The transition from the underclassman to the off-campus (or Clarimont) lifestyle has many upsides—bigger rooms, a kitchen, a pool, and a more adult way of living—but there are many large (and expensive) changes that are coming your way. You may be furnishing your new apartment or figuring out how to make a grocery list for the first time. All of these new experiences are exciting, but they can easily rack up a big bill if you’re not prepared. This guide is meant to walk you through the whole transition: from the months before you move in, to getting settled, to thriving in your new place all year long.
Step 1: Before You Move In
The biggest mistake people make with off-campus living is waiting until move-in week to figure everything out. The earlier you start, the more money you’ll save and the less stressed you’ll be when the day actually comes.
Make a list of everything you need. Starting early will give you more time to search for sweet deals, save up for larger items if needed, and reduce impulse buys. Here’s a website with a printable list of the basics you might need for your apartment.
Once you have your list, resist the urge to immediately open Amazon or head to IKEA. Before you spend a single dollar retail make sure to…
Check out the thrift store first! Thrift stores are overflowing with room decor, furniture, and clothes. If you are looking for cooking supplies, the thrift store has plenty of brand-new appliances and cooking supplies for low prices. What is donated is often higher quality and less expensive than the student starter sets you will find at most retail stores. If you don’t find what you want immediately, don’t fret! It may take a couple of visits to find the perfect piece. This past summer I found a brand new Le Creuset pot for only $25 (which is about $300 below its retail value!).
I’ve been thrifting in the Atlanta area my entire life—here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect at the places near Emory:
1. Last Chance Thrift
Lots of affordable clothes, but get ready to hunt for what you want!
Atmosphere: Classic thrift store in a warehouse.
Dressing room status: Open for trying things on!
Furniture: Medium-sized back room with all sorts of furniture and decor.
Location: 2935 N Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA 30033 (Down the road from Emory Decatur Hospital/Publix).
Student Discount?: No
2. Second Life Thrift
A well-curated shop in Avondale estates that focuses on clothing and small home pieces.
Atmosphere: Very well organized and pleasant to shop in, smaller than most other thrift stores. Dressing room status: No dressing rooms, but you can return items.
Furniture: Smaller pieces in the store (think mirrors, cubbies, bedding, etc). Each Saturday they have a furniture sale for larger items outside with some great finds.
Location: 1 N. Clarendon Ave, Avondale Estates, GA 30002.
Student Discount?: Yes! 25% discount to students with a valid ID every Tuesday
Extra Info: All sales benefit lifeline a local animal shelter, and they often have a cat in the store!
3. Goodwill
Atmosphere: Larger store with lots of options. Similar to most Goodwills you will find.
Dressing room status: No dressing rooms, and returning items is more challenging.
Furniture: Everything from couches to cookware.
Location: 2201 Lawrenceville Hwy, Decatur, GA 30033
Student Discount?: No.
Extra Info: Farthest from campus and a little more pricey.
4. Finders Keepers
Atmosphere: More of a upscale furniture resale, with vintage and new items.
Dressing room status: N/A (furniture only)
Furniture: Large items (Beds, nightstands, lamps, etc)
Location: 2853 E College Ave, Decatur, GA 30030
Student Discount?: Yes! 15% discount to students with a valid ID.
Extra Info: The furniture branch of their store is in Avondale Estates. They have a second location with consignment clothing across from the Publix near campus!
Can’t find what you need at the thrift stores? There are a few more places to look before you go retail.
Browse secondhand websites. Though our generation might be more familiar with platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, alternative platforms allow people to list their unwanted items to be bought by members of their community. There are several dedicated Facebook and Nextdoor groups for the Emory/Druid Hills area where you can search for free and cheap furniture and decor. Just a quick hop onto one of the groups, and I found a brand new couch for free and a potato phone landline—you never know what you’ll find!
Ask your friends if they are getting rid of anything. So many people don’t want to store their furniture and are willing to give away or sell their items. Ask around if there are any graduating seniors who don’t want to ship their dish set or bed frame across the country.
