Even in the midst of a recession, a lot of consumers don’t necessarily need to get payday loans in order to replace that old sofa or get their hands on a new TV if they need to.  Home furnishings are an expenditure that you sometimes just can’t afford to skip. There are ways around having to spend the big bucks to get what you need if the precious kitty that you share a home with has decided to soil the couch as well as claw all upholstery beyond repair.

Rent to own stores posting gains

The rent to own appliance and furniture industry has been picking up while other retail chains have been slowly slipping.  The appeal of the industry is that people who have bad credit are able to purchase new appliances, furniture, or electronics that they otherwise would not be able to afford.  The stores typically will offer higher end consumer products for the home at a markup, but give the leaser/buyer a contract which gives them a monthly minimum payment, with interest, to make for the length of the payment agreement.  If the whole balance isn’t paid off by the time of the expiration date, the customer can purchase the item for the remainder of the balance.  The industry has drawn plenty of criticism, however.  Several government agencies have accused rent to own furnishing stores of predatory lending and other unfair practices.

Need furniture?  Here are a few tricks!

Here’s a few good tips for you if you are in need of home furnishings and want to avoid payday loans just to get a love seat:

First, for chairs and couches, you can go the tried and true method used by college students all across the nation – keep an eye out for anyone getting rid of a chair or couch in decent shape.  You can pick it up for probably next to, if not exactly for, nothing.   Also, second hand stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army will have some furniture that is in decent shape for not very much.

Also, if you happen to live in a city that is home to either a community college or university, or several of them for that matter, look out for when the school is having a liquidation sale.  Desks, tables, couches, chairs, file cabinets, even dormitory bed frames, can be had for less.  Granted, they may not look like much, but it will keep you in furniture long enough for you to save up for the good stuff.

Sofa, So Good

Furniture is an essential, and many of us can’t afford to plunk down a few grand on furniture every few years.  There are plenty of tips out there for those of us who need to find a less expensive way to furnish our home, and don’t want to get payday loans to be able to do it.

Payday Loan month is here. Every year we have the same problem in January. January is notorious as the sales month, where you could save so much money on the things you need, yet, after you’ve spent all of your money on the holidays, it’s also the hardest month of the year financially.

This is where a payday loan can really help

Have you seen the shoes in the windows? And the clothes hanging on the racks? Have you seen the colors and the styles? All the stuff you couldn’t afford before winter is now on sale at half price and you’re determined to save money.  You know you’re going to end up buying these items anyway, only at a much higher price later.

The sandals

The problem with sales shopping, as we women know, is that you start with one little item, say a pair of sandals. They are light; they are pretty; they are something you will wear only a few times when you go down to the beach.  But they are on sale, January clearance even, so you buy them. It’s no big deal.  And, buying on sale and getting a bargain is like getting a vitamin shot; it makes you feel good. The cashier puts them in a bag. You pay and turn to walk out then you see that pair of shoes that you have been looking for the whole year. Is this where they’ve been hiding?

The shoes

You try them; they fit like they were painted onto your feet so you buy them too. They were not exactly on sale, but you’d been looking for them all year. You walk out of the store and you know already that it’s going to mean taking out a payday loan to pay for what you just bought. The shoes are Burgundy, a deep shade of red almost unknown in the fashion industry. They need a dress to make them look good. You know you need these shoes and clothes for work.  If you can find the dress on a January clearance sale, it will all be worth it.

The dress

Now the hunt starts. You go from store to store, the cheap ones, the expensive ones, the ones with the sales and the ones that never hold sales. Burgundy, repeats the cashier, burgundy? You find a red dress. It’s not exactly burgundy, more the color of a Bordeaux wine. You’ll have to put the shoes on to make sure these colors are in sync and don’t clash. It works. The dress is more expensive than you would have hoped, but on clearance, none-the-less and the cashier assures you, it is the only one in town.

The coat

The cashier guides you to the exit of the dress department. Perhaps, she suggests, you should stop at the coats on the way to the elevator. They are on clearance and it’s still pretty cold outside, she smiles. You nod, lost now in the shopping excitement. The third coat is just right. Both the size and more importantly, the color, are perfect. Don’t wrap that, you say. I’ll wear it. It’s still pretty cold outside.

The glasses

At home you put all the new clothes on and stand in front of the mirror. Not a bad day’s work, you think. There are still a few adjustments necessary. Change in nail polish for sure and oh my, new eye glasses. Super high density progressive bifocals and brother do they cost! You wonder  if they are on clearance somewhere.

The bill

Well, it’s definitely worth a payday loan! You wonder if you can order a double?