"Linens Deal" and other university promotions?

[Susan in TN]

I thought I saw a post on this somewhere, but can't find it. We have just received a flyer from the university suggesting we buy one of their packages of linens, bedding, and other supplies - $200 for sheet and towel sets, comforter, blankets, mattress pad, egg crate bed topper, "bed buddy", etc., etc. All "top quality" and sized to fit the beds.

 

I'm just wondering how top quality they are and if it is worth buying them. Ds isn't particularly fussy about things, so quality might not be an issue for him. They are guaranteed for 4 years.

[Just Another Jen]

Listening in. We got one of those also, but my cheapness radar is ringing. I'm pretty sure we can do better on our own.

[Caroline]

We got one of those last year. I did better purchasing from Lands End and LL Bean on sale.

[Cosmos]

We got one of those last year. I did better purchasing from Lands End and LL Bean on sale.

 

I was about to say it sounds like it could be a good deal for students who live far away. When I went to college, I had to pack all my things into two suitcases to go on the airplane. A pack of linens waiting at the other end would have been very handy! But after reading Caroline's reply, I recalled how much has changed since then. Even if you are far away you could order items online and have them shipped directly to your student.

[Myra]

And remember that towards the end of July and beginning of August most stores have a college section set up with lists and everything you could imagine (and then more) for the college set..........stores like Target, Wal-mart, Bed and Bath, etc.

 

 

Myra

 

 

I edited this to add that these stores will carry the twin x-long sheets and matress covers at that time, too!

[Tokyomarie]

Chuckling to see your post because I *just* opened our linens deal packet this afternoon. You do have to make sure to get extra long sheets if you get your own. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with the deal. Don't know how "good" quality they are because I've not seen them up close.

As for my son, he's trying to decide whether to ask housing to remove the bed from his room or loft it and use the top of the bed for storage. He sleeps on Japanese style futon (on the floor) at home and wants to take his futon to sleep on in the dorm. :001_rolleyes:

[Sunshine State Sue]

I was about to say it sounds like it could be a good deal for students who live far away.

 

We got one, too, and have debated about it.  It sounds great if they had it waiting at the school for those of us traveling by plane, but they ship it to your home.  What good is that?  :confused1:

 

[Caroline]

Either lands end or ll bean has the extra long sheets. I can't remember where I ordered them from, because I used both for different things, but one did have them.

[LinRTX]

bed bath and beyond has extra-long sheets also. that's where we got my daughter's sheets.

 

Linda

[Lori D.]

We got one of those flyers from DS's soon-to-be college, too. We had some of the items in those package deals, and other items DS didn't want, so we opted out. Walmart just had a Memorial Day sale in which I was able to get the items we did need at a much lower rate, with free shipping. (X-long: sheet set ($20); reversible comforter ($18), mattress pad ($30), and wheeled metal dorm footlocker ($49) ). DS is a transfer student, so the quality only has to hold up for 2 years, instead of 4.  :laugh:

 

There are a few laundry and bath items we still need, but most can be found locally at the Dollar Store, or at Target. :)

 

Did you see Gwen's list of ideas of things to bring? Gwen's complete college supply list

 

That is linked in post #5 of the pinned thread at the top of the high school board ("Transcripts… College Prep… links to past threads here!"), along with these two threads which I'll be reading through again soon! ;)

Before sending a student off to college (to do list)

Freshman move-in day

 

Hugs to all my fellow moms sending a student off to college this fall! :) Lori D.

[Lori D.]

We got one, too, and have debated about it.  It sounds great if they had it waiting at the school for those of us traveling by plane, but they ship it to your home.  What good is that?  :confused1:

 

 

I guess the way to go is to order from Bed Bath & Beyond, which, if you request, will ship to the store closest to the college, so you can pick it up directly from the store once you arrive to drop off DS. :)

[readwithem]

I wouldn't go with a "one size fits all" package like that unless your student tends to minimalism :)  The mattress toppers can  tend to be hot.  I remember we researched and actually ordered that online, based on ratings (probably on College Confidential but I can't really remember).

