<p>We are in the middle of The Big Family Conversation about college budgeting, but I snuck out to ask this question: How much do you approximate you spent/will spend to outfit the dorm room? I'm talking bedding, fridge purchase/rental, school supplies, etc.</p>
<p>THANKS! Will check back. We're on a roll here and don't want to stop the momentum. :D</p>
<p>ETA: I have a low-maintenance son. If you'd include gender/level of fussiness about these things, it would help. :)</p>
<p>$200-300 is what i spent.</p>
<p>S1 and I spent about $400 on a mega-trip to BB&B last year. The comforter was by far the most expensive item. Other items: sheets, white board, lamp, clock…I can’t even remember what else. Plus $70 for a bedside table from Target. No fridge as he was in an on-campus apartment.</p>
<p>We probably spent a little over a grand, but we had to buy EVERYTHING I brought, I didn’t have anything from home suitable to bring. That, and my fridge cost $300 alone. lol. </p>
<p>ETA: Female, fairly fussy. Nothing I asked for was particularly expensive (except the fridge), but there were a lot of little things that added up.</p>
<p>Not much. Our first shopping trip was in our linen closet. We had those jersey knit sheets in twin size and they fit perfectly on a xlong twin mattress. Both kids took the comforters off of their beds. Towels were the OLDEST in our house (and went on a ONE way trip…to the college never to return here). We had bulletin boards, white boards, desk lamps, and the first kid won a minfridge at project graduation. The only thing we bought him was a printer.</p>
<p>Second kid did the same…but because she was traveling cross country, we bought bulky “stuff” in the college town…a printer, mattress pad, pillow, desk lamp, small TV. I think we spent less than $200 on her stuff.</p>
<p>I figured if ANYONE was going to get nice new towels, it was going to be ME!!</p>
<p>My kids were perfectly happy takiing the “used” stuff from home. They really didn’t care about the “dorm” shopping displays in the stores. They wanted a sense of “home” with them.</p>
<p>probably about 200 this time round…already had fridge, desk chair, lamp and foot locker from his years at boarding school…just new sheets and comforter and some kitchen supplies, dishes, coffee maker, pots pans.</p>
<p>Thanks, all. We’re done with the conversation. He hung in there for more than 90 minutes talking about lots of stuff.</p>
<p>I’d love to send the old household towels and such with ds (and he’d be happy to have it – like I said, low maintenance), but we’re flying 1,000+ miles away from a hot climate to a cold one, so luggage space is at a premium. One of the things we did was look at his graduation gift money and see how much of that he’d need to outfit his dorm. Your estimates will really help. We’ll be doing lots of ordering here and picking up there. Just trying to figure out whether to budget $200 or $1,200. :)</p>
<p>Stick with the low end! There is not much space in a dorm room, and roommate will bring some things. Towels will end up mildewed and sheets will be tossable at the end of a few years. We probably spent less than $200 on each kid, and that included some nice wood shelves from Ikea.</p>
<p>If included, micro, fridge, and TV are the big ticket items. Instead of sharing expenses, I suggest that room mates decide who is supplying what (makes divvying up the appliances at the end of the year more straightforward).</p>
<p>I’m in at around $250. I bargain shop year round and stack everything in older brothers’ empty bedroom as I buy… so sheets, towels, duvet cover, sending extra down comforter and older wool stadium blanket so no need to purchase, medicine kit, small tool kit, fold up camp chair, laundry detergent, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, extra razor blades, extra light, extra flash drive, surge protector, toilet paper and cleaning supplies, box of ramen, big box of Emergen-C, those contac hanger things, hangers…as soon as the stores have the school supplies for cheap I’ll pick up pens, pencils, notebooks, etc…much better price than the bookstore. Fortunately we decided to drive him out!</p>
