Hello everyone! Well, it is that time of the year again: Back to School. Thankfully this is my last year of back-to-school shopping, but I wanted to share ways that I save money. If you are interested in saving some change, keep reading!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.

 

• Set a budget.

This is number one for me. I usually plan to spend $50.00 on all of my general school supplies for both fall and spring semesters. This year I may spend a little less. It may seem like a tight budget, but I must allow room to rent out books and purchase access codes.

• Take advantage of sales/tax-free weekend.

My state has tax-free weekend every year. I make sure to take advantage of that weekend and purchase everything I can that is tax-free (school supplies, clothes, shoes, etc.) If your state does not have a tax-free weekend, keep an eye out for sales on supplies. Shop around and compare prices!

• Stop buying binders.

Seriously. You do not need to purchase new binders for every semester. Purchase a few large binders, a small binder and a couple of folders. I own three 1 1/2′ binders and two small binders.

At the end of the semester, I empty out my content from each course and binder clip it together with a large binder clip. You could also get the notes bound together at a local office supply store. I use the larger binders for my “larger” courses, small binders or a folder for online courses. I plan on sharing my nursing school organization post soon. Stay tuned!

• Stop buying highlighters.

I know everyone has a different style of studying and some people depend on highlighters. I’ll be honest, I have not purchased a brand new pack of highlighters in a while and do not plan on it this time around. Highlighters last me for such a long time, because I have found that highlighters do not help me retain information. If I do “highlight”, I use the classic yellow for new words/terms to look up. Otherwise, I use colored pens to underline and annotate notes.

• Choose refillable pens.

My favorite pen is the Pilot G-2, these pens are refillable and last for a long time. I only purchase refills once a year (back to school season) for about six to eight pens. I do however, purchase a cheap pack of basic ballpoint pens for clinical. Doing this allows me to keep track of my nicer pens for note-taking and planning.

• No more lined paper.

That’s right! I stopped using lined paper as soon as I began college. I now complete all my note-taking on white paper. I use less paper that way because I can cram a lot of information on a piece of printer paper versus lined paper.

• No more dividers.

Say what?! That’s right! I no longer purchase binder dividers, instead I use plastic divider tabs. This saves a couple of dollars on dividers..

• Do not purchase an expensive planner.

This can be the downfall of many. I have never purchased a planner that costs more than $10.00. My most recent planner was from T.J.Maxx ($4.99) and I love it! Another way to save money on planners would be to reuse your discs and cover from your Happy Planner. You can DIY your inserts for the next year!

• Do not purchase more than you need.

This is key. Despite all that was stated in this post, it is important to stick to the bare bones. For example my bare necessities are printer paper, index cards, pens and a planner.

Those are the tips I have for you guys! Stick to the basics and you should save a good chunk of money. How do you save money on school supplies?

Anna