Trying to make a budget for shopping for college

[TLuvsD]

Our D just finished freshman year. Sheets/comforter/mattress pad/egg crate pad are necessary. I tried to recreate her bed at home so she would sleep.
Make sure any dishes are micro safe. I bought some at Target, she loves them, they are not micro safe. Very frustrating.
Tool kit, medical kit (include things like cold medicine, cough syrup, not just first aid items).
Flashlight, duct tape, command hooks (I bought them at Michaels craft store with a coupon).
We sent a printer, although the school has printing. She's a double major, including English and she prefers to edit her papers on paper. They aren't all that expensive and I would rather have her in her dorm room than walking around campus in the middle of the night.
Check the school policy on living in the dorms. In some cases students live in dorms for 4 years, in other cases they get apartments after the first year. You may not want a lot of twin XL bedding for just one year.
If you buy a printer take a couple of reams of paper if you can fit them in the car. With coupons and rebates it's $1 or less at Staples. D bought one ream at school it was $6.
Amazon Student Prime is a great deal. It was free for about months, $40 a year after that...and you can ship to multiple addresses. Love it!
Check textbook prices...sometimes Amazon is better, sometimes Barnes and Noble or Direct Textbook. You can say a lot of money shopping a little (use the ISBN number).

 

[MickeyManiac]

Check textbook prices...sometimes Amazon is better, sometimes Barnes and Noble or Direct Textbook. You can say a lot of money shopping a little (use the ISBN number).

DS used Textbooks.com last semester and was quite happy. He knew before purchasing if they would buy the book back and how much they would pay. The prices were MUCH better than new from the bookstore. When the semester was over he printed a label and shipped them off in the box they came in. Just a quick stop at the UPS Store. He had a check a couple of weeks later.

 

[MrEVILdrPorkchop2u]

I never imagined that this thread would have taken off the way it did! The suggestions have been so helpful for not only us but I think many others too! Keep the suggestions coming!

 

[anelson81993]

If he's been assigned a .edu email address from the school, have him sign up for Amazon Student. He will get Prime for half price (I believe the first 30 days are free). Then, once he has an address at the school, just order what he needs from Amazon and have it sent directly to his school address. This way you won't have to pack a lot and you can avoid the crowds at the local stores.

Since this is a budget board, one key piece of advice: Tell him to never, ever buy books from the on-campus bookstore, unless it is some special book that is only available from the school. Have him go to the bookstore and write down the ISBN numbers and then order the books on Amazon.

I know I sound like an Amazon commercial, but Amazon Prime is just so convenient, especially when you are away from home.

This. I got Amazon Prime towards the end of my first semester in college, and it's saved me so much money! The first year is completely, totally free, and they give all Amazon Student members half off Prime after the first year. So worth it!
Also, seconding the don't ever buy campus bookstore books. With an ISBN number, you can find it on Amazon, probably. If you're a Prime member, and the book is a Prime item, you won't pay shipping, and it will arrive in two business days (this saved my life in a class where I didn't buy *all* the required textbooks--there were 4--because I couldn't rationally believe the professor would actually require 4 textbooks to read 3 chapters out of each, and suddenly it was Monday and there was a quiz on Friday over a book I hadn't bought...). Plus, you can ship Prime items to multiple addresses--so he can buy things he needs for the dorm a week before leaving home, and have it waiting for him in the mail center when he arrives.

The short answer is, Buy as little as possible. His room will be smaller than you expect once you start moving things in.

- Everything to make his bed very comfortable. Definitely look into some sort of mattress pad -- my daughter described her bed at orientation as "a Holocaust camp reject", yet once she added a $15 XL twin mattress pad from ebay and two new pillows, she loved it.

- I say yes to the printer question. My daughter and her roommate both got a good bit of use out of her printer (most of their professors did not use on-line turn in), as using the school's services would've meant walking to the library.

- Don't buy a desk lamp yet. When I was in college my desk had a hutch that included a flourescent lamp. My daughter's room did not come with this feature. Depending upon the layout of his room, he may or may not also want a bedside lamp. Sometimes the desk lamp can "swing around" to serve both purposes.

