5 Home Items You Don't Actually Need

"Alessi Dinnerware" by Didriks is licensed under CC BY 2.0

You’re in the home goods store looking for items for your apartment. You’re surrounded by everything from towels, to cutting boards, to “as seen on TV items.” So what things do you truly need and which things should you never spend money on (Hint: You’ll never need the “as seen on TV” items)? Apartment Therapy offers this advice:

Top sheet — Are you hip to this trend? I'm on board (Teresa is too). Forgoing a top sheet has made zero difference in my sleeping comfort, but a major difference in my laundry load and morning bed-making time. I'm a convert.

Place settings for 12 — Every registry will encourage you to stock up, but don't do it. Chances are, if you're ever expecting 12 people at once, there will be ample notice to arrange to borrow or rent enough china and silver. And in the (probably long) interim between your epic dinner parties, you won't have to devote storage space to your huge collection of dishware.

Specialized cleaning products —Every cleaning line wants to convince you that you need to buy many different lotions and potions to get each specific part of your home clean. An extra-strength disposal bomb to get it lemony fresh? Why not just try a lemon? Or...VINEGAR.

Matching nightstands or lamps — Of course retailers will try to convince you to shell out for two instead of one, but don't blindly buy what you might not need. Ask yourself, do both sides of your bed need the same storage? The same lighting situation? Do you even like the look of a matching set? If the answer is no then you're probably a candidate for an unusual nightstand.

ALL the knives — Why buy a set and let the store choose which knives you get? Pare down your collection to the ones you know you'll use and love. (Hint: you probably just need a chef's knife, paring knife and bread knife, says the Kitchn)

What apartment items do you have that you wish you didn't spend the money on?

Scope Out Your New Neighborhood

"Neighborhood character, Berlin" by La Citta Vita is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Once the physical task of moving is complete, all the boxes are unpacked and you complete your basic tasks of grocery shopping, cleaning and decorating, then what? Next comes the task of creating a life in your new neighborhood. This includes finding the things that make you feel comfortable and settled in your new surroundings. Plus, finding these places allows you the opportunity to get to explore a bit! What kind of places do we mean? Here is a first-hand  account from a mover and explorer, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

I moved to small-town Illinois from San Francisco 16 months ago, and to rural Illinois two months ago. Let's see how I'm doing:

Thrift Store: Absolutely crucial. Every time I've moved, thrift stores absolutely saved me. I bought all of the home goods I couldn't fit in the suitcase/car/trailer, I bought cheap clothes for interviews/new jobs, I bought 25¢ magazines when that was the only entertainment I could afford, and sometimes I was even able to score boring necessities like brooms and cleaning supplies.

Found? Check! There is an absolutely amazing warehouse-size thrift store about 25 miles from my new house. That is quite a long way to go (and lots of expensive gas to burn to get there), but totally worth it if combined with other errands. All of the money goes to charity, all of the workers are volunteers, and the prices are cheap. I scored a poofy coat for me and thermal shirts for my partner to help us survive another Polar Vortex.

Restaurant (Bonus Points for Delivery): I love to cook, but even if I was thrilled to cook 364 days out of the year, there will always be that day when you Simply Can't. You're too sick, too sad, too exhausted, too whatever, and the greatest thing in the world is to be able to buy a meal made out of groceries you didn't have to buy that doesn't yield any dishes you have to wash.

Found? Check! It's crazy, but I live in the middle of nowhere, yet there is a place that makes excellent vegan pizza less than 10 miles from my new home.And they deliver. It's magical and wondrous and just knowing it's available makes me miss the city life less.

International Grocery Store: These are my favorite anytime, but they're especially helpful when I've just moved. Indian, Mexican, Italian, and Middle Eastern grocery stores have always proven themselves to be chock full of affordable, vegan-friendly ingredients. If the "regular" grocery stores around you are boring/limited, they are crucial for acquiring interesting spices, beans, grains, flours, and more.

Found? Check! It's, again, at least 25 miles from my house, but there's a great Mexican grocery store in the town where I work. I go there regularly for beans, locally-ish made tortillas, the cheapest limes around, the only decent avocados around, Tamarzula hot sauce, spices at 1/4 the cost of grocery store prices, masa, and more. My cooking and my life would be a lot more boring if it wasn't for this resource.

