Spruce Up for Summer, for Less

June 6, 2007 — -- This is the time of year I get in the mood to freshen up my house or yard for spring. The nicer weather motivates me to brighten up a room with some paint, to buy new linens or dishes for entertaining, or to replace an outdated light fixture or piece of furniture.

Unfortunately, almost every decorating idea that comes to mind ends up costing more than I'd like to spend, so I do my best to find coupons and discounts for home purchases and improvements. I recently found several good sources of home coupons I was not aware of, so I'll share my finds with you.

You may also find generous coupons for local hardware and paint stores in the Entertainment book, which sells for half price this time of year. If you register an Entertainment book you purchased earlier in the year at Entertainment.com, you can print coupons for some home improvement retailers. I found a coupon for 25 percent off at my local paint store.

In addition to the printable coupons on the outlet mall site, I printed a voucher for a free coupon book containing many more offers available at the center's management office. Without the voucher, I would have had to pay $5 for it. I also signed up for the in-store mailing list at my local Ballards Design outlet and received a $50 coupon off a $250 purchase. All Entertainment books also have a $50 coupon for any Ballards location.