17 Proven Tips to Save Money on Furniture

Perhaps you can’t stand the sight of your old, ripped couch for one more day. Or maybe you went on a Pinterest spiral and have decided on your absolute dream lounge room. Either way, if you need to buy a new piece, it can definitely help to know how to save money on furniture so you don’t completely blow your budget.

After all, no one wants to spend an arm and a leg for whichever item you need. At the same time, we all know how expensive furniture can be these days!

Well, I am here to help with that problem by going over some of the best tips that will help you save your hard earned money. Check them out below!

How to save money on furniture

1. Take advantage of discount codes and cashback offers

When you’re looking to save money for anything, a great tip is to look for clearance or coupon codes in stores and online. This way you’ll be able to find deals that are better than they seem at first glance.

There’s no reason to pay full price for anything and it can save you money every time – and only takes a couple of taps on your phone!

My favorite app for cash back offers is Ibotta. It offers cash back at over 300,000 partner retailers, including a number that sell furniture, and you can use it both for in store and online shopping. Plus it even gives you a free $20 welcome bonus just for downloading the app!

In addition, if you do any online shopping at all, you should immediately install Honey. It’s a free browser extension that will automatically search the internet for lower prices and coupon codes on whichever item you’re currently looking at. If it finds a better deal, a notification will appear, meaning it basically does all the shopping around for you in a matter of seconds!

Download Honey for free here.

2. Buy second hand furniture

The second tip to save money on furniture (and one of the best tips to live on a budget as a general rule) is to buy used items. They’re almost guaranteed to be significantly cheaper than new furniture, allowing you to get some of the pieces you need for less.

(Although, of course, the best way to save money here is to get your furniture for free!)

If buying used, go secondhand shopping on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace where people are looking to sell their gently used items. You could find some real gems this way, and save a ton of money. There are many people who want to sell old pieces they’re no longer using and this way you can find a good deal without spending time going from store to store.

And don’t forget to negotiate the price, as the advertised price is rarely what you should pay!

3. Shop at certain times of the year

The third tip is to find the best time of year to buy furniture. New furniture is often cheaper around the end of winter and the end of summer, as retailers try to clear floor space for new models.

This is also a great way to save money on used furniture. That is, the warmer months are typically the most common time for people to clear out their apartment of things they’ve been meaning to get rid of (it’s not called “spring cleaning” for nothing, after all). This is also the time when people more frequently move houses, which is when a lot of people take the opportunity to clear out old furniture – which is where you can jump in and grab a bargain.

4. Make sure you actually need it

The answer to the question “How often should you get new furniture?” is essentially “When you actually need it”. Similarly, the best way to save money on something is to not buy it at all and it’s for that reason that you should buy only what you need and will use.

This is hardly a super secret tip, with “buying what you need” being one of the best strategies if you’re looking for the cheapest way to live. But there’s also no question that it works.

For instance, if your old table is still in good condition, don’t buy a new one unless absolutely needed. Instead, consider how you can maybe update the old piece to fix whatever issue it is you have with it.

We’ll go into this in more detail below, but it’s surprisingly easy to paint a piece of furniture or do something like add some new handles to give it a new lease on life. There are plenty of YouTube videos to show you how to do things like that and it will cost you significantly less than replacing the piece entirely.

5. Shop at a warehouse

When looking to save money on furniture, buying your new pieces from a warehouse can really help. These often have much lower prices for exactly the same item, even if the place itself you’re buying from isn’t as fancy as an actual store.

Just keep in mind that you’ll need to do some research in advance and bring your own truck or ask the warehouse how many items can be delivered with one delivery fee. This way you can find affordable pieces that will fit into your home too without breaking the bank.

6. Be sure it’s something you’ll actually use

Sites like Pinterest are the worst for anyone looking to drastically cut their expenses. This is because they make it incredibly tempting to add that cute stool to the corner of a room, even if you haven’t sat on a stool since you were three years old. 

Or perhaps you just know that you absolutely need that super trendy gold-plated wire for your home office, no matter how little support the low back on that chair actually provides while you’re working.

This is why you should never forget about comfort and practicality when buying furniture. Finding furniture that’s both functional and comfortable will help you get the most for your money and avoid any regret down the track…which could lead you to buy yet another piece to replace the first one.

Of course, you should consider how you want the furniture to look. Buying pieces that match in some form (even if the mismatching is what gives them the matched look) can help make your space more cohesive and, in turn, really lift the look of a room if that’s your concern.

But at the same time, this furniture is presumably something that you want to use. So make sure that it aligns with how you plan to do this.

