The file cabinet & door desk

Most important, is the desk. You will be spending copious amounts of time hunched over your desk studying and doing homework. It should be a big, sturdy piece of furniture to stack loads of books on. The cheapest way to achieve this is the filing cabinet & door desk.  It’s simple: Get two filing cabinets and a door from Home Depot or Lowes.  Stack the door on top of the filing cabinets and presto, you have spacious desk!

Estimated cost:

$ 20 for an unfinished door

$ 50 for two file cabinets

The exercise ball computer chair

You can’t have a desk without a chair. An exercise ball is not only very affordable; it may be the most comfortable computer chair that you have ever owned –especially for your back. Forcing you to balance and engage your abdominals, an exercise ball is ergonomically correct for your body. Just make sure you get the right size (the size recommendation is on the box and usually goes by your height). Exercise balls are also a great way to multi-task. When not used for a chair, they are excellent for body toning and conditioning.

Estimated cost:

$15 for one exercise ball

The milk crate bed frame

Make sure you get commercial strength milk crates. Don’t rely on cheap retail imitations. You can order them online for relatively cheap. If you can get them at grocery stores for free -even better! All you need is one mattress. Simply align the milk crates on the ground and slap the mattress on top. The milk crates make it easy to store stuff under your bed. They are also very versatile. If you decide to get another type of bed, you can always use the milk crates for other furniture like side tables or book shelves. They are also great for moving!

Estimated cost:

$ Free! (or relatively cheap)

The cinder block book case

Cinder blocks and slats of wood are cheap and easy to come by. One trip to a hardware store will provide you with the two things you will need to create this trusty old piece of furniture.  The amount of cinder blocks and slats of wood to get depend on how large you want your bookcase. For a bookcase with three shelves, 6 cinder blocks and 3 pieces of wood will do the trick. Simply layer the wood on top of 2 cinder blocks at a time.

Estimated cost:  (depends on the size)

3 Slats of wood: $ 15

6 cinder blocks:  $12

The trunk coffee table

An old trunk has lots of character. Not only does it make a vintage, eclectic piece to add to your apartment, it is also practical. Store blankets and other items you are no using inside. If you have an old trunk sitting around, perfect! But even if you have to buy one, they are not that hard to find. Keep your eyes open in thrift stores, or grandma’s closet. Old tea crates also make nice coffee tables. But they are increasingly hard to find.

Estimated cost:

$ Free! (or thrift-store prices)