Stocking your dorm or apartment

After a long, hard day, we all want to sit down on a comfortable chair and relax, but what if you don’t have a comfortable chair – or any kind of chair? Well, like anything, there are ways of getting furniture and appliances on the cheap, like your mom. Here are some good ones:
Hand-me-downs: Ah yes, the lifeblood of most college students not living at home. Whether it is a parent’s, a friend’s, or some person on Craig’s List, hand-me-downs are the best, since they are usually free. After all, free is good. Even if it a crappy item, it is free, so shut up and put it in the back of your car.
Big Lots/Job Lot: If you cannot get any hand-me-downs, Big Lots is a great place. They sell cheap furniture at college student prices. You can get anything there, from bed frames to couches. It isn’t exactly high-quality stuff, and you have to put it all together yourself, but you can’t really afford any better. IKEA is another great source for this stuff, but take my advice: DO NOT, under any circumstance, go there on a weekend. It is a horror show – the kind that will get you shanked for a new bed set.
The Salvation Army is also a great way to go. It is probably the cheapest way to go, as well. The one thing you need to watch out for with Salvation Army or Goodwill is that all of the furniture you are buying is used and you have no idea why the last owner donated it. So the standard rule for deal hunting is to keep an eye out.
Outlet store: Outlet stores are a great place for big appliances. Places like Sears send slightly damaged products to their outlet store and sell them for several hundred less. Very often, said damage is superficial (a few dents here and a scratch there, but no mechanical damage). Of course, you have to keep an eye out for what said damage is, but you get some very good deals. The downside is you often have to bring the appliance home yourself.
Unfinished furniture store: If you are one of the more handy types out there (or know someone who is), unfinished furniture stores are a great way to go. Since they don’t have any finish or varnish, they are cheaper. Often, they are several hundred less because of this, since putting on finish and varnish is time consuming. As an added bonus, if you are considering ascetics into your purchase, you can put any kind of finish or paint you want.
As I say every week, keeping an eye out is the most important part. You could find a deal or a sale on a piece that I didn’t list here. Craig’s List might be a good option, but I have no experience with it since I don’t like the idea of dealing with an anonymous seller. Hopefully my article will land you a nice new couch or bed.

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