Best Places to Buy Affordable Home Decor

I love shopping. Especially for affordable home decor. It is definitely something my mother passed down to me, but not to my sisters. My mom and I have something in common when it comes to shopping and it drives most people crazy.

We shop hop. We go from store to store trying to find the best deals.

Most people would rather just find the item they’re looking for and buy it. We find the item, but then we go to five more stores to see if they have a similar item for a better price.

Let’s call this type of shopping “product research” because in my case, that’s pretty much what it is. I know where to find the best deals whenever I’m looking for something for our home.

Need baskets? Need curtains? I know where I’m going to look because I’ve already scoped out all the stores for sales, clearance mark downs and quality product and I know where the best affordable home decor is.

Another skill my mom passed down to me was how to be resourceful with my money. You could give me $100 to spend and while some people would get one big item for $100, I like to stretch that money out as much as possible. Give me $100 and I’ll come back with a cart full of stuff. Check out my 3 Budget Tips and How to Fit In Home Projects.

I find that most people want to have beautiful homes that they can live in and share with family and friends, but they struggle with finding the right items to fill their homes that also fit in their budget. That’s where all this “product research” that I do can help you!

I’ve done the shopping for you and here I am, about to share my favorite spots to shop to find affordable home decor and where I like to buy certain things for our home!

Best Places to Buy Affordable Home Decor

My Favorite Stores to Buy Home Decor Items

Here’s a list of my favorite stores and why I like them and their products. Please note that these are stores that are fairly close in proximity to me and I have had opportunities to shop and buy items from them.

TJ Maxx/Home Goods: They have everything! Plus there’s a TJ Maxx ten minutes away from my house which might be why it’s at the top of my list for affordable home decor.

Whenever I go to look for gifts or something for our home, you can guarantee this is the first place I check. I think the quality of the items here are great and prices are usually reasonable. When I first walk in, I head straight to the clearance section. There’s an assortment of items that go into their clearance section and if you hit it at just the right time you might find exactly what you’re looking for.

TIP: At TJ Maxx, red clearance stickers means the price has been reduced from its original price. Yellow stickers means it has been reduced from the clearance price and this is probably the lowest it will get. So if you’re looking for something and it has a yellow sticker on it, I’d snag it because chances are you won’t find it cheaper.

Christmas Tree Shop: This is a store that I have recently fallen in love with. I’m not going to lie, it took me a bit of warming up to but this store has definitely moved its way up to my top three. I used to think it was a major hit or miss store but lately it has been nothing but a hit!

I think when you go here, it can be overwhelming and you sometimes have to really shop, take your time and look at items to find what you need. You’ll notice this will be one of the most frequent stores I suggest for specific items. They have great quality and it’s hard to find a place that will beat their prices!

Hobby Lobby: Oh sweet Hobby Lobby. I wish there was one that was more convenient for me to go to. I love everything about this store and I very rarely leave without a good deal in my hands.

Their clearance section where things are 80-90% off is a dream and most items throughout the rest of the store are 40-50%. They run a schedule on their sales and if you go at the right time then GREAT! But if not, just wait and go again another time and I’m sure the item you’re looking for will get its week on sale.

Tip: They have the best clearance for seasonal items. Go right after or just before a holiday ends and they have most of their seasonal decor 70-90% off. I went the week before Thanksgiving a few years ago and got enough fall decor to completely decorate our home and I only spent a few dollars on each item I purchased.

Burlington Coat Factory: Similar to TJ Maxx but not quite as many options and not as likely to be a hit for me. It isn’t typically where I go first when looking for a specific item but I have definitely had some luck here finding affordable home decor. It is definitely worth a shot to check out when you’re scoping around looking for a specific item or just looking for a good deal.

Bed, Bath and Beyond: For the most part, this store is way too pricey for me. However, I like to shop their clearance section. I’ve found some really good deals in their clearance section including a make-up vanity desk for $40 originally for over $200.

TIP: Yellow clearance stickers means the price has been reduced from its original price. Orange stickers means it has been reduced from the clearance price and this is probably the lowest it will get.

Home Decor Items and What Stores I Recommend

I will note: I like quality items and I like everything I buy to last a long time.

On my list, you won’t often see places like Dollar Tree, Family Dollar or Walmart listed. I have nothing against them and I do occasionally buy from these stores, but I am very picky about what I purchase when I go to stores like those because I’m not always thrilled with the quality of their products. That doesn’t mean they don’t have some great things, but I’m only going to suggest places that I truly trust and have personally had good experiences with.

Curtains/Curtain Rods: Definitely Christmas Tree Shop. You can get nice curtain rods as cheap as $5.99 and they have a large variety of curtains at reasonable prices. We have bought some of our curtains from Bed, Bath and Beyond on clearance but we went at just the right time and had limited options. Other than that, I haven’t found a better place to buy curtains than the Christmas Tree Shop.

Throw Pillows: Christmas Tree Shop, Big Lots and Burlington Coat Factory. I’m obsessed with throw pillows. I want them everywhere, but they’re not usually cheap. All of these stores I have found throw pillows for $10. There’s a lot of variety and they have all held up really well. If you’re looking for feather or synthetic down pillows, TJ Maxx or Amazon are great options.

