Graduation season is upon us. All over the country, thousands of college seniors are preparing to leave the safe cocoon of campus life and embark on their first years as an actual adult. For many, this transition can be a little bumpy. Sure, college life gave you a taste of independent living. But it also provided you a chance to explore your unique furniture tastes on Mom and Dad’s dime. Your first apartment is an entirely different ballgame. And since you are almost certainly on a budget, you need to figure out which items are absolutely necessary and which you can live without.
While it might be tempting to fool yourself into thinking you can just sleep on your sofa set and forgo the expense of a bed, think about the long-term consequences of this decision. Within months, you will certainly be regretting your rash decision. You need a bed. So start there and work your way through the necessities. A dinette set is pretty crucial as well; you’ll need a place to eat. For your first apartment, however, you can probably live without a fancy entertainment center. Add a couple chairs and a few lighting sources to the mix and you should be set for a year or so. Once there, scour flea markets for fun, quirky and inexpensive add-ons that will give your place some personality. Then hit the workforce to build a nice nest egg for the future.
