Decorating Tips for a Shoestring Budget
Call us optimists, but we think everyone under the sun can, and should, have a beautiful home.
If you're pinching pennies, there's plenty you can do to create a stylish and inviting home for yourself and your friends.
The first step (and this is true no matter where or how you live) is to clean your home and get it organised. Doing those two things alone will drastically improve the quality of your space.
Then, on to decorating. With years of budget decorating behind (and in front of!) us, we've amassed a few helpful tips for 'making house' with a slim wallet.
1. Paint an accent wall
STAND OUT: This one wall, in the home of Melbourne designer Miranda Skoczek, brings something extra-special to her bedroom without going overboard.
Painting your walls is one of the most cost-effective decorative updates you can make to your home. But if you're on a shoestring budget, the two cans of $30 paint it may require to paint your bedroom could very well put you off.
Instead, consider painting an accent wall. One litre (which will cover around 9 square metres) or a 2.5-litre can (which covers up to 24 square metres) is likely all you'll need to cover a single wall, which can make just as much of an impact.
2. Get rid of unsightly items
FIRE THE WIRE: This clever little picket fence, designed by Karl Zahn, provides some fun inspiration for ways you can tidy up all those wires that often dominate the modern day living room.
Before you start worrying about what you can and cannot afford to buy, consider what you should get rid of, or unsightly items that you need to hide.
Dated, worn or damaged items could be doing the look of your home a disservice, and if they're non-essential, removing them can give your home a clean slate.
One of the worst offenders common in rental apartments is vertical blinds. Or how about those not-so-stylish college posters you've been holding on to? Let go, or at least put them in storage.
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
Poll: Have you had a pen pal?
With the invention of the internet and mobile phone communication, pen pals seem to be a thing of the past but it was a common practice at one point.
Did you have a pen pal? Where did you meet them? Share below!
-
64% Yes
-
35.7% No
-
0.3% Other - I'll share below!
Latest scams to look out for 👀
Neighbourly hopes to keep you safe by keeping you informed of the latest scams circulating. This week, we are sharing two common text message scams:
NZTA / Waka Kotahi scam:
- The scam is a text message saying it's from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and it encourages the recipient to pay an overdue road toll by visiting a fake website, threatening to take the matter to court within 15 days if they don’t pay up.
- The aim is to trick people into giving away their personal details or pay them money.
- While it is not the first time toll payments have been utilised by scammers, the threat of court action could see more people fall victim.
- The sender will either be a unknown phone number or unknown email address.
Want to report one of these scams? Do so, on Netsafe
NZ Post scam:
- This scam arrives by test message and says it's from NZ Post.
- The premise is that delivery of your parcel was unsuccessful so in order to rearrange delivery. you must click on a link to give your correct address.
- The aim is to trick people into giving away their personal details or pay them money.
- NZ Post advises people not to click the link, but to report the message to the Department of Internal Affairs by forwarding it to 7726.
Think you may have fallen prey to a scam? Get in touch with Netsafe or contact your bank if it involved your bank details.
Remember, if you didn't expect the message and you are now asked to share personal details or money, then stop contact and seek advice elsewhere.
Feel free to share any below that you've encountered recently. This may help others across the country be aware.
Have you got a family recipe for oranges?
We're looking for delicious orange recipes to feature in NZ Gardener's October issue. Send your family's favourite ways to enjoy this fruit to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by August 20, 2024. Every published recipe wins a copy of the October issue of NZ Gardener.
Loading…
