We all are capable of spending a lot of money on our homes during the good times.
That does not mean that when the money dries up during a recession that we should not spend any money on our properties and let them fall into disrepair.
However it does mean that we have to use our imaginations a bit more in order to find bargains for our homes and keep hem looking well while getting the most out of our earnings.
Here are a few tips that might help you to consider how to keep your home looking attractive on a lower income.
Depending on your age you may or may not be able to think back to your grandparents home or perhaps your parents home, when they had items of furniture that were one-offs and they did not match with anything else in the home.
I bet if you think about it, those one-off pieces of furniture had great character and actually looked pretty cool.
Nowadays many of us are keen to purchase sets of furniture and insist that the sofa matches with the armchairs and that the sideboard is the same style as the table and chairs.
While there is nothing wrong with wanting this, it makes it much more difficult to purchase a bargain if you want everything to match.
However if you are prepared to be more like your parents or grandparents and snap up a bargain in a store or perhaps in an auction and maybe re-upholster it - then you could furnish your home for less money and have a home with more character into the bargain.
While curtains and drapes are attractive in a home, it is actually window blinds that are more useful and often better value.
Window blinds give better protection from the sun and better light control than curtains and can also be used to better effect when you want more privacy without cutting out your light altogether.
There are so many different types of blinds such as Venetian, roller, roman, pinoleum, pleated and vertical blinds, that you can usually find a style to suit your needs and taste.
While you may have a desire to have white Venetian blinds in your home, you have to know that aluminium Venetian blinds, while being very durable and long-lasting can be very expensive, whereas the same colour and style of blind in plastic could be a lot cheaper.