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15+ Ideas for When You Feel Dissatisfied with Your Home

Brigette’s $106 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 5

15+ Ideas for When You Feel Dissatisfied with Your Home

Feeling a bit blah about your home lately? Check out these free and frugal ideas to spruce up your home — perfect for when you’re craving something new but it’s not really in the budget!

Do you feel stuck or dissatisfied with your current home? Maybe wishing for something a little (or a lot!) bigger, a little newer, or a little better fit for your current lifestyle?

It’s tough to feel this way, especially when the housing market is high and your budget doesn’t quite match up!

Thanks to so many clever ideas from our Facebook tribe, we’ve compiled a helpful list of tips for when you’re in a house funk and find yourself wishing for something different.

Lost of these ideas are “quick fixes” that will instantly give you a little brighter view of your home — and many won’t cost you a cent!

Free Ideas to Spruce Up Your Home:

1. Get rid of clutter.

Go through each room with a trash bag and donation bin and start tossing things you don’t need, want, use, or love. As you go, tidy up and organize each room — it might just feel like a new house by the end of the day!

(Psst! Want help decluttering? Download our FREE one-week decluttering guide!)

2. Move furniture around.

It’s fun to switch things up and you might be surprised how much different a room feels with a new arrangement (this is especially fun to do in kids’ bedrooms). Of course, you can always put everything back if you don’t find a new arrangement you like better.

3. Consider the functionality of your home.

Would it make sense to have a small bench and coat hook next to the front door for guests? Is there a way you can create more “concealed storage” for your kids’ toys? Could you display your children’s artwork in a way that’s both decorative and practical? Do you need more pantry storage? If so, can you create it in another room close to the kitchen?

You might not be able to solve all your issues right away, but you can at least start thinking about how your home functions currently and how you would ideally like it to function better in the future.

4. Focus on what you love about your home.

If you have zero time, money, or energy to put into your home right now, you can still be grateful for the fact that you actually have a home.

Start a gratitude journal and list things you do love about your house — make it your goal to list at least one thing every day for a month!

5. Organize a free home decor swap.

Contact a group of friends, family, or neighbors and invite them to a “decor swap.” Everyone brings the decor items they are tired of and you can all take turns swapping for new-to-you items that might freshen up your space a bit!

Serve some yummy treats and make a fun afternoon out of it!

6. Deep clean the whole house.

Sometimes, all you need is a good deep clean to bring out the beauty in your home again. Also, by spending a day scrubbing and cleaning, you might not keep wishing for a larger home!

Open the windows (if the weather is nice enough) and enjoy a fresh breeze blowing through your freshly deep-cleaned home!

7. Light a candle.

Look through your stash and light something seasonal in a scent you love. It will soon fill your entire house with a lovely smell!

If you don’t have any candles on hand, you might consider making this easy stovetop potpourri.

8. Leave your house.

If you’re feeling a little cooped up or are going stir-crazy, get outside and go for a walk.

You could also go fishing, hiking, to a local park for a picnic, or even leave for a long weekend and go camping.

Sometimes, being away from your home for a short while will help you remember how much you appreciate it.

Cheap Ways to Spruce Up Your Home

9. Buy new hand towels.

Check out the clearance racks at your local home good stores and see if they have discounted hand towels you like. If so, buy a few and put them out in your kitchen and bathrooms for an instant face-lift!

10. Buy fresh flowers.

If you have a garden, feel free to pick your own flowers — but if not, grab a bouquet on your next grocery run and enjoy the color and freshness they bring to your kitchen table.

Tip: You can get really cheap flowers at Aldi, Walmart, or Trader Joe’s!

11. Paint.

Look for mis-tint paints at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot. You can often get paint for super cheap this way and paint can go a long way in sprucing up the look of a room. Some ideas:

Paint your front door to spruce up your entrance way.
Spray paint your vent covers, cabinet handles, or a light fixture to change the look and feel of your rooms.
Paint all your picture frames one color for a cohesive look that will tie your rooms together.
Paint a hutch or larger piece of furniture.