Less is more. There’s a reason the university reuses the same basic furniture set in every dorm—it’s affordable and meant to last! College is not the time to splurge on a $3000 multi-section couch. The chances are your big splurge purchase won’t survive college living, or it will be a pain to move to your new postgraduate city. Focus on purchasing durable but affordable basics that will last you until graduation.
Step 2: Move In Week
You’ve got your furniture sorted, and your parents now might be annoyed that your apartment items are taking over the entire living room. Now comes the part of the logistics of running an apartment for the first time.
Set up your utilities before move-in day, not after. In the dorms and at Clairmont Campus, utilities are bundled into your housing cost, and you never think about them. In a fully off-campus apartment, you’re setting them up yourself. Electricity in Atlanta is through Georgia Power, which is a regulated market, which means no shopping around. Head to their website to walk through the basics of setting up your account/apartment for the year. Now that you’re off the university’s water bill, make sure to keep an eye on how much water you are using—those everything showers add up fast!
Internet is the one utility you can compare. Many providers are available in the Decatur/Druid Hills area, with basic plans running around $40 -$60/month (though you can often find cheaper deals so keep a lookout). Split the cost among roommates and make sure someone sets it up a week or two before move-in, because installation usually takes a few days to schedule.
Water and trash are often included in rent for apartments near Emory, but make sure to confirm this with your landlord before signing. Budget roughly $50 – $100 per person per month for utilities in a shared apartment, and know that Georgia summers will push that higher when the AC is running constantly!
Get renter’s insurance. Almost every first-time off-campus student skips this, and it’s a big mistake! Your landlord’s insurance covers the building but not your laptop, your TV, or your clothes. Renter’s insurance covers your actual belongings if they’re stolen, damaged in a fire, or destroyed in a flood. A basic policy in Georgia starts around $12-$15 per month, which is worth protecting the value of your possessions. Some landlords require it in the lease, so read yours carefully either way.
Figure out laundry before you need it. If you’re at Clairmont Campus, you’re in luck that the apartments come with in-unit washers and dryers (even if they are ten floors down from your room). In a fully off-campus building, this varies a lot. Check whether your building has shared machines, and if so, whether they take coins, a card, or an app. If your building doesn’t have any, check the closest laundromat beforehand.
Wherever you end up doing laundry, buy your detergent in bulk rather than single-use packets. One big container lasts months and costs a fraction of the price.
Have the money conversation with your roommates ASAP. One of the hardest parts of off-campus living is figuring out how to split everything fairly. Before you move in, sit down with your roommates and decide how you’ll divide utilities, groceries, and shared household supplies. There are many free apps that make it easy to track who owes what without the awkwardness of bringing it up every time. Setting expectations early prevents a lot of resentment down the road. Agree on a rough monthly budget for shared items like dish soap, paper towels, and trash bags. Splitting a $15 bulk purchase four ways is a lot easier than fighting over who bought the last roll!
Step 3: Once You Are Settled In
You’ve got a space, you’ve got roommates, and you’ve got a kitchen (finally), but let’s still not burn through all of our money just yet!
Make a budget and track your spending. Expenses can add up, especially when you aren’t tracking them. Keeping an eye on your expenses and planning what to buy will help you spend within your means. Downloading an app or even a simple Google Sheets can be a great way to visualize where your money is going each month. Check out our other blog here for more info on budgeting as a student!
Buy food and cleaning supplies in bulk. A refill container of liquid soap will last you most of the year for cheap. The same thing goes for pantry staples. Rice, pasta, canned goods, paper towels, and trash bags are dramatically cheaper per unit when bought in larger quantities. There are two popular options near Emory.
- Costco. The closest Costco is in Brookhaven (about 4-5 miles from campus) and requires a membership, so split the cost and a car trip with your roommates to make it worth the haul.
- Sams Club. An even more convenient option is Sams club, which is less than 2 miles from campus. As a student you qualify for 60% off a membership (so youd pay around $20), which you’d make back quickly on bulk paper towels alone. Each membership also comes with a second household card, meaning you and a roommate can share one membership and split the already discounted cost.