 

My dd just graduated college, having used the same set of Lands End sheets for 3 years (she was abroad for one year).  As we were packing her out of her apartment, she marveled that the sheets were still in great condition.  We got the xl twin for her two years of dorm living, but she had a regular twin bed this last year.  Sheets worked great on that bed as well. 

 

I remember we got her sheets during one of LE's "friends and family" sales so they were 30% off their already reduced price.

[Susan in TN]

We got one of those flyers from DS's soon-to-be college, too. We had some of the items in those package deals, and other items DS didn't want, so we opted out.

:) Lori D.[/font][/size][/size][/font][/color]

This is what I was thinking too - ds was away half of last summer, so he still has nice towels, other laundry and bath items, and a padlocked footlocker from that. His sister also has a bedside organizer we got her a few years ago that she never uses. And it's not a girly color :).

[Artichoke]

Nope, didn't do this deal. We bought Target brand jersey sheets in XL and they're still going strong into senior year. Be prepared to get mail for " exam survival kits" as well. We did this once and ds asked us not to do this again. He said its was really cheesy.

[Tokyomarie]

Nope, didn't do this deal. We bought Target brand jersey sheets in XL and they're still going strong into senior year. Be prepared to get mail for " exam survival kits" as well. We did this once and ds asked us not to do this again. He said its was really cheesy.

 

So full of sugar and salt! We did do the exam survival kit the first semester my oldest was away and I think she did kind of enjoy getting a little something fun. But it sure doesn't make for good "brain food!" 

 

[J-rap]

We just got this too, but I threw it away.  This stuff bothers me.  Other things that bother me are their annual letters to buy care packages, and that "your child will feel so badly if she doesn't receive one and all of her friends do." 

 

These things seem like just a big money-making schemes to me, and I don't like it.

[G5052]

I was in Bed, Bath, and Beyond yesterday, and they had several college bedding kits on display for $100-200.  If mine were going away (which they probably won't), I probably would piece together my own.  

 

That's what I did a million years ago when I went to college.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We just got this too, but I threw it away.  This stuff bothers me.  Other things that bother me are their annual letters to buy care packages, and that "your child will feel so badly if she doesn't receive one and all of her friends do." 

 

These things seem like just a big money-making schemes to me, and I don't like it.

 

One of the things I remember fondly from college was the monthly chocolate chip cookie deliveries my parents signed up for. You could pick 1, 2, or 3 dozen. The cookies were all fresh baked and packaged by the youth group at a local church and the project funded the group's summer missions trips. I remember that they weren't too expensive for the year.

 

But then, this was before the days of online shopping and I didn't have the opportunity to get off campus often. The closest grocery store was a little over a mile away, but I didn't have a car.  Meals were all family style in one dining hall and there were only two options on campus for things like pizza and other fast food.  So snacks mostly came from vending machines. Made the cookie deliveries sort of unusual and special.

[MomsintheGarden]

Ok, I am almost embarrassed to say that we bought the modest linen pack from the college brochure years ago when our oldest went to Virginia Tech (2008). We were concerned that we wouldn't be able to buy XL twin sheets. What we got was just ok quality. The stuff has lasted through undergrad and 2 years of grad school, though. If we could do it all over again we wouldn't have bought the pack.

 

HTH!

[J-rap]

One of the things I remember fondly from college was the monthly chocolate chip cookie deliveries my parents signed up for. You could pick 1, 2, or 3 dozen. The cookies were all fresh baked and packaged by the youth group at a local church and the project funded the group's summer missions trips. I remember that they weren't too expensive for the year.

 

But then, this was before the days of online shopping and I didn't have the opportunity to get off campus often. The closest grocery store was a little over a mile away, but I didn't have a car.  Meals were all family style in one dining hall and there were only two options on campus for things like pizza and other fast food.  So snacks mostly came from vending machines. Made the cookie deliveries sort of unusual and special.

