For parents with college-bound students, helping them feel at home in a new environment is a top priority—especially when it comes to furnishing their dorm room. While students may dream of a cozy, stylish space, many families are also working within tight budgets. The good news is, it’s entirely possible to create a comfortable and personalized dorm room without overspending. With a little creativity and effort—like repurposing items from home, shopping secondhand, or taking advantage of student discounts, your student can achieve a space that feels like home while staying well within budget. Below are some tips to get you started!

1. Set a budget

Like all major financial undertakings, furnishing and decorating a dorm room requires planning ahead and establishing a budget. Make a list of everything needed and then determine how much money it’ll take to cover all costs.

You’ll also want to take some time to choose what is most important to you for deciding where to drop more money and the areas where you’ll rein in the spending. This way, you can shop stress-free, knowing you’ll have enough funds to cover all necessary expenses and won’t wind up with a half-decorated room, or missing some essentials.

2. Shop second-hand

Thrift stores are your new BFF. Hit up shops like Goodwill and the Salvation Army for used furniture treasures, creative decorations and so much more. Shop with an open mind and remember that a small facelift, like a fresh coat of paint or new accessories, can help you customize any bargain-priced piece of furniture you find.

3. Get creative with storage

Dorm rooms are not typically known for being big on space. Ensure you have sufficient storage in your dorm room by having your furniture multitask. Think ottomans that open up to provide you with room to keep your books, under-the-bed storage bins and more. You’ll have space for all your stuff without making your room look overstuffed with storage shelves and hooks.

4. Use removable decals

Personalize your space and add color to your walls with removable decals. You can find them online and in home decor sections of big-box stores, and most are inexpensive. Removable decals are a great way to turn your dorm room into your own space, as they come in a wide variety of colors and styles. If you like to hang up clever one-liners on your walls, you’ll find those in decals, too. They’re also super-easy to hang up and can be removed with very little effort and without damaging your walls.

5. Shop the sales

Save a boatload on your dorm decor by shopping sale events throughout the year. For example, shop department stores at the beginning of the year to take advantage of January’s “white sales” for bedding and linen. You can also pick up that dream piece of furniture you’ve been eyeing when furniture prices drop in February and shop from Black Friday through December for all sorts of dorm essentials like mini fridges, blenders and coffeemakers at bargain prices.

6. Recycle and upcycle what you already have

Upcycling, or reusing old materials to make them more functional, and recycling is the perfect way to get your dream dorm room without blowing a whole lot of money. Look through your stuff to find things you barely use, or were about to toss, and find ways to repurpose them for your dorm room. For example, you can clean out a used tin can, decorate it with Washi tape and use it as a catch-all for your writing supplies; old picture frames can be painted and refreshed to match your new décor, or use your holiday lights to hang to add ambiance in your room.

Decorating your dorm room does not have to drain your wallet or force you to compromise on your personal taste and style. Use the tips here to get that dream dorm room on a budget.

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