Let's Make a Steal

As we get settled into our new apartment, there are things that we forgot or couldn't get our hands on over the summer.  We ended up pulling together and communicating pretty well despite my initial concern, but we still were lacking a few pots, a storage rack for our cupboard, a fan for my room, kitchen utensils etc.  Normally I would head down to a thrift store or try to find a garage sale around the area and Ali would have probably suggested going to Ikea or Target, but there ended up being a solution that was better than all of these!

At the end of the year, boxes pop up all over campus with the words “Dump and Run” printed on the side.  While moving out of your dorm room or apartment, you can throw all of the things you don’t want anymore that you might normally throw away into these bins.  Then come fall, there is a big sale in one of the gyms on campus where they sell all of these items for less-than-garage-sale prices.  And there is a LOT of stuff to choose from.  There were probably 50 fans up for grabs, and I was a few hours late for the event. 

All in all we snagged a fan, a frying pan, a cupboard rack, a silverware organizer, a sauce pan, 30 hangers, baking sheets, a wisk, a desk lamp, a door mat, a coat hanger and a few other things for about $20!  A little rinse off for the kitchen items and we had a STEAL on our hands.  Proceeds from the sale even go to local charities for housing, a Children’s Center, and a Learning Partners program in Tompkins County. 

Comments

[Jeff Yeager]

Hey -
Enjoying your College Crunch Blog.

Maybe I missed something, but the BIGGEST thing you can do for your financial future (and long term level of happiness, BTW), is live at home during college. In my day (I'm 50), that was common; as was a LACK of student debt.

Now what's common (and of so BORING) is that everyone goes away to college, BUT many move back in with their parents after graduation because ... well ... they're so much in debt.

SKIP THE MONEY STEP! Live at home while you're going to school, then move out and get a real life.

Stay Cheap!
-Jeff Yeager
Author, The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches