When to Buy New, Used, or DIY Supplies

Hello, my chickadees! I hope you’re having a beautiful and wonderful day!

When it comes to beautiful and affordable home décor, the trick is knowing when to buy new, buy used, or make it yourself. Today I want to go through the pros and cons of each and when should do which for certain items.

BUY NEW

The Pros and Cons

The pros of buying new is, well the obvious, it’s new. It hasn’t been broken or scratched yet, so whatever you buy is going to be in great condition.

One con is it can be pricey to buy new depending on the item.

The big question is when should you buy new?

My answer would be, whenever you can buy it cheaper than the cost of the supplies PLUS your time would cost. Your time can be priced at as little or as much as you like in this equation, but if you’re unsure, use your hourly wage.

Does this mean go out and figure how much EVERY single thing you want to buy would cost to make? Absolutely not, that would not be tedious.

Instead, use your best judgement. If you’re at the store and something is marked down 75% off or more and you can visualize the bookshelf it’s going to look amazing on, THEN GET IT! Get the deals! If you find the perfect piece for your coffee table, it’s on sale and you have a coupon, then get it!

Here’s the downside to sale items, I’m not sure if anyone else has this problem; but I want to get things that are 90% off, even if I don’t really need them. It’s too good of a deal, how could you pass that up?

Anyways, moral of the story, if you are going shopping, never pay full price. ALWAYS buy home décor on sale, on clearance, and/or with a coupon. The key to this is patience, if you see a cute statue bunny out with the new easter stuff at JCPenney…do you really need it right this second or can you wait until after Easter and get it half off?

What to Buy New?

The following are a few specific items to always get on sale and NEVER try and make because it will NEVER be worth your time and energy no matter how many cute tutorials you find on Pinterest and YouTube! Did I mention you should never attempt to make these? Just wondering, because I couldn’t remember if I had said never to make these items.

Anything upholstered – I would only attempt this if it was an extremely simple first project, like a headboard and you are a well-seasoned DIYer and you own a staple gun.

Any kind of shelf other than floating shelves – For the cost of the materials alone, you are better off purchasing an Ikea or Walmart bookshelf. Floating shelves are the simplest and therefore doable with a warning label: any kind of shelf you purchase comes with a weight limit; one you make does not. Do not overload any floating shelves you make, they won’t just fall off the wall, the screws will most likely take some sheetrock with them on the way down. YIKES!

BUY USED

The Pros and Cons

The pros of buying used is of course that anything you buy is cheaper than buying it new! Another great thing is you are recycling by reusing, which is wonderful!

You can really find some great gently used items when you shop around at your local thrift store or online. Plenty of people get rid of barely used or even brand-new items they never used and want to get rid of. I would say you’d probably have more luck finding brand new items online like Facebook marketplace or other online thrifting sites.

A few downsides to be mindful of would be scams. This of course would be solely related to online thrifting. So, if you plan on doing some online shopping, please be mindful if you have to go meet someone to get your item or when it comes to paying. I have several family members who have been scammed with links to fake Venmo (not a fake Venmo account, an actual fake Venmo website). These scammers will also say they are sending you money and you need to send their money back to them. This is a huge red flag! Please be careful!

Another downside is you are limited to what other people are getting rid of at the time. As a drastic example, if you’re looking for Christmas décor in the summer because you celebrate Christmas in July (go you!), you are probably going to be VERY limited on what you can find. Remember most people take part in spring cleaning, so the most home items you can find will probably be in the spring. If you are thrifting for your wedding, the most décor you can find online seems to be in the fall after all the spring and summer weddings have taken place.

What to Buy Used?

Furniture – It’s great to buy any gently used furniture, especially if you’re younger and just starting to furnish your nest and need something a bit more on the affordable side.

If you choose to go this route, again, always be careful! Furniture is also heavy so take a male family member or friend with you to help and make sure you are safe! If you do go alone, make sure you tell a parent or friend where you are going and when, and then call them when you’ve made it back home.

Ceramics, dishes, and anything glass – These are great items to get from thrift stores as long as you look them over well for scratches and chips before purchasing.

MAKE IT YOURSELF

The Pros and Cons

One pro of DIYing is it can save you money. Another pro is it can be fulfilling to see something you’ve envisioned come to life! That for sure is my favorite part!

One con of DIYing is it can cost you more money than buying it. Also, it can be REALLY time consuming if you are making something for the first time (even if you’ve watched every tutorial on YouTube).

What to make yourself?

Wood Furniture – I know, I put this under all three categories, but they all have caviots…so it’s ok, I think. In this case, make it a semi-DIY. Buy a wooden piece such as a bookshelf or coffee table from a thrift store, get your favorite paint or stain and a sander and get to work! I love seeing people completely transform a wooden piece of furniture with a can of paint!

Anything – Not really specific, I know. Like I said before, make sure it is worth your time and money before starting a project! Of course, it can be great to make something even if it isn’t worth your money because knowing YOU made it and made it WELL can be worth it.

If you’ve watched a few tutorial videos and you already have the supplies necessary, go for it! But be sure to factor for your time as well. If you have never made something before, assume it will take AT LEAST twice as long as the person in the video.

This is not to try and deture you from making something, it’s just a really big warning label to make sure you know what you’re getting into before you start. Trust me, I’ve been there and have gone down plenty of rabbit holes when it comes to DIYing.

It can be really frustrating to watch someone on YouTube make something so effortlessly while you’re struggling at home. Know that the person in your YouTube video has been in your shoes before and has messed up plenty of times to get to where they are now. Have patience and role with the punches of crafting.

One way that DIYing can become more expensive than purchasing the item, is the supplies necessary to make it might be cheaper, but the tools necessary probably are not.

I also find this to be a huge complaint of a lot of YouTubers and Home DIY shows because they will usually tell you the supplies needed, they might even tell you how long it will take, but they definitely do not always tell you the tools necessary to make something. Tools are expensive and can be a great investment IF you plan on using them.

I do suggest everyone have a small tool kit with a screwdriver, hammer, etc., but if you are a college student wanting to make something cute and cheap, my suggestion would be to not invest in a circular saw so you can make the cutest headboard for your dorm room.

You can always borrow one from a relative or friend. I believe some home repair stores rent equipment (again make sure it is worth it in all of your costs first), but I’ve never tried renting something before.

Also, if you are in the market to buy or rent something, you’ve probably never used this particular tool before. Please remember safety first! Find someone who has used the tool you are needing to use who can help you and walk you through it.

If sharp rotating objects aren’t for you (because they are not for me), the project you are thinking about doing is probably too big and you can always find something on a smaller scale to make.

I hope you found this post helpful in thinking through your purchases and future DIY projects!

Let me know your favorite purchases, thrift finds, and DIYs in the comments below! Share what home inspo you would like to see on this blog by emailing me at nesting404@gmail.com or commenting on our Instagram page Nesting404.