It’s hard to believe that this time last year I was frantically shopping for must-haves for my first apartment.
As the beginning of the 2014 Fall semester approaches swiftly, it’s time to start stocking up on those aforementioned must-haves.
When you first move out on your own, you think about the essentials: dishes and toiletries. You dream about the luxuries, extravagant and trendy decor. In your mind, you design the greatest bedroom imaginable and, in doing so, important, useful items slip through the cracks of your shopping cart.
Throughout my time living on my own (well, with my roommate), I’ve noticed many things are missing in my life, things I took for granted when I lived with my family.
Below are just a few of the many living essentials you shouldn’t move into your new apartment without.
1. Can-opener
Starting off fairly simple, buy a can-opener and spare yourself the shame of trying to puncture the top of a can with a butter knife — you will only hurt yourself and the ones you love.
There is nothing more embarrassing in this world than the realization that you’ve been trumped by a can of cream corn…or that you’re twenty-something and eating cream corn.
2. Plunger
Honestly, just buy one.
You know why you need it. I’ve been lucky enough to not need one thus far but I know the day will come eventually.
3. Showerhead
I’ve lived in two apartments since moving to Gainesville for school, both of which had the worst shower fixtures imaginable.
My first apartment had incredible water pressure but the showerhead shot out a solid stream that pelted you like a fire hose and made showering a dreadful experience. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I felt like my eye got pushed out of the socket and into my skull after trying to wash Neutrogena off my face.
I can’t even tell if my current apartment has good water pressure because the showerhead releases a finer mist than a bottle of Windex.
Be sure to take your current shower fixture to the store with you to ensure you buy the right size, otherwise you’re wasting your time and money.
4. Shower rack
I would highly suggest buying a free-standing shower rack rather than a wall-mounting one. This will spare you the embarrassment of your roommates barging in on you butt naked to make sure you didn’t fall in the shower every time your racks fall off the wall.
My own roommate will testify to this.
5. Water filter
Following the money-saving theme, I would highly suggest investing in a water filtration system, such as a Brita water pitcher.
1) A water filter will save you money and severe back pain (no one likes lugging those 24-packs of Zephyrhills to a third-floor apartment).
2) Nobody wants a shitty tasting glass of water when they are desperately trying to cure a hangover..
3) They’re also environmentally sustainable.
6. Air purifier
Before moving into your new apartment, your leasing office should be responsible for cleaning your unit. However, that usually just means they will have poured bleach on every possible surface, ensuring the toilet bowl is skid mark-free. If you’re lucky they will have also bug-bombed the entire apartment (but don’t expect them to have cleaned the dead bugs up afterward).
While these are a bit more pricey than the other things on this list, if you’re like me and don’t appreciate breathing in the dead skin cells and elbow dust of former tenants, I highly suggest investing in an air purifier.
It’s kind of hypocritical for me to be writing this list considering after a year of living on my own, I still don’t own half of these things. I’ve been hashtag-blessed with a great roommate who, often unbeknownst to herself, has supplied me with all the necessary living essentials, including some of these listed above.
