Let’s be serious: The living situation of most twenty-somethings looks pretty bleak. As in, eerily close to what our college dorms looked like—give or take a few scented candles. And sure, we all know the quickest way to adult your apartment is to invest in a few good throw pillows, pick out a brand new rug, and maybe even find a proper coffee table (no, your fold-out snack trays don’t count) for the living room. But what happens if you don’t have a grand budget to blow on a TV unit or a headboard made out of shiplap, Joanna Gaines be damned? Short answer: You have to get creative.
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We found 15 under-$50 home decor accents like lighting fixtures, side tables, and even a few knick knacks like a brass bowl whose sole purpose is to collect dust be a home for your keys. Because there’s nothing more adult then grabbing all your cleaning supplies, throwing on some Whitney Houston, and cleaning the hell out of your apartment on a Saturday morning—all by choice.
Ahead, 15 cheap ways to adult your apartment on the fly that won’t bankrupt you.
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