<p>I want to remind parents and Freshman students to expect high demand items for your dorm to be sold out in the Tuscaloosa area. Below are items that come to mind. </p>
<p>Large Kitchen Trash Cans</p>
<p>small bath or bedroom waste can</p>
<p>Tension style curtain rod </p>
<p>Command Strip adhesive strips</p>
<p>book shelves</p>
<p>Cheap broom with dust pan</p>
<ul>
<li>get them BEFORE you head to campus.</li>
</ul>
<p>When exactly do things typically sell out? As early as this coming week or should shopping this week be OK?
We got the big things (bookshelves, mini fridge, memory foam etc.) and many others ordered for site to store p/u or delivery but was planning to get the 3M strips, garbage cans and some kitchen items while down there. Can stop in B’ham but honestly if things are in decent supply in Tuscaloosa this week would prefer to give the business to the Tuscaloosa stores. Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>Was in Tuscaloosa last weekend moving DD in early for Recruitment workshop and Spirit Week. Made several Target runs. I noticed that supplies diminished even between Friday and Monday…most noticeably the 3M strips seemed low as well as batteries. Targets aisles were stacked with lots of dorm necessities…trash cans, futons, mini frigs, plastic storage of all shapes and sizes. That being said remember over 3000 girls returned to campus this week to prepare for Recruitment. DD and I noticed very full shopping carts exiting Target and some empty looking shelves at Walmart. I know that her 3 roommates all made Target runs for just the exact items that were on Momof3’s list. Last year when I went down for bid day I looked everywhere for a tension rod and couldn’t find one anywhere. So I do think that you might want to bring the list items with you if you need them or stop in B’ham on the way down…thanks Momof3…what a great idea to keep our newbies “in the know” Isn’t m2k in Tuscaloosa this weekend? Maybe she can chime in on availability of the list items…</p>
<p>just buy any if those things that you think you may need before you go. then you can always return them if you end up not needing. that is what we did last year, so we did end up taking a few extra things with us. then i returned any unneeded items when i got home(like duplicate ice trays etc). the only things we picked up in tuscaloosa were things like a bookshelf and the plastic drawer things (oh, and grocery type things)).</p>
<p>Accccck, was planning to buy some of those things in T-Town because space in the back of our Subaru Outback is limited. Will have to see if we can buy <em>at least</em> the Command strips and hooks before we head down. </p>
<p>Yipes!</p>
<p>S wanted a 55 gal kitchen trash can. Why I have no idea, but I tried to order it at Walmart site to store, but it wasn’t offered. Is there a Home Depot or Lowes in T-town? I don’t think they have room for that in the mini suv. Soda cans are recyclable anyway, right? What would they be throwing away? It’s not like he is going to be cooking.I would think an 18 gal would be sufficient. I could get that and stuff it with towels or something.</p>
<p>There is a Home Depot next to Target. 1601 13th Ave East…</p>
<p>Where is he going to put a 55 gallon trash can? That would take up the entire kitchen area.</p>
<p>yeah, i think the 55 gallon trash can is a bad idea.</p>
<p>ahpimommy: thanks for the detail on what you observed/have heard in the local stores, it helps with logistics/what we will pick up where.</p>
<p>Can someone comment of what recycling is done in the dorms? Is there single stream recycling? If not what is recycled? Any suggestions on recycling containers/specific garbage cans used in past that work well.</p>
<p>55 Gallon trash can is probably a bad idea, by the time they fill it, the smell would be awful (then they will never take the garbage out). And really, there will be no room, even a small one takes up precious floor space.</p>
<p>My husband purchased a 55 gl trash can and placed it in the middle of the kitchen one time when I went to visit my parents in Seattle…trust me 1 week of trash …yeah NOT A GOOD IDEA…he also lets the kids have a contest to see who could get the most pieces of Top Ramen to stick to the kitchen ceiling…(boys who are reading don’t get any ideas!!!)…when I arrived home to the garbage dump in my kitchen seriously considered leaving again…am thinking small trash can and some Febreeze :).</p>
<p>Can someone comment of what recycling is done in the dorms?</p>
<p>I know that at Ridgecrest there are trash cans coded for recycling.</p>
<p>Right now, Wal-mart has stuff, but I don’t know how long that will last. Tax free weekend for school-related stuff is this weekend.</p>
<p>If you are going through Birmingham, there is a Wal-Mart in Bessemer, should you need to stop to pick up some things.</p>
<p>I agree about the 55-gallon trash can. Purchase a kitchen-sized trash can and several smaller ones. One of my son’s roommates got several trash cans for their suite last year. The smaller, the better. You want them to dump the trash regularly. The bigger, the chances of removing the trash decrease. </p>
<p>Also, make sure you have several boxes of trash bags.</p>
<p>A 55 gallon garbage can (ie oil barrel size)? My family doesn’t throw that much stuff away in week. I also recommend a 13 or 18-gallon trash can and lots of garbage bags. </p>
<p>FWIW, UA recycles paper, plastic, and aluminum, but not glass. </p>
<p>If possible, stop outside of Tuscaloosa and purchase those items that will likely be sold out in Tuscaloosa. That said, Target in Tuscaloosa has an excellent selection of dorm room items. I usually go back a few weeks later and purchase the items at 50-75% off.</p>
<p>SEA_tide, can the recyclables be mixed? We are in charge of the kitchen trash container and have bought the standard sized can. But I’m wondering if I should get a second can for the paper and drink refuse. Also, where do the residents dispose of their trash?</p>
<p>^When we visited for BB, I recall there being several recycle bins for each of the different types located off to the side of the main exterior entrance to Ridgecrest South, which gave me the impression that the students must have to bring their recyclables down to the entrance and sort them into the appropriate bin.</p>
<p>Recyclables cannot be mixed and are placed in separate containers. FWIW, many people seem to think that the plastic bottle caps are recyclable, while I’ve always been told that they aren’t because of cost.</p>
<p>Garbage is taken to trash rooms on each floor, while recyclables are taken to bins on the first floor (outside for Ridgecrest South, indoors for the other buildings).</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great info! I think we’re going to be responsible for the trash bins, cleaning supplies, etc., since the other kids are apparently bringing the fun stuff (TV, X-box, LOL).</p>
<p>Does anyone know how the stores in Tuscaloosa are doing for school supplies and toiletries? These are the only things I have left to buy when I get to T-town, but I’m guessing school supplies (pens, paper, etc.) can be bought at the supe store, and Target probably won’t be selling out of shampoo anytime soon?</p>
<p>Thanks to this post, I ordered about $40 of command products from amazon last night, haha. I am obsessed and you can never have too many command hooks! So thanks for the heads up!</p>