• If you are stung by a wasp or a bee, carefully remove the stinger if you can see it. Then squeeze the area that was stung to get out any venom, wash with soap and water, and treat with an antibiotic ointment. Ice it down if there is any swelling.
• Use a repellent with DEET to protect against mosquito bites. Caution: Do not use products containing DEET on children under the age of two months; and us only sparingly on kids.
• If you are entering an area with lots of mosquitoes, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Tuck the bottom of your pant legs into your socks.

Decorating your apartment doesn’t have to cost a lot to look great. With a little financial finesse, you can easily create a decorating budget that suits your wants and your wallet.

Prioritize

Take a look around your place and make a list of all of the areas that need sprucing up. Put everything on paper, from pillows to paint! Once you have a list of your decorating desires, determine which ones are most important and which ones could wait.

Top decorating items should be things that will have the most impact on your apartment’s look and on your personal outlook. If a brightly-colored comforter will liven up your bedroom and put a smile on your face every morning, then that goes to the top of the list!

There may also be small items on your list that can transform your space with minimal cost — like new bath mats or candles for the living area. Be sure to prioritize your entire list and don’t mark anything off, because there are a lot of projects that you can save up for later. But you’ve gotta start somewhere!

Pick a number

Now that you’ve surveyed your space, it’s time to nail down a decorating budget. Decide what your ideal decorating cost would be, but also think about a maximum budget number. It’s good to have some padding in case you decide you need to splurge on higher quality materials or if you find that special leopard print ottoman you can’t live without.

Once you have a firm decorating budget range, it’ll make shopping easier because you’ll know exactly where to focus, based on price and priority.

Price it out

Before you start purchasing, it’s smart to get some pricing estimates. That way you’ll have a better picture of which priority decorating items you can afford. Hit a variety of shops from large retailers like Target to small local home décor shops.

You can also save time by looking at items online to see what the average cost is for rugs, curtains or whatever you need. This pre-shopping will help you get an idea of the range of prices and quality that’s available. You may decide that you want to spend your entire budget on a few high-end, top-of-the-line items that are high on your priority list, then save up to buy more later. Another option is to spread out the cost and scoop up a lot of bargains.

There are lots of tips for decorating on a small budget and you can find some amazing deals out there. Either approach works great and the one you choose simply depends on your shopping style. The main goal is to get some estimated costs for your key decorating needs, so you can crunch the numbers to make your budget work.

Purchase power

Armed with a target budget and a list of your most important decorating needs, you can head to the stores and start shopping! It helps to keep track of your receipts while you shop to make sure you don’t go over budget. If you are indecisive about a few options and you have some leeway with your finances, buy items to try out at home. You can always return the ones that don’t work with your decor or don’t fit your decorating budget. It might take a little trial and error, but if you work the numbers and your needs, you’ll end up with a great-looking apartment in the end.