Many college students don’t have the extra money to spend on new beds, couches and tables, so finding affordable furniture is crucial to making a new space livable.
There are plenty of ways for students to find furniture on the cheap. Thrift stores, Craigslist or even family and friends can provide students with great deals to furnish their living quarters.
Thrift stores
In Eugene, a student’s best bet at finding furniture on the cheap is at Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul.
The Goodwill on Broadway Street doesn’t have a large selection of furniture, but it offers bed frames, desks and chairs in a location only a few blocks off campus.
Farther down Broadway is the St. Vincent de Paul store. Its furniture selection is much greater, with couches, love seats, bookshelves and dressers, along with the other goods.
Both of the non-profit organizations’ goods are donations, which means they are able to sell everything at a lower price.
Craigslist
Many people have taken to the Internet to sell their furniture, and Craigslist is the main destination for those seeking to acquire or sell it.
The website has a large amount of college students who sell their stuff when they move out of their houses, which can provide a good deal for students looking to get good, albeit used, furniture at a low price.
Craigslist’s price range goes from free for many items, including couches, beds and desks, to well over $500 for like-new mattresses. Obviously, the higher-priced items are likely to be outside of the average student’s price range, but the high prices are more of an exception than a rule. Most furniture items run from $10-$50.
The key to navigating Craigslist for furniture is knowing when to look. The market becomes saturated whenever students are moving out, particularly at the end of the school year or the end of
the summer.
Family and Friends
The best way to acquire cheap furniture is from family and friends. Oftentimes, they will give old furniture away for free or cut a really good deal to help out.
Not only is this method inexpensive, but it also makes the people who donate feel as if they’ve helped out someone who needed it.
As with the other methods of acquiring cheap furniture, the items may not be in fantastic condition, but it’s not so much about how stylish a “new” couch or bed is as much as it is about how functional it is.
Move into an already furnished place
If trying to bargain hunt isn’t appealing, finding a furnished apartment or house is an alternative.
Many furnished apartment complexes have quality furniture, but the rates are higher to live in them.
Also, some houses come furnished, as students who lived there before do not wish to move out their furniture. In this scenario, beggars can’t be choosers, as one can end up with three full-sized couches in one room or, worse, sleeping on a bunk bed.
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Where to find cheap furniture

• Goodwill, 435 E Broadway
• St. Vincent de Paul, 2345 W Broadway

Craigslist tips

• Don’t be afraid to haggle if the furniture looks old.
• Be wary of secondhand mattresses and their histories.