<p>If you don’t count the laptop, I think I spent less than $200 on my oldest. He brought the towels he uses at home. We bought two sets of extralong sheets, a new comforter, a couple of pillows, a mesh laundry hamper and a first aid kit. Maybe a few office supplies. His room (an apartment) came with a fridge and stove. Oh and for the kitchen a small set of stainless steel and two plastic bowls, two plates and two plastic glasses and a pitcher for making lemonade and a whisk and a cutting knife. Nobody brought a TV or microwave. We ended up buying a small bookcase as there was so much extra space in his room.</p>
<p>$200-250 and it was mostly for the bedding stuff. We were lucky that S’s school starts late because there was nothing left at most places that were catering to the college crowd and we had to find things all over the place but much cheaper. Start thinking about shipping stuff. We found a friend with a business that does a lot of shipping and got a good rate to send a box that was just short of 70 pounds for $27 by UPS. Remember that most airlines are charging now for checked-in luggage. The fridge/microwave contraption was rented and the $130/year was split four ways.</p>
<p>I’m into bargain hunting, so before the start of my son’s senior year, I went online to JC Penney and bought extra-large sheets (two sets), a comforter and a couple of cotton blankets all for less than $80. He had a clock. Later, I got a bedspread for about $24. He wanted it, because it does keep the dust off blankets (should there be dust). A pillow and laundry bag. A set of towels. A beach towel. He bought his coffeemaker and toaster for about $25. He also got a TV for less than $200 and a folding book case for $49. All totaled, we spent about $400 or so. I had lots of stuff in the house, so we put together things like the first aid kit.</p>
<p>Truthfully, the biggest expense is clothing. He likes clothing. A lot.</p>
<p>Ummmm…still buying. Comforter was $50 on sale, Washington Caps floor mat $25, two sets of XL sheets $50, mattress pad was $35 on sale, trunk for $16. Got a safe, too. S2 bought fridge for $60 from Craigslist and will be paying for headphones, external hard drive, used bike, helmet/lock. We have small tools, toiletries, alarm clock, laundry soap, dish soap, scrunges, paper plates, bath towels here. Got an Ikea shelving unit which is actually a butcher block with lower shelves for storage.</p>
<p>Otherwise, we have been getting stuff for cooking – made a successful trip to Ikea yesterday and got 49 cent wooden spoons, $1.00 colander, etc. While he is on the meal plan this year, he hopes to cook with and for friends on weekends. Some of that gear will come from home, too. When he gets an apartment later (on campus or off), he’ll take our current dishes and some of our older baking/cooking pans.</p>
<p>Will be getting printer, laptop, laundry bag and possibly a shopping cart which would double for laundry and groceries.</p>
<p>Spent $400 so far and not quite done. Yes, I have a girl.</p>
<p>Have shopped at BB&B and Target. Bought: comforter ($39), mattress pad ($19), 2 sets of sheets ($30 each), 2 pillows, 3 sets of towels, drying rack, collapsable hamper, storage ottoman ($20), floor lamp ($20), white board/bulletin board, over-the-door hooks, iron, some desk supplies, webcam/microphone ($39, for Skype), powerstrip & extension cord.</p>
<p>Still plan to buy stackable drawer unit ($30), lightweight blanket, desk lamp, trash can and shoe rack.</p>
<p>Still need to decide about carpet & micro-fridge, will probably be split with roommate. Roommate has a tv and a printer. D may buy the rug, and they will split the rental on the micro-fridge.</p>
<p>Big expense - they are hoping to loft their beds and have a futon in the room. I’ve found futons online for under $200, but we might need to see how the furniture works in the room before buying this. </p>
<p>Sounds like a lot of money, but none of it is particularly expensive stuff - it just all adds up. Luckily it should all last 4 years, or close to it.</p>
<p>That’s a great question - I have no idea! First (and only) kid (male) not that fussy (but I am - about bedding and stuff like that) :-/ I have read almost every thread regarding what to bring/not bring. This is what we have so far (and I think we are pretty much done) Almost everything was on sale.</p>
<p>natural bedbug spray $10
vinyl zippered mattress cover $10
mattress topper ($100 value) $30 (good old TJMaxx!)
