Buy good non-stick pots and pans. Not cheap stuff. They’ll last forever and cleaning them is so easy. And remember to clean up spills immediately. Get a dozen dishtowels and forgo the paper towels. It’s cheaper and greener (more ecological). Things that can be wiped up when wet often have to be chisled up when dry.
And get stereo headphones, for your neighbor’s sake. Not everyone has your taste in music.
Windex or 409.
A Yellow Pages and a White Pages. Unless you have a computer.
A toolbox containing a hammer, wrenches, screwdrivers, tape measure, utility knife, duct tape, WD-40, etc. Also, some nails and hangers so you can put some nice pictures on the walls.
A bulletin board and/or a dry erase board.
Know how to turn off the water to your toilet.
Lots of bag or binder clips (for closing up bags of potato chips, etc.)
Some silver ware or “junk” organizers for the drawers in your kitchen.
A rack to place somewhere in your shower to hold shampoo bottles and shower gel.
You might want to consider some type of shelf liner for the kitchen cabinets.
A flyswatter.
At least one of those chemical-free dust cloths, so you can tidy up quickly before Mom comes for a visit.
Some surge protectors.
If you have a patio or porch area, get a birdfeeder and some sunflower seeds.
A frypan
Gurgle
Snort
Heeheehee. Hahahaha. AHAHAHAHA.
Sorry. I just kill me sometimes.
Don’t forget a couple of lamps!
You can get a couple of decent looking ones at Wal*Mart for pretty cheap. I found one for my bedroom that looked like some kind of pottery that was a nice design and cheap, the colors just didn’t work for me but I liked the way it flows. So I took it out on the porch, placed it in a box to protect the porch and protect from overspray and sprayed it with that fake stone paint that you can get at craft stores. It’s a black and white flecked paint that works with my black iron looking bed.
I have had it for about 6 years now and still looks and works good. I just need to replace the shade as it’s a little dingy.
OH, might be a good time to see if mom/dad plans to replace the pots and pans!!! That’s how I survived for a while after I moved out of the parents home. I’d get their leftover pots and pans. I got a set of four place settings (plate, bowl and bread plate and coffee cups) really cheap at K-Mart on the sale rack. They were not Corelle – which I personally despise – but a pretty glazed clay.
REAL IMPORTANT THINGS:
Tenant’s insurance that includes a clause for living expenses… this one is worth stating again… and again. (I knew someone who couldn’t even salvage their flatware, the forks had melted after a fire in the building they were living in).
An electric fan. Chances are your first apartment isn’t air conditioned.
An electric space heater. Most apartments don’t have forced air heating, they use radiant heat, and it often isn’t enough.
BASIC spices (salt, pepper, baking soda, etc.) - you won’t be able to raid the parental unit’s kitchen for these things anymore.
extra socks and underwear… chances are doing laundry will be less convenient than it was at home. Shirts/pants etc. can always be subjected to the “sniff” test and you can get away with wearing them for longer than at home… undergarments and socks tend to fail the sniff test big time. A duffel bag is better than a laundry basket if you have to transport laundry to a laundromat.
extra pull out couch/bed or futon… chances are someone will want to “crash”. Extra towels fall under this category too.
STEREO HEADPHONES (and fond blessings on whoever mentioned this first) – you will probably wish your neighbours had these too.
Extra locks for windows and door – way too many apartments are easy to break into.
EXTRA SET OF KEYS YOU CAN LEAVE WITH SOMEONE YOU TRUST. Buidling supers hate being woken up at odd hours to let you in.
dish rack… so you can dry by gravity… (it makes more sense after you are in the apartment).
Waste basket for kitchen and bathroom.
Sponges to clean bath/shower/kitchen etc. (much more economical than paper towels or j-cloths or whatever). Rags… you never can have enough rags…
Extension cords – surprisingly useful.
Folding chairs if you can find some you like. Storage space is always at a premium in an apartment, and, especially in a first apartment, people aren’t going to expect you to have proper kitchen chairs. Keep a couple in a closet in case you end up with more company than you expect.
coat hangers.