Don’t be put off by Goodwill Stores. I’ve scored some really nice frames for 4-5 dollars. I even got a terrific museum-quality (IMHO) landscape painting, with frame for $13. I got a practically new computer desk and chair for $20.
People often donate whole attics full of stuff. If you shop on the day new donations come on the floor, there are unbelievable bargains to be found.
Another suggestion- take a good look at the furniture people pile out front for the garbage man (or passersby) to pick up. A lot of time people will throw out perfectly good couches, tables, dressers, and other furniture just because they’ve replaced it. And minor flaws like chipped paint or broken knobs can be fixed very cheaply.
Most of my furniture is second-hand- garage sales, thrift stores, and found on the side of the road. In fact, except for a love seat and an ottoman, I haven’t paid for any of my living room furniture- “junk” my parents or friends were getting rid of, mostly.
If you’re willing to spend $15 on paint or stain and some sandpaper, you can make almost anything look great. Just be sure to follow the other advice about coordinating furniture styles.
I know you said you don’t have a lot to spend, but if you set aside a little money each month for home decor, and keep an eye out for garage sales, thrift stores, or sales at Target (I love them) you can go a long way to making a comfortable, fasionable home.
Also, consider dropping $5 on a decorating magazine or two. That way, you can see examples of different styles, and decide which fits you best. I’m a retro girl, my apartment is decorated in mostly 30s-50s vintage stuff. You can also see what color combos look good together, and what you can pull off with your current stuff.
First things first. Sorry, but you’ll probably be better off ditching those air fresheners. Recent research findings have found carcinogenic risks in many popular air freshener products (Walgreens has even pulled several products from their shelves); also, the dangers of ozone-based air “cleaners” and some household cleaners, and the harmful interaction of those chemicals. Fresh air is best supplied by opening windows and keeping interiors (especially fabrics, and keeping up with the laundry) clean.
Most people don’t have enough lamps. You don’t need to install 60W bulbs, either… just a bunch of low-wattage lamps (compact fluorescent bulbs are good for this) scattered around, including on the floor. I’ve got an odd-angled foyer where I park a small floor lamp (with a low-wattage bulb) inside a sharply acute-angled corner, just outside the bathroom door. One of TV interior decorator Christopher Lowell’s best tricks was to park a canister light under and behind a large potted plant or tree in a corner, to dramatic effect. You can really open up a place visually and make it look more inviting at night by illuminating the corners in one way or another. I never turn on a harsh ceiling-installed light, but have bright, halogen spotlights for work and reading areas. Never place a floor lamp, etc. where it can cast a glare onto a TV screen; instead, consider backlighting your TV/media setup in a lowkey, ambient light.
Somewhat paradoxically when paired with the above advice, do everything you can to hide electrical cords, including the cords for all those lamps and lights. In one spot I’ve bundled and stashed a number of cords against the underside of the top of an accent table; in other places I’ve got them stashed in plastic runners (in neutral colors matching the surroundings, but these can also be painted to match) along the backsides of bureaus and along walls and floors.
Are your views of the outdoors a plus or minus? To fully open up your windows to incoming light while maintaining privacy and screening out an ugly view, consider getting a spray can of frosted-glass-effect paint (it can be wiped off with turpentine, IIRC, so it’s not really permanent). You can do a split treatment, frosting the lower pane of a sash window, for ex. Window frosting really makes a place look brighter, because on a sunny day, the frosted glass is itself like a big light panel. I get by on frosted glass and curtains and have put into storage all the tacky, dust-collecting slat blinds that came with this place.