Free Stuff for College Challenge

By Erin Huffstetler | 02/18/2020 | 1 Comment

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Our oldest daughter is headed off to college in the fall, so she and I recently put together a list of all of the things she’ll need to outfit her dorm room and get her stocked up on toiletries. Being a frugal kid, she’s challenged herself to see how much of it she can get for free, and we thought it would be fun to track her progress here.

Here’s what she has on her college pack list:

Kitchen

Water filter
Mini fridge
Microwave
Dishes
Silverware
Water bottles
Mugs
Cups
Food storage containers
Kitchen towel
Dish soap
Can opener

Cleaning Supplies

Paper towels
Spray cleaner
Vacuum
Laundry detergent

Bath

Shower curtain
Curtain rings
Shower shoes
Shower caddy
Shampoo
Conditioner
Soap
Travel soap container
Pads
Razors
Toothpaste + toothbrush
Nail trimmers
Headache medicine
First aid kit/bandaids

Electronics

Laptop
Small TV
Gaming system
Extension cord
Surge Protector
Printer
Fan

Bedding

Mattress cushion
Mattress pad
Sheets
Comforter
Pillows

Storage

Trash can
Hangers
Laundry basket/laundry bag
Storage drawers

Decor

Plants
Lamp
Rug
Wall decor
Curtains
Curtain rings

Office Supplies

Bulletin board + push pins
Dry erase board
Stapler + staples
Tape
Basic office supplies
Printer paper

Other

Umbrella
Lanyard for school ID

And here’s what she/we’ve gotten so far.

During the holiday season, Sears ran a promotion where you got $100 back, if you spent $100. Aaron needed a 3.5 ton floor jack at the time, so he ordered one through Sears, and we used the $100 to buy things that our daughter would need for college. These became her Christmas presents. This big stack of bath towels is one of the things I ordered. I chose peacock green because I figured they’d stand out as hers.

These XL twin jersey knit sheets are another one of the things that I ordered.

As are these glass food storage containers …

and this big five-foot rag rug.

My daughter has been answering surveys to earn gift cards, and she used one of her gift cards to purchase this set of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning supplies, when they were on sale on Amazon.

She got this bottle of hair conditioner for free after rebate, and she snagged three money-maker tubes of toothpaste at Walgreens by stacking a coupon, sale and Register Rewards deal.

This college lanyard and journal are among some of the free swag items that she got when she attended events at her future college.

And she got all of this free wall art for her dorm room by taking advantage of free photo deals.

We have a spare mini-fridge and microwave in the basement, which she’ll also be taking to college. Both were rescued during college move-out.

She’s been busy requesting free samples, so we should have another round of freebies to report soon. Stay tuned!