<p>mom60, I would never buy a used mattress. My brother had “rented furniture” when he was in grad school over 25 years ago. He found an open needle in the sofa. Someone could have stuck themselves and exposed themselves on a dirty needle!</p>
<p>We have a neighbor who cleaned out her house to put it up for sale. Bags and bags of 30+ years of living were put out. I cannot tell you how many people went through her garbage searching for treasure! BTW, she was not putting antiques out there. She had 2 tag sales and had someone appraise some vintage/antique items prior to the sale.</p>
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<li>Both of my kids got all of the furniture for their first apartments (in college) from the folks who were moving OUT of the same apartments. It was a “win win” situation for all. The old tenants didn’t want the stuff or want to have to move it…and my kids needed the stuff and didn’t want the hassle of moving it.</li>
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<p>I think my reaction to the thread – which is spend a little more money and have a place you can be comfortable in and be proud of – is directly related to wanting to buy a sofa for my apartment when I was 25.</p>
<p>One of my co-workers said something along the lines of … wait until you get married and then buy a sofa. I was very single at the time, and my response was “If I never have a husband, then I can never have a sofa?”</p>
<p>I got very tired living with things that were cast off and poorly made.</p>
<p>Just to add to my previous post…the “buying from the previous tenant” thing was for my kids’ first college apartments. </p>
<p>When DS got his first “real” apartment, we took him shopping in that town. We compared the cost of renting a truck and shlepping stuff from here…and buying there. We have a van so we were able to take a considerable amount with us, including a very nice leather loveseat some friends were going to throw away. We had extra pots and pans (from Grandma) and got dishes and some other what not at Goodwill (nice Pottery Barn dishes for $12, you know…real deals). We then bought at the place a mattress, bedframe, dresser, desk, small kitchen table and chairs, kitchen utility cart, night stand, bookshelf and some lamps. Place was not carpeted and we did bring rugs with us. </p>
<p>Another thing to add to the list…a small tool kit. DS says his is very good to have.</p>
<p>I will be living in this place for probably 4 or more years, so I would like to settle in (no card tables and folding chairs) and be comfortable. My mom has agreed to take care of my bedroom furniture. All I really need to find is the living room, kitchen, and bathroom things. This is also a one bedroom apartment, so I have no worries about a roommate bringing things.</p>
<p>The bad thing is that I have picked an odd time to move into an apartment (It will be over a month into the semester, so the people leaving are already long gone and nobody is planning on moving anywhere until at least May). I’m also moving into a brand new building so there are no old tenants).</p>
<p>Seconding Ikea-- but just know that some of their cheaper furniture isn’t all that sturdy. It sure looks good, though.</p>
<p>Rummage sales, consignment shops. An antique-loving friend told me recently that she has gotten some incredible deals at consigment shops because they just can’t get rid of some things lately.</p>
<p>Also-- do some “dumpster diving” (well not really) on your college campus at the end of the semester. There’s usually some decent stuff to be found that people can’t lug home.</p>
<p>Just read JHS’s post. May just as well have written “ditto.”</p>
<p>Carry a small measuring tape with you. If there’s something I’m on the lookout for (a bookcase, shelving, curtains, etc) I write down the available space or size needed and keep the measurements in my purse. That way if I happen to run into just the right thing somewhere, I’ll know if it will work or not.</p>
<p>Don’t just get a plunger - splurge and get a good one. (I just had to use ours. ) Google on ‘how to unclog a toilet’ and you will see the difference.
Is there a “Home Goods” store nearby - they have good stuff at low prices. Also, with all the stores that are closing, there are deals to be made. Buy good pots and pans, but only a few - a big pasta pot, a medium sized pot and two skillets should do for a start. (And, right now Amazon has a really nice Calphalon skillet for $40. Sounds like a lot, but you will get huge value out of it.
Some Ikea stuff is poorly made, so look carefully.</p>
<p>for kitchen stuff look at marshalls/home goods… you can get really good quality stuff for a lot less. It’s also a good place to look for linens and artwork for your apartment.</p>
<p>Back in our grad school days, we made a very serviceable desk out of 2 2-drawer filing cabinets found on sale for next to nothing at Kmart and a cheap, old door purchased at a salvage yard–could even use a sheet of particle board. H splurged after a couple of months, bought a sheet of plexi-glass and turned the desktop into a smooth writing surface. Lots of nice storage space…we used it for several years! We also used an old footlocker as a coffee table. Good times, livin’ on love!</p>
<p>Good luck, OP, with this next stage of your life!</p>
<p>Those giant wooden spools for cables make dandy end-tables too. Our first ‘dining room table’ was made from a sheet of plywood and some cinderblocks too.</p>