Most people moving into their first apartment need to think creatively in order to furnish it with spending wads of cash. Some options include hand-me-downs and thrift store bargains.

The easiest items to acquire when moving into your first apartment are the items no one else wants. Your parents will have furniture they are happy to donate, as will your relatives and maybe a few friends.

You can then come up with a color scheme and paint the newly acquired furniture whatever color you want. If you are painting an old dresser, make sure you replace the knobs on the drawers to give it more of your own flare. If you are lucky enough to get a sofa but the color is less than desirable, simply buy a slipcover to fit over it in the design that you want and you suddenly have a brand new sofa.

There are items that are just easy and inexpensive to purchase, like kitchen chairs and stools, lamps, area rugs and bookshelves from retailers. Watch for clearance sales. Mid-September after back-to-school sales is always a good time to shop. And watch for neighborhood garage sales, always a great source of households items.

What’s the most creative and inexpensive decorating tip you’d like to share?