Post-Commissioning - Furniture and "stuff" for their first off base living.

Capt MJ said:
I shop around, but when the NEX has their scratch-off cards, for the additional “mystery” percentages off, I am all over it. I routinely buy the Brooks Brothers, Vineyard Vines, Ralph Lauren clothing items, the big name workout gear and shoes, all usually 20% off regular retail. Tech - hit or miss. Dog chow - $7-$11 cheaper for a 30-lb bag.
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Commissary price for 20LB box of Kitty Litter - $7 vs out in town $11 plus tax.
 
There are some great budget furniture finds at IKEA, although sometimes their products don't last as long.
 
Good gouge on where to find “stuff.” This recommendation is for what might be needed in transitioning to apartment or house living. One will need tools. I plan on assembling a medium sized tool bag for DS when the time comes. Moving means assembling, disassembling, fixing, adjusting and repairing. This will get the newly minted officer started:

Tape measure – Can it get through the front door? Will it fit in the car?
Channellock or vice grip – To drop the u-trap in a slow draining sink in the apartment.
Box cutter – To cut open that impossible, stiff, plastic packaging. You know what I’m talking about. Also makes getting into your double taped boxes easier.
Death stick (voltage detector) & multi-meter – Change out that light switch. Check for continuity on different appliances
Wire cutters
Quarter inch drive socket set – Helpful under the hood and other places.
Screw drivers – Straight edge and Phillips.
Adjustable wrench - Seems like one is always needed.
Hex keys - To adjust your bike brakes and replace your fridge handle.
Hammer - To break up warped ILEA bookshelves upon PCSing.
File
Electrical/plumber’s tape

Harbor Frieght is not a bad pace to start on some of this stuff.
 
WT Door said:
Good gouge on where to find “stuff.” This recommendation is for what might be needed in transitioning to apartment or house living. One will need tools. I plan on assembling a medium sized tool bag for DS when the time comes. Moving means assembling, disassembling, fixing, adjusting and repairing. This will get the newly minted officer started:

Tape measure – Can it get through the front door? Will it fit in the car?
Channellock or vice grip – To drop the u-trap in a slow draining sink in the apartment.
Box cutter – To cut open that impossible, stiff, plastic packaging. You know what I’m talking about. Also makes getting into your double taped boxes easier.
Death stick (voltage detector) & multi-meter – Change out that light switch. Check for continuity on different appliances
Wire cutters
Quarter inch drive socket set – Helpful under the hood and other places.
Screw drivers – Straight edge and Phillips.
Adjustable wrench - Seems like one is always needed.
Hex keys - To adjust your bike brakes and replace your fridge handle.
Hammer - To break up warped ILEA bookshelves upon PCSing.
File
Electrical/plumber’s tape

Harbor Frieght is not a bad pace to start on some of this stuff.
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I've used a can opener to get into those clamshell-type still packaging items.
 
I would recommend a minimalist approach to buying STUFF. Give yourself some time. As a Capt in the Marine Corps I was still eating Hamburger Helper on a folding chair at a table given to me by my aunt. When you get to your first duty station go to the barracks and you will see a parking lot full of bad decisions. Not a good day when you buy a bunch of stuff and get orders to Okinawa. If you have to make a payment on a TV or furniture you are not living within your means. Oh, and Mom and Dad time to cut the cord. You should not have to get you new officer anything. Stop enabling with cash and stuff. Time for them to put on their big Boy/Girl pants and become the person that the Men and Women they lead will look up to.
 
In addition to @WT Door's list, if you are gifting tools you might consider:

Duct Tape
24" level
4-in-One screwdriver (for those simple jobs)
 
My wife found items for my daughter's first station on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Goodwill. With my daughter's permission, she started buying items and keeping them at our house. Then when my daughter graduated, she arranged to have the movers pick up here. They found great deals.
 
As a JO, I bought cheap upholstered furniture and nice (more expensive) wood furniture. Held me in good stead. 40 years later (after moves in and out of the military), I still have almost all the wood furniture and upholstered furniture is long gone.

A few pieces of advice:

(1) Be careful about Facebook Market, eBay, etc. JO who recently bought something from Facebook said it was "gross." Be sure you see it in person and stay away from mattresses, upholstered furniture, etc. We bought a couple of nice wood pieces off eBay -- one was slightly damaged in transit.

(2) Be careful about IKEA. Their stuff is great for one location. It does NOT move / transport well. I bought several pieces over the years (desk, bookcases, etc.). Beautiful and useful at first. Not one survived a single move. Total loss every time.

(3) Don't be afraid to invest in some nice (wood) pieces, including antiques. I bought a brand new cherry curio cabinet in 1986. Looks great 6 major moves later. Ditto with an antique dresser -- still beautiful and in my bedroom. Wood furniture tends not to look as dated and hold up. If it gets damaged, it can typically be repaired easily. You can often find good pieces at Goodwill, Salvation Army, estate sales, etc.

(4) Get cheap(er) but new upholstered pieces. They don't hold up. They look dated more quickly.

(5) Invest in a decent mattress. It's what you sleep on. A good one should last at least 15 years.

(6) Consider whether you want to invest in an expensive TV. It may or may not transport well. We've typically left ours when we moved.

(7) Get cheap lamps and side tables and other accessory pieces. They tend to get broken in moves, look dated quickly, and are cheap to replace.

(8) Don't be afraid to invest in nice art -- stuff you like. That usually moves well and can quickly make your place feel "at home."
 
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