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There comes a time when you move into your first apartment, while for most it’s not the most *glamorous* of places and you might need to ball on a budget when it comes to the basic necessities – it’s all worth it when you can you say you have your own place!
Here are some of the things I personally got for my first apartment at 20, that weren’t a pretty penny and got me through the first couple years of living by myself!
Basic Dishes
When it comes to your first place, you only need the essentials. Typically a 4-6 dinnerware set is plenty and buying a set like this amazon one, for the price is a great deal! The one I had was pretty similar but from Ikea and looks like they no longer have it (however Ikea is a great place to look for starter home stuff). In addition, for basic cups HomeGoods was where I found mine (can’t link). HomeGoods can be hit or miss, but it’s always a great place to check out for home stuff! The other basic dishes I ended up using a lot (and still do) are funny enough .50¢ target plastic cups/bowls. While not the most *cute*, these come in handy all the time!
Clothes Organization
Shocking, your first apartment may not have a walk in closet, and the most space… but thats okay! Mine certainly didn’t, so I had to get creative with how I was going to store all my clothes!
I got this Room essentials plastic drawers and was able to fit it in my small closet and used for whatever clothes needed storage (shorts, tank tops, bathing suits). Now that I moved into a bigger place and I do have a walk in closet, I replaced that one with this one and love the quality and look of it so much more! But obviously double the price.
Another thing that really helped with organizing my clothes, was a clothing rack! You can make these look really cute, and it was really practical for extra space for my hanging clothes. Depending on your budget, this is another option that is more expensive but you can also put things on the shelves portion as well.
Coffee Machine
I know this doesn’t seem like it should be under “affordable” apartment must haves, however – if you drink coffee everyday like me then this is an investment! I could not afford to be spending money several times a week buying coffee, so while it is a bit of money upfront I definitely think it was worth it. Not to mention, they go on sale a lot, so keep an eye on that! This was a similar Nespresso that I got, and I LOVE it! It also came with a milk frother (can do both hot and cold foam).
Utensil Set
Truth be told, I did not know how to cook or what I even would need in my kitchen. I had a lot of hand-me downs as far as pots and pans, but I knew I would eventually need some kind of utensils. This Utensil Set had pretty much everything that I needed, and even came with a little container to put it in!
Amazon Glassware
Glassware is something I just love, and luckily amazon has so many good options. For hosting, I have these Wine Glasses . I love these can shaped glasses, I use them all the time for iced coffee, juice, etc and this one even comes with glass straws which I also love and use everyday (I hate the metal straws). Also, these to-go cups were perfect when I would commute into work and had to take my iced coffee on the go!
Air Fryer
I think this one goes without saying, but especially since I did not know how to cook – this was a lifesaver! Whether its chicken nuggets, or salmon and veggies, the possibilities are endless! I couldn’t find the exact one I have, but this one has great reviews!
Helpful Tip: Before spending money, ask your family/friends if there is anything they don’t need anymore that you could use! I took a TON of my parents old stuff, really took advantage of anything free! I knew that in a few years I’d be able to splurge but for now, old pots and pans, tv stand, mirrors, etc were something I can live with for the time being.
