<p>Hey all,
I'm going to be an RA next year and I'll be in a single. The problem is that I am an international student and I don't have these appliances for my room. The school rent out neither of these, so I have buy em. Where is the cheapest place to buy these? (Don't suggest eBay cos it's too complicated) Is a cooler instead of fridge a good idea? What brand?</p>
<p>I don't think a cooler is a great idea. You have to keep ice in it.</p>
<p>Cheap... Walmart! ;)</p>
<p>what about TV tuner?</p>
<p>Here are some tips:</p>
<ol>
<li>For the TV: Check a local warehouse like Cosco. If you don't have a membership chances are you know someone who does (just borrow their card for a day or something). If you want a better selection, I recommend Circuit City or Sears. Avoid Best Buy--the prices are okay but the service is horrible and I've heard horror stories about defective products from there. Wal Mart is okay only if you know exactly what you want. Same goes for Target.</li>
</ol>
<p>As for brand, if you are looking at a regular tube-type TV, Sony is the only manufacturer that makes these right anymore. Read the recent Consumer Reports about TVs for a full report. The 13" Wega is a bit more than the others, but it has almost every feature you would find on a larger set plus a great picture quality. I have the 24" Wega (it was in my dorm before I came home) and it has been excellent--I've had it for over a year now.</p>
<ol>
<li>The refrigerator I had was purchased at Lowe's. You can find ones cheaper than the $100 one I bought, but the size is usually less and the quality isn't as good as the Whirlpool one I got. Mine had a small freezer section, a drawer for veggies, a few side compartments, etc. Currently it sits unused in my garage...I may store it for a while or I might give it to one of my friends who is graduating HS this year.</li>
</ol>
<p>When getting a fridge, judge it on your needs. I needed one big enough to hold half gallon milk cartons plus my other stuff (ketchup bottle, hot dogs, salads, whipped cream, ice cream bars, etc).</p>
<p>thanks for the suggestions... I hope that I can find things that would fit my budget since I'll be broke by the end of summer from travelling</p>
<p>If you can find APEX brand TV, get one. They're cheap and mine's worked great for two or three years.</p>
<p>Another good option for TV (if you have a desktop computer) is to get a TV tuner card. Plug the coax into your computer and you're good to go, remote and all. :)</p>
<p>You can also download your TV online. The iTunes music store has a few shows online (notably Laguna Beach), some sporting events can be viewed over an internet connection, and you can get weather and news online better than you can on TV (you can be more selective on both). Newspapers and TV stations all have online websites now.</p>
<p>Oh, and one thing I forgot--pass on those TV/DVD combo units. If your DVD player goes you're out a TV when you take it to the shop. Get an external DVD player with component video (make sure your TV also has component jacks--I believe all Sonys have them) as it has the best quality. I also have a VCR for all the old movies and for taping TV shows I may miss (you can find one pretty cheap now).</p>
<p>be careful if you get the tv tuner card for the computer. i purchased one (ati tv tuner pro) from compusa, and it hasent worked since a week after i bought it, and i cant return it, so im 100$ in the hole)</p>
<p>SHould I get a tv for my dorm next year? I don't watch too much tv, so I don't know if I'm going to want one. Any input?</p>
<p>I don't have a TV in my room, it's amazing how quickly you learn to live without one. The only thing I really missed watching was baseball playoffs which I could have watched had I actually wanted to badly enough.</p>
<p>do you live near a remotely metropolitan area? do you have a car? CRAIGSLIST.COM it's absolutely amazing. (you don't need a car, but it helps if you can drive to pick stuff up from people)</p>
<p>If you don't mind used, I would suggest the local paper. </p>
<p>If you want new, I'd look on the internet for a tv. I got a 20 inch flatscreen for a little over 300 bucks. Although I watch about a movie or two a day, so maybe 300 is a bit much for you. You could probably get a regular 20 inch for 90 bucks or so.</p>
<p>I know you say no ebay, but why not? It's very easy, you just have to watch out for high shipping.</p>
<p>Oh, I almost forgot, I ran food service for a production over the summer and we got a minifridge for free from freecylce.org...Or maybe freecycle.com. Check that out too.</p>
<p>guidez, from my experience - if you don't have a TV, you will study more and procrastinate less</p>
<p>you can always find someone with a tv for playoffs or something big and most schools have common areas with TVs</p>
<p>I bought a TV tuner card for my computer when I was in the dorms. Worked out great space-wise and it was only around $50.</p>
<p>
[quote]
if you don't have a TV, you will study more and procrastinate less
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Or you'll just find something else to procrastinate with.... I always do lol</p>
<p>If you don't mind storing it over the summer, see if you can buy a fridge or TV off of a graduating Senior. They usually sell for around $30-$45 for eithier.</p>