There are, of course, ways to get around paying for furniture at all. The site freecycle.org aims to reduce waste by providing a venue for users to post their items to be given away and connect with others who are giving away something they may need. Everything is free, and since you can search by location, the sources are generally easy to access. Another favorite is good, old-fashioned sidewalk shopping — check out sidewalks in New York City, Jersey City, Hoboken and other towns on trash day and you’re bound to find some gems. This method can be a little risky — look out for items that may have been mistaken by someone’s pooch for a fire hydrant — I have friends who have furnished entire apartments this way.

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