Confessions of a Shopaholic: How to Decorate on a Budget

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TRUE LIFE: I LIKE TO BUY PRETTY THINGS…and it can be a problem.

My name is Emily, and I’m a shopaholic. I started my decor Instagram account about two years ago, and I was amazed at how beautiful everyone’s little squares were. I mean, these were REAL people living in their REAL homes…not a magazine cover. As much as I felt inspired, I also felt intimidated; how could someone like me afford to have a home that looks magazine-worthy…a home that people want to see more of?

Slowly but surely, I developed the very bad habit of justifying unnecessary purchases with the mentality “this will look great on my Instagram!”. A trip to Target for diapers quickly turned into $200 worth of faux florals, candles, and rugs. And the worst part was, it M A D E . M Y . D A Y . I was singlehandedly putting our family’s finances in jeopardy to gain a larger following on Instagram.

After a heart-to-heart with my husband and a few conversations with the Man upstairs, I realized I was finding gratification in beautifying our home with THINGS instead of MEMORIES. Like, what???!

Now that I can take a step back and see it that way, I can’t understand how I was ever prioritizing things over time and people…all for the sake of a pretty picture. There were definitely some postpartum hormones at play, but that’s no excuse for spending money we don’t have on things we definitely don’t need. And honestly, I feel relieved now that I’m no longer trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Having a Pretty House Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

Although it was a tough pill to swallow, I had really messed up. All of my bad habits had to be quickly unlearned and I had to focus on going back to my roots. How did I make my house feel like home in college, or my first apartment when my rent ate up more than half my income each month? Somehow, I had done it…and I’d had fun in the process.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned about how to decorate on a budget – and how to make it fun! Just because you aren’t spending a bunch of money doesn’t mean your house won’t look great. In fact, I’ve found I love my home even more when I truly appreciate and value the items I have instead of constantly hunting for something shiny and new.

Decorating on a Budget: 101

Take a good look around at what you have.

I’m looking at you, pile of decor in the garage that I haven’t touched in two years. (Everyone has those piles, right?? Just me?) Take some time to really assess your belongings and decide what to keep and what to give away. I’m not big on yard sales. If something is valuable ($50+) I’ll take the time to sell it online, but if not, I load up my car and find somewhere to donate my load.

I like to think about the people who will be blessed by my stuff; how they’ll be as excited to find that picture frame as I was. That makes giving my treasures away a whole lot easier.

Get organized.

Now that you have everything you’re going to keep, take everything down and start from scratch. Seriously, it sounds annoying, but do it. Once all your shelves and walls are empty, you’ll thank me. It’s hard to refresh a space that already feels finished, and having a blank canvas is so inspiring.

If you’re OCD like me, take it a step further and organize all the stuff into piles. I normally have categories like picture frames, florals, books, candles, and misc. decor.

Go shopping! At your house…from your stuff.

Here’s the fun part! Start decorating, taking it one space at a time. Since you can see all of your decor (and hopefully it’s organized) this should be quick and easy. And since you’ve got a blank canvas, you can style your home completely differently than before.

Use items that were in your living room in the bedroom, and don’t forget about those items you were storing in the garage but not using. Now is their time to shine! It’s amazing how rejuvenated your home can look just by moving items around and styling them differently.

Buy big items secondhand.

I know, I know. I sound like your grandmother. But I have seen it time and again where I’ve gone out on an impulse and purchased an end table or rug, just to see something similar pop up on Facebook Marketplace a week later at a fraction of the cost. You must be patient, and willing to hunt through the junk. But it’s worth the savings!

Treat yourself, but only a little.

All of that hard work earned you a little something right? But I mean literally, a little something. For me, I love candles and fresh flowers, which I can normally buy for $15 or less and it still gives me that excited feeling when I get home and use them in my space. Whatever that item is for you, don’t deny yourself completely. Budgeting is like dieting – it has to be done in moderation or you’ll end up on a binge . Unfortunately throw pillows are a lot more expensive than extra calories.

Final Thoughts: Don’t find value in your things.

That’s the big lesson I learned throughout this whole process. I was placing value in shopping and new purchases instead of being grateful for all the beautiful pieces I already have. Repurposing decor has become sort of like a game to me now, as well as finding and flipping furniture from thrift shops (hellooo, side hustle!).

Don’t look at your budget as something holding you back. As Tim Gunn likes to say, make it work.