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See tips to save on school supplies in 2022

Another school year is approaching, and parents have to pay attention to their children on vacation and, at the same time, take care of the purchase of school supplies. In most schools, the return to school is scheduled for February. With an estimated increase of up to 30% in the prices of school supplies, one of the alternatives is to reuse items from the previous year.

That’s what housewife Amanda Oliveira do Nascimento wants to do. Mother of Ana Luísa, 6 years old, who is going to the 1st grade of elementary school in a private school in Rio de Janeiro, Amanda says she will reuse some items, such as pencils, eraser and sharpener.

The housewife, who has already bought the other items on the list, found the price of school supplies increasing. “They increased just when the back-to-school campaign started. For example, a 96-sheet paperback notebook was for R$7.90, the same day I put it in the app cart, it increased to R$9.90 before I was able to complete the purchase.”

Financial educator Lorelay Lopes says that reusing what is conserved is a good alternative to save money. “Saving the material from the previous year, the person only replaces what is necessary. This goes, for example, for colored pencils and markers, prioritize the brand. That way, you get that color that disappeared from the leftovers from previous years. Quality erasers last a long time. The main thing is to make the child aware that, by buying something just to have something new, waste is generated unnecessarily. The result is economy and education.”

Lorelay indicates e-commerce to do price comparison. “As for what really needs to be bought, the internet is there for us to compare prices. with many sites offering free shipping, buying everything online saves you time and money.”

However, the virtual environment can also be an influencer for children to want new and different materials, emphasizes the financial educator. “The internet is full of videos with children displaying imported school supplies. But it also has a lot of content on how to repurpose old material. Keep an eye out for influences, why kids think it’s so important to have everything new back to school. Raise awareness, explain the impact of purchases”, recommends Lorelay.

Financial analyst Rosana Archila Michelin, Diego’s mother, who is going to the 3rd year of elementary school in a public school in São Paulo, doesn’t have to worry about buying school supplies. is that the state provides kits of school supplies for students.

Even so, Rosana says that she will reuse material from last year because the delivery of kits it takes place in mid-February, after classes have started. “THE kit comes with an amount that you can enjoy in other years. So, I use pencils, sharpeners, rulers, erasers and white glue”. In the public network, books are also provided by the state.

Used books

Businesswoman Claudia de Oliveira Rocha, mother of Julia, 14 years old, who will start the 1st year of high school at a private school in São Paulo, says that the only time she was able to use used books was when her daughter changed schools, in mid-2019. “I got the books from a student who had moved to another school after buying the books. Plus two art history books that she used in grades 7 through 9.”

According to Claudia, in the previous school, there was the Ciranda de Livros, which are literature books that students read throughout the year. “These I could borrow or borrow, sometimes, because the school itself did not repeat them. So Juan’s [filho mais velho], who had already passed 5th grade, for example, I could sometimes lend it to a friend when her son reached 5th grade.”

For financial educator Lorelay, this network of contacts is important for exchanging or selling used books. “Use and abuse WhatsApp parenting groups. The exchange between the years makes all the difference at this time. Sell ​​your books to groups of students entering the school year before your child’s, and buy from those a year ahead. No shame in saving and taking care of the planet.”

However, many textbooks in the early grades are interactive, that is, they use teaching resources such as cutting games, stickers, coloring pages and filling gaps that make reuse unfeasible. The way is to keep an eye on discounts, as Amanda, from Rio de Janeiro, does. “I never bought used textbooks. Because the school offers and gives a discount by paying everything at once and also because it is the first year of elementary school.”

Erica Cardoso, Marketing and Communications Manager at Estante Virtual, a second-hand bookstore that sells used books over the Internet, explains that 80% of books purchased at the beginning of the year are pre-owned and used. “The search for paradidactics is for all years from elementary school to high school. The most sought after didactics are those from the 6th grade onwards.”

In the case of books in which students write, many are accepted, but the textbooks have some particularities, says Erica. “First, is the fact that the editions have an expiration date, which varies from two to four years. Usually, schools ask for a specific edition, the most current. Textbooks in Brazil are not made to last. Many collections even break content into a main notebook and an exercise notebook, which allows for separate purchase of just the perishable part, but this is not a universal standard.”

Books already used or with underlines and annotations can be sold on the Virtual Bookshelf. “All pre-owned and used items available at site they have detailed descriptions from the sellers about the state of conservation and general conditions”, explains Erica, who regrets the fact that very old editions and publications with many exercises done are not attractive and lose value. “On the other hand, the paradidactics, which are mandatory readings and/or suggested by schools, do not suffer so much from this effect.”

Erica points out that the economic scenario has boosted the demand for used books. “We have a 40% increase in visits and sales compared to December, driven by the search for textbooks. Buying used and used books is a reality in the current scenario of inflation, with higher prices for everything essential. So, we see the second-hand bookstore as an opportunity for parents to save money in this period when the purchase of teaching materials weighs on the budget.”

tips to save

Financial educator Roberto de Souza Barbosa, from Escola de Pais XD, has tips for parents to save money on school supplies and recommends that they teach their children financial education:

  • Make a list of the basics. “Some schools already offer it to students, but if this is not your case, make your own list and remember to put what is really basic, because in the stationery there are many things that are a temptation in the eyes of parents and children. sons.”
  • Search at least three sites on the internet and see the budgets. “Compare prices in stores, look in apps, which always have promotions and sell at affordable prices, because sometimes, even paying shipping, the products are still cheaper.”
  • Beware of the demands of the little ones. All fathers and mothers must have gone through this: the children see those colorful items, with drawings, that cost triple or four times more than the others. “We are living in a time when any economy is welcome, whether in the short or long term. And we are in a period when the IPTU and IPVA will start to arrive. So have balance to please the child, but don’t get into debt with it.”
  • Buy together. “Get together with other parents to buy the material together, because wholesale is much cheaper. For example, instead of buying five pencils, you buy a closed box and share it with the others. There will be more and it will be cheaper for everyone.”
  • Buy on sight. “I know that maybe this is not a good time, but if you can, think about it, because in sight it is possible to get a bigger discount, which will help a lot.”
  • Prioritize what is urgent. “If your condition at the time of purchase is difficult, prioritize what is urgent and buy the rest during the classes.”

Reference: CNN Brasil

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