*This series is made in collaboration with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Turning Our House into a Home
My husband always said it would take some time for us to turn our house into a home, and here we are 5 years later! Now there have been legit reasons, like being first-time homeowners and the fact that purchasing a house is costly. When we finally got around to buying a house, we had furniture already in our possession and rolled with what we had to avoid extra costs. Then the birth of our son and catering to all his needs, okay and mine, and my professional/career evolution, put us behind in the home renovation process.
For the first five years of my career, I re-invested most of my earnings back into my brand and we started a new business… self-funded. So, business took priority. Although we put off decorating, it wasn’t like we were sitting on the floor.
No complaints for sure, but I can’t tell you how excited I have been to make such incredible progress over the last few months. Not everything has been perfect, but that’s what actually makes this worth it for me and my husband.
This won’t be the last home project we plan with our Chase Freedom Unlimited card, especially given that my card allows me to earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase. But before we move on to the finishes (wood floors through our whole second floor, new living room furniture, and the list goes), I want to share a recap of our amazing journey.
Boss Up: Planning, Budgeting, and Designing
When we started this kitchen decor project, I talked about the importance of having a plan and a budget. That original plan was not perfectly executed, but I’m glad we had a plan to start. The original plan allowed me to get a feel for what we wanted, it allowed us a vision, and we adapted along the way. The plan allowed me to set a not-so-flexible budget and control cost. The items in the plan changed, but our budget did not, being flexible in our design plan allowed me to find my inner designer. It gave me the courage to do this project without hiring an interior designer.
That one decision alone saved me $500 that we originally budgeted and were able to reallocate back into our project (I’ll share more about this later). The coolest part about being my own designer is being able to look at the complete project and know every decision was all ours! Okay well mine, but who’s holding a tally here?!!! Me, me okay… I am holding a tally, envision me standing with the biggest smile on my face, you know, the one of accomplishment. This project gave me that. My confidence is high, my vision is complete and guess what y’all, I kinda know what I’m doing :):):).
Whistle, Sell and Save While You Work
Home projects can have several moving parts… literally! For my husband and me, we were able to sell several pieces of our gently loved furniture. All in all, we saved another $300 (and I’m not done selling) to add to our project savings/slush fund. In addition to selling items, we were able to catch some amazing sales by taking the time to shop around. Even though a new table and chairs were not part of the plan we were able to get a new table which seats eight and new chairs, all while earning 1.5% cash back to add to our savings/slush fund thanks to our Chase Freedom Unlimited card. All those things listed above, allowed me to get better quality pieces that helped make my vision come to life. Being patient is worth the extra time, especially when you get more than you planned!
Pay Up if You Want What You Want
So, we went with copper accents in our kitchen, on our cabinets, and in front of the bar. Amongst all of our purchases, these two simple changes tied for my favorite. It took some time to get it right, and I felt like I had to spend an arm and a leg but oooo weee, they look so good! These accents might have been pricey, but they transform our cabinets and add a level of sophistication to our kitchen that I love.
I just remember my husband saying to me, after a failed order of cheaper pulls and handles, if this is what you want you are going to have to pay up. Using our Chase Freedom Unlimited cash back credit card took some of the sting off of this purchase because we are always earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase, right? Right! So, while I had many different pulls and knobs in limbo waiting to be return and refunded, I was able to purchase without major pause, thanks to my Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Getting the textures, shapes, and touches right on this project was a major goal for me!
Good Help is Hard to Find…But it’s Worth it!
Remember the money I told you that I was able to save by not hiring the designer and that I made by selling some of our old pieces? Well add a bit more to that fund from the 1.5% cash back that we get from our Chase Freedom Unlimited card and guess what…we were able to hire a contractor who did the work we couldn’t do like hanging the new light fixtures, installing the new kitchen faucet, and repairing our ceiling, at a reasonable rate. We still came in under budget! This small project was the perfect one to give us the re-design bug. It allowed us to stay on track with minimal hesitations. I mean, we finally found a contractor!!! Total win-win! Looking back, this project has been fun! My husband and I have grown closer together and our humble house is truly turning into a beautiful home, step by step.
If you’re looking to do the same and you have a plan but need a little of the freedom that we got with our Chase Freedom Unlimited card, then now is a great time to look into this card.
Chase is now offering new Chase Freedom Unlimited cardmembers a bonus offer available through their website, Chase.com, and in Chase branches: get a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. If you make a plan and stick to it and you can update your home or embrace your inner designer or project manager. It doesn’t have to be hard…it may not always be easy, but it will surely be worth it!
Latest posts by Maria Antoinette (see all)
- 10 Romantic Date Night Ideas For Any Time of The Year - January 26, 2023
- Tips To Help You Reconnect With What Brings You Joy - January 19, 2023
- Planning A Road Trip? Here Are Some Key Tips You Should Know - January 12, 2023
