To begin with I want to offer a disclaimer. When I write ‘cheap blinds’ I am referring to the price you pay for your blinds, and not with the ‘look’. You don’t have to pay exorbitant amounts of money to buy blinds that look good in your home, and that are stylish. There are some simple things you can do to lessen the amount you spend on blinds without making your home look like a hovel.
Tip #1 – Look for Sales
Many times, if you shop around, you can find cheap blinds on sale. A tip is to actually type in ‘cheap blinds’ as a search and see what you turn up. You’ll be amazed at the very good sales online right now, and there’s a great chance that you may well be able to pick up good quality cheap blinds. Remember, sales are a way a retail outlet has of getting rid of old stock which oftentimes is still very good quality. Once a shop has stocked an item for some time, they begin looking for ways to get rid of it so they can reinvest in new stock, thus a sale is born. So, do keep an eye out for sales when you are in line for purchasing cheap blinds.
Tip #2 – Decide on Material
You will find a big difference in price between wood blinds and faux wood blinds, for example with the faux wood being a cheaper blind than the real wood blinds in most cases. There are also other ways you can save on your blinds by looking into buying blinds made out of a different material. I am not suggesting investing in lower grade materials, such as cheap PVC blinds, as they simply won’t last. Instead I’m suggesting you check out faux wood instead of wood, or vinyl instead of faux wood, or bamboo instead of wood.
Check your alternatives, look around and don’t get stuck on any one material. If you leave yourself open to other possibilities you may well end up finding those great looking cheap bathroom window blinds that you have been wanting to buy.
Tip #3 – Mix up Styles of Blinds
You don’t absolutely have to have expensive wooden blinds on every window in your house, not even on every window in your living room. It is perfectly acceptable to mix and match your blinds. Put the faux-wood plantation shutters on your big view window in your living room, and really show it off. Then use classic design roller blinds, that complement the wood color of your plantation shutters, on the smaller side windows. Or choose bamboo roller blinds instead.
Be inventive. Don’t limit yourself, but really stretch your imagination and your creativity to come up with cheap blind alternatives for the windows that don’t get much attention. If you choose carefully, these alternative cheap blinds will blend in and no one will notice. In fact, they’ll probably compliment you on your creativity.
Tip #4 – Buy the Right Blind for the Right Room
Think and ask questions before you buy. It really is not a good idea to put wood blinds in your kitchen, or in your bathroom, unless you know they are treated to resist dampness and moisture (moisture is a killer for wooden blinds, makes them warp and the wood swells.) If you are concerned about keeping the light out of your child’s bedroom, especially that early morning sun that makes them wake up at 5.30 when you want to keep sleeping, then invest in a black-out roller blind. They come in all sorts of colors, perfect for decorating a kid’s room and you can find any pattern you like. They look great, add color and fun to a room, and do the job of keeping that sneaking morning sun out of your child’s room until you decide to let it in!
If you are going to invest in blinds, really think about what you want for each room, weigh up practicality and looks, and buy the right blind for the right room. You’d be surprised at how many people rush out to buy blinds without really thinking about what they’re getting. They buy on impulse, buy because it would ‘look good’ and don’t give a second to thinking about practicality. The blind comes home, it doesn’t do the job, and that’s money wasted.
Tip #5 – Measure Your Window Properly
While not actually a tip on finding cheap blinds, it is definitely a money-saving tip nonetheless. You would also be surprised at how many people fail to measure their windows correctly, according to directions, and end up with blinds that are too long, too short, too narrow or too wide. Almost every online store offers slightly different directions on how they want to receive measurements.
Read up on how to measure before you purchase your blinds, and follow the guidelines given. You might end up saving money!
Tip #6 – Look for Second Hand Sales
Yes, that’s right. Sometimes you can find second hand blinds or shutters that are still in good condition. You would be amazed at how often some people re-do their living room or house, including their window treatments. And it is also fairly common that many windows are actually built to standard size, thus blinds from their window may well fit on your similarly sized window. So, that is also a good way to look into getting cheap blinds.
Remember cheap blinds don’t have to look cheap, they just have to cost less.