10 Best Ways to Supplement Your School Budget
Whether we want to admit it or not, it’s high school season again. This means that both parents and students are preparing to spend a ton of money preparing for the lesson with laptops, school supplies, clothing and accessories. Here’s how to save money and keep cash in your wallet.
10. Buy the best sales and special offers for high school students.
The first and perhaps most obvious tip is to make sure you shop again on school sales for what you need. Benefit from duty-free school purchases in your state , even if many states are canceling them . Go online and check out school sales on Amazon or BestBuy, or check out the Microsoft or Apple store if you’re planning on buying technology. And of course, make sure you know what to buy now and what to expect .
Also, as with any sale, watch out for retailers who artificially inflate prices to lower prices and announce “huge discounts!” during the boom in sales back to school.
9. Avoid tempting student loan or loan offers
This is for new students, especially new students. Once you step onto campus, you are likely bombarded with credit card offers, often with deceptively low starting interest rates, or all sorts of perks (free t-shirts! Amazon gift cards!). Don’t fall. to do this – while credit cards are a tool that can be intelligently used to your advantage, college is one of the worst times to open one , and student-oriented cards are usually some of the worst too .
When you’ve just graduated from college and are alone for the first time , that kind of purchasing power is tempting, but resist. You can make better deals without these cards and without debt hanging over your head. Then, when you get a job and are ready to actually increase your credit, you can do your homework and get a card that works for you and suits your priorities, instead of your classmate getting the minimum wage to shill you when folded. table for a t-shirt.
8. Buy your basics online
What counts as your “basics” will differ from student to student and whether you start a new year in high school versus your first year in college, but in almost every case it makes sense to at least search for these basics online. … Not only can you get them straight to you and avoid going to the store, but you can freely compare prices, compare prices with regular retailers, and only jump when you see something you want and it’s exceptionally affordable. Plus, at least when shopping online in storefronts, you can get these discounts from your local brick- and- mortar stores if you need them.
Either way, it’s likely that some of these basic items like shoes, toiletries, some clothing items, and even tech aids like computer peripherals, storage, and other accessories will be cheaper online than they’ve ever been in retail. store, whether they are for sale or not. Of course, allow for the added costs of taxes and shipping before purchasing.
7. Avoid one-off tasks and invest in versatile gear.
This is the principle of living in a small space , but even more so when you live in a hostel and you have even less space (and you have to share it with other people, and then move all your belongings potentially every year for four years,), but opportunity to avoid single tasks with furniture or other equipment. Swap chairs and stools for ottomans and seats with built-in storage . Ditch your set-top box and game console and just get a console that can stream whatever you want . Skip the individual stove and kettle for the electric kettle. Buy a multicooker. You know what to do.
6. Look for the bundles of what you need.
When talking about buying multitasking devices, consider doing bundled purchases if you are buying more than one related item. This is more common in technology than anywhere else, but this is where you can save the most. For example, Microsoft almost always offers big discounts on the Xbox console if you buy a Windows laptop (as do retailers like Best Buy and Dell), and Apple usually gives you a break for iPad, headphones, or other peripherals if you buy. Macbook or other Apple device for school. Even Google has been known to offer a break on phone or Nexus peripherals if you pick up a Chromebook or tablet (although there are none at the moment ).
If you’re thinking of buying a new laptop but also like a tablet or a new phone, or if you’re buying a laptop and would like the console to stream movies or unwind when you return to your room after class, packages are the way to go.
5. Check the university surplus.
If you live off-campus or just want to save a ton of money on often-good-but-little-used items, take a look at your university surplus store. If you’ve never heard of them or didn’t know they were in your school, no one can blame you – they are not in the brochure when you apply. They are usually only open to students, staff and faculty and offer big discounts on everything from furniture like desks and filing cabinets to used technology like displays, printers, and sometimes old but still useful laptops, speakers. and other peripherals. Whether you’re looking for extra storage space or moving out of campus, you need a desk and want something slightly better than IKEA, they are worth looking out for – and they tend to be very cheap in comparison.
4. Head straight off campus.
Some of the best deals are waiting for you right off campus. On many campuses, businesses around your school know they have a fierce battle for your business, and everyone from clothing stores to thrift stores and informal off-campus bookstores will be happy to offer you competitive pricing on anything you can find. on or on campus. your student bookstore.
At my alma mater, we had an on-campus bookstore, but everyone knew that the best prices for textbooks and printed course materials were available at the print shop and informal bookstore literally across the street from the campus gates. They had better deals on clothing and supplies than an on-campus bookstore and a number of stores along the retail strip near campus. Explore, don’t be shy !
3. Use student discounts whenever possible.
Retailers around the world offer student discounts just for what they learn. Don’t miss them! They are especially useful for shopping at school and for getting everything you need for your first year away from home if you’re just starting college, including things like food, books, even discounts on your bills, etc. regular costs.
If you buy technology like laptops, tablets, phones, and software, your discounts can save you a lot of money as well .
2. Use free software or ask your university IT department for discounts.
Talking about saving money on technology and applications, call or visit your campus IT department before buying software. Most schools have student licensing programs that sell ultra-affordable copies of productivity software like Microsoft Office, programming tools like Visual Studio, or even develop apps and subscriptions like Adobe CS Live. Bonus: Almost every university has a VPN that you can use for free, and they give out anti-virus software for free (and have their own servers to keep it up to date). Be sure to check what is available to you before you spend, and then only spend to fill in the blanks.
1. Save on textbooks by buying used or renting them
One of your biggest and, unfortunately, compulsory spending money, whether you’re going to college, studying at home, or any other year, will be textbooks. You probably already know that you should buy used whenever possible and only buy new if you think you are going to keep the book as a reference for many years throughout your college years. Likewise, whatever books you buy, keep them in good condition so that you can exchange them after the end of the semester and get as much money as possible for them.
Also, don’t stick with your college bookstore. They may be the most convenient, of course, but many online retailers like Chegg and Bigwords will also be happy to sell you used copies and pay you for them at the end of the term. In many cases, you can even rent textbooks instead of buying them straight away, which can also save you money. Be sure to compare prices before buying anything and check with your professor if a fifth edition is appropriate if the program requires a sixth edition of the same book. Oh, and don’t forget about your university (and local) library. You can get this book for free .