- Buy half a dozen "milk crates". Not only are they great for transporting things, they can be closet organizers, book shelves, whatever in his dorm room . . . and one day they can become a coffee table or nightstands in his first apartment. 10-15 years from now he'll still be using those things for something!
- Good walking shoes, including some good for the rain -- my daughter has been very surprised at just how much she walks in college
- If his room is tiled, some type of floor mat to place beside his bed
- Power strip -- electrical cords are usually not allowed

The first weeks can be hard. Mail him a little card before you leave home so that the first time he checks his mailbox, he'll find a small pick-me-up.
QUOTE]

These things, too, but especially the last one (I'll get to that). The beds at college for the most part universally suck, so get a mattress pad--mine is memory foam and it's fabulous--and load as many pillows on it as you can. It makes all the difference in the world.
My milk crates (in pretty colors!) are used for so many things, including moving in and out, organizing things, bookshelves, storing my collection of school supplies, etc. I also used milk crates as a game central this last year--I set up my gaming consoles and all their assorted material, with a CD holder storing my games, on a couple milk crates, and it worked really well for gaming.
My desk lamp was helpful my first year, when I was sharing a room, had my bed lofted, and used my desk for everything. This last year, I got a single room, and didn't use my desk once. The desk chairs at my school were rejected from the same prison the beds came from, and they don't work well for any length of time. Once I had a room of my own, and my bed was unlofted, I moved my work space to my bed/my rug (bring one of those, too). I ended up with a floor lamp with two lights that I used all the time, and my desk lamp went completely unused.
Waterproof walking shoes are a must. I agree to a point with the PP who said rain gear would never be used--my first year, I didn't use rain gear once, the same way I didn't at home. The second year, I realized that not using rain gear when walking around literally all the time was stupid, so I waterproofed all my favorite walking shoes and wore my raincoat often. I use the same sneakers for work/walking, and they work really well.
Electrical cords are against the rules, but outlets are placed sporadically and nonsensically, so you'll want at least a few power strips. I had three this year.
Office supplies are great, and you'll want more than you originally expect, but don't get overwhelmed in Target and buy everything, just in case. I've done this two years in a row now, and after hauling back two milk crates of office supplies, I've finally had enough. It's tempting, at Target, to buy 10 packs of pens, and 5 of each color of Post-Its, and all the White-Out you can find, and tape, and staples, and...the list goes on and on, but you'll use all of it eventually, right, and it's on SALE, because it's Target back-to-school and everything is on sale. But don't do it. Because you will end up with a collection of office supplies, and nothing else. Please trust me on this one.
I'm with the people saying get the printer. I get a set number of credits (because I'm English ed at a science/tech school, I get 500 credits of printing per term), and it's nowhere near enough. A lot of professors require us to turn in things online--but most of those professors also make us hand in hard copies, which is just mean in my honest opinion. I saved myself a pretty decent amount of money with a printer, and I could print what I wanted when I wanted from the comfort of my own dorm. This was especially nice for me, since I'm studying English, because I like to correct my own papers on hard copies instead of from the word document.
I really want to emphasize the last part of the quoted post. College can be really tough; I know I had a really hard time adjusting to being away from home and my family. Little things like this--having a card in the mail from Mom a few days in--make a big difference.

 

[mbf]

The rule of thumb I have always heard of for first college move in is this: Take everything you think you will need and put it in one small room of your house so you can see what it would look like in the dorm. Then divide it in half.

I have sent both my DD's to college now (moving DD #2 into an apartment this coming weekend in advance of her second year). Definitely a lot of the things mentioned here I can second:
bed risers (if allowed), surge protectors (at least two), extra long ethernet cable (if wireless is not in the dorm, DD1 had this issue), many colleges do not allow halogen desk lamps so be sure before buying one.

The laundry detergent Pods are the best thing since sliced bread IMO. My younger Dd loves them.

As for the printer, I would also recommend to wait and see. My DD is at an Arts school and they are pretty much all electronic (bought one $20 textbook last year) so assignments are submitted by email. She found the only times she needed a printer was to print her train tickets home lol. Her dorm had work centers with printers on every floor so we never did buy one.

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned a hypo allergenic/bed bug protectant mattress cover but that would be on my list for sure as a must. Make sure you get the one that fully encloses the mattress (it zips on). I think most schools use plastic covered mattresses these days but it never hurts to have something extra there.

