Dorm shopping is all fun and games when your parents are bringing you and they are the ones paying for every little thing you might need to survive in college. However, the fun ends when you are no longer a freshmen and mom and dad think you can use the same decorations for the second year in a row.
Now it is time to buy your own decorations, and suddenly you are realizing things are a lot more expensive than you remember. You can’t justify spending over $50 on a rug, and you definitely do not want to spend more than $20 on a wall decoration. Also, when did towels get so expensive?
Luckily, there are a variety of stores you can go to that offer student discounts and cheaper prices for dorm decor. There are also a few stores that are not particularly for college dorm shopping, but you can find a few odds and ends things in for cheap. Here are a few stores to help you decorate your dorm room without spending a fortune:
Both Marshalls and TJ Maxx go hand in hand when it comes to finding cute and inexpensive college decor. Both of these stores have a home section in which you can find various decorations.
You can find anything from plants to stick in your dorm room window and posters to hang on your wall to makeup organizers and calendars to stick on your desk.
Marshalls/ TJ Maxx are also two of the best places to go to for decorative pillows, fun pillow cases, and aesthetically pleasing over the bed decor.
Target is the best place to go to get stylish bedroom essentials and fun decor. At Target, you can get great themed bedroom sets and a fun and frilly rug to go along with it.
The Target website even has a “dorm room ideas” section where you can get inspiration for decorating your dorm room while also being able to purchase everything in that inspiration picture. This is the best part of Target’s college section because you can get a little inspiration if you are unsure of how you would like to decorate, but you do not have to buy everything, making it easy to put your own little touches on things.
Target also has so much more than just college decor, so if your are moving into your first off-campus apartment and want your appliances and decor to look a bit more mature, you can still find the things you are looking for.
Ikea is the best place to shop as a college freshman, when you are first shopping for college essentials, and when you are getting your first college apartment. The Ikea website even has a “back to college” section just for these purposes.
On this website and in the store, you can get yourself a bed frames for your new apartment bedroom or a bookshelf to go under your bed in your first college dorm. You can also find deals on common area items such as couches, coffee tables, and wall decor. Also, you can’t forget about the kitchen necessities. Luckily, you can all these things at Ikea! You can do all your college shopping in just one place!
Amazon is one of the best options for college students when it comes to buying dorm room decor. The only downfall with Amazon is that you need an Amazon membership, which usually runs about $100 a year.
However, Amazon offers Prime Student, which is Amazon Prime for students at about half the cost. When you sign up for Amazon Prime, you also get a six month free trial.
On Amazon Prime, you can find almost anything you rare looking for. From posters, to pillows and bathroom decor, Amazon Prime has it all. Also, because you are using Prime shipping, you will get the item with two day free shipping. How can you beat those deals?
The great thing about Bed Bath & Beyond is that they have nearly anything you can think of that you might need to decorate your college dorm room. The downfall to this is that they only have a few a color schemes to choose from and they are pretty limiting. However, this can be good to find a base color for your dorm room, and then you can dress up with various prints and patterns that you find in decor that you can get elsewhere.
Another great thing about Bed Bath & Beyond is that there are always coupons available for this store. In almost any coupon book, you can find one or more coupons you can use to save some money in this store.
Bed Bath & Beyond, due to it’s large quantity of college necessities, is great for buying and saving money on the essentials, but not so great for finding those unique pieces that have everyone jealous when they see your dorm decorating skills.
Wayfair, except for the one retail store they just opened, is mostly an online retailer for all things furniture. this is one of the best websites for those who have a more modern taste when it comes to dorm room decor. The options are endless for wall pictures, bedroom sets, table decor, and even house plants.
There are so many things on this website that you may have never thought to buy before. This website can allow you to let your inner interior decorator out and express yourself through creative colors and patterns.
The best thing about Wayfair is that they are always having sales. Currently, they are offering 70% off an item when you give them your email address. Seems easy enough, don’t you think? You can also always check the clearance section for anything that might stick out to you. Once again, you never know what you might find on the Wayfair website.
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