August is one of the busiest months of the year—at least from a mom’s perspective. Getting the kids outfitted in new clothes, making sure backpacks are filled with every pencil, notebook and folder requested and finding the latest sneaker. Add a son or daughter going off to college and it is an exhausting, not to mention expensive month!

Goodwill can help you save time—and certainly save money, especially when decorating a dorm room from scratch.

I recently staged a double room at Marquette University in Milwaukee and spent less than $180!

If possible, talk to your future roommate before shopping to settle on a color scheme and decide who is bringing the big stuff (frig, TV, etc.).

I chose purple and pink to decorate this women’s dorm. Everything doesn’t have to match, just coordinate. Rooms generally have a desk, dresser and bookshelf, but storage is usually at a minimum. Look for decorative boxes, baskets and containers to keep items handy, but out-of-sight. 

Most dormitories rarely allow you to paint the walls. Most, in fact, limit how you can hang pictures. One solution is to decorate with removable and reusable decals.

I found some great art at Goodwill. Since you can’t pound holes in the wall, look for lightweight pictures like unframed canvases. Removing the glass from frames also takes away much of the weight. Clear damage-free hanging stripes and hooks are removable and won’t hurt walls or paint.

That brings me to the subject of dorm room window treatments. You get what you get, basic and boring, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enhance them with something fun like shawls or colorful paper lanterns.