Last year's shopping, checklists, and bedding threads.

[Frazzledagain]

Newbie replying here so forgive me if I'm repeating anything posted already:

Harmon Discount Drugs also had many sizes and colors and types of shower caddies!!

If you need the hard plastic dishes, bowls, etc. -Target had lots still available at good prices! Since they seem to be categorized as "seasonal," many stores are out of stock by now.

Another great item: BJ's Wholesale Club had locker/safes for personal items as well as a laptop safe! Both are by Campus Made and can be bolted to the bottom of a closet or inside a dresser drawer!!

[anxiousmom]

Ziplock (and other bag makers) make the XXL bags for about $1.50 a bag. These aren't the vacuum bags, but they are so much cheaper. You put your comforters or pillows in the bags, then roll them up, which pushes the air out. They may not squish quite as flat as the spacesaver vacuum bags, but they still work pretty well!

[MaryTN]

Target has a "Limited time value pack" of 4 heavy duty XXL Ziploc Big Bags (20 gallon size) on clearance for $4.24.

I think it is supposed to be a college girl on the front. She's carrying a bag with a pillow, comforter, blanket, sheets, and towels. Her outfit is what is hilarious! She's wearing a knee-length black skirt and a white long-sleeve twin-set sweater top with a large brooch on the front.

[Nickel Xenon]

Is there not a more recent thread?

[dragonmom]

Nickel, why not start one? I'll contribute what we learned this fall....

[geezermom]

Nickel and dragon: Don't start a new one! I love it that this thread goes back in time. Things don't change all that much over two years, and you have accumulated shopping wisdom all in one place! I've been trying to restrain myself from premature shopping, but I definitely plan to consult this thread in a couple of months.

[AHeartLikeHis]

When do bedding and such start to go on sale at Jcpenney, Walmart, Target, BBB?

I'm trying all that I can not to buy some nice bedding and a rug right now lol...

Does BBB have good deals? I'm about to join their mailing list and get my sister on it to. Do they still take expired coupons (and how many?)

[2boysima]

On Long Island, BBB takes their own expired coupons. They take competitors coupons...but only non-expired.

A few of the stores may still have a couple of XL twin items in their markdown areas. Otherwise...most of the specific "Dorm" stuff won't show up until May or June.

[Nickel Xenon]

How much luggage should you take if you're moving out of state?

[CBBBlinker]

Just read on AOL news that Linens 'n Things has filed for bankruptcy! They're closing a bunch of stores, many in CA.

[ucla011]

I am trying to look up the past post of the negative comments about ordering the bed linen etc from www.rhl.org offer directly from the U. S2 will be OOS and that is a lot of bulky staff. Probably ask them to ship directly to the U. We can buy local and will fly in to help him to move. However, it is still a lot to get the last minute. Is that the tread count or quality of the products? Gone thru with S1 last year and brought majority of the staff in BB, quality is Ok.

[CBBBlinker]

Don't know about past post, but I can give you my impressions. When we went through all the bedding stuff w/ D 2 years ago, I looked long & hard at the stuff from rhl. Since I only buy all cotton sheets, the first thing I had to find out is if they offer any. I called and spoke to a Customer Service Rep. -- the answer is yes, but in far fewer colors. In the end D found exactly what she was looking for (XL, all cotton, her choice of color/design) at BB&B, and w/ a coupon the price was right. You can have places like BB&B ship directly to school, too.

[lje62]

I am thinking of doing the dorm shopping right after graduation and shipping the stuff up to Boston. If I store things in older daughter's apt, it'll make the move in in Sept that much easier...
I know she won't have room in the dorm for luggage.

[northeastmom]

UCLA, I believe that you can buy at your local BBB store, and then have that merchandise ready for pick up at the BBB near the school.

We are within a day's drive, so when my son went to orientation we rented a storage unit and brought a lot of things with us (carload full) and then just stored it in June. We only needed to rent it through August. The unit was quite reasonable, and it really helped us because after dropped our son off in August, we went on a short vacation (so we lugged our things along at that time). The only thing that we bought locally was a TV. Our son's roommate brought the refrigerator, which was easy for him since he was from the area.

I remember that when I was at school (another era), the kids who flew had large trunks shipped to the college. The trunks were there when we arrived.

[NotMamaRose]

Stupid question from newbie parent:

Do regular twin sized comforters, etc. fit on the college-sized XL dorm beds?