12. Put your sewing skills to the test.

If you can sew, make new pillow covers, curtains, or even slipcovers. You could use thrift store sheets or curtains if you don’t want to spend money on expensive fabrics.

13. Shop secondhand.

If you’re looking for new furniture, you can save a bunch of money by purchasing used from Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, or even yard sales.

If you have discount home stores in your area (like Habitat Restores) you might be able to find paint, tile, or other building materials at cheap prices, too!

14. Learn to DIY.

You’ll save a bunch of money by learning to do things yourself — YouTube videos and Pinterest boards can be super helpful!

15. Start small.

Make several small improvements that have been on your list for a while — for example, replace a leaky faucet, fix a squeaky door hinge, replace burned out lightbulbs, change batteries in your smoke alarms, trim the bushes in the front of your home, etc.

Over time, all of these little fixes will make you feel a lot better about your home!

16. Create a personal retreat within your home.

Pick a corner in your house and turn it into your own little retreat. Find a cute chair at a thrift shop or garage sale and then add fun items to personalize that corner (bookshelf, books, candle, plant, throw blanket, etc.).

It can be a space just for you, even if it’s just a corner in your bedroom or a spare closet!

Looking for more ideas?

Do you have any tips for how to be more content in your own home?

Brigette’s $106 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 5

Aldi

2 gallons Milk – $5.06

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $2.49

Corn on the Cob – Free from a church friend

1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $3.59

3 Avocados – $1.47

1 bunch Organic Bananas – $1.58

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $4.49

1 Broccoli – $2.69

1 Cauliflower – $2.99

1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $2.99

1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.69

1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.69

1 pkg Potato Chips – $2.19

1 5-lb bag Flour – $2.19

1 32-oz pkg Spaghetti Noodles – $2.09

1 16-oz bag Egg Noodles – $1.99

1 bag Chocolate Chips – $2.49

2 pkgs boneless Chicken Breasts ($2.29/lb) – $23.66

3 dozen Eggs – $4.74

2 16-oz pkgs Deli Meat – $9.98

3 jars Pasta Sauce – $3.57

2 16-oz pkgs Shredded Cheese – $9.98

1 Deli Sliced Cheese – $1.79

1 can Parmesan Cheese – $2.99

Total: $96.39

Publix

1 Bobo Bites – $3.50, used $2/1 Bobo Publix digital coupon – $1.50 after coupon

2 boxes Toaster Strudels – $3.73, used (2) $1/1 Pillsbury Publix digital coupon, plus received 750 points from Fetch – $0.98 for 2 after coupons and rebate

2 boxes Annies Snacks – $5.39, used $1/1 Annie’s Publix digital coupon , plus received (2) $0.50/1 Annie’s Ibotta rebate – $3.39 for 2 after coupon and rebates

1 Suja Protein Shake – $4.49, FREE after rebate

1 Finish – $4.09, used $3/1 Finish Publix digital coupon, plus received $2/1 Finish Ibotta rebate – $0.91 Money Maker after coupon and rebate

1 Perfect Bar – $2, FREE after rebate

12 Oui Yogurts – $14.40, used (2) $0.50/5 Yoplait Publix digital coupon, plus received $5 from Spoonable Rewards (I already had a few dollars towards the $15 from a previous purchase) – $8.40 for 12 after reward

4 Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce + 1 Seasoning – $5.77, used $1/2 Old El Paso Publix digital coupon, $0.75/2 Old El Paso Publix digital coupon, plus received $2.05 Old El Paso Ibotta rebates – $1.97 for 5 after coupons and rebates

2 Essentia Water – $2, used $1.50/2 Essentia Publix digital coupon, plus received (2) $0.50/1 Essentia Ibotta rebates – $0.50 Money Maker after coupon and rebates

~ Used $5 Spoonable Rewards Coupon from last week

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $9.83, plus I received $5 to use on my next purchase

Grocery Total for the Week: $106.22