Furnishing Your First College Dwelling on a Budget

Any student will tell you that money issue is the most important and the tightest in college years. That is why being the most creative and cost-effective and being able to furnish your dwelling on the lowest budget is the superpower you should master beforehand. The following tips will help you do this and choose the essentials for your apartment or dorm room.

1. Make the list of things you may need. There are plenty of packing lists for college students, you can look through those if you have hard times figuring out the essentials. Think where you are going to live – if in dorm, you will not need a lot, as some will already be provided. Living in apartment requires much more stuff to take with you. Use your common sense (meaning don’t take too much of the things you don’t need) and put the things in order of importance.
2. Remember – the hand-me-downs may not be that stylish or match with your taste, but free stuff is always better, especially for temporary dwelling. Ask your relatives, friends and neighbors if they have any unwanted items you may use. You will be surprised by the amount of stuff people keep in their attics and basements and don’t use it, and you will only help them if you take the stuff off their hands. Try asking over the summer so that people set the things aside. And don’t forget to thank people for help.
3. Talk to your parents about taking some items from your home. For example, you may ask for TV or stereo as a reward for graduation or your family chores. This would be good if the item is considered family one, and not personally yours. Don’t be too greedy and take only the things that you really need and won’t be able to buy for a cheaper price or find among hand-me-downs.
4. Ask your parents to throw a party to help you stock your new pad. There are plenty of stores like Target that offer registries. Using them you can get everything from towels to microwaves, just make sure you keep it as simple and inexpensive as possible. By staying reasonable you will encourage people to help you out. Don’t forget to thank people with a note or card – be thankful.
5. Thrift stores often are connected to charity, and you may not only get cheap stuff there, but also help charity. In shops running by Salvation Army and Goodwill you will be able to find pans and bowls for less than $1. Church sales can be useful as well – many people attending churches bring some nice goods to be sold at such sales.
6. Plan for the short term – most things you need for your college time will not last for more than couple years. Opt for cheaper plastic items like foldable tables and patio furniture – they will be able to fulfill your short-time needs. Plus, you will be able to save money for better, long-term furniture of a higher quality.
7. Visit the Dollar stores in your area – there are plenty of mops and cleansers to buy for a lower price. Here you should also buy your toilet brushes and plungers, as you don’t want these items used on the one hand, and too expensive on the other hand.
8. Hit the local yard sales – kitchen and bath items often end up there because of the size. Talk to the sale holder if you can’t find certain items or if the price is too high – explain them that you are going off to college and look for some stuff to buy on a budget. Make sure you leave your number and say that you will be glad to take items off their hands – most people would better give stuff to needy student than to throw them away.
9. Check out the curb. There are plenty of people who prefer to toss stuff instead of trying to donate or sell it, especially when moving or after the yard sale when the item wasn’t bought. To get the best travel to the best part of the city – people having enough money often toss really good things that are still unused and new. You can find lots of stuff there but make sure you buy only the things that can be washed and sanitized.
10. Visit local landfill or recycling center. Most of them have special buildings where people can find slightly used furniture and other items. You may find the items that are too good to throw away, and the spring cleaning at someone’s house means a computer station for your dorm or a couch for your apartment at literally no cost. The only trouble may be loading the stuff to the vehicle and taking it to your dwelling. Visit on regular basis, as "new" old stuff can appear every day. By the way, you can drop your old stuff there.
11. A great and easy way to make anything look more cozy and stylish is painting and applying special finishes to your furniture. Look for the slipcovers at discount stores, or use sheets to show your creativity and make the room or apartment look more fun. Look through the auction listings, visit storages – people often leave their stuff there and forget to pay the storage bill, and the stuff goes to auctions. This way you can get a lot of useful stuff, especially basics, just for couple bucks.
12. Pack the things you’ve got and tick them off the list you have. Make sure you wrap carefully, especially if it is breakable. Otherwise you will end up with broken glasses or dishes and having to start over again. Labelling the boxes will be really helpful if you want to avoid hustling and bustling during the unpacking process.
13. Buy foods and drinks while you are still at home. Make sure you buy enough powdered drink mixes and canned soups, boxed mixes, ravioli and other stuff that won’t break or go bad. Add here all the condiments like salt and pepper, sugar and sweeteners, popcorn, cooking spray, peanuts and coffee creamers. Look at the inside of your fridge and list the non-perishable ones. Some products like mayonnaise and dressings can be kept at the room temperature until opened, so don’t open anything before you are in the new place.

To make the process of shopping for the stuff needed easier, try adding couple additional items to your family shopping lists – this way you will be able to get everything you will need at school. Discount shopping club is a great place where you can get stuff in bulk at lower price. Spices are expensive and you won't go through it quickly so ask your family to borrow from their supplies.

1. Check out the local antique shops – there are the items you can get for a price that would be lower than at the retail shops. Feel free to bargain and you will most likely get a discount. Moreover, you can get some great decorative stuff.
2. Visit your university's surplus store – there are often lots of used office furniture, lamps, tools, and the like at reasonable prices.

About the author

Melissa Carper is a real estate agent with more than 10 years of advising experience. She works for NeedAProperty where you can easily find an apartment to rent.

Melissa Carper is a full time writer and content manager. Enjoys her job and her family.