| If you have ever looked at the rooms in your house | | | | months or a year, then do that, especially if it will |
| and thought that they could look better, or that you | | | | avoid the tension that a credit card can bring every |
| were just fed up with the brown wallpaper that had | | | | month when the bill comes. If you can afford to pay |
| begun to peel 3 months after you moved in, then | | | | for all the décor out of one person's paycheck, |
| you are among the millions of people who make | | | | that is great. If you need time, perhaps it means that |
| improvements to their homes each year. | | | | you will catch a sale or clearance of discontinued |
| Sure, it is easy to just grab a nearby gallon of paint | | | | items at the local hardware or department store. |
| and try to paint over that wallpaper, but that is not | | | | Planning to catch the sales for the items that you |
| the correct way to fix that problem even if you just | | | | need is also a great way to save money in the long |
| had a fight with your significant other about what to | | | | run. Shopping around for items is also a smart and |
| replace the wallpaper with. Take a deep breath, calm | | | | frugal way to make your dollar go further. If you can |
| your nerves, then think about the following things | | | | find an eight dollar roll of wallpaper border at a |
| that will put you on the right track to redesigning | | | | discount store for four dollars, why would you spend |
| that room and making it your own. | | | | the extra four? You can essentially get two rolls for |
| First, do not start going through each room in the | | | | the price of one. |
| house pointing out everything that you hate about | | | | Third and this is probably the hardest one, finish one |
| that room. It will become overwhelming and | | | | project at a time. There are a lot of homeowners |
| potentially start a fight that may not be healed. So, | | | | who begin improving their home and jump from |
| prioritize what you think needs to be changed first, | | | | project to project, leaving a wake of trash, half way |
| then compare notes with your significant other, they | | | | done rooms, and disagreements in their path. This is |
| may like that brown wallpaper or they may not want | | | | just a headache, and possibly a divorce proceeding, |
| to have to be the one who peels it from the walls. | | | | waiting to happen. |
| Remember that you are not the only person who | | | | Instead, focus on the project at hand. See it through, |
| lives there, so make sure their opinions are heard and | | | | so that you do not end up with a fireplace that is |
| discussed. Then, created a master priority list with | | | | removed, except for the chimney piece on the roof, |
| which you can both agree. | | | | which leaks every time it rains. (Yes, that is a |
| Second, decide on a budget that will not break the | | | | personal story for another time and it is funny now, |
| bank or make the room look worse than it already | | | | but it was not then. |
| does. If you have to save up money for a few | | | | |