Some sort of air freshener, a lot of dorms stink. Clorox wipes for taking to the shared bathrooms and wiping down surfaces in the actual room. My DD's were never sick so often as when they were in shared bathrooms in dorms (youngest DD went to a lot of summer ballet intensives as well). In tandem, a big bottle of hand sanitizer too for his desk for when he returns from the shared bath.

 

[starwood]

DS is going for his orientation next week and I hope he or DH ask what is needed. I have been compiling a list and this is what I have come up with so far

[ ]pens
[]pencils
[]scissors
[ ]stapler
[]glasses
[ ]dishes
[ ]silverware
[]towels
[ ]tissues
[ ]tp
[ ]tape
[ ]pads/paper
[ ]color catchers
[]purex sheets
[ ]small trash can?
[ ]printer?
[ ]pencil sharpener
[]first aid kit
[ ]sunscreen
[ ]sunburn gel
[ ]glad containers
[ ]air freshener
[]toothpaste
[ ]shower curtain liner/curtain
[ ]bath mat
[ ]desk lamp
[ ]power strip
[ ]flashlight
[ ]small tool kit
[ ]paper towels
[ ]dish towels

 

[Gina]

This might be helpful... If you go here at the Bed Bath & Beyond site, and follow the prompts to find your school, most have an information page link specific to that school that tells you exactly what is provided/allowed/not allowed in the dorms there. Tells you if the beds are standard or XL also.

My DS doesn't head to college until next Fall, but I am hoping to pick up a few things as they go on sale over the next year and have been working on my Excel college packing list.

Hopefully this link helps someone else!

 

[NotUrsula]

Some sort of air freshener, a lot of dorms stink. Clorox wipes for taking to the shared bathrooms and wiping down surfaces in the actual room. My DD's were never sick so often as when they were in shared bathrooms in dorms (youngest DD went to a lot of summer ballet intensives as well). In tandem, a big bottle of hand sanitizer too for his desk for when he returns from the shared bath.

No offense, but your post makes it SO clear that you only have girls in dorms, LOL. No freshman male would be caught dead "sanitizing" a surface in a communal bathroom; that's why housekeepers always clean those facilities, because if they left it up to freshman males they would reek of urine and mildew. Bleach wipes do come in handy for cleaning up spilled milk or pizza sauce, however; I'll give you that.

In re: hygiene and hall baths, IME the issue that males usually care most about is their shaving routine. A lot of college-aged men find it much easier to use an electric razor if they don't have an in-room sink. This saves them the trouble of hauling shaving gear up and down the hall. If you do have a male who prefers a wet shave, then a traditional dopp kit with a Velcro tab on the strap is probably the best choice for a communal shower, because it can either be slung over a shower rod or laid flat on a sink shelf, but some guys prefer the hanging kind with pockets. Also, buy plenty of razor cartridges at a warehouse store; they are VERY expensive when purchased in small quantities. Take him with you to buy shaving supplies: men tend to be VERY particular about shaving gear and how they organize it. (My father, brother and DH were/are all soap-&-brush guys, but my DS prefers electric for now. That may change as he gets older.)

BTW, for those who have private/suite bathrooms, if you buy a bathmat, buy two, and make sure they are the thick towel kind, not rubber-backed. They are lighter to pack, easy to wash and won't develop mildew underneath.

 

[Gina]

No offense, but your post makes it SO clear that you only have girls in dorms, LOL. No freshman male would be caught dead "sanitizing" a surface in a communal bathroom; that's why housekeepers always clean those facilities, because if they left it up to freshman males they would reek of urine and mildew. Bleach wipes do come in handy for cleaning up spilled milk or pizza sauce, however; I'll give you that.

Yeah, but 4 teenage males sharing a bathroom as in a suite is just as "communal" to me as however many in a hallway sharing a bathroom... And for the school my DS will be going to (a state flagship), the school does not provide any cleaning services. So yeah, while I harbor no illusions that the suite will be sparkling and pristine, I do expect them to run a Clorox wipe over things now and then and pour some Pine-Sol in the toilet!

 

[marthachick]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is wrinkle release spray. I didn't send an iron with DS but sure sent a bottle of this with him. And he used it. He & his roommate always put too many clothes in the loads & clothes came out ultra wrinkled. This stuff really helped.

