found yourself skimming through the "Pottery Barn" magazine and want to just give up hope on ever having the beautiful home because you are on a BUDGET!?  Let's face it...some times watching your income can be down right depressing!!

Trust me, I have my days...in fact, that is how I found out about the whole "DIY Blogging World."  I hated pretty much everything in our house.  We had a mishmash of furniture and nothing quite worked.  How sad is that?  To come home every day and look around and get depressed instead of refreshed.  Your home should be your place of refuge no matter how tight the budget is.  Once I discovered how I could make our house a home on a budget, I was addicted!

The key is to think outside the box.  I walked through stores and friend's home just being envious of all they had, instead of just admiring things.  Even once I came across the DIY world, I still had the defeatist attitude that I couldn't do that, I am not the creative type.  I am here to tell you that if I can turn my trash into treasure you certainly can too!!

Look around your house, are there items that are just cutting it until you have the money to replace them? If so, think about how you can transform them into something beautiful and unique.  My first attempt was my hutch. I felt guilty not liking this piece of furniture because it was in perfect shape and a gift from my parents.  It just didn't go with my style though.  When I decided that I was going to paint it, I think everyone thought I had gone mad painting a perfectly good oak hutch.  Well guess what? It turned out better than I could have imagined and gave me motivation to find every thing possible that I could reinvent as part of my decor!

You want a new dresser...pick up a free or super cheap one from a garage sale and paint it any color you choose!  You don't have the money for hardware, you say?  Use ribbon!

You need new curtains but can't afford them?  Create your own window mistreatments!  If I can, I guarantee you can too!




Curtain Rods Made out of Branches



Whatever your project may be, just stretch your imagination a bit and search all the fabulous sites out there and make your house a place of comfort and a place you are proud of, no matter how tight your budget is.

The best part of it all...everything you create will be one-of-a-kind!  You can't beat that!!