“I’m a good shopper,” I told my family, when offering to help my parents source some new patio furniture. (I feel like if you say “source” in everyday conversations, you are most certainly an amazing shopper, right?) They laughed; my propensity to spend money on homes is well-known. But it’s true. I love mixing high and low and have developed a knack over the years for balancing when to splurge with when to save, finding inexpensive items that look pricier than you’d guess, and getting maximum mileage out of everything – no matter the purchase price. Here’s a quick list of my go-tos.