Ok, school supplies are probably one of the most fun things to go shopping for each year before school starts. Sometimes the fun can make you forget about how much money you are spending. There are ways to reduce the cost of school supplies that don’t require much effort.
The easiest way to cut down on supply costs is to watch out for sales. Places like Office Max and the Office Depot will often have crazy sales just before school starts (they usually start in July and go on into August). It is best to stock up on loss leaders (items advertised for extremely low prices…like erasers for $0.01). One way to do that is bring multiple people with you to purchase these items if there are limits imposed. You can also visit multiple locations, or visit the same store at different times of the day or multiple days.
Taking advantage of warehouse club memberships like Sam’s Club and Costco can be advantageous as well. If you partner up with friends, family, or roommates you can buy supplies in bulk for a low cost. Also Upromise offers savings if you purchase through Sam’s club online and Walmart.com (plus side: no taxes are charged and you can pick up your items at a local Sam’s club so you don’t have to pay for shipping).
It is also important to purchase the plain, inexpensive versions of folders, notebooks, and other supplies. Save money by personalizing the items yourself with markers, wrapping paper, stickers, etc.
When it comes to groceries there are several ways of saving money. One of the most popular methods lately is couponing. If you watch TV shows like Extreme Couponing, or read couponing blogs you can see that with some time, effort, and planning you can purchase groceries for little to nothing. I have asked people who practice this type of couponing and they told me that they spend on average 20 hours a week on couponing. If you have the time it can be worth it.
For those of you like me who just don’t have that much time there are other ways to save money. The first is to always purchase generic items (unless you learn that one particular item just isn’t good). Most generic items are of the same or better quality than name brand items (shows like 20/20 and magazines like Consumer’s Digest have shown that this is true time and time again). Sometimes name brands are the very same manufacturers of these food items.
It is also important to pay attention to sales. Purchasing lots of meat right around popular grilling holidays provided you know how to freeze the meat properly and you have room in your freezer. It is also important to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Produce that has to be imported long distances is often more expensive, and is not going to be as tasty as local in season produce. One way to get inexpensive produce is through farmer’s markets. Many universities and colleges have started hosting farmer’s markets on campus. If your school doesn’t, it is easy to find in the newspaper or online the nearest location and dates of local farmer’s market.
Try to trade in more expensive items on your grocery list for less expensive items. Instead of steak, buy pork tenderloin. Instead of precut lettuce/vegetables buy the whole head of lettuce and cut it up yourself. Think about cutting out food you don’t really need. Junk food like ice cream and potato chips is not only unhealthy, but they are costing you money for food you don’t need. Think about it a bag of chips can be up to $4.00! $4.00 could buy you three pounds of apples easily.
Some final tips:
The most important way to save money on groceries is to make a list before you go to the store. Once you are in the store stick to the list! I allow myself only one impulse purchase during my trip and that is it. This way I can try new items at the grocery store or satisfy a craving without emptying my wallet. It is also important to shop after you have eaten a meal. Going to a grocery store hungry is a recipe for impulse buying and a super high bill at the end.
