Apartment necessities

[DropkickDisco]

Brian and I are closing the distance in July. We'll be moving into a different city that neither of us have ever lived in. It will be both of our's first time away from home, AND we will be starting college.

We have no savings and we're gonna be running tight on money. We're gonna start buying things we need for our apartment slowly but surely. We need everything from nightstands to pots and pans to a kitchen table and chairs. We're looking for cheaply priced but decent quality things.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations as far as WHAT to buy (never know what we might forget or never think of that's outside of basics) and WHERE to buy it. Any advice would be really appreciated!!

[MissShortie]

I'm working on gathering things for when I move out (whenever that is going to be) and I had been looking at pots and pans, I looked at Bed, Bath and Beyond and the cheapest there was like $89 for a 10 piece set so I kept looking and found at my Target a T-Fal 20 piece set for I believe $69?? or $59?? I can't quite remember, but it was worth it I think
here's another one you might like

But I recommend looking for the one I got at your local Target first

[DropkickDisco]

I'm working on gathering things for when I move out (whenever that is going to be) and I had been looking at pots and pans, I looked at Bed, Bath and Beyond and the cheapest there was like $89 for a 10 piece set so I kept looking and found at my Target a T-Fal 20 piece set for I believe $69?? or $59?? I can't quite remember, but it was worth it I think
here's another one you might like

But I recommend looking for the one I got at your local Target first

thank you! I was gonna check out target for a lot of stuff but I wasn't sure of the quality of their stuff (I don't generally go there like... ever!) so I wasn't sure if I should even bother or not!

[Riyko]

The list I used when I moved into the residence i was living in for school.

Bathroom:
Shower Curtain and Rings
Shower Cuddy (you hang it around the shower head to hold your stuff)
Toilet Paper
Plunger
Towels
Hand Soap
Garbage Can
Some Cleaning Supplies
Rug

Kitchen:
Pots and Pans
Spatulas and other cooking utensils
Silverware, Cutlery, Utensils (what every you call it lol)
Plates, Bowls, Cups
Towels
Hot Pads
Microwave
Sponges
Soap
Utensil holder (for the drawer)
Dishware holder (for after you wash the dishes if there isn't a dish washer)
Rug

Bedroom:
Bed
Pillows
Sheets
Nightstands
Dresser

I hope my list helps you some

[Silviar]

The things I recommend the most when getting a place is a full set of eating dishes, and a full set of what you commonly use for cooking - not just pots and pans, but also the cookie sheet and the casserole dish. Everyone forgets those, but they're two things you'll end up using the heck out of. Right up next to that is buying a good knife block. do not bother with a cheap one - you'll be replacing it within a year. Get a nice midprice set.

Check craigslist for furniture, or ask family if they've got old stuff they want to get rid of. You'd be surprised who just bought a new set of dishes or is planning to. If you have a Value Village where you're at, they're good for cheapies, as is Big Lots. Some stuff is worth buying cheap, but if you can, or can eventually, invest in a nice mid-priced set of pots/pans and knives. You'll be glad you did, trust you me. And if you go for bed bath and beyond, sign up for their circular and start saving those 20% off coupons. You can use expired ones, ones that are to a different person...and there's essentially no limit to using them.

I recommend looking at this list : https://www.offcampus.housing.umich....Check-list.pdf and seeing if there are important things you might be forgetting.

[Silviar]

Oh! And Bed Bath and Beyond has some really great shopping guides on how to pick out what's right for your needs. For example, if you go to kitchen, there's guides on picking out knives, cookware, etc. It's REALLY good for figuring out what will work best for you.

[Moon]

For things like side tables, lamps, etc. find out where the nearest thrift store or Salvation Army store is. You'll have a hard time getting quality furniture cheaply first hand, and those places apparently have some great stuff. My daughter's friends all went there for their first apartments and were really happy with what they found.

[snow_girl]

Also places like craigslist or local classifieds usually have some cheap stuff. Thats what I used when I moved out. Sometimes people are even giving stuff away for free.

[princessmia]

What I'm going to do is go into every room in my parent's house (which I am living in right now) and make a list of everything that I would need/use on a daily basis.

[blankita719]

Definitely thrift store shop, and go multiple times. I found my couch which is also a sleeper sofa and my coffee table along with my son's bedframe at thrift stores. A lot of times, especially during this time of year, places will have stock up sales - Target lately has been running specials on kitchen towels and bath towels. And shop clearance ends. You never know what you might find. Riyko has a good list there, so I would definitely start there

[London-FortCollins]

Definitely recommend thrift stores/flea markets for your furniture, especially "wooden" stuff like dresser, nightstand, coffee tables etc. Especially as you'll normally find much better quality stuff then the MDF/Plywood crap in Walmart, KMart etc.

Personally I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to material furniture - bed, sofa etc but thats just me. If its a reputable place that cleans them or is "as good as new" places I'm sure they'd be absolutly fine.

And yup dont think that everything needs to be cheap. Its often worth investing a bit more in higher quality items like knives as Silvia suggested otherwise you'll just be replacing them.

One major appliance you want to look at is washer/dryers. Not every place has them or a laundry room. You can sometimes rent them or use a local laundromat. But depending on how much laundry you do, you might be better off buying them. Just have to think about what facilities you have and how much laundry you need to do.

Personally I can never have enough towels (espcially the big bath sheet ones) but at the same time I dont spend too much on them. All towels, event the super duper expensive ones lose their softness after a certain amount of washes so its not worth spending tons of money on them.

Also dollar stores for cleaning supplies, kitchen necessities such as freezer bags, foil etc are excellent for stocking up!

[Trethsparr]

Goodwill's a great place to find hidden steals and low prices on cookware, dishes, and many other household items. The merchandise is added even as you shop, so be sure to check back regularly for diamonds in the rough!

[DropkickDisco]

I forgot to mention to everyone that I'm going to be a baking major and Brian a culinary major. So we know all about buying expensive knives and random food stuff! We have to for our majors! :P

THANK YOU very muchly to everyone who gave suggestions. you were all extremely helpful