Renting your first apartment can be stressful, exciting, and very expensive.
Knowing what to buy and what not to buy can really save you tons of time, energy, and money.
I recently moved into my first (non-college) apartment across the country with my boyfriend and boy has it been a learning curve and a great experience.
BUT some days I think to myself and say “I wish I didn’t buy that” or “I could’ve found that for cheaper if I looked harder”.
And there are other days when I am so glad I didn’t splurge on certain things and saved thousands or splurged on things and couldn’t have been happier with my decision!
At the end of the day, everyone has certain things that they would rather spend more or less money on so your shopping list may slightly vary from what my recommendations are.
Along with my recommendations below categorized by room you can also download my FREE sheet.
Kitchen
When it comes to shopping for your kitchen it can be extremely easy to buy way too many things that you may not ever use.
My advice for shopping for your kitchen is to buy as you go- meaning, don’t buy baking things, like a cake pan, until you actually want to bake a cake. EVEN if you keep telling yourself you are going to bake cakes all the time (trust me you probably won’t).
The same goes for muffin/cupcake tins, bread tins, casserole dishes, and mixing machines.
This will help you stay focused on the most important things and save you tons of money!
Below I am going to list out things to buy and not buy along with whether or not you should buy the cheaper or more expensive, “high quality” version.
Things to buy for your first kitchen and what to realistically spend...
- Dishes
- You are obviously going to need a place to eat your food- I would recommend getting plates on the cheaper side rather than splurging. There are lots of great plates for less than $50. Check out IKEA & Target for great options.
- Drinkware
- Super easy to find high-quality, super cheap glasses. Whoever said your glasses have to match or that you need more than 2? Just buy what you need to start unless you are worried about wanting everything to match. I found super cute and high-quality mason jar glasses on Amazon and they are perfect.
- Pots & Pans
- I think this is where people tend to spend the most money when it is completely not necessary. If it’s just you or you and a roommate/significant other… go to a store like Tjmaxx and buy 1 large non-stick frying pan and 1 smaller one and then 1 medium/large pot. Trust me when I say it’s not worth it to buy a whole set.
- I bought a whole set and then went to Tjmaxx a few days later to buy one larger non-stick pan and it’s ALL I use… better than all the other pans that came in the set.
- I think this is where people tend to spend the most money when it is completely not necessary. If it’s just you or you and a roommate/significant other… go to a store like Tjmaxx and buy 1 large non-stick frying pan and 1 smaller one and then 1 medium/large pot. Trust me when I say it’s not worth it to buy a whole set.
- Knives
- This one is going to be all about preferences but if you really don’t want to spend the normal amount for a good set of knives it is SO easy to buy individual knives at Target, Walmart, Tjmaxx, etc. Just buy a few steak knives, a paring knife, and a large knife to cut meat or fruit.
- Cutting Boards
- These are one of those things that can be an insane amount of money but can also be a few dollars. I made the mistake of buying really nice wooden ones that would fit the kitchen “aesthetic” just to have one of them break in half a few weeks later. Do yourself a favor and buy the super thin, cheap, easily cleanable ones.
Things to NOT buy for your kitchen and why...
- Rugs/carpet
- Rugs are one of those things that are way overpriced and honestly very unnecessary, especially in the kitchen. Not only will you spill all over them but it makes cleaning the kitchen floor 2x longer.
- Baking supplies
- People always say they are going to do something in order to have an excuse to buy it, and baking is a great example. Wait on buying baking supplies until you are 100% going to be using them.
- Cook Utensils
- Don’t buy each of them separately it will be SOO much more expensive, see if you can find a set in-store or online, and whatever it doesn’t include be sure to buy whenever you need.
Livingroom
The living room can be the focal point of your apartment and where you could easily spend the most money if you aren’t careful.
When buying things for the living room is when Facebook marketplace, Offer Up and Let Go will become your best friends!!
Before ever buying furniture at a full price be sure to keep an eye out for furniture on discount or second-hand websites and stores!
Things to buy for your first living room and what to realistically spend...
