Top Items for Your College Shopping List - Money Tip Tuesday

College is right around the corner for incoming college Freshmen. You might be wondering what you should be buying to bring with you. Here are the top items that should be on your college shopping list. 

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Transcript: 

Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast. 

First on your list are basic toiletries. Things like toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, soap, shampoo, and in some cases, toilet paper! While I didn’t experience this at college, I have heard that some college bathrooms run out of toilet paper so it’s important to have your own supply—particularly if you sharing a suite, which means a shared bathroom. If you’re living in a college dorm and are sharing a bathroom, you will also want to buy a shower caddy to hold all of your toiletries. This way you can easily bring them in and out of the bathroom and not have to worry about others using your stuff. You will also want to bring a pair of shower shoes (aka, flip-flops) because you shouldn’t walk barefoot in a shared bathroom. And don’t forget your towels!  

Next, prepare yourself for those days when you just don’t feel like yourself. Make sure you have cold or allergy medicine, cough drops, ibuprofen, antacids, tissues, and any prescription medications. If you’re a college student who isn’t living close to home, ask your doctor for a 3-month prescription so you can pick up your meds in advance.  

Third, your bedding is your nest, and you want to be comfortable. Before you move in, figure out how big your bed is—most dorm beds are extra-long twins so make sure you buy extra-long twin sheets. Don't forget blankets, a mattress cover, a mattress pad, your favorite pillow and maybe a bed wedge pillow so you can do your study on your bed.  

Fourth, your college clothes. Make sure you consider the climate and changes in climate for the area you’ll be in. If your college is in a warm climate, you probably don’t need to bring your winter jacket and snow boots. In addition to your clothes, you will need laundry detergent or pods to keep them clean.  

Fifth, don’t forget your laptop and other electronics. You will need a laptop to write your papers, take notes, send emails, do your projects, submit your assignments, take your exams, and even go to class if its hybrid. If you don’t have a laptop, check out Apple for a student discount. If money is tight, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay are good places to pick up used laptops—just make sure you have enough storage space for all your college needs. You will also want to get a nice set of headphones or earbuds to cancel out any noise so you can focus on your work.  

Other academic supplies you will want include a few notebooks and writing utensils. If you prefer taking notes on paper, you may want to get a notebook for each class that you are taking. Highlighters and sticky notes can be useful as well.  

Next, you will want to buy a refrigerator. You probably won’t want to eat cafeteria food every day, so you can store any perishable food items in a fridge in your room. Some schools also allow small microwaves so you can warm up your food. Speaking of food, you should bring some of your favorites—especially for those days when you’re feeling a little homesick. Nothing like mac-n-cheese to make you feel better!   

Other items you will want to bring are storage containers, a fan, chargers, surge protector power strips, water bottle, water filter, and a desk lamp.  

This seems like a big list, but you will probably add more to your own list like decorations to make the dorm room your own.  

This concludes our must haves at college and good luck! 

If there are any other tips or topics you would like us to cover, let us know at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org and don't forget to like and follow our Making Money Personal FB page and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union on Instagram and LinkedIn to share your thoughts.  

Thanks for listening to today’s Money Tip Tuesday and be sure to check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast.  

Have a great day!