The summer break is in full swing, however before you know it the new school year will be upon us and the rush to stock up on school supplies will be the call of the day. For many families, pressing the reset button for another year of ensuring that the kids have what they need to start their new academic term at school can be full of angst.
When schools open up their gates once more, there are a lot of expenses to expect. I am nowhere near that stage with my little one but have friends who, no matter how well they try and prepare for the new school year, still sometimes get overwhelmed with the impending rush to fill school bags with fresh stationery supplies. However with a little creativity and savviness, not to mention common sense, we parents will be able to save on these costs.
Ways to save on school supplies
Make an inventory and reuse non-consumable school supplies
Salvage whatever you can from your kid’s school bags, study table drawers and shelves to find what is still usable. You will be impressed and surprised by how much you can save on unused notebooks, pencils, pens, and other ad hoc stationery. Encourage your children to re-use non-consumable items like staplers, ruler, sharpeners, calculators, and pencil cases, to name but a few.
Buy from the wholesalers
This you can easily do via online platforms such as Taobao. You can find just about anything on the Taobao website, where wholesalers offer a number of bulk items for purchase, from cereal to canned goods, and what we parents need for the kids and their next term at school. If you really want to score low on school supply prices, go directly to wholesalers for those extra items for the following year. You may have to purchase in bulk but you can set aside surplus items for the following year, or better yet, make your bulk purchase with other parents, save on cash and split supplies between the kids. You will be able to save a ton!
Do not follow the crowd
If I try and revisit some basic economics, the law of supply and demand comes to mind. Usually when there is a high demand for school items because it’s the beginning of the academic year, prices tend to hike. Given this, you can be purposeful and creative in the timing of buying school gear as well as school supplies. Try and purchase school shoes, socks, and other clothing items off-season. Avoid making these kinds of purchases during the school opening because you may hit the crowds and the prices will hit your pockets. Check out clearance and inventory sales during term time in preparation for the following year.
Go for quality
It’s simple but effective. You may find a steal when it comes to some items, but usually you get what you pay for and when making a purchase that seemingly saves you on cash, if the quality is not up to par, you will be making another purchase too soon after your initial buy and spending double if not triple on school supplies and clothing you have to repeatedly replace. Pay that little bit extra for a quality purchase that will save you money in the long run.
Wishing you and the family well! Don’t leave your school supply shop to the last minute, plan ahead and help your kids start their new term at school the way they mean to go on.
Photos: Pixabay
