Alex and I are beginning our marriage with countless blessings! The Good Lord IS the good provider! Fortunately, it doesn’t take millions of dollars to make a home. We’re light-years away from being millionaires, but we’re still taking the proper steps towards financial freedom each day. Prayer and Craigslist are a great place to start!
Sadly, in the world of Pinterest and Instagram, every young lady struggles with the temptation to covet. Also with every swipe, we bring ourselves closer to dissatisfaction. How do we fix this? Be encouraged beautiful! You are not alone. Homes are intimate and sometimes messy. š Also, be confident in finding YOUR own style and at prices that fit YOUR budget.
Here is my humble journey in making our first little home (apartment!). Enjoy!!
#1. Begin on Your Knees and Pray
From day one of marriage, Alex positioned our lives toward Jesus Christ. First, every night, we spend praying on our knees. Additionally, every day, we spend time together in The Word. These are not revolutionary ideas, but they are impacting our lives in revolutionary ways!! I encourage you to connect intimately with God and thus your spouse. Every couple is different and their story is unique, but one thing is true: God is worthy of our praises! Find what works best for you! Maybe it is morning coffee together with the Word of God or afternoon walks spent praying hand in hand or ending dinner with dessert and prayer time. This advice is from hundreds of wonderful men and women in my life, ALL encouraging my husband and me to pray TOGETHER.
#2. Be Humble and Ask
I am continually amazed at how incredible our God is! Our Heavenly Father has storehouses of wonders He is waiting to share with us! If only we had the courage to ask. Ask! Even in the small things, humbly ask!
With the creation of our first home, we asked God specifically for His kind blessings. I also encourage you to consider asking for blessings too. In addition, pray courageously and honestly. Prayer and Craigslist can end up with some amazing results!
Together, we asked God to provide for a few purchases including a dresser, dining room table, and a desk for Alex.
[Now, Iām not recommending praying for a Rolls Royce Sweptails on a 2nd Lt. salary, which is the most expensive car in 2019. Biblically speaking, we need to be wise with our investments. Nevertheless, praying for God to provide in the little and the big things is His desire for our relationship with Him. First and foremost, I encourage you to include Him in your finances and in little things like homemaking.]!
Check out my table below for our crazy bargains on the desk and chair!
#3. Be Prudent and set a Limit
I am naturally a frugal individual. I still have clothes from middle school! (Yes, believe it or not! Ask my good friends, I was a tall young middle schooler haha!) Despite my favorite pastime being a good search after the perfect sale, actual budgeting is intimidating. There is an unfounded association with difficult spreadsheets and bar graphs. When in reality, budgeting is simple and necessary! Have a set number or flexible idea in your mind, but have a figure!
After we budgeted, my logistical mind knew our budget would not cover a NEW dresser, a NEW dining room set, and additionally a NEW desk. So I needed an alternative route… We considered āused.ā So we prayed continually, stuck to our budget, and we forged on!
Check out my table below for our crazy bargains on the two mirrors, table, and chairs!
#4. Insert Craigslist!
So the hunt began! Specifically, we surfed Craigslist. (We also later used Facebook Market Place, but all the items I mentioned in this article are from Craigslist.)
In all honesty, I was very hesitant about buying used. As a result, I set up some guidelines for our purchases.
- No couches, beds, or chairs
- No smoke, stains, or spills
- Additionally, no pets
You may not need these guidelines, but they helped me. Your list may even be longer than mine.
Check out my table below for our crazy bargains on the two bookshelves!
#5. Last, But DEFINITELY, not Least…
Record Godās Blessings…
God is SO good! We found so much more than we imagined and we were under our budget!
With the remaining budget, I also purchased new reclining chairs, new pretty pillows, a new guest room bedspread, and fun new bathroom decoration! (Alex is determined to have a ābeach themedā guest bath for the rest of our lives!)
Over and over again, God commands Israel to write the miracles down lest they wonāt forget. God knows we are feeble and our minds are finite. How easily are we distracted?! Likewise, recording the big and the intimately small ways God provides enables us to praise His name with a deeper understanding.
God is the Good provider! I encourage you to put your requests before Him. He desires to hear even the most simple desires.
Here’s a quick review of everything we purchased.
| Item | Original Price | Our Price |
| 5 Drawer Dresser | $596.99 | $250 |
| 7 Drawer Dresser | $689.99 | $250 |
| Dinning Room Set | $100 | $40 |
| Chippendale Writing Desk | $1,580.00 | $100 |
| Desk Chair | $100 | $40 |
| Custom Bookshelves (From Argentina) | Very Expensive | 2 for $200 |
| Gold Vintage Mirros | Unknown | 3 for $30 |
| Gold Vintage Bar Cart (From Italy) | Unknown | $40 |
| TOTAL | $950 |
Finally, how have you been blessed?
I hope you enjoyed some crazy deals we found through Prayer and Craigslist!
Also, please share some wonderful blessings and provisions in your own life in the comments below! I’d love to hear what Prayer and Craigslist have brought into your home.
Check my other articles here!
Wow I love how thrifty you guys are!