A Procrastinator’s Guide to Furnishing Your College Apartment

Four young college kids enjoying two boxes of pizza on the floor of an empty apartmentProcrastinators don’t get enough credit. Sure, you may wait until the last minute to do a task that you’ve known about for, oh, six months…but sometimes, that’s a good thing! Heck, as summer winds down, we bet you’re just now getting on top of that last-minute “summer party” that you decided to throw three months ago. But it’ll be the party of the century, right? And that’s all that matters. Kind of like everything else you do – when you get it done, it’s awesome.

With that in mind, it’s no secret that you probably haven’t begun thinking about furnishing your college apartment. Who needs months, or even weeks to plan your decor and unpack, let alone pick out the furniture? If you’re the procrastinator of the year, we salute you. We’ve also got some great ideas for furnishing your place last-minute; right after you eat pizza…while sitting on the floor of your empty apartment. Gotta keep with tradition after all!

Pop some tags at the local thrift store

If you’ve only got twenty dollars in your pocket…then you might want to hit up a quaint secondhand shop in your area. There always seems to be an overlooked, super budget-friendly treasure at the thrift store. Used coffee table? You could paint that. Framed portrait of some other person’s cat? Might add some nice ambiance to your guest bathroom. What looks like your grandmother’s fox skin coat? Okay, that’s a treasure you can probably leave behind. Take a day and scope out some shops near your new digs, then bask in the light of your new-ish lamp. Plus, if you’re new to the area this exercise could really help you get the lay of the land!

Create your own “Home Shopping Network”

The two keywords in this equation? “Mom” and “Dad.” Chances are, they’ve got a few pieces of furniture or decor they either want to replace or get rid of altogether. Ask your parents if you can go through the garage, basement, attic, or storage unit in search of furnishings. Bring memories of your childhood into your new place and get it on the cheap! Who knew that the curtains that once hung in your parent’s spare room would end up being yours all along?

Pull a “Millennial” and order it all online

Got Amazon Prime? These days it seems like anything can show up at your door with a few taps on your smartphone or clicks on your computer, and that includes large pieces of heavy furniture, giant inflatable Christmas trees, a complete set of pots and pans–you name it! Skip the loading and unloading and get it delivered. Though there may be an extra fee, your back will thank you.

Pull a “Smart Millennial” and rent your furniture online

Conveniences like this didn’t always exist. But it’s 2016, and for the ultimate procrastinator, CORT is one of your best options. Renting your furniture online not only takes the stress out of loading, unloading, and putting together your own furniture, but it means that someone else will take care of it after you’re done. Rent for a short or long period of time, and a nice person will be your personal furniture butler – delivery, pickup, and all. (Though maybe don’t address the delivery folks as your personal furniture butlers when they arrive, okay?) The only thing they’re missing is your favorite fancy beverage–feel free to make your own while CORT deals with the tough stuff. Curious about how it works? Check out the easy step-by-step guide on Cort.com. They’ve even got special student pricing. Win!

With these great ideas in hand, you’ll have a couch and matching side tables before your belated summer shindig kicks off! See? It’s not all that bad to wait until the last minute. Procrastinators, unite! …Tomorrow!

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