fitted mattress pad $20
2 sets xtraL twin sheets approx $40
light down blanket $35
polarfleece blanket $22
100% cotton quilt $60
2 pillows $16
2 pillow protectors $6
Towels (already paid for from camp - good ones gotten on sale and still going strong)
Clip on desk lamp $6 (I think it was 6)
desk lamp (for night stand) $19
3 shelf folding shelves $25.50 (orig 50 reduced to 30 - 15%) 
over the door hooks $7
2 denim curtain panels (sale) $20
(my friend said I will be a laughing stock/told her I have a thick skin and besides, would they want the light coming in from a 5-6 ft wide window at 7am on a Sat/Sun morning???) besides, if they are vehemently against them, I can always return.
shower curtain tension rod $12
(for the above mentioned curtains)
plastic “drawer” med size $10
locking file cabinet $33
(for valuables)<br>
trash can $5
small plastic basket $2
surge prot/ext cord/wall adapter $15 (approx)
mesh laundry pop-up $12</p>
<p>Total $415.50 </p>
<p>Still need misc stuff like toiletries/first aid kit/homeopathic remedies/OTC stuff/laundry deter</p>
<p>Have a printer that he may take/still not sure</p>
<p>Want to rent a fridge/micro but his room mate (from overseas, no less) wants to bring a fridge. ??? I don’t get why he would want to bother. Still to be figured out. </p>
<p>I am sure there are some things I’ve not thought about. Son is going thru the 7 page list I printed from the various threads I’ve read. So far, has only done page 1. :-/</p>
<p>Whew.</p>
<p>I’m sure it was well under $200 for each kid – one male, one female – no fridge, printer, or microwave.</p>
<p>D I have no idea. Way tooo much.
S not much. He was within driving distance so he took comforter, towels and such from home. He didn’t care if it matched or was new. He did take a printer but had no desire for the fridge.
If you fly on southwest you can all bring extra bags and bring stuff from home. Even at $35 a bag it might be worth it to take some stuff from home.</p>
<p>Oh, yeah. Pillows, microfleece blanket, $11 Ikea desk lamp. With kitchen stuff, will probably come to about $400. Have tried to stress that the less stuff in the room, the easier it will be to maintain. (I won’t DARE say CLEAN!!!)</p>
<p>both H and I commuted to school so we had no idea what all to pack or what was needed, so a few months before school started, I began compiling suggestions from all over the place (books, websites, school suggestion list, friends, etc) and came up with a LARGE list of items and then S and I looked thru and picked out the most important ones (plus a few I insisted on - ie odor removing spray!). My guess is D will add a few more decor-type things to her list, S could care less about that…but did add a rug a few months in.</p>
<p>This really helped me/him on some items we wouldn’t have thought about (ie - umbrella) and allowed me to keep and eye out for sales so it only cost us a couple hundred (w/out fridge) to start with.</p>
<p>LIST FOR COLLEGE FRESHMEN MEN
(Check with roommate for items youll only need one of)
MUST HAVES & NICE TO HAVES (you be the judge)</p>
<p>School supplies & paperwork pack in hanging file box with organizer on top and/or in trashcan
Pens
Mechanical pencils & lead
PDA, Calendar, etc something to keep your schedule/plans written down on
Loose-leaf paper
Highlighters
Post-it tabs
Trashcan
Sharpies (for marking your food, cds etc)
Tape
Scissors
Stapler, Staples & remover
Paper & binder clips
Note cards
Post-its
Glue
Calculator
Pencils & pencil sharpener
Clamp on desk/book light
Hanging files for blank paper/each class/school info, etc
File with orientation paperwork, financial aid data, phone numbers etc.</p>
<p>Computer & Electronics & Fun - Pack in Book/computer bag and/or throw away boxes
Computer/book bag
Computer/laptop
Ethernet cables
Surge Protector
Mouse & mouse pad
Flash Drive
External (or virtual) back-up drive
Pack in lockbox and/or underbed storage container
Cell phone & charger
MP3 player and earbuds
Decks of Cards
Poker Set
Books & Magazines for recreational reading
Separate keyboards
Noise cancelling headphones (dorms can be loud!)
