Furnishing your home is one of the most expensive processes you can go through, but it doesn't have to be. Buying furniture at a discount will allow you to save money and still have a great looking house. All it takes is a little know how and some willingness to be patient enough to find a good deal.

Saving money on furniture is all about knowing the right places to buy. There are several different types of stores that can give you access to great furniture at a great price. The first place to try is a wholesale furniture distributor. You should be able to find one in your local yellow pages if you live in at least a mid-sized metropolitan area. These types of stores will give you wholesale prices for furniture. You may be purchasing furniture that has minor flaws or imperfections that are unnoticeable but lower the cost. Or you may be getting a good deal on a piece of furniture that is on closeout.

The next place to look is in classified ads (whether in your local paper or online). You can also find yard sales in your local area where you can purchase furniture. Many people hold moving sales or clear out their home of old furniture all at once. You may be able to pick up an entire room set for a fraction of the original cost. In this case the furniture will be used, and may need to be cleaned, but the savings on the price may well be worth it. You can always get the furniture cleaned professionally, and you'll still probably end up spending less than you would if you paid for new furniture.

Unfinished furniture is another great route to go if you want to save money. You can buy bookshelves, tables, cabinets, chests of drawers and desks from an unfinished furniture store. Then you are free to stain or paint the pieces in any way you want. If you stain your own dining room set, you'll end up paying a lot less than you would to buy them new.

Even if you go to a furniture store, there are still ways to save money. If you know exactly what you want, then you can watch the ads in the newspaper and watch for a sale. When you are willing to wait a few weeks, you can often get the pieces you need at a deep discount. You can also keep your eyes open for going-out-of-business sales. These retailers will make you great deals on furniture in order to liquidate their inventory.

At furniture stores, also look for discount or closeout pieces. Just like with wholesale distributors, these pieces may have minor cosmetic flaws that you need to fix, or you may not notice them at all.

Finally, you can often get a good discount if you apply for a furniture stores credit card. When you apply and are approved, you'll normally receive 15 to 25 percent off of the purchase price. Before you make this step, make sure you know what the interest rate will be and pay off your balance in a timely manner.

You may also be able to save by shopping online. Sign up at your favorite retailer's website for promotional emails, and always look for online coupon codes before you buy.