Dorm rooms - what is your budget?

[MrsPete]

We didn't spend a ton on initial setup in the dorm, but lemmee tell ya, the kids want FOOD. They don't like going to the dining hall and it's not open late on weekends anyway. I would stock up on cans of ravioli, twizzlers, snacks. Cash for ordering pizza and jimmy johns. That's where my $ went this year.

Yeah, that I will do for my kiddo. When she comes home, I intend to send her back every time with a big box of healthy foods, a few homemade things she can pop into the oven/bake, and a small restaurant gift card. That's a "we're thinking about you at home" type of thing.

I don't really have a budget in mind, but to do this inexpensively for your son look on craigslist or college notices for schools in your area. At the end of the year the kids are trying to get rid of the dorm things they no longer need.

My daughter's college is proud of its emphasis on recycling, and they do a big yard sale at the beginning of the semester -- they have a cute name for it, but I forget what they call it. Anyway, they collect "stuff" in the spring when people are moving out -- clothes, books, furniture, kitchen goods -- and they sell it during move-in in the fall. It's an easy fund raiser for the dorm folks.

You aren't sleeping in the sheets, and hopefully you taught them how to do laundry - at this point, its up to them.

That's kind of how I feel about the room. I'm not going to live in it, and it's not up to me to make lists of what she needs and buy trinkets for her enjoyment. This is hers.

 

[momxx5]

Love all the insight.

DS is staying in state, about 1hr away. He is assigned to Scholars Dorm and has already "met" roomate via facebook.

He is really laid back and will probably make do with whatever, I just want to make sure he has the regular needs. Funny about the sheets matching, etc. He has 2 sisters so on occassion he has slept using My Little Pony and a unicorn pillowcase (DD10 LOVES Unicorns....lol). His fav comforter is really light, soft, on sale from Target and does not take up a lot of room in washing machine. I wish I could descride it better. Its like thinly quilted down but perfect weight for warmth.

My understanding so far is that it is a "shared" dorm, meaning 4 bedroom, each with desk, bed, closet, fridge & micro and then one main common area with tv, and shared bath between 8 people.

The floors are by gender, so not totally co-ed.

Thanks again.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm surprised so many never heard of this. It's not exactly an exotic item. It's what you call a comforter cover. They are used all the world.

Guess some people lead kind of isolated lives?

No, they just live inexpensive lives, especially as kids. Duvet covers are primarily designed to use on down comforters, and unless you make them yourself, tend to be on the pricey side. Most of us who don't live in really cold climates don't bother investing in down comforters; we use fiberfill versions that come with the decorative cover permanently attached.

My European relatives never fail to be amused by this, because they are used to the fitted sheet w/ duvet cover style of bed-making. That style is actually pretty unusual in the US, where the vast majority of people use a fitted sheet, a flat topsheet, a blanket if it is cold, and then a decorative permanently-covered comforter on top of the whole thing.

Also, fwiw, over the years I have known MANY, MANY house-proud mothers who would not let their children ever sit on or lie under a comforter; it had to be fully removed from the bed before sleep or just lying down, then put back on the made up bed in the morning. (Not that a teenaged boy would ever bother once he left home, but it goes to show that the habit of trying to avoid washing a comforter is honestly come by.)

PS: IME in college, guys NEVER washed their sheets unless there was something unfortunate spilled on them, or if they planned on getting a girl to spend the night for the first time. Girls who had a regular boyfriend tended to wash his sheets for him, out of pure self-defense. (When I lived in dorms it was MUCH less hassle for a girl to stay late at night on a boys floor than it was the other way around, so when it came to sex, the default location was always the guy's room. Also, guys tended to be cooler about clearing out when roommates wanted some privacy.)

PPS: About the trunk. Yes, those are very useful nowadays, because of the electronics that most kids have, and they are more popular now than they were for a long time. A trunk with a keyed lock lets you lock up valuables in a way that is unobtrusive and doesn't attract attention the way that a strongbox does; which is good if your roommate is the type of person who props the door open and then wanders down the hall to visit a friend for an hour. Framed beds usually have room underneath for a footlocker-sized one.

 

[disykat]

No budget necessary. I'm guessing we spent about $10 on pop up laundry hamper and some hooks? He pretty much took what he already had, no big deal. He was given some new stuff as gifts for graduation as well.