Blank CDs
Printer, Paper and Ink
Room Phone
TV
Game system & Games
Board games
Speakers for music
Portable desk fan</p>
<p>Bedding, Towels, Laundry & General dorm needs - Pack in underbed or folding storage containers
Towels
Washcloths/scrunchies
Sheets/Pillow Cases
Extra set of sheets (someone will throw up on yours)
Blankets
Alarm Clock (7-day one is a good choice)
Weather Radio (Saved the kids at that school in TN when the tornados hit)
Flashlight (crank or wind
no batteries)
3M removable hooks for wet towels, hats, etc
Laundry Detergent (or those all-in one detergent/dryer sheets)
Disinfecting wipes (for dust & messes)
Air freshener or odor removing spray (youll thank yourself if you want girls to visit your room)
Mattress Pad
Beach Towel (if pool or near beach)</p>
<p>Clothes (This is the bare essentials your choice on bringing more) also depends on how far you live from home and the weather. This also assumes you are active (sports/workouts) and do laundry 1x per week - Pack in laundry hamper/basket(s)
6 gym/sports tees
6 gym/sports shorts and/or sweatpants
15 pairs of socks
15 underwear
2 PJs
4 Jeans
4 casual shorts
6 casual shirts (graphic tees, polos, oxfords, whatever you want to wear daily)
1 or 2 nice pants (for going out)
1 or 2 oxfords or nice shirts (for going out)
1 (maybe 2) belt
1 (maybe 2 in case one gets wet) pair of comfortable everyday shoes
Sports/Workout shoes (or special shoes for activity, ie-golf)
Flipflops or shower shoes (YES, you do need these)
1 pair of dress shoes for going out
2 hoodies (one light, one heavy)
Swimsuit (if school has a pool, or beach nearby)
Coat (Fall & Winter)
Hat (Fall & Winter)
Gloves/Scarf (Fall & Winter)
Suit or Tux
Random weird clothes for theme parties (or locate a nearby goodwill)</p>
<p>Safety Items (if you bring a safe, someone WILL steal it as a prank) - Pack these wherever
Diversion safe (or make one from a book you would actually have on your bookshelf)
Combination lock if you plan to workout or play sports
Security cable for your computer if you will need to leave it in your room sometimes
and you will
Hanging shoe back for closet (you can always high things in baggies in your shoes no one will look there)</p>
<p>Bath supplies - Small container(s) to pack/store/tote to floor bathroom, if necessary
Pain relievers (you will not want to run to the clinic all the time)
Sunscreen (especially if in sports or outdoor activities)
Shampoo/Conditioner
Body Wash
Razor
Toothbrush
Toothpaste & a squeeze-it for the tube
Antiperspirant
Axe spray
Acne Creams
Band-aids & Neosporin
Imodium
Nail clippers
Travel bottles for weekend trips
Dental Floss
Mouthwash
Cotton Swabs</p>
<p>Food items and such - Pack in food storage container with a tight seal to keep out bugs/ants or large ziplock bags
Pop-tarts
Mini bags of chips
Mints & Gum (in case running late in the morning)
Coffee (if applicable)
Ziplock bags and Chip clips
Paper Towels
Granola Bars
Energy Drinks
Sodas
Candy</p>
<p>Misc pack wherever
Throw Pillows
Floor Rug
Refillable sports water bottle
Message board & magnets and/or dry erase markers
Umbrella (spend the money and get a nice heavy-duty one)
Ball had (for badhair/late mornings)
Hangers, including multiple pant hangers (if need room, shorts can be hung on multiple skirt hangers)
Posters & sticky tack
Plants or fish
Sunglasses
Over the door hooks or organizational bags
Rolling draws/bins for closet or desk
Paper plates
Plastic Cups
Plastic Flatware
Coffee Maker & Filters
Microwave
Mini Fridge
Trashbags
Swiffer Dusters
Dust Buster</p>
<p>If you will be driving to school
Get an oil change and top off fluids, checks belts & hoses
Check tire pressure
Replace wiper blades, if needed
Double check that all your lights are working and replace bulbs as needed</p>