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HOUGHTON -- Back to school can mean back to nightmare for some parents.  Dropping off your child at college does not mean you have to drop off your pocketbook as well.

"You can meet every range here, doesn't matter what your pocketbook is," said Craig Brewer, manager of Salvation Army in Hancock.

Brewer says the items they carry can suit any family on a budget.

"You can find everything from a little footstool up to a nice dining room table,” Brewer said.  “Right now we have a couch.  It's a perfectly good couch; it's a sleeper sofa."

The price?  Less than $30.

"We actually look at about a third of the price of what it would cost you new,” Brewer said.  “Sometimes it could be a little less, sometimes it could be a little more.  It all depends on condition."

The most important thing for a student is a good night's sleep.  If you're worried about bed bugs, a new quality mattress at a local furniture store may be the way to go.

"We offer free delivery for everybody,” said Chris Kirkish, owner of Kirkish Furniture.  “We do have a lot of twin size mattresses at very reasonable prices."

If you're looking for a bed and a dresser, Kirkish says why not have both in one.

"We do have captain’s beds and what those are...it actually has four drawers underneath that a twin size bed can go on,” Kirkish said.  “Those can be space saving, and you can have your bed go right on top of the dresser.”

If you're shopping on a tight budget, the store offers a variety of items to fill a room in under $600.

"We can offer them a number of things.  You can get a twin size bed, a few twin size beds for that price.  We have a lot of dorm room refrigerators or hot plates if they're looking for that, everything that can make your dorm room comfortable," Kirkish said.

Whether you shop new or shop used, remember to always keep quality in mind.