I kind of wanted to go shopping, but he simply wasn't interested.

 

[SaraJayne]

I think the real point is that many college age boys aren't going to wash sheets or comforters - they may be getting two or three wearings out of their underwear to avoid laundry . As a college age girl, I didn't wash sheets or comforters - that was an extra expensive load of laundry! It was more important to wash underwear

For that reason, the Febreeze might be as close as you get to washed linens. But, here is the thing - they are leaving for college. You aren't sleeping in the sheets, and hopefully you taught them how to do laundry - at this point, its up to them.

I have a thirteen year old boy who is "all teenage boy" - in the "droopy pants and ballcap, lifts weights, skateboards, and talks in monosyllables to his parents unless asking for a ride or money." His favorite Christmas gift - down comforter and duvet cover - and yes, he knows what a duvet cover is. Appearances can be deceiving. (He'd also NEVER get two wearings out of underwear and washes his own bedding).

That's because at age 13, laundry is still free.

 

[Swan4Me]

No, they just live inexpensive lives, especially as kids. Duvet covers are primarily designed to use on down comforters, and unless you make them yourself, tend to be on the pricey side..

I live in a warm climate and both sons used only a light weight down comforter(not a top sheet) with a duvet cover-the beauty is you can wash this cover WAY easier that a comforter.

 

[michellev]

No, they just live inexpensive lives, especially as kids. Duvet covers are primarily designed to use on down comforters, and unless you make them yourself, tend to be on the pricey side. Most of us who don't live in really cold climates don't bother investing in down comforters; we use fiberfill versions that come with the decorative cover permanently attached.

My European relatives never fail to be amused by this, because they are used to the fitted sheet w/ duvet cover style of bed-making. That style is actually pretty unusual in the US, where the vast majority of people use a fitted sheet, a flat topsheet, a blanket if it is cold, and then a decorative permanently-covered comforter on top of the whole thing.

Also, fwiw, over the years I have known MANY, MANY house-proud mothers who would not let their children ever sit on or lie under a comforter; it had to be fully removed from the bed before sleep or just lying down, then put back on the made up bed in the morning. (Not that a teenaged boy would ever bother once he left home, but it goes to show that the habit of trying to avoid washing a comforter is honestly come by.)

Just as an FYI, IKEA sells pretty good quality micro fibre duvets which are quite inexpensive. We are a duvet family and that is what we use. My kids are young yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if that is what they would take to university, as that is all they've ever really known. I guess I'll worry about the washing piece when the time comes.

When I went to university, our rooms were vacuumed and sheets washed every two weeks. I didn't realize how lucky I was.

 

[MrsPete]

Off topic, But my daughter and I were at Target today, and they had a good selection of XL twin comforters marked down to $10-20. Nice colors and designs, but I couldn't convince her to call her roommate to discuss. She did buy herself an XL mattress pad on clearance for $4.

 

[WaltsMartini]

You're a nice mom for covering all the dorm room costs

I had to outfit my own room when I went to college (11 years ago - eek), and I combed through the Sunday paper each week to find deals on stuff. Spreading it out over the summer and only buying when on sale saved me a lot of money.

Also, if you sign up at bed bath and beyond, they'll regularly send you $5 off and 20% off coupons. And they almost always honor expired ones, so don't throw them away!

 

[dfchelbay]

My oldest will be off to college in a few months and I am planning a budget for his dorm room supplies.

The have a list on line of the usual things needed:
Bedding
desk supplies
towels
personal items

So I was wondering what kind of budget to make? Do you think a room can be done for less than $200? I can do some great clearance, sale searching....never pay full price kinda shopper.
His roommate is bringing a tv and xbox. Fridge and microwave are already included in room.

Just take the stuff he already has. You already have bedding in your house, you have towels and in his bathroom he has his own personal items. Just take a bunch of stuff from the house. You would be getting school supplies in August anyway, so instead of taking it to your house, it will go off to the dorm. I think if a special size fitted sheet is needed, that would be the only "new" thing you really have to get.

 

[Green Tea]

Off topic, But my daughter and I were at Target today, and they had a good selection of XL twin comforters marked down to $10-20. Nice colors and designs, but I couldn't convince her to call her roommate to discuss. She did buy herself an XL mattress pad on clearance for $4.

Thanks for that information. We got the mattress pads today!