Help with Packing for College

Here are a few tips to eliminate some expenses when moving to school. Not all of these may work for you (and you’ve probably thought of a few others!), but hopefully they will help you out a little bit during this crazy move-in time!

• Boxes: Ask for boxes from your local grocery store. I say grocery store because they receive so much produce that arrives in boxes. Many places will either just throw these boxes out or recycle them, so before you buy boxes ask around to see if you can’t get some for free.
• Only take what you need: Trust me on this one – you really don’t need that much stuff at college, especially if you’re living in the dorms. Girls, you don’t need 15 pairs of shoes. Guys, you don’t need your entire vintage record collection. Think about what you use on a daily basis, plus those few other things you’ll need for special occasions. You will undoubtedly return home with far more than you brought to school anyway, so try not to bring too much to start off with.
• Be organized: Make sure you know exactly what you’re taking and where it is. This makes sure you don’t need to run to the store once you get to school because you forgot your tape or hangers or whatnot. A lot of people waste money on things they already have but simply cannot find.
• Decorate with free or cheap stuff: You don’t have to buy posters. Decorate with pictures of your friends, artwork you’ve made, and free posters that get handed out around campus or at concerts you’ve been to, that sort of thing. Bring some of your decorations from home so you don’t have to buy all-new stuff when you get to school. Also, thrift stores are a great place to find some really neat decorations.
• You probably don’t need to rent a Uhaul: If you’re bringing a Uhaul, you probably didn’t listen to the “only bring what you really need” advice. (This doesn’t apply if you had to rent a Uhaul to bring up a bike or futon because your family’s car isn’t big enough to carry one up.) You should be able to fit most or all your stuff in your or your parents’ car. If you can’t, you’re bringing way too much stuff. Bringing that much will just be a hassle, plus you’ve used up money on renting the Uhaul. You’ll also have to rent a Uhaul to get all that stuff back home, so that cost is really hitting you twice.