Moving home from college can be difficult with both parties adjusting to the new changes. Finding places for all the things that you managed to cram into your dorm over the last several years. You wonder how things ever fit in your dorm room yet alone your room. Trying to find places to put everything can be like trying to fit a semesters worth of information into your brain in one night, for finals. Let’s be real most of your things you won’t use again, and will end up either being donated, trashed, or permanently stored until you are forced by the rents to come take it off their hands. There are something’s that I wouldn’t discard just yet.
Repurpose :
Trash can, old use; catching trash and keeping beverages cold in your college youth. New use; don’t rule out the beverage cooler just yet (if it’s clean and washed out). You can turn this into a recycling can, something to store umbrellas, yoga mats, and other workout accessories. Children’s toys if you’re at that point in your life. Point is you can reuse a quality trash can to your advantage and store whatever you need it to, even if it’s that outdoor equipment or your spouse’s mounting collection of fishing poles.
College bedding, old use; snuggling and keeping you warm as you sleep through your 8 o’clock class. New use; chances are if it’s in good shape you can use it in a spare bedroom, as an extra blanket for downstairs and out of town guests. (Make sure you run comforters through industrial washer first.)If it’s not in the best shape you can always use it to cover and protect furniture for your moves, turn it into blankets for football games and other outdoor events.
Shower caddy, old use; toting your shower supplies back and forth between your municipal bathrooms. New use; corralling your bathroom supplies under your sink, or keeping craft projects together, nice for storing your gardening tools or weekend warrior tools and gadgets.
Other things to keep:
Plastic bins and over the back storage containers. Are some of those things that if they survive the wear and tear of college you should try to hold onto. You can reuse these and place them just about anywhere in the house to help organize your life and make locating things easier.
Lounge arm chair, that you bought, as post college graduate, I have to say it’s a must have for those sick bed days.
Fridge, having another fridge on hand can be handy, whether you still use it for housing your beer or are now using it to store food you buy in bulk. Mine is in the garage cooling our beverages.
Futon, as long as it’s at a reasonable height off the ground you shouldn’t have a problem. These make great impromptu couches and beds for guests. It almost always comes in handy.
Message board, you’re not done with it yet, it can now stand duty in your kitchen, for; to do lists, groceries, phone messages, and notes.
College texts, hold on to any books, you think might come in handy with your line or work. They’re a great reference point for interviews or just reviewing something, but dump anything you don’t think you can use after one year. Continue to pare down the paper work you hold onto from college until you’re at the bare essentials.
What not to keep:
At this point most of these things had a lot of tear and wear and are not in the best shape you can be the judge but most things that get tossed. That or they should probably not accompany you home as you start your professional career.
The chair or couch you bought from goodwill and looks like it just finished a fourth tour in World War III.
Carpet, you spilled on it, walked on it, and hardly ever vacuumed it so it’s looking worse than Shaggy on Scooby Doo before his yearly haircut.
Bath towels, it’s time for new bath towels, those are probably slightly ratty, and your older now it’s time to invest in quality bath towels.
Anything you wore to a themed frat party, you probably wouldn’t and shouldn’t wear it out in public, and it’s only going to take up valuable space in your closet, so toss it.
