Hey Reader,

The school year is coming to an end quickly, which means graduation season. We have several grad party invites already!

Two years ago, we celebrated my son's high school graduation. My husband and I went to parties like it was our job, and we loved every minute of it.

We've been empty-nesting for the past few years. But when our college student comes home for the summer, guess what?

All the extra stuff comes home, too! 😳

And we need to find a place for it, or pass it on. I sold and gifted many dorm room items because he started living in an apartment during his sophomore year.

So, if you are getting a college freshman ready to leave in August, you must read this article before you buy.

My Most Important Advice

My most important piece of advice is to "shop your house" and take advantage of items you already own. Think blankets, sheets, towels, tools, water bottles, office supplies, etc.

And my second piece of advice is to be sure they know how to do laundry and budget their money. Summer is a great time to practice this, especially with the graduation money. Some of the items on the list my son had to purchase himself.

Over the years, we've had many conversations about what to buy and what not to buy. And now that he's been gone for two years, I wanted to share our experience to help college-bound families save time and money by not buying everything they see in their news feed. (You can still return things if needed.)

And you can help your student create a clutter-free dorm room, learn how to budget their money and space, and use what they already own.

You can find EVERYTHING we bought (and didn't buy) in my updated article A Minimalist Guide to Dorm Room Essentials.

Can I ask a favor too, Reader?

If you know someone who is sending their child off to college in the next year or two, would you be so kind as to forward this to them? I would be very grateful.

Happy Graduation and Happy Packing!

Amy

XOXO

PS....If this email was forwarded to you and you'd like to receive my weekly articles, I'd love to have you. Start by grabbing my 5-day email challenge. I'll send you 5 decluttering tasks you can do in 30-minutes or less that will reclaim hours in your day. I'd love to have you part of my community. Come join us!