The “Cheap” College Pad

So you have an apartment—and it’s empty. You don’t care what it looks like, what mom would say about it if—not when—she sees it or what the girl in Chemistry thinks (besides—she’ll only see it in the dark, so she won’t be able to see anything, anyways). You need a place to sleep, eat and play Rock Band.

Or perhaps you’re already working three jobs, taking a full class load AND running for student body president and simply aren’t home enough to want to make it look “pretty.”

Either way, what you’re looking for are quick tips on the cheapest, fastest ways to make your apartment live-in-able. You’re tired of sleeping on the floor and eating off the counter and, no, you’re not too proud to beg. That’s good—because begging is definitely involved.

Ask for old furniture

Your parents, your friends’ parents, your friends, and their grandparents all most likely have a bookcase or an end table that they no longer want stuck away in an attack or garage. Ask around and you’ll be surprised how much you can get for free—as long as you’re not picky. Remember to say thank you, too!

Used, not vintage

Just because you’re in a “used” furniture store doesn’t mean it’s going to be cheap. Stick to stores such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, where anything not completely smashed is accepted—and stay away from the prissy, higher-end vintage stores that can have stuff that is more expensive than new!

Accessories

If you don’t mind mismatched, thrift stores are your cheapest bet to find dishes, wall clocks, pictures and the like. Walmart and many grocery stores have cheap dish sets and décor if buying those from thrift stores is taking it too far for you. Other ideas for wall decorations are collages of photos (yours or stock), puzzles (held together with puzzle glue) and posters (some places give away old posters from their displays, so if you see one you like, ask if you can have it when they take it down!).
These tips should set you on the right track to making your apartment look a little less like an insane asylum without spending a fortune. And, hey, if at some point you decide to invite that girl from Chemistry over during the day, you can always replace your current quick-fix furniture with something a little bit more…people-friendly.