Okay, so we've established that you don't have to get married to start a gift registry — what a relief! Turns out, all you must do is have a birthday. Or move into a new apartment . Or, honestly, feel free to push the limits of what's registry-worthy as far as your social circle will allow. But the latter, especially if it's your first or second adult home , is a crucial one. If you do it right, you can manage to set yourself up with furniture and home accessories for years to come. If you do it wrong, you might end up with a lot of useless stuff that you feel too guilty to get rid of.