Backup Wi-Fi: No matter how fast and expensive your internet is, there's always a chance of something going wrong— and it can take awhile for it to get set up in the first place (cough, cough). If you're job searching in a new place, having access to the internet right away is totally necessary. Whether you're a freelancer who depends on wifi for work or just a human in the modern world, having a backup plan lets you rest easy.

Found? Check. No exclamation point, because the closest source of wifi is the public library approximately 25 miles away. You may have noticed that I appear to live 25 miles from anything— this is accurate. So yes, I have a backup plan that I've been dependent on these last few months, but it is a long way to drive and libraries aren't open 'round-the-clock. It's no stroll down the street to a cafe, is what I'm saying.

A Way to Work Out: Whether it's setting up your DVD player for kickboxing videos, figuring out a safe biking or running route, finding the nearest public pool, buying a cheap set of dumbbells at the thrift store, or trying out a new gym, having access to exercise is crucial to me. After a move, when everything can be stressful and up-in-the-air, it's incredibly calming to pick up something heavy, put it back down, and repeat.

Found? Check! I was given the absolutely incredible gift of a gym membership, and it has kept me sane this last year. It's— you guessed it!— 25 miles away, so I only work out when I'm already going into town for work. The roads here are too fast (60+ MPH) to bike comfortably on, but I hear there are great paths through the woods and prairies. I was also given an awesome stack of workout DVDs, which will help immensely when winter traps me in the house.

Friends/Friend-Making Venue: In order to make friends, you need to be places where there are other humans, ideally other humans that like at least one thing that you like, right? I'm a little rusty. This means that when you move, it's important to do something or go somewhere that might attract people that you might like. Finding those places, activities, and people is challenging, especially when you're on a just-moved, still-job-hunting budget.

Found? Sadly, No Check For Me. I really like the people I work with at the library, but so far no outside-of-work friendships have developed (not too shocking due to generational differences). I'd like to join a kick-boxing class in the same town that has the amazing thrift store, there are ceramics classes offered sporadically in the town where I work, and a bar I like hosts trivia nights... but all of these things cost money, plus lots of gas to get to them in the first place. They also cost time, which I haven't had during the renovation, so I'm optimistic that my newly-found free time will soon be spent with at least one suitable human.

Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa

After a long day at work, sometimes coming home and collapsing onto the couch just doesn’t help you to de-stress. But imagine if you had your own mini-spa right in your apartment bathroom! Some simple re-decorating is all it takes to turn your bathroom into your oasis. Use these tips from Apartment Therapy to get started.

"giant bathtub" by Erica Nicol is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

1. Enclose it

Part of the joy of a spa is that ability to take a break from life — to step away from the stresses and just focus on you. So consider a way to create a barrier between you, your bathroom and the rest of the world. It could be an extra lovely/dramatic shower curtain. It could be a curtain that you place over the door for an extra barrier. It could be big plants that partially obscure the rest of your bathroom from say, your tub. Get creative to think of a way you can enclose yourself to feel protected and a little bit transported.

2. Consider the presentation

As you can imagine, bath salts, yummy-smelling soaps and other treats for your body are a great way to treat yourself to a spa day. But don't just line them up unceremoniously on your bathroom counter. Think about the presentation. Put products in lovely containers you like handling. If you have a tub, consider splurging on a lovely-to-you bathtub caddy that you can slip into a warm bath under.

3. Add something surprising

Maybe it's a piece of art in your shower (or something more practical). Maybe it's a giant mirror in a weird spot. Perhaps it's just a bouquet of flowers on the edge of your tub. Just add something that will surprise you and perhaps transport you to a feeling of relaxation.

4. Consider all your senses

Start with neutralizing the things that might stress you out first. Loud noises from construction down the street or neighbors? Include white noise or soothing music to cover up sounds you don't want. Hate the overhead light in your windowless bathroom? Bring in candles.

5. Surround yourself with softness

When you're ready to leave your spa-like bathroom, take that relaxation with you by surrounding yourself with softness. Make sure you step onto a plush bath mat or into fluffy slippers. Towel off from a bath or shower with an extra cozy towel. Wrap yourself in a robe.

