Starting off in life as a young adult is hard. While out of your parents’ house and having the freedom to do (mostly) anything you want is great, financing your new life isn’t easy. For many young adults, important purchases like furniture are put off for years due to the high cost of living. Whether you’re just leaving home for the first time or you’ve been on your own for a while, there are a few essential pieces of furniture that every young adult should have. And, no, we definitely aren’t talking about an overstuffed beanbag chair. What are the essentials, then? Keep reading to find out!

A Nice Bed
If you are going to invest in one decent piece of furniture, make it a bed with a good mattress. When you are just starting out in the world, you’ll likely spend a lot of time working, hanging out with friends, and being generally busy. At the end of a long day, you need a comfortable place to get some sleep. You may think a cheap futon is good enough, but think again. You likely won’t sleep well on one, and it could contribute to back problems later in life. Save yourself a lot of pain, frustration, and restless nights by making buying a high-quality bed a top priority.

A Place to Eat
Your first apartment may not have enough space to house a traditional dining room table, and that’s fine. You still should have a surface for eating on, though. If you consume most of your meals in front of the television, a sturdy coffee table will do the trick. Small kitchen islands with bar stools also work well in places where square footage is limited. Even adding a bar stool or two by your kitchen counter works in a pinch. Just make sure you have a spot where you can sit and enjoy a meal without cradling your plate on your lap.

A Sofa
When buying your first sofa, you can buy a cheap one that will fall apart and need to be replaced in a few years, or you can buy a high-quality one that will last you for a decade or longer. Young adults typically opt for the less expensive option and plan to replace it later. While buying a nicer one may be more of a strain on your bank account, though, it could save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run.

A high-quality living room sofa will hold up through repeated moves, and you won’t have to worry about it falling apart at an inopportune time. It will also give your home (no matter how humble it may be) a more “grown-up” feel. If you purchase a nice sleeper sofa, you will have room for overnight guests in even the tiniest apartment. Or, of course, it’s the perfect option if you are living in a studio apartment without a bedroom.

An Organized Desk
No matter where you live or what you do, paying bills is part of being an adult. It certainly isn’t the most enjoyable part, but it’s a part that can’t be ignored. Keeping up with them can be overwhelming, especially for young people who never really had to deal with them before. Making sure you have an organized desk is a good way to ensure that everything gets paid on time and nothing gets lost. Look for a sturdy desk that features storage spaces where you can keep unpaid bills and receipts for those that have already been taken care of.

Having an organized desk also means that you will be able to efficiently work from home if the opportunity arises. More and more businesses are allowing their employees to work remotely, and freelancing has become the main gig for many entrepreneur minded people. Make sure you have a nice desk to be certain that you have a place to work if the need (or desire) arises.

A Few Multi functional Pieces
When you are first starting out, you shouldn’t buy too much furniture. In addition to taking up way too much space in small apartments, all that furniture will need to be moved every time you relocate. Since most people tend to move around several times before finally settling down, having a ton of pieces to haul around can get old fast.

Instead of buying several pieces, look for pieces that are multi functional. Obviously, things like your bed and desk should be separate, but there are a lot of accent pieces that serve multiple purposes. Storage ottomans, sleeper sofas with built-in storage, entertainment stands with shelving, and shelves with built-in lights are all great pieces that do multiple jobs without taking up a ton of floor space.

Conclusion
Being a young adult is overwhelming. For the first time in your life, you have the freedom to do just about whatever you want. You can decorate your home or apartment to your own tastes, and you are free to spend your money however you see fit. While it is important to invest in a few decent-quality furniture pieces, don’t go crazy. Remember that you will probably need to move all of your belongings a few times over the course of the next decade or so and that you might not have a lot of square footage to work with. Spend your money wisely on a few pieces that will provide you with several years of use, and start saving up to buy things like curio cabinets, formal dining tables, etc. when you buy your first home.