A survey conducted last year by the Consumer Organization (OCU) estimated between 1,200 euros and 3,000 annual household spending for each child of school age. And although more and more people are staggering the costs of "back to school" over several months, the main financial outlay is usually made between summer and September.
The purchase of clothes and shoes, books and material for the new course can leave our pocket shivering, so today we want to share some last minute tips that can help you to make the September slope more bearable.
Last Minute Offers
There are many families who decide to leave for the last moment the purchase of textbooks, because they say that it is now when they find the best second-hand offers. Applications like Wallapop, Vibbo or Amazon, among others, connect lagged buyers with those sellers who are lowering their products to sell them before the academic year begins.
Something similar often happens with school supplies sold in large stores, and it is common to find Last minute promotions with succulent discounts. But from the OCU they insist on the importance of don't get carried away by compulsive shopping, which can end up making us spend more money than necessary.
Compare prices
One of the main savings measures recommended by experts It is to compare prices before buying, because the offer of "back to school" is immense. Although the ideal is to have done this comparative exercise with sufficient time in advance in order to ensure the best offers, if you do not have the books purchased or you are missing any, you can use the price comparators.
These useful tools are very simple to use and in a couple of steps they will show you the best deals on books, both new and used.
Book exchange and loan
But before acquiring a book (both first and second hand) it is advisable to contact the AMPA of the school, our City Council or neighborhood associations of our municipality, because book loan bags are organized in many locations for students in the area.
It is true that these types of initiatives are usually announced before the end of the school year, but it is also worth informing us now, because you never know if we can still be on time to benefit from these interesting campaigns.
Likewise, before the purchase of reading or consultation books that our child will need this course, we can also use the loan in the municipal libraries; although logically it will depend on the time the child will use that book.
Do you really need to buy everything now?
Although it is tempting to buy all the school supplies that our children will need throughout the year in the month of September, and thus forget the subject, it is more economically effective buy only the essentials for the first quarter and acquire the rest of the material as it is needed.
In this way, we will not only prevent the material from being lost or deteriorated before being used, but we will stagger the expense and we will be able to take advantage of different offers, liquidations and promotions that go out in stores throughout the course.
Beware of clothes! Sometimes cheap can be expensive
If our child does not wear a school uniform, it is recommended do not buy a large number of garments now or several pairs of shoes, since making a large financial outlay in clothing and footwear in September can be very expensive in the long run.
And it is that the kids hit the stretch when we least think about it, so although it may seem like a good idea to take advantage of the offers that flood the department stores on these dates, it is preferable to go shopping as needed.
And for the same reason, with the school uniform it is advisable not to buy a size that is too tight.
The cost of brand new
What child does not like to release a backpack, sneakers or a case full of colored pencils? Definitely The new school material is one of the main attractions that he has for the children back to school, but for the pocket of the parents it is a torture.
Therefore, from the OCU we are advised to make a list with all the material we have from the past course and see if it is really necessary to replace everything or, on the contrary, there are things that we can take advantage of. Because a freshly washed backpack or an old case with a fun textile sticker, they can look like new and serve us one more year.
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