The first step in your plan to find affordable living room furniture is to determine what your spending budget will be. As you do this, be honest and realistic about it, so you don't set yourself up for disappointment down the road. Your goal is to get the most 'bang for your buck' when you are decorating on a budget.

Once the budget is determined, the second step is to decide what types of pieces you need. To accomplish this most effectively, plant yourself in the living room that you are furnishing and make a list of the pieces that you know will fit your lifestyle AND the size of the room. (I know, you might have to sit on the floor for this exercise, but it's only temporary!)

There is no right or wrong answer here, just the one that fits your lifestyle. Refer to home decorating magazines for ideas about the types of pieces that might work well for you. Don't worry about the exact pieces yet.

Another source of helpful and practical information is Living Room Decorating Ideas. I highly recommend that you read this, too.

Here is a great way to do that, and it also gives you a heads-up on doing some actual shopping for affordable living room furniture. Go online (use the resources found here - they're great!) and search for the types of pieces you want.

When you identify a piece that appeals to your style and works with the budget, find the exact dimensions of the piece. Do this for each piece you're searching for.

Then, using masking tape (or whatever works for you), literally create that dimension on the floor of the living room in the space you think it might work best.

If you currently have furniture in the room it's a little bit more challenging, but you can also use the pieces you have, move them around and add the masking tape around, or on, them to show the size of the new pieces.

Here are some helpful ideas regarding arranging furniture and furniture placement. Take a few minutes to read this through, to help you with your living room project.

I think you get the idea...you want to show the new furniture arrangement and make sure it will fit well in the space.

Once you are confident about the size and shape of the pieces you've identified, the final step is to actually make the purchase.

Now, the goal is affordable living room furniture, you're decorating on a budget, so you will be using the resources that will accomplish those goals. Among your choices of furniture and accessory selection, be sure to spend some time comparing your online options to retail stores.