My boyfriend and I just bought a house. Its a small house but we want to make the most of the space we have. We are looking for some bargins when it comes to decorating. We want it to look elegant yet comfortable.

what country are you in?

if your in england try a shop called carols.

its got some great basics for your new home and they are really cheap

IKEA... you can get stuff that looks nice and is relatively cheap. My wife and I love it. Not crazy about all their stuff... we needed some more variety, but most of it is great. Also, they great cheap kitchen and household goods. Like pot holders for $1, ice cube trays $1, and they had the best deal on a wine carafe that we found anywhere (I priced about 3 other stores). They also have $1 frozen yogurt to eat while you shop; you can't go wrong.

Rummage sales are good at gettingg great stuff. Try the newspapers in your area also for people selling stuff and getting rid of things. Also try this website craiglist.com. They might have something in your area. Another idea is to go from room to room instead of trying to do everything at once. EX: Living room-try that room, furniture, pillows, curtains, pictures and then work your way to another room. It helped me to feel as though I actually accomplished something.

sax 5th avenue

Buyng things like furniture online would make me nervous. Target, Walmart, Big Lots. I don't personally care for IKEA but a lot of people do and the prices are good. What about flea markets or yard sales. There are many good bargins to be found at them!!

big lots or walmart

Home Decorators Collection Online Outlet is my fave place to shop for bargains. It's new stuff, just on sale for clearance:
http://www.homedecoratorsoutlet.com/

IKEA will be my best choice for tight budget.
Quality is not the best from IKEA, although, sometimes you can get lucky and get somehow good quality on their products.
What I really enjoy about IKEA, is that their furniture and accessories are pretty cool and it is really easy to find good ways to mix and match items. Their showrooms can give you an idea of how to decorate small places too.

Good luck!

try target