stuff you REALLY need in your new apartment!!
I keep seeing that HUGE ASS post about all the âessentialsâ for your new apartment and I call 100% bullshit on it. You donât need all that crap. Youâre on a budget. Either  a student or just graduated or its your first job and you just moved out from your parentsâ house and now youâre on your own with barely any money after paying off the rent.
Iâm a student in the UK. I moved into a new place literally 2 weeks ago. I know my shit about essentials right now. So hereâs a list of stuff you REALLY need! Also where you can find it cheap b/c lets face it you wonât go buying at Marks&Spencer (UK peeps will get me, not sure about the rest of the world. Its basically a high end grocery shop but it also has like homeware n stuff.
Btw since Iâm in the UK, Iâll mention specific cheap UK shops as thatâs what I know. Americans you can go to Walmart or other cheap discount stores or thrift stores for some items!! Which you probably already know.
Still, thereâs a lot of this you can buy gradually and not all at once so it wonât make you feel like youâre going for broke within seconds.
bedsheets. chances are, your mum might have like 30 spares stashed in her cupboard so if your new place has a bed that is the same size as a bed at home, you go ask your momma. if not, Primark and Wilkos has cheap ones AND they have cute designs too if youre into that
towels (have spares of each one you need!)
blanket of some sort. you can get some cheap nice one or bring your fave from home - itâs perfect for a binge watch session on the sofa or as a superhero cape
cutlery set. Wilkoâs has a set of 16 for like ÂŁ2 so get on that shit. Ofc you might only need it for 1 person so feel free to do that
dinner set. for one or for 4 depending on if youâre planning to have people over
Tupperware. for home made lunches and leftovers
mugs and glasses. you dont need a lot, but you might also not want to wash the only one you have every second
set of sharp knives. i got a nice one off amazon for ÂŁ10
wooden spoon, spatula, grater, can opener, ladle, whisk, kitchen scissors, strainer - all those little things that are super useful
baking tray - those oven bake chips have to go somewhere
microwave (chances are, it will come provided with your place if youâre in student accommodation in the UK. or you can use the oven)
kitchen foil and cling film
resealable food bags - its cheaper to buy e.g. meat in bulk and then freeze it in 1 meal portions. bags are helpful with this
oven glove (safety first!!!)
scourers, cloths for cleaning
clothes hangers - if your places comes with a wardrobe, i can guarantee you thereâs like 2 there and thatâs it
cleaning products: washing up liquid, bin bags, kitchen/oven cleaner, bathroom cleaner, white vinegar (this is optional! good for cleaning glass/mirrors, kettles (yes those need cleaning too) and refrigerators), window/glass cleaner (or white vinegar - its cheaper!), toilet bleach, laundry detergent, furniture polish
bathroom stuff: a small bin, tooth brush cup, toilet brush, shower rug
some candles + lighter if the electricity dies on you
list of emergency contact numbers in an accessible place: so repairman, your landlord, your parents, close friends, police/ambulance/fire department (when you panic you forget the simplest things sometimes), gas and electric company, same with water. if youâre in the uk, the local council
food: my suggestion for basics is a few  pasta sauces, large bag of pasta (like 5kg) or rice, bread, butter/spread, milk/milk alternative, eggs, vegetable oil, salt, pepper something for your sandwiches and a few ramens for when you really donât feel like cooking. tea and coffee too, but thatâs personal preference. things like chips, chicken nuggets, frozen mixed vegetables can be found cheap and are easy to make so keep those if you like them. fresh fruit and vegetables are a saviours, but they can be pricey. tap water is âfreeâ (you pay for the water so technically not but its cheaper than bottled) and if you donât like the taste pick up a filter jug when you can.
I hope this helps someone!! Iâm sure I forgot /something/ but this is the bare bones of it.Â
