buy a new sofa

I’m hoping to go browse furniture stores tomorrow…..in preparation I bought this product called “Soft Paws” which are little rubbery sheaths that go over cat claws. My cats have done a real number on the current sofa, and a dog that we had for a little while ate a nice big hole under one of the cushions. I will be glad to see the back of that sofa going out the door.

It’s beige. It’s a “contemporary sectional.” It takes up too much space. It is NOT MY STYLE AT ALL. It used to belong to my parents. Every time I walk into my house, I see that ugly sectional and realize why I am such a hermit who never allows anyone to come over. I hate my living room. It’s not “mine.”

Once upon a time, back when I was newly-married and living in an apartment, I purchased a sofa and loveseat that I truly loved. The style was very much “me” and I was happy. Unfortunately, I purchased the WRONG kind of furniture for that stage of my life. They were pastel, a flat fabric. I was in that “early ‘20s stage” where you change apartments every 6 months, so my beautiful sofas got dragged up and down staircases more than they should have. Then I had babies, who spit up on them. Then I had a husband who refused to sleep in our bed, and insisted on “falling asleep on the couch” every night, matting down the cushions and leaving greasy hair spots on my pastel sofas. They became filthy and disgusting, and we got rid of them. My husband was then in a cycle of unemployment, so, of course, we could not buy new furniture. Instead, we relied upon “cast-offs” from family members. First, we had my sister-in-law’s couches, which were okay, but they were cheap and meant for a “formal living room” (you know—the kind of room that never gets used). In our house, the living room was the center of everything (plus my husband’s main place to sleep). My parents bought new living room furniture and offered us their sectional. We passed down sister-in-law’s couches to a brother-in-law and took in the behemoth beige sectional. I always thought I’d be able to buy something I truly wanted in a couple of years, but since I still had young children with sticky fingers, it didn’t make sense to buy right away. Better to destroy someone else’s used furniture, right?

Fast forward a couple of years, and you find me getting divorced. I’m broke. I have to pay not only child support, but also ALIMONY to my now-ex-husband. I have to borrow money from my parents to pay my divorce attorney and to sell my house (that has no equity) and move into a crappy rental. I’m broke, and I will stay broke for 3 years because I have to subsidize an ex-husband who has no earning potential.

My alimony obligation is finally completed, but my credit rating is in the toilet. I live on a “cash-only” basis right now, but I’ve got 2 growing kids who need new clothes, new shoes, school supplies, activities, music lessons, dental visits, etc. I REFUSE to buy furniture on credit. I pay CASH for everything, but sofas are kind of expensive, so this is a challenge.

I just want our home to reflect US. I want it to be comfortable and happy. I want to be able to pick out something that shows my taste, my favorite colors, etc. I am tired of living with “hand-me-downs” and “cast-offs.” I want my home to be MINE.

So, I am GOING TO BUY THAT SOFA!!! And I am going to PAY CASH for it! If it takes me 6 months to save up the money, so be it, but it WILL HAPPEN!

And I will purchase something that is sensible, practical, and durable because I KNOW from experience what a beating my living room sofa will take. And you know what? That’s a good thing. My kids and I spend a lot of quality time on our sofa – doing homework, watching movies, folding laundry – our sofa is definitely the “focal point” of our living room, but also the place where we hang out and talk about our day and laugh and eat popcorn and have discussions and hand out hugs. Our Living Room is very much “lived-in.”

I want it to be a place I can embrace as a “good space.” So, I need a new sofa. Maybe a sofa and a loveseat, or possibly a sofa and two comfy chairs?

Next week, I will go to my payroll website and request that $50 every pay period get siphoned off into my savings account. That’s my Sofa Money. When I have enough saved, I’m getting that sofa.

Yep! got a new chocolate brown leather sofa last Novenber!

but i finally replaced my futon with a sofa. Guess I am becoming adult and leaving my college days behind. I can’t wait for it to be delivered. Come Friday, I will be sitting comfortably!!

I now have a brand new two-seater and three-seater sofa in the living room. So much more comfortable than what we had before!

I’ve just paid off my credit card which means I can put the money I was using each fortnight for credit card payments can now go towards saving for a sofa.

We just grabbed a fabulous loud red sofa yesterday off craigslist. I can’t believe my husband loves it so much. It is colorful, it is comfy, life is good.

Once I pay off my credit card, my ‘reward’ will be to save up for a new sofa. The $250 per fortnight I am currently putting towards paying off the debt – will go towards savings instead.

If all goes to plan I should be able to start saving in mid-May!

and a chair!

I went to Ikea one day and bought a beautiful colourful toucan design sofa and other stuff (as you do at Ikea) and took it home (with my wife) in a pretty small car. I had to put the seat all the way forward and she had to change gear for 50 miles. Very comfortable and still being used by somebody else over ten years later.