We already had a mini fridge from COVID when we split grandma’s vacation mountain house into two separate parts. It’s just one of the little cube shaped ones. It’s worked great for my D22 and is not too big of a pain to move in or out. Not very heavy. We did end up leaving it in storage this year but that’s just because D22’s car broke down and she had to ride home with me so we had to leave some stuff in her friends’ storage unit. (That was a whole saga, pouring down rain too.)
My kid’s school does not allow microwaves in rooms although they do have one down the hall in the kitchen. So make sure to check and see if microwave-fridge combos are allowed before investing in that. (FTR I think it’s dumb they don’t allow microwaves. Even at my mom’s assisted living facility they allowed microwaves.)
My daughter’s school had a yard sale about 2 weekends after school started. They sold all the stuff left in the dorms the year before and daughter got a fridge for $25 (by then had met some friends to help her lug it to the dorm). At the end of the year she was going to bring it home but it just wouldn’t fit in the car (along with all her other stuff) so her boyfriend took it and either gave it away or sold it. D was living in the sorority house the next year so didn’t need it.
I honestly don’t think they used it that much. Never used the Keurig she HAD to have. Don’t think they used the microwave the roommate brought.
My other daughter lived in a suite with a full fridge and it was always packed with take out food that they never ate and just threw away when it smelled. They couldn’t cook much in their kitchette (rules about appliances but they did have an illegal toaster) and they all had a full meal plan so no need to make meals.
I’m not getting S23 a fridge, each dorm section has just about 20 kids and each section has a kitchen - I can’t imagine him wanting to put anything in the fridge that often…? He’s someone who’s glued to his water bottle and doesn’t drink “drinks,” so he doesn’t need to worry about storing a case of his favorite beverage in a common area (which is what I am assuming is a need for many kids).
This seems fine for the way he operates, but what might I not be considering…?
Depends on the dining plan. Our kids generally had plans with 12-14 meals per week, so usually ate breakfast in their dorm room (cereal, breakfast burritos etc) that needed fridge storage.
Ok…I just asked my kids…and my memory was off. At one school, we did take the fridge (kid won it in the Project Graduation raffle). No microwave for that kid. That fridge came back here after sophomore year, and was loaned to another college student.
Second kid also had a small microwave and a small fridge…which she bought. Those were given away when she graduated.
Really…renting would have been fine in both cases…
This is where going to school in a very cold climate helps. In my day, long before mini-fridges were a thing,my dorm room had a window with a screen (before a/c was invented too, or at least for dorms). Put the beer between the screen and the window. Perfect temp if you put it in at 7 pm and drank it all by 10.
Depends on where your kid goes to school. Sometimes, due to class schedules, the closest dining hall may be closed and your kid might not want to treck across campus to eat (especially in bad weather). If you have an athlete, they are going to eat more than 3 times a day and often return from sporting events after the dining hall has closed.
DD complained about the one dining hall they had on her small campus (and I agree, it was BAD, and I am pretty forgiving about these things) and is a picky eater to begin with. She kept fruit, precooked chicken breasts, protein shakes, yogurt, and cheese on hand.
DS tends to only use his for leftovers. Waste not, want not.
