Beyond Necessities -- Part One:
In response to all the positive feedback from a pervious article entitled “Necessities”, and also for the fact that school is starting back up and people are flocking back to their dorm rooms, I thought I’d post a useful “what to buy” guide. So, I will include info on both basics and down-the-road/nicer items too. Similarly to the previous article, I will include links to examples and provide sample prices. This time, however, I will include a lot more examples so you can get an idea of what you want for your own home. Thanks for all your feedback, it helps me know what articles are needed!
This guide will be one of several parts. So we’ll start with the most important rooms and work our way around your home. The last guide will be a nice printable sheet for you to take with you during your shopping trips. So please come back to see the next guides!
Bathroom:
This is one of the most vital rooms in your home. If you live in a dorm, you may be sharing one bathroom (or a large set of toilets) with several others. If you have to use a community bathroom, be prepared to lug your stuff around since space will be very limited. Keeping your stuff organized will make your life so much easier.
The most basic item you must have are some towels. The more towels, the better. Start off with a set of about 7 or 8 towels (one for each day). Look for 100% cotton. Try to pick out lighter shades of colors, such as whites or pastels. Nothing is more annoying than dark colors that bleed when you wash them. And yes, I have turned some nice pink towels purple after washing with dark blue towels. The best set of towels would consist of all one color with matching hand and face towels. You need as many face towels as bath towels, but only a few hand towels. Towels average about $10 for bath, $6 for hand, and $4 for face.
| (JCPenney) Flamestitch Cotton Towels | $10ea |
| (Target) Solid Neutral Shaded Towels | $6ea |
| (Linens N Things) Croscill Fashion Towel | $15ea |
Well, now you have some towels, you will need to have somewhere to store them. Some apartments have nice little linen closets in the bathrooms for your towels. However, most do not and you will need to get your own storage rack or over-the-door rack. Racks range from under $10 to over $50 while standing towel shelves or towers start around $30 and go over $200. Home Depot, Lowes, and other hardware stores sell metal and plastic shelving in a variety of prices that are easy to assemble.
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