More Money? Area Rugs Edition

When you buy a house and/or try to decorate a home you learn about all kinds of  things that you didn't realize were expensive but are.   I guess that is true of everything; because when I was planning our wedding there were all kinds of things along the way that I was shocked to find out the price of.  Some things I knew were going to be expensive like a closet organization system, hardwoods and granite but other things surprised me.  When we did our back yard I was surprised to learn that a pile of rocks could cost hundreds of dollars.  When we had our blinds and curtains put in I couldn't believe how much those were.  Mirrors are shockingly expensive too.  And lamps.  The price tags on decorative pillows is outrageous.  I mean, pillows?  Then  I couldn't believe how expensive a King size comforter set could be, then I was shocked that an average household kitchen sink could be $400 dollars and the faucet runs $200.
Damask Trellis Navy Blue Rug @RugsUSA
Am I just cheap?  Maybe, but now I'm shocked again and this time it's by how much area rugs cost.  If you want a really big one it can cost thousands of dollars which seems to be as expensive as having actual carpet installed in which case it's like paying for flooring twice.  So as with everything else I have to walk the fine line between not wanting to get the cheapest thing out there and not wanting to spend more then I can afford yet still ending up with a quality product that I will love.  It makes no sense to spend a dime on something you don't even like.  I love saving money but I'm not the thrifter, craigslist shopper type.  I wish I was.  The selections are random and limited so it could take forever to find what you want.  I just don't have the patience or the eye to find that diamond in the rough, bring it home, clean it up and make it look all shiny and new.  I will run all over town looking for the best deal though.  I comparison shop and look for coupons and research the hell out of everything.  I don't stop until I find the best deal around.  I probably wouldn't feel comfortable buying something like a couch or rugs pre-owned but I know that if I had been willing to hunt down things like our dining room set at on craigslist I could have spent a lot less money.  So, what did my latest bargain hunt yield?
Hand Tufted Alexa Pino Floral Red Rug @Overstock.com
Right after we got our hardwoods put in I saw a Groupon for Rugs USA.  I'll say it again.  I love Groupon!  For $95 I got $235 in merchandise so I spent $149 with free shipping on a 5 X 8 area rug for our living room.  The original price was $289.  It was on sale for 35% off and they wouldn't let me double dip on the sale price which is lame if you asked me but I still saved $39 more using the Groupon so whatever.  They had the red one too but I found a better price on Overstock.com.  It was 15% off which brought it from $284 to $242.  I found a $15.00 off promo code on their site for a total of $227 for a 7'6" X 9'6" rug and only $2.95 for shipping because Overstock is cool like that.  That one will go in the dining area.  I am shocked by how much we spend on things.  Things that we don't even REALLY need.  $376 for rugs on top of what we paid for flooring.  Really?  Oh well.  Maybe I could have done better but I feel pretty good about how much we spent considering how much these rugs can cost.  It's so hard to tell colors online but hopefully we like them.  We'd better.  Chances are we're stuck with them because I am not returning them and starting all over again.

16 comments

  1. Tell me about it!! I cannot believe how expensive household products are. It amazes me.

    I hope you like your rug when it comes in.

    I'm like you. I don't do very well with Craislist/thrift stores because I don't have the patience. I want to find something good the first time I look and when I don't I get discouraged. So it just does not work out for me. I'm also not the one to make something old look pretty. I wish I could.

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  2. I don't think you're cheap. I'm the same way. And unfortunately, I'm not really a thrifter either. I wouldn't mind buying a desk or something like that, but for some reason, I'm just not comfortable buying clothing, and I probably wouldn't buy a bedroom set either, even though it would probably be cheaper.

    And I know what you mean about things being more expensive than they are. Brian and I are paying for our wedding ourselves, and it's crazy. We have such a tight budget, what with moving in recently, as well as a few other large expenses, so it probably isn't going to be very "traditional" but with how cookie-cutter-ish some weddings can be, maybe that's a good thing. We are even thinking about postponing our honeymoon one year, and just going on our one year anniversery.

    I really love the navy blue rug in the first picture. It's pretty.

    Lauren
    http://laurensweetnothings.blogspot.com/

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    1. I know...it's crazy how everything is just so darn expensive. We paid for our own wedding as well and it was tough trying to stick to a strict budget. Stick to what you can afford so you will have no regrets and if you put off the honeymoon then that is just something else to keep looking forward to after the wedding.

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  3. rugs are super expensive...i'm always looking for a deal! home depot and lowes have some good options too.

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    1. Ha! I never even thought to look there. They really do have everything!

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  4. I recently learned about $200 pillows and I was shocked! Rugs I can understand. Kind of. But pillows? Just blow my mind.

    I bought a $700 rug and at the time I felt like an idiot. But now I love it and I know I'll keep it forever. Of course I had no idea about RugsUSA! Good to know for the future.

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    1. OMG! $700 bucks. Ouch. I don't feel nearly so bad then. Thanks!

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  5. It really is amazing! I'm having less trouble with house stuff since we rented our old place and are renters again (for now), but it really is crazy how much money you put into a house and making it look nice/feel like home.

    I find I have a lot of sticker shock with cars and car repairs. I mean, it's unbelievable what dealerships want you to pay for a new car (even a used car) and then what that car depreciates to when you go to try to trade it in. It's all a racket, man!

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    1. Our house was move in ready but we still have put so much into it. And yes, because we wanted to but it's just so much money!!

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  6. I can't even imagine the fights mr pancakes and I are going to encounter when it comes to home decor...i like to spend him not so much. Rugs are nice though!

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    1. In our case I'm the budgeting one and he tends to not worry about the money so much, so it does gets tricky sometimes trying to find a balance.

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  7. It's crazy how it all adds up.

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    1. I know. I'm scared to do the math on how much we spent on renovation projects let alone the decor items.

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  8. I feel like you got some pretty good deals considering!! I love craigslist and thrifting, but I would never buy used rugs...I would look at Marshall's, Ross, TJMaxx, Homegoods, etc., but they still might not be better quality than what you got. You go girl!

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  9. I have sticker shock with everything! Wedding expenses, homeownership expenses, new baby expenses. Everything is always 10x more than what I think it should be :)

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