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You did it. You finished med school, got matched, and criss-crossed the country in your old SUV to start your first year of residency (PGY-1) in a new city.
If you’re lucky, friends and family helped you settle in. Maybe they even hauled in truckloads of basement couches and old childhood bedroom sets. But more likely, you traveled light. Like your ex (who got matched to Dubuque, Iowa), your med-school furniture is yet another casualty of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
But you still need a bed, a table, and something to sit on — and preferably some kitchen utensils too for those mornings you’re not too fried to scramble a plate of eggs.
While everything costs, you don’t have to go into more debt during residency in order to furnish your home. Here’s how to fill your space without sinking your finances.
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11 Ways to Start Cheap and Stay Cheap
You need furniture that works for residency. You’ll likely be too booked or too tired to fully enjoy it. Used furniture is your best friend, and IKEA, a close second, but there are 11 other ways to decorate your place on the cheap.
1. Buy Nothing Groups
Dive into your local Buy Nothing Group (BNG) on Facebook. It’s a great source for free furniture, kitchen goods, and other home decor.
Even if there isn’t anything up for grabs that you’re interested in, you can still make an ISO (In Search Of) post and outline what you’re looking for. Add that you’re a new doctor in town starting residency, and you’ll have plenty of future mother-in-law candidates eager to oblige.
2. Facebook Marketplace
You can find quality deals on Facebook Marketplace. There are some fantastic prices there for stylish, heirloom-quality goods if you act quick. It might be a waiting game for the right listings to pop up. Set keyword search alerts and respond promptly.
As someone who has bought and sold over $10,000 worth of goods on Facebook, here are a few extra tips.
- Reply right away that you want to buy it. Firm commitment will always trump a lukewarm “Interested” or “Is this still available?” (You can change your mind later.)
- Say what payment method you’ll use. It strengthens your commitment to follow through.
- Let them know when you are available to pick up. Suggest three time windows.
- Wait for end-of-month inventory surges. That’s when sellers often list desirable items at below-market rates.
Also, if you’ll be working a long 30-hour shift, include that detail in your initial offer message. The seller may be flooded with potential buyers. If your offer is first in line, but you don’t reply to the seller for several hours, they may move on to someone else.
3. OfferUp
This resale app has some great finds. In recent years, many contend that the app has become a nest of unreliable warehouse sellers, bots, and people peddling used goods at new prices.
However, if you stick to local sellers who are well reviewed, OfferUp is worth a spot on your furniture-hunting list.
4. Goodwill
This is a controversial one. Goodwill can be a good source for furniture if you’re willing to accept more dated or dinged up goods, possibly with rough edges and decades-old stickers glued on.
Opt for hard furniture over upholstered goods (which aren’t always professionally cleaned pre-donation), and look for sturdy pieces over cardboard-thin particle board.
While I have never bought major pieces there (the kind given pride-of-place in the living room), I have bought desks, file cabinets, and nightstands from my local Goodwill.
5. Office Supply Companies
Although office supply companies probably aren’t top of mind for home furnishings, office supply companies have some outstanding pieces that can work for many rooms. This includes coffee tables, desks, couches, chairs, end tables, lamps, and tables.
Usually, you will need to pick up the goods yourself. However, you’ll typically see much higher-quality goods there than at your typical thrift store.
6. IKEA Open Box
The Swedish DIY furniture chain is notoriously tightfisted with discounts and cashback rebates. But you can score deep discounts on IKEA furniture if you shop the store’s open-box section.
Some items may have nicks or scratches or a small section of particle board peeling off, but the goods are still durable (IKEA durable) and perfectly usable. There’s also a Last Chance discount section on the IKEA website.
7. Amazon Resale Furniture
Amazon Resale (formerly Amazon Warehouse) is a hidden gem, offering quality used, pre-owned, or open-box goods at significant discounts.
It has a wide selection of items like home and kitchen appliances, small tables, lamps, and chairs, often with savings of 10% to 70% or more compared to new. Every item is inspected and graded (“Like New,” “Very Good,” etc.) with detailed descriptions, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
And unlike Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist finds, the sales are fulfilled by Amazon. That means purchases are delivered conveniently to your doorstep, backed by standard shipping and return policies.
8. Amazon Open-Box Centers
Many cities have physical stores like Sky Group Bargains that sell returned Amazon items. These stores are usually not affiliated with the retail giant, but purchase returned and liquidation goods directly from Amazon for public resale.