If a membership isn’t in your budget, the Walmart on Memorial Drive is an easy alternative for bulk household essentials without an annual fee.
Share larger home tools with friends. These can be expensive, and you only use them once a week. Sharing things like a vacuum can help everyone save money and avoid waste. A steam mop, toolkit, mattress for guests, or even a standing fan are all things that can be shared, so coordinate before everyone buys their own.
Start couponing. My favorite is the infamous CVS coupon receipts (love a good $4 off!). If you get the app for your favorite stores, you can check what is on sale, and you can get extra care rewards for most purchases. This will help you save money on lots of essentials. Here’s a beginner’s guide to couponing if you want to learn more.
Shop at affordable grocery stores. The Emory shuttle goes to many great options for budget groceries. The key is knowing which store to go to for what. Here’s an example of my own shopping rundown, though everyone’s needs are different!
I always start at Aldi because they cut costs by selling almost exclusively their own store brands, which skips the marketing and middleman markups that inflate prices at traditional grocery stores. Many store-brand products come from the same manufacturers as name brands, but you’re paying half the price or less. I do a first pass there for everything I can: produce, eggs, dairy, bread, pasta, canned goods, snacks, and frozen staples. Their seasons are also worth checking weekly for cheap kitchen tools and apartment essentials. The closest location is on Scott Blvd in Decatur, about 2 miles from campus.
While you’re in that same plaza, do yourself a favor and walk next door to Patel Brothers. Patel Plaza is a full Indian grocery and cultural shopping hub, and it’s worth the trip on its own. For cooking on a budget, its rice, lentils, spices, dried beans, frozen meals, and fresh produce are all dramatically cheaper here than at any mainstream grocery store. A bag of basmati rice or a jar of ghee that would cost you $12 at Publix is a fraction of that here. The plaza also has restaurants and shops if you want to make an afternoon of it!
After Aldi and Patel Brothers, I fill in the gaps elsewhere. For anything those stores don’t have (specific brands, specialty items, or for me, vegetarian fake meat), I make a second stop. The Kroger on N Decatur Rd is a solid middle ground for variety and runs loyalty card discounts. For a quicker run, the Publix at Emory Commons is steps away from campus, though it’s pricier, so I usually save this for top-ups!
Actually use your kitchen. You now have one, so use it! Ordering DoorDash three times a week adds up to hundreds of dollars a month before you notice. A little meal prepping on Sundays, even just roasting a sheet pan of vegetables, making a big pot of rice, or cooking a batch of protein, makes it so much easier to eat at home on a Tuesday night when you’re exhausted and have a paper due. You don’t need to be a good cook, though there are many online and Emory resources if you want to become one!
Go to events with free food. Emory hosts tons of events with great food and entertainment. Check out some new clubs and organizations to get a free meal and meet new people. The Hub @ Emory and Instagram are your best bets for finding what’s happening each week. Involvement fairs, speaker panels, cultural organization events, and club meetings are all reliable sources of a free dinner if you know where to look. Check your friends insta stories, people are always reposting a food-filled event!
Take advantage of free public resources. The Dekalb public library has a great program where you can check out passes to Atlanta attractions for free. These include the Zoo, Atlanta History Museum, Train Museum, Georgia State Parks, The Shakespeare Tavern, and many more. The CTTMA shuttle takes you directly downtown to the Decatur library to snag these great benefits.
Use public transportation (even if you have a car). Gas is getting expensive, and luckily Emory and MARTA have buses and trains that can take you to many cool places throughout the city. The Emory CTTMA shuttle connects directly to the Decaur MARTA station. From there you can go to Midtown, Downtown, Ponce City Market, and Little Five Points are all within easy reach for $2.50 a trip. If you can’t get to where you want to go via public transit, try carpooling with a friend to lower costs.
You don’t need the perfect apartment or the trendiest furniture to make your space feel like home. What matters more is creating a place that works for you that is functional, comfortable, and within your budget. If you approach the transition thoughtfully, off-campus living can be not only more independent but also more affordable and rewarding than you might expect!