Spring is here and for many of us it's the perfect time to organize and decorate. As winter passes into spring, it's out with the old look and in with the new look. This is a great time to bring some new ideas into your home and liven things up!

Spring is a great time to find bargains on decorating accessories at yard and garage sales. As the seasons change, many times your local thrift and consignment stores will have a change in inventory. This is the time when many folks finally donate unwanted merchandise that's just been sitting around the garage or house. Spring cleaning!

My advise??..have your own yard or garage sale and make some extra money on those items. But, lucky for us frugal shoppers, there are some folks who just don't want to take the time. So, be sure not to miss out on decorating supplies, furnishings, accessories, paint, wallpaper, and fabrics that can be found at many thrift stores.

Sometimes pulling items from one room to another and simply re-organizing, fixing up, or just using an item in a different way can be enough. Add a fresh coat of paint, different window dressings and replacement of furnishings, and WHA LAH! You have a new room.

Need some paint? If you can be flexible about color, check the mis-mixed table at your local home improvement, hardware, or paint stores. You can find high quality paints for a fraction of the original retail cost when colors don't turn out exactly as they should have. Sometimes you can find a slight variation of just the color you've already picked that will work just as well with your selected color scheme and save you lots of money.

I buy these mis-mixed paints (usually for $2-3 per gallon or less) throughout the year and store them appropriately for later use. This way I go shopping in my own paint department first to see if I can accommodate the decorating plan I have chosen. Planning ahead and grabbing these types of decorating supplies when they're a bargain is a great way to maximize your savings.

Collecting fabrics for future use is also another great idea. Even unwanted clothing can be used to create small window dressings, pillow covers, and accessories. Many people give away scraps of fabrics or sell them at yard sales. Be sure to check clearance and end piece items at sewing and fabric shops. It's really so simple to make a curtain or a pillow. Usually only requires sewing simple seams.

For more complicated tasks, if you can't figure it out for yourself, you're sure to find a how to book at any library or search on-line for free information.

I've found some excellent ideas for decorating on a budget, do-it-yourself projects, and some great decorating theme ideas from HGTV (Home and Garden Television). Even if you don't get this wonderful T.V. channel in your home, you can go on-line at HGTV.com to benefit from some wonderful ideas and projects by professionals. There's a lot for do-it-yourselfers here! You can get some great ideas for areas of your home where you just don't know what to do with it.

Before you make your plans, check out several books at the library on home decorating. You will find no shortage of books on this subject. Glance through them and grab ideas to incorporate into your own decorating task. If you have a specific challenge to overcome, likelihood is someone else has already encountered it, conquered it, and written a book or web page about it. Use their knowledge! It will save you time and frustration of figuring it out.

My last words, of course, DO YOUR RESEARCH! Know your options.
Remember??..Informed Consumer=More Savings.

Happy decorating.

Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping herself and others become and remain debt free. Publisher of http://www.simpledebtfreeliving.com - A self-help plan, ideas, and resources for debt reduction, personal budgeting, frugal living, and extra income opportunities. Money saving tips for groceries, clothing, ,home decorating, monthly bills, and much more.