- Couch
- I highly recommend buying a couch 2nd hand. Of all people, I was very skeptical of buying a used couch, and the germaphobia in me was freaking out, but it was the best decision we made and we saved a ton of money (literally thousands). You just have to find the diamond in the rough!
- Rug
- I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to rugs. They are hard to clean and get in the way BUT also make a room so much homier and lived in. So a piece of advice would be to wait until you have some other furniture in your living room and then decide on a rug that will complement and benefit your room. I got my living room rug off Rugable and couldn’t be happier but it was basically the same amount as our couch.
- Coffee Table
- Having a coffee table is not the most important item to have in your apartment so if you don’t feel strongly about one and want to save $$$ be sure to check out tray tables as an alternative! Our coffee table is basically decoration collecting dust…just saying, it is not a necessity.
- TV
- Who doesn’t want a TV in their living room in order to have a ton of movie nights? Well, a TV is something you are going to want to price around. When just looking at different stores to find our TV we found the same TVs for hundreds of dollars less than other stores. The moral of the story is to get your TV at Walmart lol.
- TV Stand
- Personally, I like the look of a hanging TV plus it saves space but sometimes it’s just not practical so a TV stand may become a necessity. Check some secondhand stores/online and then stores like IKEA, Target, Wayfair, Amazon, and Walmart for cheap(ish) options.
Things to NOT buy for your living room and why...
- Lights
- Most apartments have ceiling lights so if you are adamant about getting them just wait until you are more settled in to make that decision (because they can be very pricey)
- End Tables
- SInce apartments tend to be smaller than a house it is important to remember that it doesn’t need to be like a house and end tables may not be necessary or even fit! My advice would be to get tray tables since you can move them anywhere, they are usually much cheaper and have multiple uses.
Bedroom
Personally, I was most excited to decorate and buy things for the bedroom.
A bedroom to me is where you spend a lot of your time before bed and it should be calming, enjoyable, and feel like home.
I was also quickly made aware of the prices of mattresses, bed frames, mirrors, rugs, and furniture.
BUT in the end, I did it, and stayed within our budget (I think lol) and I am going to show you how!
Things to buy for your first bedroom...
- Mattress
- Mattresses are one of those things that are very expensive but also a necessity so make sure it is good quality. I ordered one online and it was delivered right to my door in a somewhat small box. IF you do though only have enough money for a regular mattress be sure to buy memory foam and a mattress pad to go on top and you will have the comfiest bed ever!
- Bed Frame
- Honestly, I have seen metal bed frames at Walmart and Amazon for pretty cheap but they don’t always have the best reviews and I wasn’t totally sold on having a metal bed frame. I ended up getting a wooden bed frame for under $200 without a headboard, from Wayfair (also wasn’t sold on getting a headboard, I don’t know why lol) and it was one of the best purchases. It was so easy to built, very sturdy, and high quality!
- Night Stands
- Depending if you are sharing a bed with someone or how big your room is it can be a good idea to put your bed against the wall. It will save room and save you money by buying only 1 night stand
- Dresser/Storage
- I bought both night stands and dresser from IKEA and definitely saved hundreds of dollars. If you are looking for a clean minimal look I 100% reccomend shopping at IKEA. I’ll link the items below.
- The only reason I got a dresser was to fill up room, have a place to put my decorations and use it as a stand for my TV. If you don’t have a need then don’t feel obligated to buy one
- Rug
- I would normally say forget the rug but who wants to wake up and touch the cold floor? Not me. Plus rugs always make a bedroom homier and give it a ton of character! I currenntly have a cow hide rug and I LOVE it!!
- Mirror
- Not essential- but if your anything like me and you love the look of a mirror and how much bigger and brighter it makes a room look then definitely check out Wayfair.
Things to NOT buy for your bedroom and why...
I am honestly not sure if I have a list of things that I would not recommend buying in your bedroom.
A recommendation that I do have though is to buy plants instead of hanging decoration.
Plants make a room look more like a home and it is easier to move them around then it is the move around hanging (more permanent) decorations.
We all might not have a green thumb which is where fake plants come in handy!
