This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions about my Dorel Home Products Mainstays Mattress and how to decorate the perfect dorm room on a budget for under $300 are all mine.
Empty Nest Syndrome Already?
How did my baby girl become a college student already? Wasn’t she starting Kindergarten a few minutes ago?!
This is an exciting time for us. Caitlin will be the third person in our family to go to college. And this is over a span of many generations. That is something to celebrate!
How To Decorate A College Dorm Room For Under $300
Now that the excitement has subsided, it is time to focus our attention to getting Caitlin set up at school. We have had a lot of fun shopping for the dorm room necessities. I had no idea how much stuff she needed!
Do you have a kid who is college bound? Before you start shopping, here are my top tips on how to decorate the perfect dorm room on a budget.
Inventory Before You Shop
Take Stock Of What You Have: There is no need to shop for things you already have. Caitlin found several items in her room she could transfer to her dorm room. When you do this step, be sure your child has everything they need back at home when they come back for visits.
Visit The Dorm Room: Before you start shopping, know what you are working with. Take your measuring tape and something to take notes with when you visit the dorm room.
If you know who your kids roommate is, contact them. Check to see what they are bringing. This can save you time, money and effort. No need to buy an area rug or fridge if the roomie already has one!
Shop At Thrift Stores: My daughter loves anything vintage. We found some great thrift store decor that was perfect for her dorm room. We save a huge part of the budget with these treasures.
Choose A Good Mattress: Your child needs to get the proper amount of sleep in college. They need a good mattress to ensure they get a good night’s rest. But mattresses can be hugely expensive. We found a great option with the Mainstays 8″ Memory Foam Mattress from Walmart.
It is well made, affordable and perfect for Caitlin’s dorm room. If you are short on space in your dorm, you may want to consider purchasing a platform bed.
Bring Out That Glue Gun!
Get Creative: Save on store-bought decor when you can make your own. Making your own shelves can save you a ton. Take a bright metal trash can and flip it upside down. Now you have an eclectic side table!
Make A Snack Station: College kids need to keep up their strength. Instead of buying expensive cafeteria food, set up a snack and drink station for them.
Kids Need Their Rest
We all function better when we’ve have had a good night’s sleep. I slept poorly for many years because I had a bad mattress. Once I replaced it, I was sleeping better than I had for a long time.
Did you know you should replace your mattress at least every 10 years? According to the National Sleep Foundation, you should. They also said you should replace it earlier if you don’t sleep well.
Finding The Perfect Mattress
When we shopped for Caitlin’s mattress, I had several things I wanted. It had to be comfortable and a good value for the price.
When we found the Mainstays 8″ Memory Foam Mattress, we knew it was perfect for our needs. You can have your mattress shipped to your home or it is also available for Walmart pickup.
Unboxing Your Mattress Is Half The Fun!
The box the mattress comes in is well sealed. Once we got the mattress from the cardboard, we opened the plastic covering.
Once the mattress is “free”, it is like it takes a breath! It expands as it unfolds onto the bed. Super cool! It was like watching a magic trick!
A Mattress For Many Needs
I love that the Mainstays 8″ Memory Foam Mattress from Walmart is so versatile. You can use it for your dorm room, the kid’s or your room or the guest room.
It is great for a bedroom update or to keep up with your growing family! And it is affordable with a price of $88 for a twin to $199 for a queen.
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Do you have a kid going to college or have a bedroom that needs an updated mattress? I would love to hear in the comments below!

OUR bedroom needs an updated mattress. We have gotten all the use we can out of the one we have now. And then some!
We need a new mattress! I need to check in to these and see if it works for us! It looks like you got some great stuff for he dorm room!
I am sending this to my daughter. We just dropped her off at college and the first thing I noticed was how ugly her room is. She definitely needs to spruce up the place a bit!
My daughter is heading off to university really soon. These are all great tips I will have to keep in mind when it comes to her dorm room.
My daughter is staying local for college so she is living at home. I am due for a new mattress. I find my back hurts in the mornings when I get up.
Awesome tips! I will definitely have to refer back to this when my kids start college 🙂
I’ll be needing this in a few years, thanks for all the great tips! I love the snack station idea. With two sons, I know that’s something they will truly appreciate!
I wish dorm decor was such a big thing when I went to school! These are great tips- and love the outcome!
These are great tips and will help a lot of college students. I like the idea shopping at a thrift store.
You have some great ideas I just need to remember these
Thrift stores are a great way to get the items you need at a great price. I always check out our local thrift shops first.. I always find something great.
These are great ways to decorate your dorm room on a budget. I will have to check out our local thrift store for a desk. I need one for my home office.
Those memory foam mattress are amazing at how they inflate. What a great room that she has.
Thrift stores are great places to find lots of usable treasures. Not just clothes.
I am all about decorating with what you have. College is expensive enough without adding in decorating expenses.
I’ve been wanting to try out a new memory foam mattress. I keep hearing about how comfortable they are.
Now that is a cool mattress! I have one left in college but he’s on his junior year and already feels like a professional at the dorm decorating thing, LOL!
This mattress looks really great, I have been wanting to learn how comfortable these type of mattresses are. What a great idea for dorm and student rooms.
