How To Furnish an Apartment With Practically No Money

Check out www.craigslist.com for free stuff, trade possibilities, or the opportunity to barter one of your skills.

Comb thrift shops and second-hand stores in your area.

Go curb shopping—that is, drive around looking for perfectly good pieces of furniture that people have thrown out. Some communities have designated “big trash” days when large items are allowed to be discarded.

Check community websites for “freecycling” postings.

See the possibilities in things: an old bedspread can become drapes by sewing a pocket for a curtain rod; old dressers and bookshelves can be jazzed up with paint and new hardware; chair slipcovers can make the ugliest chairs look elegant.

Visit your local furniture stores to see if they have any scratched furniture or showroom samples available at deep discount.