Category Archives: Budget WAHM
Furnishing Your Home Office with Thrift Store Finds
by Alyssa Davis
When you work from home, the decorating budget for your home office can be severely limited. There is often not a lot of money to spend on a new desk, chair, and all of the office accessories that you would like to have. Instead of resorting to using the kitchen table, because your office does not have the furniture you need, think outside the furniture store for your supplies. The thrift store is a great place to find all, or almost all, that you need to get your home office in working order.
Darling Desk
Thrift stores often carry furniture that has been donated and that is slightly out of style. While the bright orange desk may not be what you had in mind, its solid wooden construction is a testament to its quality and how long it will last. The first thing to do is measure the space that you have available in your room. Take those measurements, and a tape measure, with you to the thrift store. Examine each desk and table to see which ones fall within the size that you need. After you have narrowed down the field, examine each piece. Are there obvious cracks or broken pieces? If the desk is made of metal, is it dented and rusted? Do all of the drawers open properly or do they stick? Can the surface be refinished if need be? By thoroughly inspecting each desk and evaluating it without getting emotionally attached to its style or shape, you will be able to find one that will work for you.
Office Chair
It may seem unlikely to find used office chairs at thrift stores, but with many businesses closing in recent years, office furniture is often donated. You can find a high-quality office chair for a fraction of the cost that you would be able to purchase it new. Make sure that you thoroughly test each chair. Sit in it for awhile to see how you back and hips feel after being seated in it. If you feel any discomfort, skip the chair and move on to another. There is no sense purchasing a chair that is uncomfortable, no matter how attractive it looks.
Supplies
While you probably will not be able to find staples and paperclips at the thrift store, chances are that you will be able to find other office supplies. Paper stacking trays are usually readily available, as are pencil cups and desk clocks. Search the thrift store for a variety of office supplies and you may find almost everything you need.
Thrift stores not only help you save money, they also help you save the environment. By purchasing pre-owned items that are still in good shape, you keep things out of landfills and your money in your wallet. Thrift store inventories change on a daily basis, so if you are searching for something specific, check back often. It is also a good idea to befriend the store workers or manager and let them know what you are looking for. If an item comes in that matches what you need, they may just call to let you know.
Home design expert, Alyssa Davis of Metal-Wall-Art.com, your best online metal wall art store, is particularly skilled in designing with sun metal wall art.
Article Source: WAHM Articles
Bartering – An Economic Alternative
Barter – to trade by exchanging one commodity for another.
Whether you are just starting out, or well established in your work at home business, there are some definite advantages when it comes to bartering. This “exchanging of commodities” can be applied in many ways, whether online or off.
Barter your services – Is there a service you could provide someone in exchange for the something? For example, someone who writes articles might be able to do that for a website owner in exchange for their link being included in the bi-line. Website owners are always looking for fresh content, and with your name in the bi-line, your name becomes associated with the topic.
Barter your advertising – If you are a website owner, perhaps you could barter by offering free advertising on your site in exchange for advertising on another website owner’s site. A ‘link exchange” with a site whose content is similar to yours, or whose targeted audience is similar to yours. Both site owners benefit from the added exposure.
Barter your products – Especially at the holidays, but all year-round you can find other WAHMs who might be interested in exchanging products, for gift giving or for the heck of it. This can save each of you money, but most importantly it gets your product in someone’s hands. Here’s an idea – exchange products for product reviews. You each use each others’ product and send a review – these can then be content for each of you. Testimonials are always good!
These are just a couple of ideas to get you started in your thinking of how bartering could work for you, your website, or your business. One important thing to remember though, is to make sure the exchange, or barter is a fair one – equal in value when it comes to product, similar in niches when it comes to links. Look for offers, put out your offers, and start saving now.
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