Decorating Your First Home Together on a Budget

Take inventory.

Make a list of all of the home items you both have accumulated over the years. Use those lists to pick and choose what you can bring to the table - literally. If you realize that you have double of something, such as a blender or coffee pot, you can take the extra and sell it on eBay or at a garage sale. All of the money from your extra items can be contributed to buy another item that you may not already have.

Say it with me: D-I-Y.

It's the oldest trick in the book. If you don't have the money to buy something, make it yourself! Do-it-yourselfers have started a movement, so if you haven't already, it might be a good time to jump on the bandwagon.

Some tasks are easier to than others. Take your skill level into account and go from there. Not everyone can build an entire bookshelf or bedframe, but covering a crack in the wall with a homemade mailbox is simple and inexpensive.

Take family hand-me-downs.

If either of your grandmothers are offering to give you their old floral couches and loveseats, take them! No matter how unappealing you think they are, you always have the option to refurbish them for a much more cost-friendly price than buying new.

It's important to make sacrifices. If you have been dying for that new wall hanging from Pottery Barn or that sectional from Restoration Hardware, go for the more cost-efficient option. Try to get hand-me-downs on the higher-priced items and “splurge” on the smaller stuff.

Embrace chaos.

Speaking of your grandma's ugly sofa, remember to embrace chaos. You may hate the print of the sofa by itself, but if paired with the right pillows and paint colors, you may end up loving it. Make the most of what you have! Pinterest is a great tool to use when you need color palette ideas or inspiration.

Paint is your friend!

Sometimes, paint can make all of the difference. If you're going for a certain vibe for your décor, but can't splurge to decorate to accommodate your aesthetic, remember there's always paint. A bright yellow wall can brighten up any dull furniture, and a muted gray can calm a mismatched room.

It can be daunting to make a new place feel like home while also trying to maintain a budget. In the end, it will be a gratifying task for the both of you.