Like many people my age, I was raised to be thrifty. Even when we had money to spend I would often opt for the cheaper alternative. In things like furnishings and clothing and wine, price is a poor measure of quality.

Real estate is a great example of this rule. You have the option to buy a hovel in California for $500,000 or a palace somewhere else for the same price. It’s all about what you want. At a time when many people are self-employed in careers that are not location sensitive, you can live where you want.

Places like California are not a particularly attractive place to live, considering the cost of living there. A small house that would sell for half a million in California can be bought in Birmingham for less than $100,000, maybe a lot less.

While in theory big cities have more options for shopping, music, activities, sports, education, and the arts, most people never leave their own immediate neighborhood to access these things.

With computers and TV you can get any activity you want in your own home without ever getting in your car or on public transportation.

Actually you can choose where you want to live based on the cost of living if you want. Different communities have different taxes, availability of shopping options, and other fees and costs that can vary nearly endlessly. Some of us like to consider all of those costs before we make a decision about buying real estate.

In the U.S., the big bargains are in the southeast and in the middle of the country. You, know, all the parts of the country that the entertainment industry and Washington ignore. For those of us who have no desire to be famous these places are nirvana.

So after you buy a home for a reasonable price, you then need furniture. Where should you look?

Did you know that with smart shopping you can completely furnish your whole house with things you find at

1. Garage sales

2. Stuff at auctions

3. Other second hand sources?

And you can do it for about 10 cents on the dollar.

The furniture you can buy may be much better quality than anything you could buy new, too. One way to sense quality in an old piece is the weight. Older furniture, furniture manufactured over 40 to 50 years ago, is not yet antique but it is usually hardwood. (Don’t buy particleboard. It is also heavy but it falls apart if damp gets to it.)

When furniture becomes an antique, it starts going up in price again. The magic # is 75 years old. I’m planning on holding mine until it gets old enough to be too valuable to keep.

Old furniture comes in every style from antique reproductions to hard contemporary. You can paint it, reupholster it or refinish it to match your heart’s desire in décor. Best of all, you can save BIG money.

We also frequently buy fabric at second hand sources to use in upholstery or clothing.

You can even buy appliances used. Furnish your kitchen in used things that give you the look you want. You don’t have to tell anyone you did it for 10 cents on the dollar. If you adapt things to your space and build them in, then you may call it "custom" made.

Why pay for "Custom" when you can get nearly the same effect for 10 cents on the dollar. It works for me.