If, like me, you love to entertain, dine, cook, relax and just live in your own outdoor living area during the warm seasons, you have probably pored over all the magazines that display the wide range of gorgeous options available, creased the corners of pages and made plans in your head for the dream patio that will be yours one day. All that is required to achieve that dream is the appropriate space and sufficient money. However, if also like me, you do not have that money yet, you need a plan for your outdoor living area that will keep your future options open but also meet your present needs and desires. You need to know how to design a functional, comfortable, attractive patio on a tight budget. Three key considerations exist in the process of achieving this goal.