<p>I know that there are many lists of what to bring to college. But I don't think anyone has really ever said how much they spent on their dorm stuff. </p>
<p>I'm planning on allowing myself a limit of $1500 on dorm stuff and $500 of the limit goes strictly towards clothes. Is that too much/ too little to spend? How much did/do/ or you willing to spend on dorm stuff?</p>
<p>What did you end up spending a lot on that you should have bought cheaper?</p>
<p>Any practical advice like, "$300 for a bed set is WAY too much", would be greatly appreciated. (FYI I don't know if $300 is too much/ too little).</p>
<p>What are some stuff that you brought and realized was absolutely unnecessary? What are the stuff that you should buy on campus -if any?</p>
<p>I sort of started my own little list of what to buy, but I'm not sure the $1500 is enough/ or too much. I've looked through the first couple of posts on the thread "A to Z what to bring to college" but a lot of it seems, to me personally, a little bit unncessary. Also, I tried asking the same question there and go no respond :/. If any of my questions are answered there just redirect me, but I don't think it mentions the prices.</p>
<p>Lol, then you might want to check out the above mentioned thread. There's a lot of stuff that you might forget (i.e. mattress pad, towels, shower caddy, etc.). </p>
<p>I don't think anyone I know really kept track. You buy what you need as you would buy normal things you need, weighing price, quality, and so on.</p>
<p>$1500 is probably too much unless your including a new laptop/printer in that price. I think more than $200 is too much for bedding unless you want an expensive comforter. Usually places like Bed, Bath, and Beyond will carry relatively cheap (mine was ~$150) bedding sets specifically tailored for dorms and will have them on sale throughout the summer. Check newspaper ads weekly to see which stores have coupons or sales for that week.</p>
<p>Here's what I brought to college (with "new" in parentheses for anything I bought the summer before)</p>
<p>Pillow (new)
Bedding set (new)
Mattress Pad (new)
Shower caddy (new)
TV
Refrigerator
TV Stand
Video games
Clothes
Toiletries (new)
Towels (new)
Beach/pool towels
Hangers (new)
Three plastic containers
Computer (new but provided through scholarship)
School supplies, i.e. paper, pens, pencils, notebooks (new)
Printer (new)
Alarm clock
iPod
Textbooks/Computer programs (new)
Flash drive
Backpack
Laundry Hamper
Detergent (new)</p>
<p>When it gets closer to time, stores will have sales and you can shop around (look in your mail and newspaper for 10-20% coupons). You don't want to get the most expensive/nice things made, but at the same time you don't want to get the crappiest/cheap things made. </p>
<p>My mom gave me $1,500 to spend on dorm stuff, but if I need more money it has to come out of my pocket. The good thing is that I get to keep what's left over so I can get whatever else I want. Remember that you don't have to spend all of that money. You can save the leftover for things later on.</p>
<p>I think that the most important things to spend money on would be bedding stuff. I got a memory foam mattress topper, nice pillow, really nice sheets, a nice down alternative comforter, and a ok duvet cover (this is like a pillowcase for the comforter so it can be cleaned easier). I figure that the comfoter isn't really worth splurging on since it will probably need replaced sooner than other things.</p>
<p>Yeah, don't buy everything on that list. Just go thru and write down the things you think you will need. The list just helps you realize some things that you might have never thought to bring. I went thru and did that and shortened the list a ton.</p>
<p>$1500? woww..i even think to limit myself less than $500..
