5 Ideas for Setting Up a Dorm Room for Under $100

I recently helped my niece shop to set up her dorm room, and with a budget of only $100 I helped her to purchase the items that she would need to be comfortable at school. From my personal experiences with dorm life I learned that you don't get a lot of space in your dorm room so you need to be practical about what you put in it. Furniture needs to be multifunctional, and decorations need to offer comfort and familiarity while not annoying your roommate. With these insights in mind we hit the stores.

Know What Will Be There

I think that the best way to save money on putting together a dorm room is to not buy items that come with the room. Most dorm rooms will come with a bed and a place to store your clothes. Talk with your dorm adviser before you move in to determine if and how the room will be furnished.

Focus on Lighting

I think that the piece of furniture that I used most in my dorm room was an adjustable clip light. These lamps are still available today and can be purchased in a variety of colors, sizes and designs for under $10. These lights can be clipped to your headboard so you can study in bed or clipped to the edge of a desk.

Extra Storage

What I hated about my dorm room was that it had very little room for storage and it always seemed cluttered. I solved my storage issue by using old milk crates that I slid under my bed to give me extra storage. This is still an option, and they can be purchased from an office supply store, a home improvement store or a second hand store for less than $10 a piece. Today there are also special rolling storage containers designs specifically for under the bed storage, and they run less than $20 for a pair of under-the-bed rolling storage.

Bedding

Bedding can take up a lot of your dorm room budget. I saved money on my bedding by just bringing what I had at home with me. If this is not an option than you can buy a bed-in-a-bag set which will include pillow cases, sheets and a comforter for under $50 in some cases. I found the best places to shop for these collections are discount stores, outlet stores and overstock stores.

Rugs

I find dorm room sterile and cold. An inexpensive way to warm up a dorm room is to incorporate a few throw rugs into its design. Runners and small area rugs can be purchased for under $10 a piece.

References

http://interiordec.about.com/od/dormdecor/a/dorm_mainpage.htm