What is your dorm budget??

[gljvd]

I think my budget each year was $2,000 to $4,000. Of course that all went to pizza , fat sandwiches and liquor. I would borrow my gf's shampoo and soap and stuff.

 

[MrsPete]

Respectfully, she probably doesn't NEED much of anything; that is, you probably have sheets, towels, lamps and so forth at your house.

We bought new for our daughter:
- a set of extra-long sheets, a comforter and a mattress pad -- when the bed is the only thing in the room, it needs to be right
- a clamp-lamp that could "grab" onto the bunk bed
- a computer printer -- not strictly a need, but definitely a major convenience

Her dorm came with a micro-fridge combination.
She did not end up needing extension cords or power plugs of any type.
Her roommate brought a TV.

She bought herself a couple organizer-type things (a closet organizer and an over-the-door hanger) and a few wall decorations.

She already had pillows, a backpack and calculator, an alarm clock, a throw rug ... you know, just about everything she needed. Even without buying much, she vastly overestimated what she'd be able to store: She ended up sending us home with some of the "must haves" she'd brought, and when she came home the first time, she returned even more -- she especially returned clothes.

Spending a bunch on dorm materials is really silly considering so many kids choose to live in the dorms only a year.

 

[HM]

We did not like the sheets that came from the mailer sent to students (rough). You'd be better off buying from BB&B or Target where you can actually feel the fabric.

Do get a good mattress pad. Those dorm mattresses are usually big waterproof things that don't feel that good. We bought a really nice one for about $100 from BB&B and it was really worth it's price.

 

[StitchBuddy]

We did not like the sheets that came from the mailer sent to students (rough). You'd be better off buying from BB&B or Target where you can actually feel the fabric.

Do get a good mattress pad. Those dorm mattresses are usually big waterproof things that don't feel that good. We bought a really nice one for about $100 from BB&B and it was really worth it's price.

 

[StitchBuddy]

Actually, we don't have a lot from home to send with our DD. She has a queen bed at home, so she will need all the bedding supplies, a lamp, a fridge and microwave (you can rent them, but its about twice the cost of buying one). I keep trying to tell her she has way to many clothes and being a student athlete they will give her plenty more, but you know we mom's don't know anything. Today we bought just personal neccessities. I told her no one has ever seen her clothes, so she doesn't need any new. LOL! She received monogrammed towels for graduation, but thinks she needs another set. I think I will make her buy those, we have plenty at home she can take.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Is the company that offers the bedding RHL? Both my kids' schools offered the packs. We didn't buy from them because I had bought their things with gift cards they got from graduation. I think it's a good deal and know several people who have bought from them and say everything is decent quality, definitely will get through 4 years.

I just got the RHL packet in the mail and was trying to decide if it was a good deal or not. $170 for 2 sets of extra long sheets, 2 pillows, comforter, mattress pad, egg crate mattress topper, thermal blanket, 2 sets of towels, a pop up clothes hamper and a bedside buddy. I have NO idea what a bedside buddy is! For $200 I can get all the above plus 2 extra large bath sheets, a fleece throw, and an under-bed storage solution (not sure what that is). Apparently it's $30 more if I want the 100% cotton sheets vs the 60/40 cotton/poly sheets.

 

[powellrj]

We didn't have the things to send with her from home because she needed the things in her room when she came home for vacations. She shared a bathroom with 3 other girls so we had to provide the bathroom items.

Last year someone said to be sure to provide a plunger and toilet brush. She about died when I put the plunger in with her back to school pile. I bought one that came in a nice holder so it wasn't too gross looking. I told her if nobody used it by Christmas, she could bring it back and I would never mention it again. A few weeks into the school year she called me and said I was right, her roommate had already used it and others came to borrow it! She used lots and lots of command hooks. She had so many strings of lights up in her room, she also needed the power strips I sent. I had sent a small flat screen tv only to have her bring it home at Christmas because she had bought a black friday huge flat screen that she was using. She also bought a better printer than we had sent with her.

Its really hard to say what they need. I know many people said the kids don't watch much tv, but DD and her friends watched lots and lots of DVDs so she loved having the big screen.

 

[Zim]

I'm guessing when it's all said and done if you include toiletries and cleaning stuff, we will have spent about $700...

Target has offered twice now a deal where you sign up for a student registry and add $500 worth of stuff and they'll send you a $20 gift card, so keep a watch if they do it again!