7. Always ask for a discount

Whether you’re buying new or secondhand, always ask for a discount. The price on the price tag is never fixed, especially for large purchases like furniture, so stores are very likely to offer you a discount if you ask for it.

Some stores will have a “best offer” price listed on the tag that you can negotiate with. Others may give you discounts for buying in bulk or even just for signing up to their mailing list, while others might be able to discount your purchase if you buy multiple items from them during one visit – this is how many furniture shops work so it’s worth looking out for.

If you’re buying from a secondhand store, it’s also worth asking how much the item would be if new – sometimes these stores have discounted prices but might not advertise that fact because they don’t want people to know how old their furniture is.

Most of all, never feel bad about negotiating: no one is going to get offended or think you’re stingy if you offer a lower price.

8. Upcycle furniture instead of buying new

If you’re not a fan of how your old furniture looks, instead of buying a new piece, consider giving it an upcycled makeover.

For instance, take that side table in the corner of the living room: painting and adding some new handles to polish it off could be all you need for this piece. It’s also worth considering how much work is required to do this: for instance, how much time and effort does it take to change how your old furniture looks?

Upcycling is a great way of spending less money on new pieces while still giving them an updated look and is a seriously good way to save money on furniture given you’re not spending money on something completely new. You could even turn it into a group painting activity if you’re looking for fun things to do with your friends at very little cost.

If you’re not sure about how well the end result will come out, consider starting small with items that you’re less attached to. This way if you decide it’s not how you want the piece, at least some of your money won’t be wasted and you can learn how much work goes into upcycling in order to make a more educated decision when deciding what pieces deserve this treatment next.

9. If you do go into a store, buy only what you need

It’s no secret that stores will try to upsell you to score a bonus sale. For example, maybe you’re trying to save money on your bed that you’re looking to buy – and then suddenly you’re being asked if you want some matching side tables too? Well, maybe the shop assistant is right and you do need everything to match…

No. It’s time to hold your ground here and remember that you only need what you decided to buy beforehand. After all, that “great deal” isn’t so great when compared to not spending any money at all beyond what you’d planned.

There’s also the risk of being pushed into buying a bigger item than you thought you needed due to some “bonus offer”. For example, stores will sometimes offer free shipping if you spend above a certain amount. But this is how they entice people in hopes the customer would spend more on other items. If you’re looking for how to save money, don’t fall for this trap!

10. Don’t go for completely matching pieces

Furniture sets that match completely are no longer as fashionable as they once were. Instead, it’s worth focusing on how your furniture can match the style of your room rather than how it matches exactly.

A great way to do this is by choosing a few pieces from one set and then adding in items that work with these but are different styles or brands. For example, if you have an old wooden table as your dining table, try to find some contrasting chairs from the same era that work with it.

This will give your room a really unified look and is how to save money on furniture because you’re not paying for pieces that match perfectly but rather are similar in style. There’s also an extra bonus here in that if one of these items breaks or needs replacing, it won’t be as expensive as buying an entire furniture set.

11. Shop at different stores

If you’re looking for how to get good deals on furniture, and similar to the above point, don’t feel like you have to buy everything at the one store if you need multiple pieces. There can certainly be advantages to getting everything at one place, especially to use as a negotiating tactic to secure a heavy discount, not to mention the time saved.

But it’s also true that you could find a good deal on chairs at one retailer, but a better price on your dream table somewhere else.  So the trick to save money on furniture here is to do your research, including to figure out which specific place offers the greatest savings in each case.

12. Buy floor stock

If you’re not in a rush and don’t need your piece to be in absolutely pristine condition, consider saving money on furniture by buying floor stock. This is when the store offers reduced prices on pieces that are on display for customers as long as you buy these items now.

This can be really effective if it’s coming up to end-of-season, with retailers being particularly keen to move old stock to make way for new models. Just make sure you’re aware of some of the terms that can apply when you buy floor stock, as you may be looking at slightly different warranty or return conditions.

Of course, how much money you save with this approach will depend on how long it is until the furniture would have been reduced in normal circumstances – but even if it’s just a few months or weeks before that deadline hits, there are often some great deals out there waiting for savvy shoppers.

13. Purchase returned items

Sometimes, returns happen because the item was defective, but sometimes it’s simply because someone changed their mind. In those cases, when there’s nothing wrong with an item, this can be a great way save money on furniture. This includes the fact that there’s usually plenty of room to negotiate here.

As above, make sure you know what you’re getting here as there’s a good chance that you’re buying as-is, meaning no further returns. This means that if you’re buying an appliance, ask to have it plugged in so you can be sure that it actually works.