I am happy to know these tips! They are really helpful. Not in a dorm but I am planning to decorate my room soon.
Love the cat artwork! Sleep is so important! I did the same thing recently with my mattress and it made a difference in my insomnia for sure!
Sounds like a great mattress. Teens and students definitely need good sleep. I hope she has a great time at college! Loving the cat art too.
Wow, she is at college. That is another big step for you and her. I wish her well. My son bought that mattress. He really likes it.
We always made great use of the coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond. A good mattress would be awesome for a college student.. Good luck to Caitlin!
Yup you can take things you already have and transfer them to the room to just make it a bit more you.
Yup you can take things you already have and transfer them to the room to just make it a bit more you..
Great tips! My son is only three so it will be quite a while before he’s moving into a dorm room. I’m sure it will come faster than I think though!
What a lovely looking way to make a dorm room feel like home, so much time is going to spent there and so much stress will happen it needs to feel homely.
We need a new mattress in our guest room. This would be ideal! Its a king sized bed in there, I would probably start sleeping in there instead of my own room!
Decorating is always exciting! I love that you offer budget-friendly advice. This mattress sounds great.
Looking back on my time at college – I would say make sure to send your child with a second set of sheets. The girl across the hall from me my first year was up 3 times, that I can remember, washing her sheets because she spilled something on her bed. Granted if I only had one set of sheets I’d be more careful … but that’s just me.
How fun! I definitely would be decorating with some fun lights like those!
Tyler and Alyssa will be heading off to college in a few years and I’m going to have to keep your tips printed out for when that time comes. Having a good mattress so they get a good nights sleep is super important so they’ll do well in their classes.
I remember my parents and I sitting down and making a list of all the things we needed and creating a budget for ourselves. This ensured I had all the essentials I needed to make my dorm homey and functional.
What great ideas! I know I’d definitely be hitting IKEA if I had a dorm room to decorate. Not yet. These ideas would be great for a teen’s bedroom at home, too.
Having a comfy dorm is important to be productive. These tips are great!
Wow, you really know your stuff. I can’t believe how good it look with spending next to nothing.
Awesome work! This makes me want to go back to college just to decorate my dorm!
These are seriously such great tips! I have to share them with my sister, she’s starting college in the next few weeks! Her room came out great!
Great ideas for a wonderful dorm room. Especially getting a good mattress. I hope your daughter has a fantastic time in college.
Wow, I didn’t know you had to provide your own mattress. What a great idea to get a memory foam one that is packages so easy to transport.
Very smart ideas! Getting a good mattress is so important. College is just amazing time in life I hope your daughter have a wonderful experience.
That’s pretty awesome! My eldest is currently in college and I make sure she has everything she needs. A pretty dorm room will definitely motivate her and make her more excited for the semester! These are great tips!
I could TOTALLY use a new mattress! It’s been YEARS since we last bought one! Will definitely be checking these out!!
A good mattress is so important. After my son was born, I slept on a futon for like three years and when my husband and I redid our room and bought a new mattress, it was like night and day, We sleep like babies now!
I’ve been seeing a lot of parents and college-bound students shopping in the stores, and it’s fun to hear some of their conversations. I agree, you can find a lot of cool dorm room swag at thrift shops.
I’m sure finding a good mattress for a dorm room is no easy challenge. I remember being so excited to go off to college then realizing it is so very different than living at home. Now I’m dreading the day I send my own daughter off to school.
You can never underestimate the importance of a good mattress. I lived in a dorm where we were provided mattresses but we all bought egg crates to make them more comfortable. Wish we had had the option of bringing our own mattress.
I remember my dorm room decorating days. Pinterest wasnt around when I was going but if it was I probably would of gotten some idea fom there.
I remember how awful the mattress was when my kids went to college. I actually need a new one for my bedroom. We have been putting it off for a while now!
I am so in love with that cat poster! And these are all great tips. You’re a great mom!
I love that book “girl boss” such a great read. My son will be headed to college next year so all these tips are helpful!
Great ideas. Just moved our daughter in for her second year of college.
These are some great tips. A friend of mine just dropped off her older son at college so I will share these ideas with her for his dorm room.
Love all your decor ideas! I still remember moving into my first dorm room. What an exciting time! It’s so nice to have that little bit of freedom and your own space, small as it may be
The dollar store is another great place to find things for a dorm room. They have candles and things like that.
As a Mom of 4, 3 of which have done college already! You are spot on with fantastic ideas for setting up the kids at school. The memory foam is the key to a good night sleep too
These are great ideas. When I moved into the dorms back in the day, I hated the mattress. It was very uncomfortable. I always like to buy organizing stuff at the dollar tree.
Great post on how to save money and still have a nice dorm room. I wish you’d do a post on great decorating ideas for bedrooms!
I agree that going to thrift stores could save you a lot of money. So many great deals to find.
These are great tips to keep things affordable! My daughter would love the thrift store idea too bc she loves getting a good deal!
I am a very frugal mom. While I want a room look nice and comfy I would also look for ways on how to save.Soon I will be having a college student and this might help.
You did such a nice job decorating, it should be a comfort when she misses her mom. This mattress sounds wonderful!
My son got one of these. He really liked it. It was so much easier to purchase than a high pressure person at a mattress store.