 

I would certainly support a local church or student group with the cookie care package!  :)   But I have received slick, glossy-brochures from a big company that advertises their various levels of care packages, with an enclosed letter saying that the (most expensive) one is of course the most popular and appreciated.  And then they end by trying to guilt you into ordering one, with something like "How do you think your child will feel if she sees all of the students around her receiving one of our care packages and she doesn't," etc.  That kind of stuff really bugs me.

 

(Plus, the packages don't even look very good...  They call it healthy but it's still lots of sugar and processed foods.)

[Kareni]

We sent the 'slick' care package once.  After that, I mailed a tailored care package each year for finals.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I would certainly support a local church or student group with the cookie care package! :) But I have received slick, glossy-brochures from a big company that advertises their various levels of care packages, with an enclosed letter saying that the (most expensive) one is of course the most popular and appreciated. And then they end by trying to guilt you into ordering one, with something like "How do you think your child will feel if she sees all of the students around her receiving one of our care packages and she doesn't," etc. That kind of stuff really bugs me.

 

(Plus, the packages don't even look very good... They call it healthy but it's still lots of sugar and processed foods.)

I'm with you. I was just waxing nostalgic, not recommending the Stuffmart or Buy and Large version.

[Belacqua]

We got one, too, and have debated about it.  It sounds great if they had it waiting at the school for those of us traveling by plane, but they ship it to your home.  What good is that?  :confused1:

 

 

I know! We were considering one of the packages until we noticed that it comes to our house rather than the dorm room. If I'm going to be sitting on a mattress pad for the entirety of a cross-country road trip, it's sure as heck going to be one we've picked out ourselves. :)

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

From what I understand either Linens n Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond (or both?) have a deal where you can order anything you want from them (linens, towels, coffee maker, etc.) and they will have it delivered to the store nearest your school and available for pickup during move in.  I think that part of the deal was that delivery was free.

 

Do read about what your school needs for sheet sizes-some dorms are xl twin and some aren't.  I've also seen university partnered companies who make bookshelves/hutches that fit on top of dorm desks (specific for that schools furniture), lofts, risers, etc.  They tend to send ads to newly admitted students or advertise directly on the university's housing web page.

 

 

 

 

[LanaTron]

Glad I saw this thread.  I wanted to purchase the packaged deal mainly for the convienence, but dh insists that we can get the things ds needs at a better rate by piecing it together ourselves.  Silly me didn't think about ordering it online from BB&B, LL Bean, etc.... I was imagining having to go from store to store and actually shop, which I abhor.

[FaithManor]

Order it delivered. I really doubt these things are priced right for the quality. It's a money maker for the school.

 

My university eons ago tried a Christmas deal for the women's dorms in which parents could pay $20.00 and something nice would be purchased "from Santa" on the student's behalf and presented at the dorm Christmas party complete with a dressed up Santa.

 

What a rip off! We each got a notebook and three pens. The college kept the rest of the money for their "Costs" for the program. Santa was one of the adjunct professors who had apparently been knee deep in egg nog before he arrived and wanted us to each take turns sitting on his lap in order to get our generous "gift" from our parents. Did.not.go.over.well. and Santa had to be tossed to the curb. Needless to say the next year not a single parent was willing to pay for this.

 

Given that they also charged $250.00 (1989) for the paltry thin gown, cap and tassel, and presentation folder for our diplomas, I have to say that I really think rather suspiciously of colleges offering to do parents a favor like this.

[Wildcat]

I saved a good amount buying things on my own. I can't remember what all was listed in the glossy flyer, but when I bought things, I wrote the prices out next to the flyer items and came out about $60 ahead, PLUS I got things that weren't listed on there. If I can find it, I'll come back and update.

 

Anyway, we got the jersey XL sheets at Target for $16 and they are ds' favorites!