I bought a lot at Kohls when I have the 30% off coupon, they offer Kohls cash and the item is on "sale" (which means the regular Amazon price!). With all the discounts I got a really nice twin comforter set, the 3-in. Serta gel mattress topper, mattress protector and a farberware 17-pc set all for $215. That kitchen set is only because her dorm has a community kitchen and they recommend bringing cookware (I doubt she'll use it but she'll need it at some point!)

Found an awesome deal at Lowes on a mini-fridge for $28. Microwave was gifted but was about $50. Two towel sets (bath, hand towel, washcloth) at a JCPenney white sale for $20 total. Sheets at a Macy's white sale for $9 a set (microfiber). 3-shelf system at WalMart for $18. The big splurge was a canvas tote for laundry with two dividers and a pocket for detergent at $25 on Amazon, but all the rest fall apart on us.

Got a Philips Sonicare for $30 on Amazon - that deal is going on again TODAY for anyone interested. We currently share a recharger base so I had to get a second one.

Lamp, storage cubes, shower caddy, hangers, cheap silverware and power strip at Target with my gift cards (totaled about $50).

We were given a used printer, she already had a flatscreen TV from a few Xmases ago and my graduation gift to her is Roku!

I also got her one of the CVS photo blankets when they went on half-price sale ($26)... so she has a giant blanket with her cat's picture on it if she ever gets lonely. She thought it was silly at first, but all her friends are jealous so she had a change of heart And someone gave her the bed risers, I hear some people love them and some don't so we'll see.

We are waiting until July when we find out if she has a roommate before we coordinate a rug or curtains.

 

[JanaDee]

We did not like the sheets that came from the mailer sent to students (rough). You'd be better off buying from BB&B or Target where you can actually feel the fabric.

Do get a good mattress pad. Those dorm mattresses are usually big waterproof things that don't feel that good. We bought a really nice one for about $100 from BB&B and it was really worth it's price.

We received the same mailer and after I read online reviews, it went in the garbage. I'm expecting to spend anywhere from $500-$600 for DS. He will be a Freshman in the Fall, so this initial buy will be expensive. On my list so far ~ twin comforter, xl sheets, xl blanket, xl mattress pad, xl foam mattress topper, towels, etc.

We have a dorm fridge and flat screen TV and micros are not allowed in their rooms. He will be getting a laptop, but not a printer. I see no need to pay for paper, ink, etc when all of that is available to him in multiple computer labs around campus (three right in his dorm).

 

[HM]

Good plans JanaDee.

 

[luckofthedraw]

There's a facebook page for parents of college students that has posted a couple of great lists. We've been stocking up slowly, across the year. I think we've spent a little over $500, but have bought a fridge with freezer, as well as a microwave. We started with a good list from the resource mentioned above, asked a few kids who were already in college for their suggestions, and hit Walmart and Costco early. All the college kids we asked agreed on getting a mattress topper. Shop around. Those things are pretty expensive.

 

[njmom47]

We bought a small area rug, a microwave, and bedding (including a mattress topper and a bedrest-type pillow) and towels. I sent him with a couple of plates, bowls, and some silverware. His roomie had a tv. Someone gave us a small fridge. (You could probably search on a FB site or Freecycle for a fridge/microwave). Walmart has rugs fairly cheap..I think the one we got was $29.99, just to cover the center of the floor. Also a study lamp and basket (to throw keys in and stuff), and an Iphone dock. Target has their "off to college" shopping where you can get some great deals, which is what I did. All told, I probably spent a couple hundred.

 

[powellrj]

There's a facebook page for parents of college students that has posted a couple of great lists. We've been stocking up slowly, across the year. I think we've spent a little over $500, but have bought a fridge with freezer, as well as a microwave. We started with a good list from the resource mentioned above, asked a few kids who were already in college for their suggestions, and hit Walmart and Costco early. All the college kids we asked agreed on getting a mattress topper. Shop around. Those things are pretty expensive.

We had gotten one of the egg crate kinds last year for DD and she wanted a new one this year. We found really nice Serta with the gel for $69. One of the girls in her unit last year had gotten one at big lots and loved it. Thats much cheaper than other places have had them.