14. Buy outdoor furniture for indoors

Outdoor furniture is generally cheaper than furniture designed for indoor use and this means you can often get a great deal using this strategy.

For instance, an outdoor dining set could look perfectly normal in a casual dining room while allowing you to enjoy big savings when you purchase it. Similarly, a bench could easily be turned into a nice place to hang out in a reading nook without having to spend big on a chaise longue.

15. If possible, rent or borrow rather than buy

If you’re looking to buy furniture for some limited purpose, like a big celebration at your home where you need a larger table than usual, consider renting the piece instead of buying it.

Not only will you save money on this furniture, but it won’t add extra clutter to your home once the event is over. You can even pay a little bit extra for them to drop off and pick up the piece, saving any extra hassle on your part.

And an even better way to save on furniture in this context is to simply borrow it from someone else. Even if no one you know has what you need, consider posting in a local Facebook group if anyone is able to lend the item to you. You could pay them back with a reasonably priced bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers if you like – either of which will easily cost less than buying the furniture yourself.

Related: 17 Incredible Ideas to Plan a Quinceanera on a Budget

16. Remember that less is more

We all know why we should save money, but it’s definitely not always the easiest thing to do. Fortunately, people like Marie Kondo are helping to lead the charge in promoting the idea that having less furniture will reduce your clutter and can almost always make your space look neater.

The more items you have to move around or store when cleaning, for instance, the harder that task becomes too – which means time spent on housework can easily turn into more time spent on shopping.

If you’re in the market for a new piece, this is something to keep in mind as well – how many times are you likely to use it per year? How often will that item be moved around or stored when not needed?

In short: less furniture equals less housekeeping!

17. Don’t use in-store credit cards

I know how tempting it can be to sign up for that store credit card in order to get a discount on your purchase, but this is one of those cases where you should resist the temptation.

Firstly and most importantly, any money saved from paying with that card will not count towards your debt goal – which means going back to using cash like a typical person is a better idea if you want to save money.

Additionally, store cards are often not the best option when it comes to interest rates and this means they’re one of the worst type of credit card for those with an outstanding balance on another account. I highly recommend that anyone who has been paying off their debt while using in-store credit cards switch back to cash when it’s time.

What is a good discount on furniture?

A good discount on furniture is usually considered to be more than 20%. That said, securing a discount of anything at or above 15% is definitely a good outcome, so make sure you do your research and hone your negotiating skills before entering the store.

For instance, if a company sells an item for $500 but offers it at 50% off its retail price as floor stock, that would mean you’re paying only $250 and saving 50%.

However sometimes the discount you’ll be able to get will vary depending on how much time is left before the item would have been reduced in any normal circumstances. This is why shopping at the end of the season can help you in securing a good discount.

What is the best month to buy furniture on sale?

The best months to buy furniture are usually in January and February (around the end of winter) or August and September (the end of summer). This is because these are the periods when retailers try to clear floor space for new models. You should also keep an eye on major sales periods, like the Labor Day weekend.

Summer is also a particularly good time to save money on used furniture if you’re trying to live cheaply. This is because, when it’s warmer, this is typically when people try to clear out their apartment of things they’ve been meaning to get rid of as spring cleaning takes hold.

At the same time, people often move houses in summer, so you’ll often see people taking this opportunity to clear out old furniture. This, in turn, will give you more choice on used pieces as well as more room to get a better price.

Is Black Friday a good time to buy furniture?

Black Friday is not a good time to buy furniture. This is because most of the pieces are usually marked up just before Black Friday and then discounted, if at all, on this day. The best way you can avoid being part of this trend is by shopping for your furniture during one of the other major sales periods instead.

This includes times like the Labor Day and President’s Day weekends, where you’re much more likely to save money on furniture.

Can you negotiate prices at a furniture store?

You can certainly negotiate prices at a furniture store. In fact, it’s essentially expected by retailers, especially given that you’re likely planning to spend a lot of money on this furniture. In addition, if you expect to buy several pieces from the same store, this gives you much more room to negotiate an even bigger discount.

While the average markup on furniture leaves room for discounts on all sorts of furniture types, the best time to negotiate prices at a furniture store is when you’re buying from the floor stock. This means that if an item has been reduced for clearance, or it’s as-is (meaning there are no warranties), then this is how you’ll be able to secure the biggest discount possible on your purchase.

You can also try and negotiate the price on used furniture, especially if it’s been well looked-after.

Whichever type of furniture you’re going for, the best trick for how to negotiate furniture prices is to do your research beforehand. That’s the ideal strategy to get the best deal on furniture, such as by coming in armed with information like what their competitors are offering and how this item compares to similar pieces and thus should, in theory, be at a similar price.