By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Step1
Craft your own desk from two file cabinets or two sawhorses topped with finished plywood.
Step2
Haunt tag sales, rummage sales and thrift stores if you're not in a hurry; desks, file cabinets, bookcases, lamps, chairs, phones and computer equipment regularly pop up at these venues.
Step3
Look in your classified telephone directory to see whether there's a secondhand office-furniture store in your area. Call ahead to check stock on items you're particularly interested in.
Step4
Check for unfinished furniture. While not the cheapest way to go, this can net a nice savings if you're handy with a paintbrush.
Step5
Consider ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture, most of which is easy to put together nowadays. RTA bookcases, desks, consoles and desk chairs can be very reasonably priced - sometimes less than $100 - and are available in styles ranging from high-tech to very traditional Chippendale.
Step6
Comparison shop for a desk chair, but go with comfort over price. This is an item you don't want to skimp on if you'll sit for more than an hour at a stretch.
Step7
Think about what you really need in terms of office supplies. A case of file folders, no matter how cheap, could be too much for you to use within a reasonable amount of time. And while office-supply super stores often give deep discounts, basic supplies at mass-market discount department stores could cost less.