You can get free or affordable furniture through FreeCycle, which provides second-hand items. Membership is free.
You can also visit a local charity shop, like the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice or a British Heart Foundation furniture shop.
Find your nearest charity shop
Borrow household items
You can borrow a range of useful products, from hoovers to sewing machines, at much lower cost to buying them, at Woolwich Library.