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Moving into your first apartment is a very overwhelming process which usually involves a whole 'lotta stuff you need to buy. This post is all about what I regret buying for my first apartment and the things I didn't need to spend money on.

what i regret buying for my first apartment

I’m going over ALL the things I regret buying for my first apartment or what I wish I could do over again. This will help you when moving into your own first apartment to know what’s necessary to buy and what isn’t.

To be honest, there aren't too many things that I fully regret buying. I thought and researched everything so intensely before buying it that there are no “stupid” purchases.

HOWEVER, I am learning that there are areas of my apartment that I could have saved money or done more efficiently. My mistakes will help you move into your first apartment a little more smoothly!

This post is all about what I regret buying for my first apartment. 

What I Regret Buying For My First Apartment:

1. Expensive Silverware & Cooking Utensils 

what i regret buying for my first apartment

I’m going to be honest, I purposely spent more money on this because I wanted nicer cooking utensils that will really last. Was it necessary? Definitely not. You can go to the Dollar Store or even get the generic brand at Target or Walmart and save SO much money.

I was just being high-maintenance and wanted nice stuff ;). These things add up so it wouldn’t hurt to buy these at a cheaper store, see what you actually use, and then invest in nicer cooking utensils.

HOWEVER, if you do want "nicer" silverware I do really love mine. I've had them for about three months now (and they've gone through the dishwasher 13203 times) and still look just as good. You can click here to get my silverware.

Watch What I Regret Buying For My First Apartment in Video Form: 

2. Safety Alarm For Your Door 

what i regret buy for my first apartment

The second thing I regret buying is this door security system. I actually have one that I REALLY like but this first one I bought, doesn’t fit with any of my doors.

An alarm is supposed to sound every time a door would go over it but my doors were too high so it would go directly over top of it and not do anything. This was something that I definitely didn’t think about when buying it.

Unfortunately, I already opened the package so I couldn't return it. Definitely look at all of the details before investing in any security system to make sure that is compatible with your new place. 

The one I have below is awesome!! I use it on my doors every single night.

What To Get Instead:

3. Moving Boxes! 

what i regret buying for my first apartment

Okay, this is definitely one of the things I regret the most because it truthfully was such wasted money.

I bought all new boxes for moving and it cost me $50 for 12 of them. I realized that I could have gotten them from other places for just $1.  

Places to get cheap boxes: Next time you move go to Home Depot (if you have one near you) and they have small, medium, and large boxes for super cheap. I only know the large size is 97 cents a piece (US) so I assume the other sizes are even cheaper.

Other places to get boxes: bought from Facebook Marketplace $1 each, you can drive by liquor stores, gas stations, etc. and they will give you free boxes for anything! You can also find out when certain stores get their delivery trucks in and then go there later that night or the next day and they'll usually have a ton of boxes they'll give you for free. Plus then you can pick out the different sizes you want ?

4. Cable

Cable definitely isn't necessary but if you are like me and you're a HUGE reality TV show watcher (haha I know judge me), you might want the ability to watch things live. So I really wanted to have cable but I didn’t want to have to pay for it.

I use Spectrum for my internet and was debating getting the cable option but they wanted around $150 a month for it! That adds up quick so I held out and I’m so glad I did.

On their app, they allow you to do a deal that gives you cable for $25 a month if you have a smart TV or Roku. I don't know how this is different than actual cable because it seems the same to me, and is sooo much cheaper! Minus the fact that I don’t have DVR. 

What To Get Instead:

5. NOT Buying Soap

I seriously regret NOT buying is soap for when I first moved in. I totally forgot this. Also, forgot bath mats. Those are just small things but you definitely want soap there when you first move in. 

Oh, and paper towels. 

6. NOT Buying Enough Tupperware

I did NOT buy enough tupperware. Living alone, you will have a lot of extra food and at least for me, one set of these tupperware was not enough.

I got these from Target but I know they have really inexpensive ones for food prepping that are more plasticy that you can get on Amazon or grocery stores.

Things I'm Happy I Bought For My First Apartment:

7. Pre-Cut Parchment Paper 

Pre-cut parchment paper is definitely unnecessary but I'm so happy I found this. This thing is AMAZING! This is definitely a first world problem if I’ve ever seen it and I am so thankful that this is an annoyance for me, but I hate ripping parchment paper.

I swear I always end up wasting some of it or not cutting it long enough. This precut parchment paper is life changingggg. It’s seriously amazing.

8. Vegetable Cutter

OMG, if you cut a lot of onions or really any vegetable you NEED THIS. It is amazing and I can literally slice an entire onion in 30 seconds total. 

For anyone that loves making quick meals or just gets lazy when it comes to chopping veggies, this will save you so much time and effort when making meals. 

9. Mattress Topper

I have gone on and on about this dang mattress pad but I am telling you, it is AMAZING and worth every penny. If you’re mattress sucks, invest $50 into your mattress. This will get a few more years out of it, it's that good. 

Mattress toppers can get pricey too so $50 for this one that is actually super comfortable is such a good deal for what you get! I'm so happy I found this one, I tell everyone about it. 

This post was all about what I regret buying for my first apartment.

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