 

[HM]

First look at the list of items the dorm provides. It's likely to be a bed, dresser, desk, chair, lamp, closet/wardrobe, waste/recycling cans.

Next, if the roommates are assigned, make sure they don't duplicate items they can share (or will share). Is it carpeted? If not you'll want a carpet for the room. Who will buy that? Is it air conditioned? If not, will someone buy a window fan?

Things you think they only need one of but really the boys will want separately: TV, printer (if no printer on site in residence hall)

Other than that:
some sort of storage for under the bed to hold things that won't fit in dresser or wardrobe (bought these at Target)
towels (used his from home)
blanket (used his from home)
pillow (used his from home)
sheets (bought through school supplied company)
mattress pad (bought at BB&B)
water bottle/cups (from home)
plate/spoon/fork/etc if he plans to eat in the room (from home)
notebooks/pens/pencils/planning calendar (get him the same things he used in HS)
calculator (should already have)
toiletries/razor (and maybe something to hold them in)
surge protector (or two) (most dorms will not allow extension cords so get ones with long cords)
cleaning supplies for bathroom? toilet paper (we had to do these in the suite but not in the 1st dorm)
laundry detergent/dryer sheets/wrinkle release spray/stain stick
laundry hamper/basket

Books (Chegg.com for rental, Amazon for rental or purchase, college bookstore for what you can't get online)

 

[raftislander]

The laundry detergent Pods are the best thing since sliced bread IMO. My younger Dd loves them.

As for the printer, I would also recommend to wait and see.
Clorox wipes for taking to the shared bathrooms and wiping down surfaces in the actual room.

Really second these thoughts. My daughter loved the convenience of Tide pods- easy to grab one or two to take to laundry room and nothing to carry back or that can be spilled. They don't take up much room, either

As for printer and even the the laptop (if you are purchasing a new one)wait until you get to school. You may not need a printer but if you do the campus book store will likely carry a compact, inexpensive one. I planned to buy my daughter's new laptop at the campus bookstore because there is no sales tax in Oregon where she goes to school. What I learned is that there are all sorts of special on-campus deals available once you have a student body card. Huge student discounts on software too!

Get the stuff for the bed - a comfortable bed is important. I would start shopping for this now, if you know the bed size. We started off with a percale set of sheets and my daughter asked for a flannel set of sheets after about a month later as the weather got colder. So she used both sets over the course of her school year, but did not really alternate them when her sheets needed to be laundered.

Health care and first aid stuff. Your child probably wont go out and buy this stuff, but will use it. Plus, my freshman daughter found out that due to local laws, she could not buy more Nyquil when she went through what I had sent with her. A small tool kit, towels, Command hooks (only thing you could use on her dorm walls), a shower tote (one that will drain)and a laundry bag. Stuff that will make your student's room feel like it is his or her own. Pack a picture of the family including family pets. Your very independent freshman might get a little unexpectedly homesick and be grateful for this!

We took bed risers but her bed frame was adjustable for mattress height so they were not needed.

We took a lot more, but those are the basics. Much will depend on your child and the situation at the dorm/apartment.

 

[imsayin]

My DS doesn't head to college until next Fall, but I am hoping to pick up a few things as they go on sale over the next year and have been working on my Excel college packing list.

Keep an eye on Target. They will clearance their college stuff.

 

[FINFAN]

Ethernet cable (like maybe 10') and possibly a wireless router
believe me, just because a college says it has connection, it WILL be spotty.

flip flops

if he wears contact lenses, order extras for him to have at school with him

amazon gift card...as many as you can afford

air freshener

and finally, tons of paper plates, plastic cutlery and a boatload of garbage bags

 

[uromac]

This might be helpful... If you go here at the Bed Bath & Beyond site, and follow the prompts to find your school, most have an information page link specific to that school that tells you exactly what is provided/allowed/not allowed in the dorms there. Tells you if the beds are standard or XL also.

My DS doesn't head to college until next Fall, but I am hoping to pick up a few things as they go on sale over the next year and have been working on my Excel college packing list.

Hopefully this link helps someone else!

FYI, if your school is on that list or just ask if there is a BB&B nearby, if you can order from your BB&B at home and pick up your order at the nearest BB&B at your student's school (remember to save your coupons that do not expire and both of you sign up for phone text coupons too! - and also return things things at school or at home!