Faux Greenery: Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Christmas Tree Shop and Hobby Lobby. This is a staple in our home. I LOVE faux greenery. I know some find it tacky because they aren’t real but my thumb is not in the slightest any sort of green color so I would be wasting money if I tried to fill our home with real plants. All of these stores I have found greenery in clay pots or tins with a wide variety of options and reasonable prices (typically $5- $10).

Canvas: Hobby Lobby. If you’re a painter then this is the spot to buy your canvases. Especially when they’re on sale. I don’t typically buy wall art because I can make it cheaper. So this is where I like to get my supplies and wall art inspiration.

Lamps: Christmas Tree Shop. I haven’t actually had to buy a lot of lamps, but I went shopping with my sister a couple weeks ago and we found a lamp she LOVED, but didn’t want to pay the price. We found the same exact lamp at a few different stores and still all too pricey. We went to Christmas Tree Shop and found it at a much more reasonable price and it included the shade. So that is where I would suggest checking first!

Baskets: Homes Goods, TJ Maxx, Christmas Tree Shop, Burlington Coat Factory, Target and Big Lots. We have so many baskets in our home and they get used for so many things. To me, this is so important to have them be good quality because they aren’t something we lightly use or just have for looks in this home. I don’t buy any that are cheap or plastic feeling. These are my favorite places to get baskets because of their price and quality. For the average sized basket, most are $10- $15 a piece. Don’t waste your time buying cheap baskets.

Throw Blankets: Christmas Tree Shop, Big Lots, Renys, TJ Maxx and Home Goods. These are my love language. We have them everywhere and I love each and every single one. Christmas Tree Shop, Big Lots and Renys sell them for $10- $12. TJ Maxx and Home Goods sell them for $15- $20 but they have more variety.

Clear Storage Containers: Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, TJ Maxx and Home Goods all have food or storage containers for about the same price. The difference is very minimal. My biggest suggestion would be to shop clearance for these items, but for the most part each piece is only a few dollar each.

Table Cloths/ Table Runners/Cloth Napkins: Christmas Tree Shop, TJ Maxx and Home Goods. Christmas Tree Shop has the most variety and the better price, but every once in awhile the other two will have a good deal on these items.

Wall Art/Clocks/Mirrors: Christmas Tree Shop, TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Burlington Coat Factory. It all depends on what you’re looking for, but I find the best deals at these stores. Most everything I find is $20 or less.

Random Knick- Knacks: Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Homes Goods, Big Lots, Burlington Coat Factory and Christmas Tree Shop. In all these stores you can find inexpensive decor items to place around your house. While these items are not necessary and hold no purpose other than looks, I love to purchase items like this because they fill empty spaces. I think having a few small and trendy decor items carefully placed in empty spaces can make a house feel more welcoming.

The Best Places to Buy Affordable Furniture

Christmas Tree Shop, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Mardens, Big Lots and Bob’s Discount Furniture.

These depend on what you’re looking for and on your price range. I have found good, quality items in each of these stores. We don’t like to buy the cheap, faux wood that seems to be popular. We will spend the extra money on something that is real wood because it lasts longer and the quality and look is much better.

Some of these stores do carry items like that and not everything is high quality, but use your judgement. We find it is smarter to buy something that is a little more expensive that will last us a long time rather than buying something cheap that we’ll have to buy again in a few years.

Christmas Tree Shop

end tables
nightstands
servers
console tables
TV stands
chairs
storage units

TJ Maxx/Home Goods- (I will say this is not always the cheapest place to buy these items but they have a lot of variety and on occasion some great deals.)

end tables
coffee tables
servers
accent chairs
ottomans
console tables

Mardens– (I got a couch and a love seat from Mardens four years ago for $400 and they have held up really well. Although, I have heard that some people have had bad luck with quality or items lasting long. I haven’t had any issues, but you might have to use your judgement when checking the quality.)

couches
lounge chairs
tables
console tables
dressers
servers

Big Lots– (I have not purchased from here, but I know some people who have. Prices seem to be reasonable, but again, use your judgement on quality.)

couches
lounge chairs
electric fireplace TV stands
TV stands
tables
beds
servers
console tables
storage units
coffee tables
dressers.

Bob’s Discount Furniture– Definitely our favorite place to buy furniture. The prices are not always as cheap as Mardens, but they are definitely close to it and definitely less expensive than most furniture stores. The quality is amazing. We have a couch and a dining room table from them and they are the best furniture pieces in our home.

TIP- there is a room in the back of the store full of marked down items. The items are returned or lightly damaged items. If you don’t mind having minimal flaws to your furniture or if you are able to do a light repair then it is worth the major discounted price. Honestly, most items in this room I can hardly notice the damaged spot.

living room sets
bedroom sets
servers
night stands
coffee tables
desks
end tables
console tables

I really hope these tips were helpful! Let me know in the comments below what you think and what your favorite suggestion or piece of info was for affordable home decor. Also, I’d love to hear if any of you use any of my tips and how it went for you or if you have any suggestions about affordable home decor!