You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars decorating a dorm room.

Ah, college; the most expensive and important investment we’ll make in our kids. We save, we borrow, we – wait what? – have to decorate their dorm rooms? Not to worry, these homework (yeah right) haves are supposed to be creative, eclectic and cheap. Here’s some tips on how….

1. Decorate using the kid’s interests. Buy a stand to display a guitar or some inexpensive shelving to showcase sports equipment or even make up. Tack to the walls jersey’s from the home team or photos of horses. Whatever the kid likes.
2. Pick a color theme. When a room is color coordinated, it looks like a million bucks and provides you with a shopping guideline that saves you plenty by eliminating non-coordinated impulse purchases. Go white and find mugs, plates or pillows at garage sales. Ask your parents or aunts for old white items. Those people love cleaning out their basements.
3. Team up with your roommate. Split the cost of anything you’ll share, such as the refrigerator or heating and cooling equipment.