on couches, consider buying a second hand futon frame (metal or wood) then adding matts and cushions. I sewed most of the cushions to have the size I wanted.
When I first moved into my own apartment my end tables were moving boxes with extra bedding and season clothes in them to give them support, draped with sarongs, with plastic trays on top. Served the purpose for a couple years, and then I just replaced them when I found pieces I really liked at yard sales. Bought a heavy, double leaf extendable table for $50 with 8 chairs in an estate sale. Also used a door over a couple of filing cabinets as a desk. bought an old card catalog from a library (before computers were readily available for locating books) and turned that into a cubby system by removing all the drawers. made a wine rack by glueing discarded pcv lengths together and spray painting it...looked very modern.
Wow, sumstorm this is AWESOME haha. I'm glad I'm not the only one using boxes for tables and storage
I bought my bed from City Mattress for around 300, but everything else I bought off craigs list, garage sales, or in people's front yard (on the curb for garbage haha i'm not like taking their porch furniture or anything). Shockingly, when I moved into my first apartment, there was a fULL SET of dishes that were cracked a bit but gorgeous! So that was pretty lucky, but seriously, garage sales in good neighborhoods is SMART. Where I live, there are some ritsy neighborhoods (which there are in all cities and esp those with vet schools) and here I found the best deals. I got a comforter (idk how the rest of you feel about used comforters, but I just washed it a few times before using it haha), some ice trays, silverware, pots and pans, cups, plastic plates, an AWESOME couch that had been sitting in someone's basement for almost it's entirety so was just as new with some fabreeze, and then when my family found out I was moving they kinda started giving me stuff. Granted idk how much stuff you're planning on bringing with you, ie stuffing your car to the brim with clothes/furniture/kitchen stuff and drive, so idk how much stuff from family would help, but a lot of stuff is pretty cheap new, like a coffee maker from target that I got when I moved out or this really nice pink pan from Marshalls (LOVE!
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I had this plan in my head that if I went to Western in California, I'd get a penske, hitch my car, and practically bring everything I owned with me to Cali (5 day drive mind you). Realistically this wouldn't have been smart (cost of gas and renting the Penske/UHaul), so I may have just bought some cheap stuff from around there from garage sales and what not. If you garage sale in a nice neighborhood, generally people aren't like, disgusting with some you-don't-know-where-it's-been stuff, but are generally clean themselves. Or so I like to think haha. I wasn't willing to sacrifice for a used bed, but everything else was 2nd or more hand. Ends up being easier/cheaper.