What would you put in your spa bathroom?

Save or Splurge on Kitchen Essentials?

"Old Board" by Jeff Attaway is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Regardless of how often you cook, there are certain items that everyone will need at one point or another in their kitchen. Accumulating these items can add up quickly, so how do you know what items are worth their price and which ones you’re better off purchasing at discount stores? Apartment Therapy breaks down 15 essential kitchen tools and whether you should splurge or save.

Splurge On:

Skillet: A frying pan will be your main workhorse, so do the research and make the investment! It would be nice to have both a nonstick and stainless steel pan, but if you had to choose one, I would go with a stainless steel. Non-stick pans are good for things like eggs and pancakes, but I find that the stainless steel pans are better for sauces, searing meat and vegetables, and pretty much everything else. The cream of the crop here is the pan from All-Clad ($150).

Cutting board: Make sure that your cutting board is a sturdy one that you will want to reach for again and again. After years of buying cheap plastic cutting boards, I am coming to the conclusion that a high quality wooden cutting board is worth the splurge. Wooden boards last a long time- longer than the plastic ones - if you take care of them. I always thought wooden boards would retain more bacteria since it is porous, but a study was done where they found that while bacteria does enter the wooden boards, once they get in, they are unable to reproduce and die off. Plastic, on the other hand, allows bacteria to sit on the surface. In addition, a wooden board is much kinder to your knife. Try the Proteak Rectangular Cutting Board ($75).

Food processor: A food processor is one of those gadgets that you could get by without, but then you do get one and wonder why you didn't get one sooner. (Check out this article from the Kitchn for ways to use a food processor if you're not sure.) The Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor ($180) isn't cheap but it isn't the most expensive one out there, either. It's an investment that will make your cooking life a little easier and make you more adventurous in the kitchen.

Save On:

Chef's knife: A really great knife and some basic cutting tips could be the thing that takes you from being a cooking novice to chopping vegetables with ease. The Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch Chef's Knife ($36) is heralded by chefs and home cooks alike of being a fantastic knife at a reasonable price.

Cast iron pan: I love my cast iron and I am just beginning to discover how versatile and helpful it can be. (For more cast iron love, check out this 35 Ways to Love Your Cast Iron article.) Luckily, for all its uses, the cast iron pan does not have to be expensive... just make sure to take good care of it! Lodge Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet ($25).

Mixing/prep bowls: Have a few of these bowls on hand in different sizes for mixing and prepping. You can find stainless steel bowls ranging from 1.5 QT to 7.5 QT in the price range of $8-$12.

Baking sheet: Look for a non-stick, non-dark, rimmed baking sheet, and you will see these at a reasonable price everywhere. You can use the pan for roasting vegetables and cooking meat, as well as baking cookies and even an occasional sheet cake. I usually line mine with foil first in order to preserve it and make the cleanup easier. The Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet is really popular ($13).

Pot: A pot that does the varied work of sautéing onions, cooking rice, making soups, sauces and creams, and boiling eggs and pasta should be one that will be sturdy, easy to handle and will last you a long time. The Cuisinart MultiClad Unlimited 4-Quart Saucepan ($70) isn't cheap, but it is on the lower end of many of pricey pots and does just as well (if not better!)

Measuring spoons and cups: Go simple with your measuring utensils. For a measuring spoon, look for ones with a long handle (to reach into jars) that are also detachable. Go with a large 2-Cup measuring cup for liquids and flat-bottomed cups for dry ingredients. I like the Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup ($13), the Squish Measuring Spoons ($5.50), and Oxo Good Grips ($9). These stainless steel spoons ($10) a little more expensive than the plastic, but the rectangular bottoms are a nice feature.

Wooden spoons: I love my wooden spoons and reach for them all the time - to sauté meat and vegetables, to stir soup, to scramble eggs, to transfer food to a plate, to place over a pot of pasta in boiling water to prevent it from overflowing....and pretty much any wooden spoon will do. You can get a set of three for $6.

Spatula: A spatula is perfect for flipping eggs, pancakes, hamburger patties, or any other kind of patty. We often do salmon patties, tuna patties, and zucchini patties at our house (my two-year old daughter loves helping me make them), and a spatula is what allows us to flip even the most misshapen of patties without breaking them. OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Turner ($10).