Comforter set (XL) I got at Kohl's and it came with a set of sheets--actually very soft and held up great.

I got two sets of towels, a pillow, a body pillow, and body pillow cover at Koh'ls

I ordered (from Kohl's) the mattress topper, mattress protector, and zip up allergen set--- they weren't sold in my store

 

I think I did so well because I waited until Kohl's had a great sale (end of July I think?), then I shopped. I didn't even have to wait for a 30% off coupon for the things I ordered online because you can always find one if you order online, so I doubled the sale with the coupon and cash back. The cash back ended up covering the cost of the two sets of towels and pillows, if I remember correctly.

 

If we had had to tote everything on a plane, I would have ordered things from Kohl's, LE, etc) and had them sent to ds' PO Box at the school or his dorm.

 

I would guess that the prepackaged stuff is decent quality, but you will pay a bit more because someone puts it all together for you, so you pay an 'upcharge' for that. I can't believe that they don't ship to the dorm, though. I don't remember that part. What's the point, then?

 

As for the exam packs, I envisioned bruised fruit and lots of sugar, most of which ds didn't care for, so I made my own and sent it (once, I sent him back with a box after he visited home). I put stuff in that I knew he liked, like strawberries, grapes, jerkey and frosted animal crackers. Our exam packs didn't benefit the school at all (from what I could tell), and were shipped from the northeast or something, so I figured any fresh stuff would have been half rotted by the time it traversed the country.

 

As an aside, for those who don't mind sugar treats, Amazon has a box of candy available where you can choose candies by the decade, so for ds' birthday, we sent him one from the 90s~~ there was a bunch of candy for the price. He was thrilled to get it and rediscovered candies from his childhood that he hadn't seen in ages. The company is called Candy Crate. We were so pleased with what was in there, that we'll be buying it again.

 

 

[Lori D.]

Santa was one of the adjunct professors who had apparently been knee deep in egg nog before he arrived and wanted us to each take turns sitting on his lap in order to get our generous "gift" from our parents. Did.not.go.over.well. and Santa had to be tossed to the curb.

 

:smilielol5:  :smilielol5:

[Barbara H]

Given that they also charged $250.00 (1989) for the paltry thin gown, cap and tassel, and presentation folder for our diplomas, I have to say that I really think rather suspiciously of colleges offering to do parents a favor like this.

 

And, to think I complained (okay just a little bit) about paying $65 this year. The part that got me was that they charged extra for the honor cords.

[TechWife]

As for my son, he's trying to decide whether to ask housing to remove the bed from his room or loft it and use the top of the bed for storage. He sleeps on Japanese style futon (on the floor) at home and wants to take his futon to sleep on in the dorm. :001_rolleyes:

 

Oh, I hope he does! If he doesn't he needs to make sure the futon will fit under the loft - dorm beds are weird sizes! I think the futon is cool!

[Elisabet1]

Everyone, from Target to Walmart to Bed Bath and Beyond have the XL sheets. They are just not that hard to get. 

[shawthorne44]

Even if they were good quality and a good bargain, I see a downside no one has mentioned.  If it was a good bargain then lots and lots of kids would sign up for it.  And then lots and lots of kids would have bedding that looked PRECISELY alike.  Which means the laundry would look precisely alike.  I can see that as a problem.  Sort of like having the black luggage from a super-popular brand.  

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Even if they were good quality and a good bargain, I see a downside no one has mentioned. If it was a good bargain then lots and lots of kids would sign up for it. And then lots and lots of kids would have bedding that looked PRECISELY alike. Which means the laundry would look precisely alike. I can see that as a problem. Sort of like having the black luggage from a super-popular brand.

So there is an upside to reusing the Bob the Builder sheets from home

[Kareni]

So there is an upside to reusing the Bob the Builder sheets from home

 

or Barney ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Sunshine State Sue]

So there is an upside to reusing the Bob the Builder sheets from home

:smilielol5:

 

or Barney ....

 

:lol:

 

or Batman ...