Decorating on a Budget?

[ReineV]

Hey everyone, I'm a college student with no job(I live off scholarships/grants and loans), but I still love making my apartment festive during my favorite time of year!

My favorite place for inexpensive decorations is the Dollar Tree. It has great little figurines, garland, lights, and other things that can make your place feel like Christmas.

Where do you think is the best place to buy inexpensive decorations for the holidays?

[TwinkleLights25]

Dollar stores are good of course, and then there's Walmart. You can always look and maybe you'll find a deal at a craft store and maybe Target and KMart!

[sheepsnot]

Hey everyone, I'm a college student with no job(I live off scholarships/grants and loans

That's the definition of college student. No job. Racking up huge debt. Ah, that's the life. I just borrowed a few items from my folks' house to decorate our college house. The tree was decorated with non-traditional things like bottles, socks, etc. We looked at Charlie Brown's tree with adoration!

[elfworks]

i like to cruise the aisles at drugstores, cvs, walgreens etc... especially after xmas! man o man!! (this also goes for other holidays as well. they always have something fab and kind of off the wall...)


xo

[joyful]

Check out your local GoodWill Store. People are always donating Christmas items (some are very nice).

I also like the Dollar Tree, but you have to shop early for the items go quickly.

And of course Garage sales; Flea markets; church basement sales and etc.

[Ervserver]

I always see tons of Christmas stuff for free on Freecycle, check the link to see if there is a website for your area.

"...It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns....."

http://www.freecycle.org/

[HoHoHoHeeHeeHee]

New here...I just got done making a bunch of ornaments for the humble little tree I have. I bought my tree at a flea Market for 1 euro, it stands about 4 feet tall. You may want to check yard sales in your area (wish we had those here :-( ) Or Thrift stores (wish we had those too) if you don't already have a tree. If you are crafty, you can used alot of found items, a bit of glue, glitter and ribbon and your imagination and come up with lots of neat ideas. I just got done making ornamets made out of shells which I painted and decopaged. The shells I got off the beach last vacation. I love searching for pinecones, dried twigs, other goodies and turning them into ornaments. Working on some decopaged jars for candles now. I enjoy making things. :D :)
Lori

:wiggy:

[sheepsnot]

Your name reminded me of this cartoon I have hanging near my desk:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/dandsf480/f7b751a8.jpg

[dvdguy]

funny, & a psychotic looking

[HoHoHoHeeHeeHee]

Your name reminded me of this cartoon I have hanging near my desk:

He he, I'm a christian yet I love bent humor go figure. :D BTW, what's with your name?

funny, & a psychotic looking LOL!!

[dvdguy]

oh boy here it comes

[sheepsnot]

I need to put this in my profile so folks won't have to hear it again. It's not anything special. I just wanted a screen name that would not be duplicated, something no one would ever want. Tada! Sheepsnot was not taken and I don't believe anyone else wants it.

[HoHoHoHeeHeeHee]

Oh so sorry, didn't mean to trouble you, you have to admit, it is a name that stands out from the rest. Thanks for explaining. :grin:

[dvdguy]

Im sure its no problem each one of us has said "whats up with that?"

[sheepsnot]

I like explaining it, but the rest of the folks probably wish everyone just knew. I need to change up the story now and again. I could say I was named after a rarely known Scottish delicacy.

[dvdguy]

Haggis & sheepsnot? What a combo

[sheepsnot]

If one doesn't make you sick, the other is sure to. Haggis is just nasty.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/dandsf480/39_Modicons_SmileyFaceSICK.gif

[dvdguy]

Did you see that simpsons where willie was selling Haggis?
"tastes as good as it sounds"

[sheepsnot]

Chopped heart and lungs boiled in a wee sheep's stomach! Good fer what ails ya!

[dvdguy]

thats a classic

[HoHoHoHeeHeeHee]

OMG My stomach churned after hearing that description. Innards just don't do it for me. :o

[Ervserver]

Chopped heart and lungs boiled in a wee sheep's stomach! Good fer what ails ya!

think they served this in grade school

[elfworks]

Haggis & sheepsnot? What a combo

i am pretty sure haggis has sheepsnot in it. no need to add extra on the side.


REINE: my walgreens and cvs both have some great and almost always unique and inexpensive holiday decor out.

xo

[Ervserver]

Wal Greens gets some unusual items, a must visit place during the holidays and they are open 24 hours!

[dominick]

The real score at Walgreens is the after Christmas clearance stuff. They HATE to hold on to inventory. My girlfriend has worked there for almost two years, and she brought home some really cool stuff for super cheap last year like a 4' inflatable snowman for $5. They also made her work both Christmas Eve and Christmas last year. :x

[Ervserver]

I wondered how they selected who had to work on the holidays, I like to think they would ask for volunteers and offer to pay extra.

[dominick]

Last year in Houston she was working at a 24 hr store. They did not close at all over holidays. No volunteering, she worked Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year's Day. Everyone had to work Christmas Eve at some point, and they threw a little party. They get time and half for working those holidays, but it's not much. This year she's working at one that will only be open a few hours on Christmas and Christmas Eve, but I still think she has to work. At least it won't be a full shift.

[Ervserver]

THAT would bite, wonder how busy the stores are on that day?

[Christy Carol]

After visiting Big Lots today for the first time in quite a few years I was reminded how inexpensive their decorations are. Even better was the sale I hit. Another place I shop alot (considering they are the only store in town) is Dollar General. They have alot of unique stuff that is really really cheap.

[Ervserver]

I've bought some good stuff at Big Lots, not really fond of their candles though

[Christy Carol]

I've bought some good stuff at Big Lots, not really fond of their candles though


yeah the two I sniffed today about made me sick

[dominick]

THAT would bite, wonder how busy the stores are on that day?

Not terribly on Christmas, but on Christmas Eve they're slammed.

[Ervserver]

ahhhh last minute shoppers, Wal Greens carry a lot of " as seen on tv" stuff

[dominick]

I think the people that shop for presents on Christmas Eve are just in the mentality that they need to find something. If all that was open were a gas station, they'd probably end up getting someone some Tic Tacs and some "Lil' Tree" air fresheners.

[Ervserver]

If I were to pop into Wal Greens on Christmas eve it would be for a Debbie Cake attack :D

[Christy Carol]

yum, an oatmeal creme pie and a glass of eggnog sure sounds good.

[Ervserver]

yum, an oatmeal creme pie and a glass of eggnog sure sounds good.


my kind of eatin :-)