How Can I Decorate My Dorm Room on a Budget?
Q: I’d love to make my college dorm room look like home, but I’m on a tight budget. Is there any way I can have both my dream dorm room and my budget, too?
A: Yes, furnishing your college dorm room to reflect your personal style and taste within budget is very doable. All it takes is some creativity and a bit of work. Here’s how:
1. Set a budget
Like all major financial undertakings, furnishing and decorating your dorm room requires planning ahead and establishing a budget. Make a list of everything you need and then determine how much money it’ll take to cover all costs.
You’ll also want to take some time to choose what is most important to you for deciding where to drop more money and the areas where you’ll rein in the spending. This way, you can shop stress-free, knowing you’ll have enough funds to cover all necessary expenses and won’t wind up with a half-decorated room, or missing some essentials.
2. Shop second-hand
Thrift stores are your new BFF. Hit up shops like Goodwill and the Salvation Army for used furniture treasures, creative decorations and so much more. You can find the nearest thrift shop at TheThriftShopper(link is external), complete with real customer reviews so you’ll know what to expect. Shop with an open mind and remember that a small facelift, like a fresh coat of paint or new accessories, can help you customize any bargain-priced piece of furniture you find.
3. Get creative with storage
Dorm rooms are not typically known for being big on space. Ensure you have sufficient storage in your dorm room by having your furniture multitask. Think ottomans that open up to provide you with room to keep your books, under-the-bed storage bins and more. You’ll have space for all your stuff without making your room look overstuffed with storage shelves and hooks.
4. Use removable decals
Personalize your space and add color to your walls with removable decals. You can find them online and in home decor sections of big-box stores, and most are inexpensive. Removable decals are a great way to turn your dorm room into your own space, as they come in a wide variety of colors and styles. If you like to hang up clever one-liners on your walls, you’ll find those in decals, too. They’re also super-easy to hang up and can be removed with very little effort and without damaging your walls.
5. Shop the sales
Save a boatload on your dorm decor by shopping sale events throughout the year. For example, shop department stores at the beginning of the year to take advantage of January’s “white sales” for bedding and linen. You can also pick up that dream piece of furniture you’ve been eyeing when furniture prices drop in February and shop from Black Friday through December for all sorts of dorm essentials like mini fridges, blenders and coffeemakers at bargain prices.
6. Recycle and upcycle what you already have
Upcycling, or reusing old materials to make them more functional, and recycling is the perfect way to get your dream dorm room without blowing a whole lot of money. Look through your stuff to find things you barely use, or were about to toss, and find ways to repurpose them for your dorm room. For example, you can clean out a used tin can, decorate it with Washi tape and use it as a catch-all for your writing supplies; an old cardboard box can be transformed into a rustic-style basket with just a bit of twine and a cereal box can turn into a magazine-holder with some wrapping paper or decorative material.
Decorating your dorm room does not have to drain your wallet or force you to compromise on your personal taste and style. Use the tips here to get that dream dorm room on a budget.