Here’s Where You Should Splurge and Save in Every Room of Your Home

Do you ever get home from the grocery store and, while putting items away, come to realize you already have three cans of tuna and four cans of chicken noodle soup? That’s because most cabinet shelves are 24-inches deep, making it next to impossible to take inventory. Splurge on pull-out drawers – they are life changing! You’ll save money on tuna and soup so you can buy more important things like Nutella.

See here for 15 Feng Shui Tips for Expertly Organized Kitchen Cabinets.

If you have empty wall space near your sink or dishwasher, this is the perfect opportunity to skip the upper cabinets and install inexpensive open shelving instead. If you’re anything like me and constantly look in the wrong cabinet for cups or plates, this is a foolproof solution. Bonus: open shelves will encourage you to be extra organized.

Looking for inspiration? Here are 20 Gorgeous Kitchens That Will Inspire You to Embrace Open Shelving.

Do yourself a solid and splurge on a shower faucet! If the cartridge inside the shower control fails or starts to leak, you may have to bust through your new shower tile to fix it… which is 100 percent heartbreaking. Go with a reputable brand and enjoy that long hot shower in the dead of winter, for many years to come.

Selling your home? Here are the Top Bathroom Trends Renters are Looking for in 2018.

Here’s where you can save some dough, because vanity faucets are easy to swap out if something goes wrong. It’s just a matter of hot and cold supply lines and a bolt to secure.

Truth: my sofa is uncomfortably lumpy. But I’m about to splurge on a new model with some sort of pet-friendly upholstery because my dog is too cute to keep off the couch. Fabric has a “rub count”, which is the number of rubs the fabric can handle until a hole develops (20,000 rubs is on the low end, 50,000 rubs is mid-range and 250,000 rubs or more is commercial grade). If you have a pet or kids, go for 50,000 rubs and up. Here’s a detailed breakdown on what makes furniture so expensive.

A coffee table can be a really simple DIY project. I’ve made some eye-catching creations out of old supports from a renovation, an antique door and, most recently, my grandfather’s army trunk. This is a great spot to throw in some personality and save.

No surprise here – if there’s one room where you should splurge on lighting, it’s the dining room. I love taking a risk with a chandelier and pushing the design boundaries. Try mixing two decor styles to make things interesting and give your guests something to talk about (other than your mad cooking skills).

You don’t want to buy cheap dining chairs because they’ll quickly start to loosen and wobble. How to save instead? Add a bench to one side of the table. If you’re one of those people who finds bench seating far too uncomfortable, then please, be my guest and sit in one of the six chairs.

How’s your stuff to storage ratio? Mine wasn’t great until I splurged on storage underneath my bed as well as on the wall above it. The truth is, I’m just not ready to let go of my T-ball medals or the first wood box I made when I was 12. Whatever it is you’re unnecessarily holding onto, splurge on giving it a home to keep your bedroom in order. That way you can concentrate on what the bedroom is for – obviously referring to sleeping…

While I love a well-designed space with lavish curtains consisting of enough fabric to blanket a small village, it’s slightly overkill when you’re working on a budget. Pre-made curtain panels are a classic, economic option. Recently I’ve been digging “zebra blinds”. They add privacy through a controlled linear pattern and they won’t break the bank – especially if you’re installing yourself.

This one isn’t a monetary splurge, but true value lies in the planning. You won’t find me sitting at an office desk that faces a wall. Maybe it’s my residual dislike for childhood time-outs or maybe it’s just because it’s facing a wall… If you actually plan on using your home office and you can take advantage of a window, splurge on the view and face it!

Big-box stores give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to office storage. I’ve recycled kitchen cabinets into an office and created a built-in look by customizing the countertop.

I’m a single guy, yet still manage to acquire a fair amount of laundry every week. I don’t love doing laundry, but I do get satisfaction out of having an empty hamper and closet full of choice. I don’t have a counter for folding, but I sure would splurge on one if there was room to do so.

When I lived in Korea, I was shocked to discover that dryers didn’t exist. Everything was hung to dry, and while I thought this was an insane concept at first, I quickly realized that most things air-dry in 12 hours or less. Why not save on hydro and prolong the life of your clothing by investing in a drying rack?

Your basement is the most unstable level of your home when it comes to humidity and moisture. Splurging on the proper basement subfloor with a foam or plastic base can save you thousands of dollars if a leak or flooding occurs. It’ll keep things dry, and as a bonus, it acts as insulation.

I’m the first to admit that I dislike wall-to-wall carpeting – except in the basement. There’s something so right about a thick plush carpet in the home theatre or rec room. Carpet is often cheaper than laminate and feels nice on the toes.