Parents often worry about finding cheap school supplies weeks and often months before their children’s new school year begins — and it’s no wonder. After all, this is an unavoidable task that, without a little planning or research, can lead anyone to spend way more than their budget allows, right?
With that in mind, we’ve put together 13 tips to help you save as much as possible on school supplies — and most importantly, make sure you have all the products your little ones will need for their classes and school activities. So, follow along and take note of our suggestions!
1. Take inventory before you buy
The first step is to prepare an inventory to find out what you already have at home. To do this, use the list of products that the school provides to parents. You will notice many things that can be reused, especially when it comes to durable goods. For example, calculators, clipboards, compasses, etc.
2. Create a detailed shopping list
After the previous assessment, you should make a new list of what you will actually need to buy and the amount your children will use, based on the previous year (for example, 1 notebook and 1 diary for each child). This will not only guide you by providing an estimate of expenses, but it will also help you control impulse purchases . The focus is on saying: “bye-bye, extra expenses!”
3. Take advantage of preschool promotions
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, shopping before January and February is becoming increasingly popular. After all, during this back-to-school period, stationery prices tend to go up — and that’s not good for your wallet! So, take advantage of the promotions that occur before then, especially when there’s not as much demand, like October and November.
4. Buy at strategic times
Taking advantage of the previous tip, you can list some stores and check if they are not holding sales or even seasonal sales of products that are not in stock. You can save a lot of money this way! Websites that specialize in school products are also a good alternative to consider. You can search for offers, coupons, discounts and sales campaigns that they run online during the months of October and November. Black Friday itself is a good example of this.
5. Consider sharing items
Are your children in similar school years and have some similar items on their lists? Then it might be a good idea to select some materials that they can share with each other. This is especially true when it comes to items that your children use sporadically. This includes rulers, glue, magnifying glasses, putty, correction fluid, adhesive tape, and the like. This way, you can even cut the cost of these products in half .
6. Personalize items around the home
Many parents spend money not only on purchasing products, but also on having them covered and identified in stores, paying extra for this service. The thing is, you can do this at home, you know? You just need to buy the necessary items, such as stickers for naming school supplies and self-adhesive plastic. So, let’s save money!
7. Research DIY options
School supply lists often include a number of items, including things that are superfluous and sometimes of little use to students. For example, bookmarks. Therefore, when faced with things like this, it is worth getting your hands dirty and investing in DIY to save money and secure these more unique materials.
8. Explore loyalty programs
If you participate in loyalty programs where you can exchange your points for various products on the company’s website or in partner stores, take advantage of them. Depending on your balance, you can save a lot of money and get several products without spending anything (or almost nothing) on them.
9. Buy material in bulk
Products that run out very quickly, such as pencils, bond paper, colored pencils and crayons, do not need to be branded. After all, buying something based solely on this means spending more than twice as much on something that will last just as little as cheaper options of similar quality. That’s why the tip is to buy them in bulk. That way, you can guarantee the quantity you need for the whole year and, best of all, at a much more affordable price.
10. Swap textbooks with other parents
Research used book fairs in your city and the possibility of exchanging or at least buying books and supplementary materials at more affordable prices from sellers or even other parents. Many schools even hold this initiative during school holidays to help students’ legal guardians save money and find the books they need more quickly.
11. Review your budget
Always remember to evaluate how much you have spent so far and stick to a spending limit, especially when you are using a specific source of money (such as your 13th salary or an emergency fund). This is essential so that you don’t end up losing your way, for example, and having to resort to using a credit card — which will help you get out of debt !
12. Prioritize essential items
Are you short on cash when you start looking for cheap school supplies? Then focus on the essentials first. That is, the things your children will use every day at school, such as notebooks, backpacks, pencils, and the like.
13. Shop online smartly
One final tip: when buying online, always check the return policies and the procedure for returning something or even requesting a refund in case of problems with the merchandise. This is necessary because, even if the chances are small, unforeseen events can happen. So, it’s best to be prepared! By following our tips on how to buy cheap school supplies , you’ll not only reduce your expenses at the beginning of the year.
In fact, you ‘ll organize your finances for this moment that your children are eagerly awaiting, and it will make the process of purchasing these products much faster and more practical. It will also encourage sustainable and collective habits in your little ones.