by Ruth Woodhouse

Created on: May 31, 2008

There are many ways to save money when buying furniture. A lot depends on a person's expectations, of course. If they want up-market furniture that's all brand new and want a particular style or timber, then the opportunities for bargain deals will be much more limited.

For those with more open minds and moderate expectations there will be a vast scope of possibilities. Anybody with a reasonable amount of DIY skill will even be able to get second-hand bargains that can be restored to look like new.

Depending on whether you are looking for something brand new or something pre-loved, the following list will give you some ideas of places to try.

1. Newspaper classified ads. You can get some wonderful furniture that's like new from the classifieds. Saturday's paper is generally the big one for classifieds and in any given week there are bound to be some great bargains. If you are not in a big hurry to get a house furnished in a few days, then you could find numerous nice items over the course of a few weeks.

Many newspapers also have certain days when they advertise items for under a certain amount - like $100 or $200. Some even have a particular day of the week when they advertise items to be swapped for something the person would like in its place. You never know what you will find in these ads.

Then there are weekly publications devoted to such classified advertising. These are usually a buyer's market because there are always more sellers than buyers. You can score some great bargains.

2. Garage sales. These are to be found in the newspaper classified ads too. You might also see signs along the roads advertising garage sales in your local area. You can get super bargains at these - particularly if you get there early. People don't want to be left with a lot of stuff at the end of the day - so they are often happy to negotiate. Be aware though that the second-hand dealers are out early looking for the best sources of good furniture, so you do need to be up at the crack of dawn if you want to get the best bargains before they're snapped up by the sharks.

3. Markets. Bigger craft markets will often have hand-made timber furniture. Trash and treasure markets - or flea markets - are another possible source too. You just never know what you'll find at these places.

4. Second-hand or opportunity shops. There are many of these run by various charities. The Salvation Army has an amazing amount of fantastic furniture donated - and I'm sure a lot of other charitable organizations

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