I am moving to Charleston in August and am in need of furniture. Because of this, I have been doing research on how to cheaply furnish my apartment. I have discovered there are three thrifty ways to furnish an abode.

Garage sales

In order to have a successful garage sale experience you need to do three things.

Due to my experiences last Saturday I have realized you have to wake up early.

Garage sales are taken very seriously by a lot of people and they get up at five in the morning, map out routes and steak out the best sales. If you get there at noon, all the good stuff is gone.

You must be prepared to dig through some not so nice things in order to find your diamond in the rough, because here’s some information people, most garage sales are filled with junk. Broken toys, old baby clothes, the occasional broken Lazy Boy and maybe a lawn mower. There is good stuff there, but it’s usually buried beneath the broken toys, old baby clothes and the broken Lazy Boy.

Look for a specific item. If you need table lamps, look for table lamps. It is easy to get distracted by the never-ending piles of old clothes, hole filled shoes, McDonalds toys and seventies style jewelry.

Saturday, I was looking for lamps, because I would prefer not to live in the dark and a twenty-five cent handmade doll distracted me, which of course I didn’t buy but was nevertheless intrigued by. Stay focused. It will save time and you might actually find the item you need.

Dumpster diving

Another way to furnish your apartment is dumpster diving.

I have done this only once and therefore, don’t consider myself an expert.

However, I do believe the key to this is to start looking for furniture in May. People are moving out of their apartments. Home is a long way away and the blue couch with the frays and tears in the upholstery really isn’t going to fit back in their childhood bedroom. So it stays and gets relocated to the curb. It needs a home, you need a couch, it’s a match made in cheap furniture heaven.

However, I would recommend a slipcover because who knows what went on on that sofa.

Steal things from home

You don’t steal from family, you borrow. . . permanently.

So ask Mom and Dad if that futon in the basement is near and dear to their hearts. If not, take it with you.

Is it a bed or a couch? You decide.

Parents don’t want you to live in an empty apartment. Usually they have extra furniture that is stored in the basement or storage shed and they would love for you to take it off their hands. That means nothing in your apartment will match but that’s the shabby chic look, that’s what you can tell your friends at any rate.

Home also comes in handy when you are trying to find utensils for your kitchen. Plastic spoons, whisks, forks and knives, if taken one at a time, usually go unnoticed.

Or you could just ask.

Be creative when furnishing an apartment. It’s going to be your home for the next ten months, so make it feel like a home and not just a box that is a little bit bigger than a dorm room.