Get Ready for College Now, Not in the Fall
Every year at the same time we all see it. Stores like Walmart for us mid to lower income families and wherever the upper class shop are swamped with students rushing about finding those last minute dorm and school supplies. Parents are in tow watching behind glazed eyes as their credit card bill grows before their very eyes. Avoid the rush and shop now, it may not be as easy but it can make the costs easier to bear and the hassles a lot less for us parents.
My son is purchasing his laptop for college, but not going to school till the fall. He hasn’t even graduated high school yet but is seriously starting his college preparation not only by working to pay for school but purchasing items he knows he will need and getting them at sales and generally being ready for when school starts.
Buying items on sale and when school is still off in the distance is not only a good idea to save money it helps on the hassles of going to school. If you don’t know exactly what you’ll need its pretty easy to guess. Well, not guess but make an educated guess and also get informed by the school. The laptop was easy, he’s going to school for a computer degree and just needs a decent laptop that can handle things like web site design and presentations. The student edition of Office is one of the things that is a must for a college student going to school for just about anything so we bought that not only for him but for ourselves, it comes with three registration licenses’ so you can have it on three computers. We emailed the schools computer department and asked them what they would require or recommend and they gave us a couple of suggestions.
Shopping around for a good computer for school is easy for us, we go to one store, Computer Renaissance, which we have purchased our other computers at and saw one that has many features our student will like as well as be nice for his school work. A laptop is one large priced item that you should definitely shop around and get from somewhere that you trust and has good service after you purchase it. I do not recommend buying one at large computer or electronic stores like Best Buy. Personally I have had bad dealings with them and have heard of others who have also had some not so friendly exchanges as well as having to wait for their computer to get fixed. Go to local smaller shops that have their own service technicians on hand who fix your computers on site instead of shipping them off to somewhere for someone else to fix. Smaller stores that have on site technicians will work harder to keep your business and often help more than larger businesses that have their pick of customers. They will often be able to sit down and help you immediately if the problem may be something small and all you need is some quick help.
If your student is going to be living in a dorm on campus there are many things that you will need to purchase but don’t have to get the day you get to school. One thing we have already received from a company in regards to our son going to college is sheet sets. The company has all kinds of different sets of sheets, pillow cases and blankets that fit odd sized beds that the college has in its dorms. The dorm rooms have odd sized beds and with good reason. Today most young adults are taller than they used to be. So the colleges have beds to fit this growing trend, ha-ha. Some things you can buy and be ready so that your student will not have to buy in a rush when he gets to school but can put off purchasing and shop around a little to find the best bargain. Buy two king sized flat sheets and your student can use these for a few weeks until they have shopped around to find out the best prices for sheets that fit the beds at their dorm. Use one flat sheet tucked under the mattress as the bottom and the other for the top. Just bring along a blanket and pillow for the bed and you’ll be ready to bed down for awhile until they can bargain shop and find the prices that meet your financial need. There are also many things they can bring along or make do until the rush slows down. Some things of course can’t wait; toilet paper, Kleenex, soap, shampoo, etc. But these things can be purchased before you go and wait till the mad rush at the stores is over. Other things you can wait with or even buy before hand and use to store things in until you get to college. Buy baskets, storage boxes and stacking crates to store items in before and at college. Buy crates that stack and you can use them not only for storage before school and for the move there but they make good shelves at the dorm. If you find you don’t need them when you get to your dorm room due to available shelving at the room just have the parents take them back home and use them for those visits to bring more stuff to the student at later times.
Not knowing exactly what you’ll be needing in the way of furniture, storage or other dorm room items does not mean you’ll have to wait or rush out when you get there. Think ahead and figure out what you can get and what you’ll want. A small dorm fridge is a handy way to save on money for the student. But the stores will often be sold out or only have the more expensive ones when you get there. Buying one before hand will ensure you get one for the price you want to pay and that you have it when you want it. Things like this are items that stores like Walmart don’t have enough of for the quantity of students that move in at once so think ahead for objects like this and be prepared ahead of time.
Some smaller cooking appliances such as toasters, microwave ovens and hotplates can save the student by cooking for themselves and avoiding costly restaurant bills. Make sure the dorm you’re going to allows such appliances and get them before hand at sales during the summer. Don’t wait and be at the mercy of the store prices at the time of going to college. Find out about student meal costs at the college and if your student is going to go there enough to make the cost worthwhile. My son will be staying home at least for the first year and a meal card would not make sense for him. Decide if it would be worth while for your student and if they would go enough for the cost. Yes, they are less of a cost than going out to eat but if your student doesn’t get up early enough to go to breakfast that’s one third of the meals he won’t be using. Use his or her current habits and figure if he would be using a meal card enough to make the cost worthwhile.
Other expenses that can be lowered are housing, decide where the student will be staying before they go to college; dorm, home, or on their own. If you’re thinking of getting an apartment, shop early. College towns will have thousands of students looking for housing and apartments that fit the needs of students are always in short supply. Keep this in mind when preparing for college and if you’re inclined towards apartment shopping do so as early as possible, before you even go. When you finally decide on the college and are accepted this is a good time to get an apartment locked in for the school year while the chances are better to get one. Shopping early will help decide if this is the way you want to go as it will tell you the prices of apartments compared to a dorm room.
If your student has a car find out about parking costs at the college and where they can park for free if any places are readily available nearby. Parking for large campuses is another thing that is always in short supply and you should think ahead of this common problem and prepare for it.
Think ahead, plan and your bills and mind can be at ease when making that final trip to a higher education for your student and yourself. Preparing for this next step in life for your young adult can be less of a hassle and less of a burden on your expenses when you think and plan ahead. Be ready for expenses and lower them by preparing not when you’re going to college but as soon as your student decides they are going to college. Some things you can purchase when they are on sale that you know they will need for school. Others you can make do without or buy later with a little planning. Just think ahead and try to lessen the hassles and headaches by planning as early as possible.
