<p>Where have you found the best deals and items? I have a shopko, target, bed bath and beyond, and a walmart near me. Any recommendations?</p>
<p>The store that price matches. ;)</p>
<p>I find that the best deals you get is from going to a variety of stores or stores you have credit at. I love Target. I love Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Walmart is nice. I also enjoy the random stores where you end up finding things on clearance. </p>
<p>I’m partial to BBB and Target, personally. Most stores now have the feature where you can select what you want and have it shipped to the store nearest the college where you’re going, which is nice; less to fit in the car.</p>
<p>It depends…if you are flying to campus and can’t bring everything with you, Bed, Bath, and Beyond has a nice plan where you go to your local store and scan any and every thing you think you may need/want and when you get to your destination it will all be there waiting and then you can pick and choose what you wish to purchase. Start collecting all those BB&B coupons because you can use one on every item and they never expire (even if they have an expiration date). They may not be the cheapest but they certainly are convenient. If you have a car, Walmart and Target may be cheaper. We flew with our daughter, rented a car, picked up the BB&B items first and then made runs to both Walmart and Target to fill in.</p>
<p>Can’t you also order things online form Target and Walmart and have them delivered to the store of your choice? No?</p>
<p>Really mix and match. when I look back on the items I bought for my dorm room we went to an array of store. Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Bath and Body Works, JCPenney, Dillards, Urban Outfitters, Big Lots, and some random clear out stores. </p>
<p>Not one store will have the best deals or the best items. </p>
<p>All of them! Certain things are better at certain stores- I would check around before you buy the “big” stuff. But if I had to pick one I would say Target. It’s not all dorm specific but they have TONS of room decorations and organizational stuff in different patterns and colors. In addition, their Room Essentials line has things like towels, pillows, sheets, bedding, etc in several options and for a great price.</p>
<p>Thank you! I will be traveling about 900 miles to college in a van with my grandparents. So I should have plenty of space to pack with my stuff. Although I’m sure we’ll be making at least a couple runs to target once at campus!! </p>
<p>My kids both shopped at HOME first. They got towels, comforter, pillow, rugs, and most of their school supplies right here in the house. We also had jersey knit sheets…twin size…that fit XL twin beds just fine. It saved a LOT of money NOT buying all new things. </p>
<p>If anyone was going to get new towels…it was going to be the parents!</p>
<p>We did buy a mattress topper, chair cushion, mattress pad at BBB.</p>
<p>But momma didn’t have hot pink towels!</p>
<p>Do you need a mattress topper and pad?</p>
<p>A mattress pad is helpful for protecting you from your mattress. I would strongly recommend one. A topper is not necessary, but some say the added comfort is worth it. (I am included in this “some”…)</p>
<p>I think you will be very glad to have a foam mattress topper…a tiny bit of comfort on a not very comfortable mattress…</p>
<p>My D loved her memory foam gel mattress topper from Costco. The Costco in our area carries them in twin size during August and September otherwise order online. Costco has by far the best price on the memory foam. Otherwise I like Target and Bed Bath Beyond. Start collecting your BBB coupons. They don’t expire even though they have an expiration date on them.
After doing this three times each time I learn you need much less then you think. Most dorm rooms aren’t that big.</p>
<p>My D loves her memory foam mattress topper. It has followed her through 2 dorms rooms and 3 apartments. We splurged a little (for us) at BBB for a really good one, but she swears she can’t sleep without one now. S has a cheaper foam topper - he really doesn’t care. But seeing the condition of some of the dorm mattresses, I wanted to put as many layers between it and them as I could. haha</p>
<p>I vote for Target as the “go to” place for dorms. Cute styles and reasonable prices. </p>
<p>Don’t forget TJMaxx, Ross, and Marshall’s. Always good bargains there. I also sometomes get lucky at Tuesday Morning.
With our kid who went to school so far away we had to fly, we did this:
Bought sheets, comforter and towels here (TJMaxx and Ross) so they could be laundered here to get out the chemical smell and be sure they were clean, and didn’t want to have to do laundry at the dorm. Put them, plus a lightweigght blanket from home, in one of those vacuum bags to shrink 'em down, then shipped them to her college so the box would be waiting when we got there. Only cost around $25 to ship.</p>
<p>Ordered some things here from BBB, to be held for pick up at their store nearest kid’s college.</p>
<p>When we got there and rented a car, we picked up the BBB things, then went to the Ross and Target (and maybe also a TJMaxx) that were in the same shopping center. Ross to get pillows and some storage things, Target for toiletries, laundry soap, school/office supplies.</p>
<p>Worked well for us.</p>
<p>I shipped Costco’s and other online bought stuff directly to D’s campus PO. She had to haul the boxes a couple of hundred yards to her dorm room, but that was not that big of a deal.</p>
<p>Mattress topper is important if you do not want to sleep on rocks. 
Most college dorm mattresses are thin and flimsy. </p>
<p>I just got back from dorm shopping! I got the majority of stuff from bed bath and beyond, but i will be returning some stuff (towels) because Marshall’s had much better prices on some stuff. I also got some really cute basket weave closet organization from Marshall’s and they were much cheaper and prettier than the plastic ones at bed bath beyond</p>
<p>I am one of those who stockpiles the BB&B coupons. Then I comparison shop the with coupon at BB&B price against the price at Target, etc. </p>
<p>BB&B has always seemed expensive to me. We also went to Tuesday Morning and Burlington Coat Factory. S also bought a shower organizer at the Container Store. Mostly, the kids really didn’t want that much, since their small student spaces were smaller than what they were used to living in.</p>
<p>Just was at Costco this afternoon. They have the thick blue memory foam topper in twin on the latest coupon book for $20 off the regular price. </p>