Prep Set

Your First Place, Now What?

You’re finally done with college, and you have accepted your first job, most likely you are also going to be setting up your very first home that is all your own. That is a lot of new responsibility that you are taking on, and being somewhat prepared for the transition is going to make is so much easier. Here are a few ideas that will make your new apartment or house a little easier to get along with.

Take stock of what you already have. Most likely you have a bed and dresser in the home you grew up in, ask your parents if you can take it with you. You probably also have a little furniture from your college days, that will get you through until you have a couple paychecks under your belt. The less you have to buy, the better.

If you are asked what you need the most, suggest cleaning products. Even though you may have been told that someone already went through the house or apartment and it’s clean, you really should go over it again before moving in. Since cleaning products can be pricey, especially when you are going to need to buy groceries for the first time, this is a great suggestion for those at a loss.

The first room to really concentrate on is the kitchen. This is one room that all your friends are going to see, and surely you are going to do some light entertaining. Forgo the purchase of a fancy area rug or end tables in the living room and instead purchase a good solid table and chairs set. Most likely they are going to get the most use since everyone tends to gravitate to the kitchen eventually.

Picking up a good kitchen knife set is something that you really need to do. Instead of buying the least expensive and having to replace it shortly, spending a couple extra dollars here is going to get you knives that will last your lifetime. A cheap knife will lose it’s edge quickly, and is not made to be durable and could possibly end up hurting you should the blade break during use.

Something else to consider is a knife block set. These are particularly nice if you have limited drawer space, but plenty of counter space. They keep your knives in a convenient place, all exactly where they belong. If you took my previous advice and bought a nice set, having the block will also help keep them in ideal condition. They won’t get their blades nicked or exhibit excess wear from sliding around in a drawer.

When you purchase a small kitchen appliance, think about quality here, also. Granted, a toaster can be less expensive, after all you only need it to toast your bread, but when buying other appliances do a little recon and make sure you get the top of the line. One appliance that is really important is a Cuisinart hand mixer. These have one of the best warranties on the market and are known to be both tough and handsome.

Well, other than the kitchen, the last room that’s really important is the bathroom. Make sure you have plenty of towels and a good non-slip bath rug. Of course you will probably need a shower curtain so make sure you get one that is going to last for a while. I highly suggest going with fabric as it’s simple to wash up and won’t tear and give you problems within a couple of months. Once again, it’s an issue of quality over cost. In the long run, remembering when you can afford quality to buy it is actually going to save you a lot of money.

Trip Prep: Set