 

[PlutoPony]

Mattress toppers for XL twin beds are kinda hard to come by, so my son just used a regular twin and it was fine. Just a little short on the feet end but not a problem for sleeping. Costco has good ones in King, Queen, and Double year round but usually bring in Twin in the summer for back to school. Their July coupon book typically has $10-20 off them as well.

 

[minniebeth]

Mattress toppers for XL twin beds are kinda hard to come by, so my son just used a regular twin and it was fine. Just a little short on the feet end but not a problem for sleeping. Costco has good ones in King, Queen, and Double year round but usually bring in Twin in the summer for back to school. Their July coupon book typically has $10-20 off them as well.

For my DS and DD, I just bought the regular twin memory foam mattress topper too. DS says it's fine, just a little short at the feet like you said~ I got DD's a while back at Kohl's on sale for around $80 and got Kohl's cash with it. Like many others have said, DS said a worthwhile investment in comfort.

Target is having an online sale: Get a $20 gift card with $100 in select dorm room purchases. There are lots of items included such as: towels, bedding, storage, refrigerators, microwaves, Keurigs, etc. and many more items. In-store pick up for free shipping. A good deal if you are making purchases anyway.

 

[sj&k]

My daughter will be in a single suite and has very few of the items she needs already, so we've got a lot left to buy. For the most part she's been using the money she received for graduation to purchase the larger items and we've been buying the smaller ones. The room comes with a refrigerator and microwave, so that's two less things to worry about. So far she has her comforter set, shower curtain and liner (extra long shower curtains are not easy to find if that's something anyone else needs-we wound up just getting an extra long liner at Walmart and a regular length curtain which will hopefully not be way too short), a memory foam mattress pad that I bought at Kohl's on sale and with a 30% off coupon several months ago, a couple of sets of towels, and some storage items. She also has bathroom rugs and will hopefully be taking a divided laundry rack that I already have at home. This weekend she is going to IKEA with a friend for a storage unit and a shelf for her towels, and I'm planning a trip to Target to pick up some towels that are on sale and hopefully take advantage of a coupon in this week's sale ad for $5.00 off a $25.00 storage/household purchase. She won't need too many clothes, luckily, though she does need some running shoes. I haven't even begun to add everything up yet because she's been doing most of the spending, but it's not cheap. I know that most of this will be used next year as well because she plans to stay in the dorms at least then, so I'm trying not to freak out about how much we're having to buy!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Yesterday a lady at TJMaxx told me her friend bought Sunbeam microfiber sheet sets at Ollies for a really good price - the cheapest she'd found. They start at $7.99. I'm going to head over there today and see what they have color and size wise. I need Twin XL in navy. I'll report back if it's worthwhile.

 

[StitchBuddy]

Update, we went to campus orientation. Her room is tiny, It's seriously the size of a walking closet. But, lots of drawer space. We have bought a fridge with freezer, a micrwave and a comforter. We ended up getting a double/queen size comforter It will be long enough to hide everything under her bed, plus when she decides to move off campus it will fit any bed she is likely to have. We got a great deal on it.So far we have spent about $300 dollars, I figure $200 more and we are done, hopefully less.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I went over to Ollies to look at sheets today. They didn't have Twin XL, and the Sunbeam and other brand selection was pretty picked over so I am still looking for sheets. They did have really great prices on pillows though. Super cheap ones were 6.99 for 2. The nicer ones were 5.49 to 6.99 a piece - better than TJMaxx. They also had large white shower caddies for $2.49 (had a pink handle and I have a boy) and a 14x14x24 pop up mesh laundry hamper with pockets for $5.99 (didn't get it, was worried about size and durability).

Then I headed over to Dollar Tree. I got 2 plastic plates, 2 plastic bowls, 2 plastic cups, 2 metal forks, 2 metal spoons, an extra large ceramic mug (microwave safe for soups and such) and a blue shower caddy.

I also got a really nice Tommy Hilfiger comforter set at TJMaxx for $49.

Still working on clothes. DS has been in uniforms for the past 13 years of his life so he needs a whole new wardrobe! I'm getting there...

 

[Princesspolly0110]

A printer! Do not forget a small desk fan or a power strip! My dorm budget was 300 minus bedding. My parents (we were a single income house at the time due to layoff) gave me 30 dollars a week for groceries for my room. I had an all you can eat dining plan so in the mornings i would go down and pack a lunch before going to class. If my parents were sending me away for school, I felt I needed to be responsible with that they provided me.