Time flies. Summer is almost over and in just a couple of weeks, it’s school time again. In fact, enrollment is already ongoing in some schools today here in the Philippines.
While many students are excited to go back to school, most of their parents are getting stress thinking how they can provide the school needs of their children. They sacrificing their selves to earn more just to provide their children’s needs.
Most of the parents, especially our mom, are excited to see their child going back to school again, but they are also feeling uneasy and stress if they don’t have enough budget. They are looking for ways to earn more and ways to save money on school needs of their children.
Even if the government saying that the education is ‘free‘ in public school here in the Philippines (which is not true, at least for me), it is 100% guaranteed that you are still going to spend some money when your children go back to school.
If you’re working on a tight budget and looking for ways to save money this coming school year, this article might help you. I will share some practical tips on how you can save money on school needs of your children. Here we go.
TIPS TO SAVE MONEY ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Saving tip#1 Buy now
Buying school supplies as early as you can really help you save money. School supplies’ prices tend to be cheaper now than in the coming weeks. Grab a pen and a paper, list everything your children need and start buying.
Saving tip#2 Hunt sales and discounts
Sales and discounts on school supplies are everywhere. When you shop, make sure to check those sales on malls or outside stores. Saving a little amount each notebook or Crayola can really add to your budget if you have 3 children going to school.
Let’s say you save Php5.00 each notebook and you need to buy 7 for each of your 3 children. That’s Php105.00 savings that you can use to buy other school supplies. Check sales and discounts and save money on shool supplies of your children.
Saving tip#3 Buy outside Malls
Prices of school supplies inside malls and departments stores and more expensive compared to those in outside stores. You can find quality products outside with lower prices that can help you save money on school supplies of your children.
Places like Baclaran and Divisoria are famous in bargains and discounts especially in times like this. If you still haven’t shop school needs of your children, you may wanna go to Baclaran and Divisoria to save money.
Buy now as I mentioned in tip #1 because prices tend to go higher even in these places when school days are coming in.
Saving tip#4 Compare brands
When buying school supplies of your children, try to compare brands of the same product to save money. You can find the same product on different brands with almost the same quality. The only difference is the price.
Remember that it doesn’t need to be ‘original‘ notebooks in order for your child to learn more. It’s still your support and guidance that can lead him to learn more.
Saving tip#5 Buy only what is needed
Buying school supplies for your children for the sake of only satisfying them or making them happy even if NOT REALLY NEEDED is not advisable. Especially if your working on a tight budget.
Make sure you have the list of all their needs and stick to it when you shop. Extra purchases of things unneeded can eat up your budget that can be used on other valuable things.
Saving tip#6 Recycle
This is one of my mom’s favorite when I was a child. She used to recycle those unused pages of notebooks and combined them in a new one. We saved at least 3-5 notebooks each year. You can do that too.
If you have old notebooks that have unused pages, you can recycle them to save money. You’re not only saving money but also fully
utilizing what you paid before.
TIPS TO SAVE MONEY ON SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Saving tip#7 Buy now
Like what mentioned above, buying school uniforms right now can really help you save money. Prices will tend to go up in coming weeks so take the advantage of lower prices today.
As also mentioned, prices are much cheaper outside malls. Baclaran and Divisoria again are the top choices of Filipino practical moms. Check them out today to save money on school uniforms.
Saving tip#8 Ask relative or friends
If some of your relatives or friends have used school uniforms of their child which is still good and will not be use anymore, you can ask to have them to save money.
I experienced this before when I was a child, I used to have some uniforms from my older cousins and they are still good. You can save money by doing this.
Saving tip#9 Go for quality
Buying cheaper school uniforms not necessarily mean that you’re able to save money. Checking the quality of them can give you better savings in the long run.
Go for those quality school uniforms that can last the whole school year or even couple of years. By doing this, you’re not only saving money on school uniforms but free yourself from worrying that your child’s uniform can be damage instantly.
Saving tip#10 Recycle again
As also mentioned above, you can also save money on school uniforms by recycling old uniforms which are still in good condition. Check those uniforms now and see which one can still be used.
Wash and clean them so that it will look as new one. Old school shoes, bags, raincoats and other school wearables can also be re-used to save money.
Check them all and clean them before the school starts.
OTHER TIPS TO SAVE MONEY THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR
Hopefully, by this far, the saving tips above already gave you ideas on how you can save money on school needs of your children. School supplies and school uniforms are the most basic needs of our children going back to school especially in public schools here in the Philippines.
By following those savings tips above, you can save a lot of money that can be used for other valuable things or other areas on your budget list.
Here are some additional tips to save money this coming school year.
Check scholarship
Some municipalities, government officials, the private institution, churches and ‘good Samaritans‘ are offering a scholarship that will help you pay enrollment and tuition fees of your children this coming school year.
Or if you’re lucky enough, you can find a scholarship that will support them until college. Make sure to inquire or check them. Not only enrollment and tuition fee, sometimes they also offer free school supplies and needs, PLUS allowance along with the scholarships.
If your child is bright and intelligent and has good grades, they can surely avail those scholarships mentioned. Check them out!
Prepare packed lunch
Preparing packed lunches or snacks to your children can also save money. Not only that, you can ensure that they are eating healthy and safe foods if you prepared for them.
This way, you’re not just saving money but making them feel special because of the effort you put in. This is a nice way to save money while making them feel you really care.
Consider DIY things
Some school needs are really easy to do-it-yourself. If you have skills and are resourceful, you can save money by doing some school needs of your children on your own.
If you know how to stitch, you can create their own pencil cases or lunch boxes. Another good example is covering those textbooks and notebooks. Covered notebooks are much expensive than those that are not covered.
You can save money by buying a plastic cover and doing it yourself. It can also serve as a bonding moment for you and your children. You’re not only saving money but also spending quality time with them.
Be practical
We should be practical in every way to save money in every area of our life. Practical in a sense of utilizing every opportunity we have to save money but without sacrificing quality, health and benefits of our self including our love ones.
We should be practical in a smart way. By learning how to budget and being financially educated, we can really have a better life. Be honest with your children what you can really afford. Don’t go into debt just to make your children appreciate you.
Help them realize that being financially educated can help them in their future. Make them feel your love and care in a smart and practical way.
There you have it! I hope the list above gave you ideas how you can save money this coming school year.
We should always remember that we can find a lot of ways to save money. We just need to be resourceful. We should also learn basic personal finance so we can properly manage our finances.
More importantly, we should teach our children appreciating what they have and being happy with whatever we can give to them.
Teach them basic personal finance in a way they can understand and enjoy. As mentioned, make them feel your love and care in a smart and practical ways.
Conclusion
Educational needs of your children including School supplies, uniforms and others should be prepared ahead to avoid headaches and trouble. It should be included in the budget even before the school season kicks in.
What do you think this money saving tips? Can you share your thoughts below? I’d love to read them one by one. Or maybe you can add something that’s not in here. I’d love to hear them too. Thanks!
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