(i dont need a new laptop,ipod,or camera) and im not planning to buy tv/micro/refrig --- im an international student
could it? for laundry things - bed - bath+cosmetics - drawer - clothes?</p>
<p>Don't forget things like ethernet cord, phone, surge protector/extension cord, lamp, light bulbs, trash can, fan (very important if your dorm doesn't have AC, even in New England) etc. Those are things you might want to buy once you get to school so don't forget to budget some money for last minute things.</p>
<p>Urrr...I'm from Alabama and went to Michigan...everyone at Michigan was like "It's gets hot here, you absolutely need a fan..." I didn't need one. I would wait on the fan if you're used to hot weather. It takes up space and I ended up donating mine to charity.</p>
<p>I would suggest spending as little as possible. I ended up moving off campus the year following freshman year, and never had a twin (or twin xl) bed again. I probably spent about $150 on bedding and towels and 2 pillows, with two towels and some hand towels and washcloths, and a sheet set with down alternative duvet with cover and a mattress cover (zipper). Never have used that stuff since freshman year but I've kept it as it's nice.</p>
<p>I spent a couple hundred on a trunk I still use today. Awesome for storage, seating, etc. Bought the usual lamps and accessories. Lots of clothes since I just needed more, needed new shoes, winter jacket.</p>
<p>I think you could do dorm shopping under a couple hundred dollars, especially if your parents will let you take some bedding or towels with you. Keep in mind you may only use the twin or twin xl stuff for one year unless your school requires you to live on campus.</p>
<p>I would wait to buy misc. things that you may not need if you will have transportation, a store nearby, your roommate will have a car, etc. Neither my roommate nor I had a car and we still got around fine to do a little shopping. There was some stuff I just never used that I bought.</p>
<p>Bed, Bath & Beyond has a checklist of "essential" college items, ranging from soap holders (?) to sleep masks (for protection, perhaps), that includes a $10-off coupon.</p>
<p>The conniving scoundrels handed them out at a graduation I attended.</p>
<p>clever, clever</p>
<p>In total I'd say it added up to several hundred...dollars.</p>
<p>here's another one, as i'm honestly curious, does stuffing a down comforter into a duvet kinda suck? or is it as easy as stuffin a pillow into a pillowcase? </p>
<p>never really had a duvet before; honestly, i didn't know until like a week ago...on CC haha</p>
<p>I happened to find the receipt for when I bought stuff last year... $200.</p>
<p>That didn't include my computer ($1200), my printer ($75), or my TV ($280). </p>
<p>Also, I think it's crazy you're going to drop $500 on clothes alone. The only way I see that as necessary is if you are going to a totally different climate. I don't think I've spent that much on clothes this year total and my wardrobe doubled if not more...</p>
<p>
[quote]
does stuffing a down comforter into a duvet kinda suck? or is it as easy as stuffin a pillow into a pillowcase?
[/quote]
Yeah, it kinda does suck but it's not as bad as a king size comforter would be. It's nowhere as easy as putting a pillow in a pillowcase because of the size. They sell clips that hold the corners in place that really help out (this also keeps the comforter from ending up at the bottom. After a few times you'll find it gets easier to get it in. All you have to do is turn the duvet inside out and lay it flat and pin the comforter to the corners. Then I just turn it right side out like you would a t-shirt and then I pick it up and kinda shake it to even things out. It's actually quite funny to watch, but I'll be the one laughing at them when they have a hard time cleaning their comforter. You also don't have to get a down comforter. I got a down alternative one because it's cheaper and doesn't have that weird smell and it's not as hot underneath.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also, I think it's crazy you're going to drop $500 on clothes alone. The only way I see that as necessary is if you are going to a totally different climate. I don't think I've spent that much on clothes this year total and my wardrobe doubled if not more...
[/quote]
I don't think it's crazy. I spend more than that on clothes each season. It's really easy to spend $500 and hardly have anything to show for it.</p>
<p>You might want to try places like TJ Max, Ross, and Annas Linens for bedding. Even JC Penney carries the TXL for cheaper prices than most home stores. If you are moving into a standard dorm room, limit yourself to $500 for clothes and dorm stuff. Your room is very small, you will probably share it, and the closet will be smaller than you can imagine.</p>
<p>If you need a computer, by the best you possibly can afford with the most RAM and processor for the buck and a good service warranty, because you will be using it for at least 4 years. Also, wait until you get to school to buy your application software, because most bookstores sell the popular software suites for very cheap student rates.</p>
<p>Check out the college's computing website to find out what hardware you'll need in the computer and if you get "free" printing at the labs on campus. If so, buy a good flash drive and not the printer.</p>
<p>^ Is walking to the other end of campus worth not buying a printer? Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I'm always afraid that I'd need to print something and the printers would be broken. If we will be doing a lot of color printing (I doubt the computer lab has free color printing and most of my teachers will have powerpoint slides to print out from online and it's hard to read the black and white copies) should we just go ahead and buy a printer?</p>
<p>On average, do colleges have drawers in dorm rooms? I'm a guy, and I've never exactly had a lot of "lavish" necessities. Will I be alright if I just bring my clothes, bedding, laptop, guitar, and a few small necessities (i.e - toothbrush, soap)?</p>