Back-to-School Savings

It's August, which means that school is starting up soon for K-12 students as well as college students.

School is probably the one thing that I hate shopping for most, considering professors are so adamant about what supplies they will allow in their  classrooms, and half of the time, those supplies cannot be reused for other courses.

However, it's easy to stock up for school basics without breaking the bank.

Firstly, Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max are your best friends during this season.  My personal favorite is Staples.  Take advantage of all of their Free-after-Rabate (FAR) and nearly FAR deals.  It may be quite some money initially for your purchase, but in 4-6 weeks, you'll get a check in the mail or deposited into your PayPal account. It's like a present in the mail.  :)

By doing so, I've already been able to stock up on printer paper for my essays.  In 3 trips to Staples, I'd already gotten:

• (2) reams of Hammermill Printer Paper : $0.50 each
• (6) 2-packs of White-Out : $0.50 each
• (30) 2-pocket folders : $0.01 each
• (6) 2-packs of Sharpie markers : $0.25 each
• (1) 7-pack of Zebra pens : FREE
• (6) 12-packs of cap erasers : $0.10 each

 A little tip:  Some of these items have limits, which is why I break up my purchases into separate transactions or visits.  There are a lot of items that require a minimum of $5.00 purchase to get the special prices (like the $0.01 folders).  But I fix that by purchasing  a ream of paper that's on sale ($5.00 - $4.50 rebate = $0.50 per ream); the initial cost of $5.00 for the ream of paper qualifies me to get the other items at sale price.  Staples almost ALWAYS has the paper on rebate alongside their "extreme deal" items.  This year, I was lucky enough to also receive a Back-to-School card in the mail from Staples that allows me to receive an extra 15% off my entire purchase of school supplies up through September 17th for being a "valued customer."  Otherwise, the card costs $10.00, I believe.

That's just going to Staples.  I've a few more items from Office Depot, but like I said, Staples is my first choice - their rebates are so easy to do (online!) and I've never had a problem with it coming in the mail. Now, I'm no hoarder.  I do stock up on things for myself, but the rest of it gets donated to the local elementary school if I don't have a use for them or to fellow classmates who may need those supplies.

I also save money by packing my lunch to school.  Face it, cafeteria food isn't all that great and to be honest, isn't all that healthy either.  I cave now and again and will get a slice of pizza, but for the most part, I'm bringing a packed lunch with me.  I can easily change it up to fit my mood. Feel artsy?  Try bento lunches.

I probably have 3 main sets of lunch gear.  My main lunch pack is from Lock-and-Lock which features a carry bag, water bottle, and 2 containers; one with 3 sections to keep my food apart.  Another is a Mrs. Bento from Zojirushi that I use whenever I'm carrying something that needs to be kept warm.  And the other one is just a simple square container from IKEA.  Why so many?  Each of these serves their purpose.  I always make sure that my containers have gaskets on them ensure "leakproofness" in the case that I pack something liquidy.  I also pack with me a bottle of hand sanitizer in case I'm not by anywhere where I can wash my hands, utensils (chopsticks + case, hobo tool), a bandana used as a cloth napkin, a small bottle of Maggi seasoning (they come in 12-packs for about $2.00 and change), and a small Nalgene squirt bottle filled with Sriracha sauce (yum!).

Water. At school you'll be needing plenty of water.  I don't carry the "disposable" waterbottles with me.  I think they're too flimsy now and the idea of paying so much for water is intimidating.  Instead, I bring my 16 ounce Camelbak "Better Bottle" with me.  It initially cost me $12 dollars or so at REI, but it's lasted me well over 3 years.  I think it's my best investment yet.

And a tip for the college students: if you really HAVE to buy your textbooks, try to get the older editions.  It'll save you quite some money.  Don't sell the textbooks back to the school's bookstore - you'll get more selling to students or textbook stores off campus.  On the other hand, you don't really need to buy school books at all.  If you have the time, use the school's library reserves. I personally try to set my schedule up in a way that I will have some study time in the library. Another option is to photocopy the needed pages ahead of time if your teacher gives you a "reading list" or the like. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was plastered all over the library that according to CA state law, photocopies of textbook pages are allowed and does not violate copyright rules if those pages are only being used for personal studies - in other words, DO NOT photocopy the entire book just to sell to your friends.

Then there's the online route.  You can usually find great deals on sites like Chegg.com for your textbooks.  Plenty of schools and websites also offer textbook rentals now - you'll save AT LEAST 50%, I've seen.  My friends have rented books for "as little as" $40.00 for a $100+ textbook.  That beats trying to sell it at the end of the semester, I'm sure.