It's amazing how one piece of carefully chosen, strategically placed furniture can drastically improve the look and feel of your kitchen, living room, or any other space in your home.

While it is very satisfying to pick out furniture that delights you every time you look at it, furnishing and decorating your home can take a big bite out of your budget. What many homeowners don't stop to consider, however, is that it is possible to get good deals on nice furniture without depleting your bank account.

Here are a few strategies for accomplishing that.

• Take advantage of sales, discount coupons, and closeouts. When a furniture outlet advertises that they "will not be undersold," it's often worth your while to stop over and take them up on that offer. First, however, it's necessary to know what the competition is charging for the same or very similar furniture. Once you're armed with that information, you're in a good position to pay the lowest possible price. Like any type of shopping, comparing prices will save you money.
• Dispense with your aversion to negotiating. Have you every heard people say "I hate negotiating" or "Negotiating makes me feel uncomfortable?" Are you one of those people? For whatever reason, it's a mind set many people have. The disadvantage of thinking this way, however, is that you may be missing out on chances to save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year. When you add up the savings and realize all the worthwhile ways you can use that saved money, you may reconsider your position on practicing the art of negotiating!
• Estate sales can potentially be a great source of good quality, reasonably priced furniture, and sometimes you can stumble upon incredible bargains. For obvious reasons, your ability to negotiate the best possible deal increases as the end of the sale approaches. When you play the "waiting game" or tell them you'll come back later or tomorrow, you do run the risk of someone else snatching up that great dresser, coffee table, or antique lamp you had your eye on. Waiting can be a gamble which sometimes (but not always) pays off. There's also an art and science to getting the best deals at antique shows, but effective bargaining requires the right mindset, a little knowledge, and plenty of practice.
• Attending garage sales can also yield great bargains and unique finds. Homeowners holding garage sales are often motivated to liquidate their old furniture --especially if it's a moving sale. If you've ever held a yard sale, yourself, you know that the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is to haul unsold furniture back to the house when the sale is over.

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Cleaning a medium sized house single-handedly could take three hours. It only gets worse if you clean up after a spouse and two or more children. Forget trying to clean the way your mother or grandmother cleaned when you were a kid. Your life is probably different from your mother's and grandmother's. You might be juggling a job,homeschooling your children or managing your own business.

Here's what a housekeeper can take off your shoulders

Whether you work in or outside your home, it wouldn't be a surprise if you put in more than 40 hours a week. The last thing you need at the end of a grueling workweek is to have to clean the house. Over time, the added chore of housecleaning could cause you to feel overwhelmed. Help could come in the form of a housekeeper.

Depending on the agreement that you make with a housekeeper, the professional who cleans your house can do several things. Among the tasks that a housekeeper could perform for you are:

• Cleaning carpet and hard wood floors (Don't expect a housekeeper to buff hardwood floors. If you want the housekeeper to perform this type of work, state that upfront before you and the housekeeper enter into an agreement.)
• Dusting and cleaning furniture
• Washing clothes and bed linen
• Cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, including mopping floors
• Washing windows (This is another item that you may have to clearly state that you want completed before the housekeeper starts working for you.)
• Folding laundry and ironing clothes

Getting more from a housekeeper

To get more work completed by a housekeeper, you may need to hire a live-in housekeeper. Alive-in housekeeper might watch your children for you, in addition to cleaning your home. A live-in housekeeper also might prepare meals. Be prepared to pay more for a live-in housekeeper. Also, have a designated living and sleeping space for the housekeeper.

Should your elderly parents or grandparents live with you, let your housekeeper clean your parents' or grandparents' living space. Purpose of hiring a housekeeper is to relieve you of work, to free you up to do other things.

If you love to entertain, ask your housekeeper if he would be willing to clean the area that you are going to entertain in, both before and after the event. Don't assume that your housekeeper will be available to clean for you after his regular work hours. Respect your housekeeper's personal time. If you value your housekeeper and show it, you could develop a true friendship with this person.

Go with a housekeeper you trust. Do a background check on prospects before you hire a housekeeper. Ask friends, relatives and colleagues to suggest a housekeeper for you. Make sure that the housekeeper is good with children if you have kids. The housekeeper won't babysit, but will need to be patient with kids to make the working relationship rewarding. If your housekeeper is good but is afraid of cats or large dogs, let your pets go outside or into the basement while your house is being cleaned.

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Selecting the perfect color can be difficult. Using a color wheel is a good idea when trying to come up with a color scheme, or colors with confidence. When using a color wheel remember opposites attract, each one of these opposite colors complement each other. When using complementary colors make sure one color is more subtle than the other. Another way to use the color wheel is to use colors next to each other. These are related colors which create a less contrasting effect. Using the color wheel you can also choose a monochromatic scheme. This is created by taking any one of the 12 color hues on the wheel and repeating it in various shades, tints and tones. Using the color palates base on one basic color gives you the monochromatic effect. Choosing this style can make the process of coming up with a good color scheme in your home a little easier by having one general color in mind. This style helps to create an elegant look for your home because all the colors flow so smoothly together. Incorporating colors into the home can be over whelming for some people. A good way to see what colors work well together is to look at wrapping paper and gift bags. In the gift wrap isle you will see unusual color combinations that you may be able to bring into your home. Your color scheme can also be inspired by simply pulling colors from the furnishing in the room. No matter how you decide on a color scheme don’t be afraid to take a chance. Remember paint is very forgiving it can always be changed if you are unhappy with the results.

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