How would someone go about purchasing items for their first apartment? See Below.

Question

My boyfriend and I really are trying to save and buy things for our apartment, but we're at a loss. We have little space to fill right now. We can't store a couch and a tv and storage places are too expensive. We might be able to put some kind-of big pieces in the garage, but it's pretty full already. Also, is Craigslist.com a good place to get stuff from? And If we save $10k, can we use what we need out of it for the rent i.e. down payment and the rest on furnichure or should we get hand me downs? And what about walmart and Target? Should we buy plate sets or seperetly? And what about beds and mattresses? Where are the best places to get them? Also couch, book shelves, entertainment centers. How much should we spend on each of these things? Remember first apartment, not a lot of money, so we can't go around buying $1000 beds and couches....How much savings should we have before we move out and after we move in? Like how much should we always have in our savings account? Two of us..me and my bf moving out together... Money questions and any advice please...sorry for the spelling.. i'm rushing.

Answer 1

If you have 10k you should have more than enough to start out with. There are plenty of people who start out with nothing. When I got my 1st place I borrowed 4 plates from my mom, lol. Just buy what you can afford start with the basics, a small dish set, a few pots and pans, silverware, vacuum, 4 or 5 bath towels. Buy just what you need for now and you can always add to it later!

Answer 2

Two words...  garage sales!

While there are some things that you just want to buy new (for me that is mattresses), since this is a first place, you can probably find almost everything you need to start housekeeping at yard sales.  This is even a good time of year to look.  Chances are good that you will not keep your first home purchase all that long, so why buy everything new?  Also, these items are usually really cheap.  You can often find serviceable furniture for less than $200, full sets of dishes for the cost of 2 new plates, anything you ever could need for a kitchen, rugs, linens galore and a myriad of "decorative" items.

Make a list of your "must have" items, then start hunting.  By the way, yes, Craigslist is a good place to look for specific things on your list.

If you shop smart now, you can use your $10k of savings towards longer term goals (like saving for a first home purchase) rather than on lots of new items you probably won't keep long anyway.