Alright, we see you have moved 1000 miles across the world and wrapped up all your belongings!
From Walmart, everything you need to buy and looking for the cheapest item, look for MAINSTAYS. It’s the home brand of Walmart. Similarly, anything from the food items of Great Value will be the most affordable.
- Desk
- A lot of students purchase something like this. Usually, you can get much better deals on the Facebook marketplace or when someone is moving out.
- https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-48-Fold-in-Half-Table-Rich-Black/340712325
- The tables are pretty famous for colleges as they are a bit inexpensive and sell for a lower price.
- Lights
- 75% of the apartments in the U.S. do not come with lights inside the rooms. They will come with two lights, one in the hallway and one in the kitchen. So you have to purchase your lamps.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-71-Metal-Floor-Lamp-Black/12173437
Get the bulbs too as the lights do not come with bulbs. Here are the cheapest ones you can buy. For electric appliances, look for the brand Great Value, as they are the cheapest. Do not worry about buying cheap items, if they malfunction, Walmart is pretty good with replacing them. I would recommend buying the white light if you are working in the room and have a roommate too, these 4 light bulb set should work out.
- Day light = White light
- Soft White = yellow light
- Desk Lamp
Here is my suggestion. This one is for $6 only. It already has a light and works out perfectly for moving around the desk or to keep on the side of the bed as a night light.
- Mattress & Pillow
As a student, I remember sleeping on the floor with a carpet during the initial days because my mattress did not arrive. It was all right for a couple of days. I had a sheet that I got from India and a pillow that I bought from Walmart. Here’s the cheat sheet for the size of the mattress and its name. You’d like to figure out the mattress according to your height. If you’re over 6′ twin xl, it’s perfect. Otherwise, a twin mattress will do.
Here are some of my recommendations for the mattress. I wouldn’t personally recommend buying a mattress from unknown people, as there might be bed bugs in it. Bed bugs are a big problem in the U.S. If you bring a bed bug mattress inside your apartment, the landlord can charge you up to $1000 to clean the apartment and take an anti-bed bug treatment.
Here is one recommendation – Linenspa 8 inch memory foam – TWIN XL
There’s more you can check out on Amazon, but this is the cheapest option most people buy.
You can either buy new bed sheets or use yours as they are not too expensive. You can buy one of them for $7. Remember to buy **fitted sheets as** they can save you a lot of time when you clean your bed.
You can find some good pillows for really cheap. Please try looking around the Walmart section. You can get 2 pillows for $5, they’re not the best, but they’ll do the job.
- Blankets
Get a cozy blanket. If you are planning to bring one from India, do so. But if you plan on buying one from here is my recommendation.
Get one of these sets. It has the following things.
Twin Size includes: 1 twin comforter (64”x86”), 1 fitted sheet (39”x75”+14”), 1 flat sheet (65”x94”), 1 standard pillowcase (20”x30”), 1 standard pillow sham (20”x26”) and 1-bed skirt (39”x75”x14”)
During January and August, there is a lot of back-to-school sales going on. You can always find something for a better price during that time.
- Storage
If you need additional storage in your room, I would recommend this plastic cabinet with drawer unit. You can get the second-hand-one for less than $10, again a great buy and sells pretty quickly after leaving college.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-Wide-3-Drawer-Cart-Black/16415880
- Fans/Heaters
An ideal way to save electricity is by not turning on the A.C. or heater. A little less perfect way is to have a fan or a small room heater for your own space. A.C. and heaters take a lot of time to cool/heat if it’s centralized.
Get either of these to save on electricity.
This tiny guy is going to heat your place pretty nicely. It’s suitable for small rooms and proximity.
All this is supposed to cover you for the basics. As I mentioned earlier, you can always use the Facebook marketplace to buy second-hand stuff. Just make sure you see the product before you purchase and send the money. Sometimes the product can be damaged, and we wouldn’t want you to lose money anyway.