If you’re looking to spend money on dorm room decorations, you don’t have to look far.
“There’s so much targeted advertising,” says Julie Selander, director of One Stop Student Services at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. The office provides a financial literacy and money management initiative for students called “Live Like a Student.” “This time of the year is so crazy.”
While retailers may be aggressively hawking their beanbag chairs and twinkle lights, smart college students will ignore them because overspending on dormitory furniture is a mistake. Think about it: As a college student, you have limited income, potentially high tuition expenses and may only spend about nine months in your dorm room. If you’re funding your furnishings with student loan disbursements, the costs are even higher. For example, a $200 bookcase, bought with unsubsidized student loans at a 4.45 percent interest rate, will accrue about $40 in interest by the time you graduate four years later, according to a student loan repayment calculator from FinAid.org. And that’s just one item.
So, don’t fall for marketing messages when it comes to personalizing your dorm. There are tons of low-cost ways to make your college residence hall feel like home. Here’s how to decorate your dorm room without busting your budget.
[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]
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Decorate Your Dorm Room on a Budget originally appeared on usnews.com