So you have a very extensive list of everything you'll ever need in college ever, right? You've researched. You cross examined dozens of lists that you've found on line, in resource books at your library, from relatives, and that guy who lives down the street. You've mapped out the dorm room, found places for EVERYTHING you want, including where to put bath towels and linens that are not in immediate use. It's now time to do the most important part of the deal: shopping.
Oh, boy.
For some, this is the best part of entering a new environment. Preparing for it through retail therapy. Others, well, they'd rather go running for the hills instead of spending hours in the local shop. Not for the fear of the time spent, but the money handed over.
I'm one of those people. I can shop until I drop, as long as it's with someone else's money.
So what's a girl/boy to do? Well, here are some helpful hints:
1: Give a call to the Roomie.
This one's a big one and one that must NEVER be glossed over. Yes, the futon with the Zebra printed cover and matching throw pillows look darling in your ideal room but what about your room mate's decor? Or there budget? Or the fact that THEY may already have the perfect futon sitting in their basement, ready to be shipped off to college on move-in day.
Big item purchases should always be consulted with the person you're rooming with. It may be more financially sound to you both if you talk before hand. Don't know who you're room mate will be until half way through July? Then hold off on big item purchases until July or if you really can't, buy what you want but KEEP THE RECEIPTS! That way, if he or she has something better, or it was given to them, you can return it.
Items under the "talk to the Roomie" rule are:
- Futons
- Microwaves
- Mini Fridges
- Rug
- Any large or cumbersome storing unit
- Printers (no point of having two unless you want two)
- Anything that is not going to be exclusively for you
2: Mooching off your friends and family.
This is probably the best and most forgotten hint for college kids on a budget. When you have those big items, such as the ones above, ask around to see if anybody has them before you make a trip to Walmart. Thing is, people are notorious for being pack-rats and tend to have things stored that "they may need one day" but in truth could give to a deserving college kid.
So ask your friends to ask around, those younger and older than you. Ask your parents to ask their friends. And in this day in age, posting a bulletin on Myspace could yield some good results. I know a guy that got his dorm futon with the social network, which saved him roughly two hundred dollars since he didn't have to buy it. And since he didn't need to spend that much on buying a standard futon, he spent some of the money on a new futon cover and some extra padding, which cost him roughly sixty dollars. Not too bad.
So don't forget this cliche of a rule: One man's trash is another man's money saving adventure.
3: Well, they are your parents.
Here's another one that many people think of but don't utilize to their full advantage.
Your moms and dads.
Now, this is not to say that you need to go to your parents with open hands and puppy-dog eyes, hoping for some moo-la to go crazy with. No, what you need are items that your parents already have to be given to you.
True story: For weeks, my roommate and I were looking for alternative storage units for our dorm room, a place to store dry foods, cleaning items, dishes, and the like that wouldn't take up space in our sparse closets. We looked at Bed, Bath, and Beyond catalogs dating back as far as the Christmas before, been to countless stores, and even thought about buying milk crates and just velcroing them together for cheap storage.
Two weeks before we're schedule to move in, she was mentioning the problem to her mother when, lo and behold, the family had some extra stackable storage bins in the garage that no one used. We got them all.
See what I mean? Your family could help in the means of dorm essentials without actually BUYING dorm essentials! It's great. No point of buying eating utensils for one or a towel set if your mother is more than willing to let you take some of hers. Think with your heads and ask the parents.
4: Time to buy but in a different way.
Alright so some items you really don't have (and for some reason they tend to be community shower related) so you need to buy these things. As an example, we're going to go with a shower caddy and its usually buddies: tooth brush and bar soap cases.
This was something I really did not want to get for college. Ten dollars for a baggy to put my shampoo in seemed ridiculous. Well, one day I was in a grocery store, looking for cheap coloring books for my little sister, when I happened to notice that they had these plastic baskets with a metal handle in an assortment of colors.
And they were selling for a dollar fifty. No joke. And it was perfect as a shower tote because it had holes throughout the basket, which the water could go through and it was big enough to store the essentials. Needless to say, I bought one in green without a second thought.
Moral of this story is that you don't have to buy something and use it strictly for it's intended purpose. Just look around and you'll see there are alternatives to that ten dollar shower caddy.
At Bed, Bath, and Beyond, toothbrush cases can run up to three dollars. Not much but remember, you're on a budget and three dollars adds up. You want to know a secret? Okay, here it goes.
In Walmart, they have a section called a "Traveler's Items," which is usually found in the same general area as shampoos, soaps, etc. In this magical of places, they actually have cases! And they all tend to be under a dollar. I believe my toothbrush case was actually fifty cents. See? Utilize your surroundings and look around the entire store, not just the "Dorm Essential" sections. Those are specially marketed sections and so the prices are raised to make a higher profit (aka the company is riping you off.)
And as for soap carriers, unless you strictly believe in using bar soap, switch to body soap. Not to say those bar soap cases are completely useless because they're great for holding Q-Tips and dental floss but the soap tends to get slimy and yucky in the case. Don't know why.
5: Items worth spending on and why.
Okay, so you've gotten almost everything and it's cost you a little less than ten dollars. You're feeling great (albeit a little cheap). Well, don't worry. There are some items that you should really consider buying, but do it in a smart way.
First and foremost in dorm comfort, bedding. You don't really want to cheap yourself in this department. Get good, quality items that you know you'll like for an entire year because you may not have the resources to buy new items as the year progresses. As for sheets, chances are you wont have the right fitting sheets since many colleges have opted for extra long twin beds (four to five inches longer than a standard twin) and so you need a different type of sheets. Don't try getting the standard ones: they wont fit.
Some appliances you might want to buy just to have the warranty. This may not be needed if you know the machinery is reliable and not too old. If what you get from a friend is more than ten years old and hasn't been used for over five, rethink the decision and go buy it instead.
School supplies is something that you're going to want to get new. No leftover notebooks from your last year of high school that have been half used. Book bags can be previously used but make sure that it isn't already tearing and that it can with hold all that you (think) you'll need.
A laptop or desk top is also something that will be helpful in school and sometimes better just to buy a new one, once again just to have the warranty. But be aware, from those that I ask, some students found they didn't need a computer just because of the abundance of computer labs available on campus. Once again, this is completely your decision.
Now that you know some of the things you may need to buy, remember this: there is no shame in using coupons or buying something when it's on sale. I've met many a teenager who, from some odd reason, does not want to use coupons. As a college kid, you should understand the beauty and the joy one can get of getting ten dollars off a purchase just because of a brightly colored piece of paper. Take the extra love. Use the coupon.
6: School books.
They're special and a big part of the reason that you're going to college so they get their own section. As soon as you get a list of the books you'll need, do your research. Go visit Google Shopping. Just type in the book name and author and they'll give you a list of related items with the prices. Do whatever you do when you want to buy something but don't want to pay full price. Don't just automatically buy them from the book store. Do your homework.
Another thing that many students don't know is that some books can actually be checked out of your school's library and used for classes. Shocking, I know. So for classes that you don't really want to buy a book for, such as classes that you have to take in order to make a college requirement, look to the library.
For other books that you do have to buy, keep them in good condition and then just sell them at the end of the term or be a good dear and give them to a friend that will be taking the course next semester.
The only books that I suggest buying and keeping are the ones that deal with your major (as references for later) and ones that you'll need for multiple classes (as in a foreign language class).
Finally Thoughts.
I do hope that this article has helped some. Remember: these are the thoughts of someone who is not a professional, just someone going through the same thing. You don't have to agree or even do what I have suggested. Just hope it helps.
Feedback is always appreciated and thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Ran
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