In my experience, these hubs can be overwhelming. They carry everything from shoelace strings to carrot peelers and bathroom vanities. Most things requiring assembly are assembled on the shop floor.
The deals are pretty spectacular (up to 80% off Amazon.com prices), but store hours are often limited. Call in advance before you head out. (Yes, call. Your phone has a call app. The website info may be wrong.)
If you do go, bring a truck and a plan for what you need. I’ve been tempted to leave these centers with a brand new dining room set I didn’t even like – just because it was sturdy, “not ugly,” and only $188.
9. Pottery Barn
If you or your partner has the time and energy to work part-time at Pottery Barn (West Elm, Williams Sonoma, or another Williams-Sonoma, Inc. store) for a short stint, you can enjoy the employee 40% discount.
This includes goods that never seem to go on sale (like KitchenAid blenders), and it can also be stacked on top of other store promotions.
My brother worked there part-time one summer to redecorate his house, and he stacked 40% deals on top of a 40% off sale. While sales are fewer now than they used to be, they still happen, and insiders know when they are coming.
Right now, my kids are 4 and 6. When they get a few years older, and we’re ready for a new couch, I’m tempted to do a tour of duty at Pottery Barn.
10. Showroom Outlets
Floor model furniture from Crate & Barrel or Restoration Hardware (RH) doesn’t sit there forever. When new merchandise comes in, floor models are marked down and sold at a discount.
You can find some of these pieces in the store, but outlet locations will have a larger selection and better deals.
Crate & Barrel has an online locator tool for warehouses and outlets. For RH outlets, do a quick Google search or ask in neighborhood forums. (Blog articles I’ve seen have incorrect location information.) While I’ve not tried it personally, many people tell me that RH outlet employees are very receptive to negotiations.
In Minneapolis, I live close to outlets for Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware. I’ve found store hours limited and deals typically around 40–60% off. Buyers must come with their own U-Haul or truck because they do not deliver.
11. Interior Decorator
Do not rule out interior decorators. I used to think they were for rich people who decorated with HGTV extravagance, but decorators will work with renters and homeowners of all backgrounds and spending limits.
Ten years ago, I bought a small city bungalow, and an interior decorator helped me decorate. She furnished my living room and upstairs master bedroom, and lounge area. The decorator was willing to work with my tight budget and eclectic style, and I spent less than $1,500 total for the furnishings and design fees.
With my blessing (suggestion), she shopped at discount showrooms, garage sales, and thrift stores, and even painted and repurposed some of the finds. Thankfully, she had the time, experience, and connections to expertly navigate our local secondhand market.
For less than a home full of new IKEA furniture, you could hire an affordable designer on Houzz to put together a personal look for you that will make it a space you love to come home to.
What Long-Term Furnishings Should You Buy Now?
Residency is a short phase of life where you’re likely looking for home goods that are just good enough for right now. You’ll likely be moving again in a few years, and don’t need “forever” quality.
There are, however, a few instances where it makes sense to splurge and buy brand-new, move-worthy items:
- A mattress: Used ones are a health risk, and you need sleep more than ever.
- One or two quality pieces of furniture: Your college beanbag days are long over. These squishy sacks are less comfy for adults with tired joints, and sturdier versions like Lovesac can cost as much as a brand new loveseat.
If you have purchased your home (there are specialty mortgages for resident doctors) or plan on remaining in your residency city, it may make sense to invest in a few more quality pieces if you can acquire them without going into more debt.
With a medical mortgage, Physician on FIRE’s Dr. Nirav Shah, M.D. purchased a condo in Miami during his PGY-1. He moved there from Indiana with no furniture (he owned nothing worth keeping) and gradually filled his home with IKEA purchases and other home goods one piece at a time.
Acquiring roommates and moonlighting (during later residency years) were critical in keeping things affordable for Nirav.
Also read: Stop Being “Pathologically Conservative” as a Physician
Do You Want to Embrace — or Avoid — the Doctor Lifestyle Trap?
If your plan is to live like a doctor, spending lavishly (and relying on locum tenens when times get tight) with aspirations of a $32 million Rolls-Royce, residency is a great time to get a head start on lifestyle debt.
But new furniture gets old. The all white kitchen I dreamt of five years ago is now dated, as current design trends shift toward enclosed spaces, bold colors, and wallpaper. How much money do you want to spend now on furniture that will be used and past its prime once residency is up?
Your residency home needs to function comfortably for now. Furnish smart and save your real money for later when you have actual attending money.