Colander: Nothing else will do the job of straining water from your pasta, so pick one of these up. A colander is also useful for rinsing fruit and vegetables. Focus Stainless Steel 5-Quart Colander ($9).

Instant read thermometer: If you are cooking a lot of meat, passionate about your meat, or paranoid about your meat, a digital thermometer will become invaluable. A few degrees can be the difference between a tender and tough steak, and the best way to confirm that roast chicken is done is with that thermometer. CDN DTQ450X ProAccurate Quick-Read Thermometer ($16).

Vegetable peeler: A vegetable peeler is extremely handy especially if you frequently cook from scratch. The OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler ($9) will not disappoint.

Kitchen shears: Some may balk at the need for kitchen scissors, but mine have become essential because I use it to cut almost all of my meat! I have found that it is the easiest way to cut up protein into small pieces. If you aren't already, try it! The Messermeister 8-Inch Take-Apart Kitchen Scissors ($14) have a bunch of other features too.

Small Space Living 101

"Settling In: Kitchen" by Nathan Yergler is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Living in an apartment definitely has its advantages, like no lawns to mow and resident events. However, lack of space can be an issue--keyword: “can.” By following these 10 commandments of small space living from Apartment Therapy, you will be on your way to a clutter free, organized and eye-appealing oasis of an apartment.

1. Thou shalt declutter your domicile — Especially in a small space, clutter can completely take over and make your home feel even smaller than it already is. Get it under control and take back your space, no excuses.

2. Thou shalt get a system to stay organized — Once you've gotten blissfully organized, you want to make sure to keep it up. Spend a few bucks and a few hours setting up a system so, even if you have limited space, everything has a place to go. It will keep you on track and your home feeling cozy not crazy.

3. Thou shalt make your furniture do double duty — When you have limited space, double duty furniture is a must. Why wouldn't you take advantage of every inch you can? Think storage benches, under-bed boxes or even simple ideas like a dresser used as a nightstand.

4. Thou shalt be careful with color —You know we love color but it's a powerful tool so be a bit careful. Get familiar with the properties of certain colors and what they can do for your space before you take the plunge. Already have a tiny, cave-like bedroom? Darks might not be the way to go as they'll make it feel even...ahem...cozier. Consider the amount of light, how you'd like to feel in that space and your room size to make sure you make the smartest choice.

5. Thou shalt utilize your wall space — There's plenty of valuable real estate all over your home, not just on the floor. Shelves, cabinets and even simple, cheap (and endlessly customizable) pegboard racks can get your belongings organized while keeping them from taking up your limited floor or counter space.

6. Thou shalt scrutinize scale — A common mistake we see in small homes is maxing out on the small scale furniture to save space. Please, no more doll house living! Mix up the scale with a few larger statement pieces, or utilize your wall space with large scale art (ahem...see above) to add some heft.

7. Thou shalt embrace visually light furniture — Here's a handy little tip: visually light furniture will allow you to have much more in a space without its seeming cramped! Think acrylics, hairpin or MCM tapered legs, or any other airy style that leaves plenty of empty space around your pieces.

8. Thou shalt spend time outside your home — Here' s the truth: no matter how perfectly designed your tiny home is, you still need to get out and about to avoid cabin fever. Make a point to actually use all the great places available to you like public parks, the library, coffee shops or any place where you can camp out and get a change of scenery for a few hours.

9. Thou shalt keep it clean — Dirt builds up terrifyingly fast in any home but in a small home it can seem almost instantaneous (and there's nowhere to go to get away from the mess). Get proactive, get on a schedule and nip that dirty, depressing situation in the bud.

10. Thou shalt keep your sense of humor — There will always be a few trying moments when existing in a small space, especially a shared one, but your sense of humor will see you through. Take heart in the fact that not only are you using less, you're getting out and participating in your community more. Everyone has a few gripes at home; at least cleaning 14 palatial bedrooms isn't one of yours. Enjoy your efficient, cozy and charming space and make it the best you can.

What would you add to these 10 rules? Share your ideas in the comments!