Moving is a huge pain but it can also be an exciting time. Lugging all of your belongings to a new apartment takes time and effort, but the process of redecorating and making a beautiful space can be quite rewarding.
The pursuit of the perfect apartment can also be expensive, and you can quickly blow through saving trying to make your place look beautiful. Two years down the road, you’ll find yourself with a lot of items to move, many of them having been only used once. At this point, you may look at your purchases with regret. Some will be thrown out, while others will serve as reminder of money spent poorly.
New beginnings often translate to new purchases. While this is typical, there are also many opportunities to blow money unnecessarily. Save your money for necessary bills, not the unnecessary items that will lose value.
1. Nice Furniture
Yes, you will need furniture in your apartment. This is where you’re going to spend a lot of time and you want to be comfortable. That said, you don’t need to spend a fortune for a matching set. It’s all too common to see a one bedroom apartment with a huge sectional consuming the bulk of the space. Not only is this unnecessary, but that sectional costs a lot of money. Next time you move, you’ll need to dismantle that sectional. It will be heavy, awkward, and susceptible to damage.
If you don’t plan on spending five years in that apartment, don’t spend thousands on furniture. Bargain basements are your friend, and there’s no shame in buying used furniture if you don’t expect to hold onto it. Otherwise, you’ll spend a full month’s rent buying a couch, and that’s before you get the rest of your place furnished.
2. Novelty Cookware
When I was going to college, every department store was selling some version of a microwave bacon cooker. Did anyone need that? No, absolutely not. It was an “As Seen on TV” item people bought for a laugh. Two years later, they’d discover it clogging their cabinet space.
Nobody needs a hot dog toaster or churro maker. These are novelties, and you’re not going to start eating more churros just because you have the maker. Don’t waste your money on these appliances. Save them for office gift swaps, and try to never take one home.
If you find yourself truly committed to a single food item, you might get one after you’ve show dedication to that meal. If you really do eat quesadillas multiple times a week and feel the dish is worth its own appliance, then the cost is justified. Until you’ve shown commitment, skip the extra expense.
3. Shelves and Organizers
When you have limited space, it’s logical to try to use that space as best you can. So, you buy closet organizers and bins to store everything you won’t use daily. Come to find out, your new apartment has more storage than anticipated. So, you’ve spent money on on bins you won’t use. Plus, you need to find a place to store those bins.
If you look at students in dorms or young adults in apartments, people often overestimate their storage needs. So don’t buy wire shelves or Rubbermaid bins until you’ve moved in. Otherwise, you’ll be spending money on storage space you don’t need. Ironically, this will use more space than it saves unless you have a surplus of items lying around.
4. Matching Decor
You want your space to look nice, and that makes sense. So, you buy a rug, curtains, blankets, and artwork that matches. By doing this, you’re spending a lot of money to design an environment that won’t last. Once you move, that perfect design will look different.
If you don’t have any of these things, then go ahead and match everything. Otherwise, use what you have then buy what you need. The real art comes from using existing items and making them visually impressive. If you’re buying duplicate items, then you’re choosing to spend more than you need.
5. The Cheapest Solution
When you spend money on your new apartment, some things are less fun to buy than others. When it comes to light bulbs, batteries, surface cleaners, and kitchenware, it’s easy to grab the cheapest thing on the rack. These items are unlikely to outlive your lease. So you’ll need to replace those batteries more often and use more cleaner. When you buy cheap but use more, you’re not really saving.
When it comes to necessities, buy quality. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to buy name brand or extra features, but don’t buy everything the dollar rack has to offer. A more expensive energy-efficient light bulb can last longer and save you money on electricity. These are the items where you need to think smart, not cheap.
6. Nails, Hooks, and Hanging Mechanisms
A hole in the wall today is a hole in your wallet next year. When you get those nails or hangers, you need to realize they’ll leave some damage. Your landlord won’t appreciate that, and they won’t hesitate to charge you. This might result in your security deposit depleting just because you needed to put up a poster of 2 Fast 2 Furious.
There are fairly safe ways to decorate your apartment that won’t break your bank or hurt the walls. Unfortunately, these are also weaker than banging a nail into the wall. Blue painter’s tape won’t leave a mark, but it will take a lot to keep that poster on the wall. Think of your security deposit, and if you have to damage the wall, keep it to a minimum. This might mean a nail is a better open than mounting tape. Yes, the nail leaves a hole, but the tape can leave a huge rip when peeled off.
Finding Balance in Your New Apartment
Just accept it: moving is expensive. There’s no way around it, but you can keep costs as low as possible. Remember that every purchase has implications, and every dollar spent is a dollar you can’t use for rent.
If you plan on staying in one place for longer than two or three years, you might want to invest a little more. The goal is to avoid spending money on things that won’t last in the longterm. If you’re confident you won’t damage or replace items in the next five years, go ahead and spend a little more. When it comes to large items, moving is typically the event that causes damage. Simply sitting on a couch or turning on a lamp won’t damage it.
In the end, you want to enjoy your new apartment. It’s your home where you’ll be spending a lot of time. Usually you can obtain the same level of satisfaction without breaking the bank. Save your money for the times you really need it, and that’s usually not making your apartment look beautiful.
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