Hello Creators!
Today I wanted to share something a little bit exciting, dorm shopping!! In 5 weeks and 2 days I will be moving into my dorm and I have so many things running through my mind. How will I survive without my parents? How hard are the classes going to be? Am I insane for taking 18 hours? (that last one I know the answer is yes and I know I will die.)
BUT- on top of all of the scary questions, there are SO many exciting ones! Like, what color scheme do I want my dorm to be? What clubs am I going to join? Who am I going to meet? (Side note: If you want a journal entry post about what I'm most scared and excited for, let me know!)
Today I took a big jump with my best friend (and roommate). We went dorm shopping! Here are a few things I learned today:
1. Do not rush and buy everything in one day.
I know it can be tempting to just buy all of the cute pillows and lamps and decorations at once. Trust me. But I've been going to Target, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and Walmart for a few months with my dorm room in the back of my mind, taking not of what I think I might want. This way, I can look for coupons and sales.
2. Do not buy things at full price.
As I mentioned in no.1, I started looking for coupons and keeping an eye out for sales at the stores I know I like. But on top of that, stores like Dirt Cheap and Goodwill will amaze you with what you can find! Today alone, I bought a Threshold brand lamp, a throw blanket, a Brita (unopened), and a Ceramic Tea Kettle for less than $60 at Dirt Cheap.
3. Do communicate with your roommate.
I am lucky enough to room with my best friend, so her mother and she took me with them to go shopping today. We were easily able to decide who would buy what necessities and what color scheme we are trying to stick to. I know that many people do not get to meet their roommate until they enter their dorm, so I would recommend getting each others social media and texting to bounce ideas back and forth about the dorm.
4. Do not over buy.
It was so hard to not buy every storage unit and pillow and lamp that we saw, but the reality of dorm living is, we won't know what will fit until we get there. We are buying all of the bare necessities and a few extras now, and then when we move in in August, we will purchase the other items we need. This way we can also see what other people have brought and steal some ideas!
5. Do splurge on a few items.
This may seem contradictory to my other tips, but there will be some items you do not want to buy second hand and can find a good sale or coupon. For our room, we know we want a mini fridge with a built in freezer. We don't want to buy a used one because that kinda grosses us out and we can't seem to find a good one under $100. So we know that this just might have to be an item we splurge on, but that is okay. We know that we have saved a few dollars with the other tips and we are okay with spending a little extra to get a nice fridge.
That's all for today folks! I can't wait to finish shopping and move in to my dorm. I will definitely post before and after pics of my dorm once we move in so if you want to see that post please subscribe to my mailing list to be reminded! In the comment section below, tell me your favorite store to dorm shop!
As always, keep creating!