10 Ways you can Stretch the Life Span of School Supplies

Notebooks, paper, folder, pencil, bag, etc. and the list goes on - every school year, parents become preoccupied with buying their child’s school supplies, sometimes forgetting that one does not necessarily need to buy new things everytime. Although it is true that school materials are important in enhancing a child’s learning, a mom should at least find ways on how to provide these without breaking her budget. Read on to find out how real-life moms become moneywise when it comes to their child’s school supplies.

1. Do an inventory.
Kath Patawaran, a mommy to three young boys, shares that she does an inventory of her children’s school supplies at the end of each school year. She suggests, “Sort all materials into what can still be reused, recycled, and donated." Lala Bolintiam, a mommy of three (Jetri, 8; Jacob, 4; and Jim, 2), adds, “Before you shop for school supplies, check what you have at home first. I’m pretty sure you will still have last school year’s ruler, glue stick, sharpener and erasers.” Patty Gomez-Brazal, a teacher and mommy to Patrice, 6, and Patrick, 4, says that if she sees her children’s things are still in good condition, then she reuses them.

2. Organize.
Hannah Faustino, an interior designer and mommy to Timmy, 8 years old and Nina, 3, shares, “before buying new stuff, organize the old and re-use any school supplies that could still be used.” Joyce Obena, mom to 6-year old Derek stresses that, “Organizing school supplies can save you from having to buy the same art materials over and over.”

3. Have storage for supplies.
Mommy Joyce points out that, “we have a school supplies cabinet, and after every school year, we keep all reusable art materials like rulers, scissors, pencils, crayons, etc. so he can still use them for the next school year.” Mommy Kath and Michelle Dee, mom to 7-year old Denise, both suggest securing reusable materials after sorting them out as these have a tendency to be misplaced.”

4. Recycle.
Penny Santos, mommy to 7-year old Elisha, shares that, “after the school year ends, we make sure to recycle whatever leftover supplies from school such as pencils, unused pages from her notebooks, crayons, etc.” Michelle Agustin, a mother of three boys (Nathan, 15; Timmy, 11; and Noah, 9 years old), shares that, “I also look through each of their notebooks and see which ones have many pages left unused.” Mommy Michelle explains that she cuts out the written pages, neatly tapes them together and tells her sons to use these as extra notebooks for their subjects. Mommy Hannah suggests, “For folders, you may use reusable adhesives instead of scotch tape that easily peeps off paper. This way, you may still reuse. You can also use baby wipes to clean plastic covers.” Mommy Joyce adds that she uses her son’s old notebooks and pad paper either when reviewing him for a quiz or letting him do practice writing at home.

5. Be creative.
Bon Rodriguez-Aguilar, mommy to 9-year old Eyca and 3-year old Llora, suggests, “Put crayons in a pretty little container so even when they get broken, they would still be fun to use. “ According to Mommy Michelle, she covers the front notebook with art paper and plastic in order to make the old notebooks look new.

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6. Look for cheaper alternatives.
Mommy Joyce shares that “my son loves to draw so I asked my boss if I could take home some scratch paper in the office (since they’ll throw it anyway).” She adds that instead of buying bond paper or drawing pad, she buys newsprint paper because it is a lot cheaper. Geraldine Clemente buys a big bottle of glue for her 11-year old daughter’s art supply instead of the individual one since her daughter, Angel already knows how to use only what is needed. Instead of buying new scissors, Mommy Geraldine suggests, “Clean scissors to remove adhesive residue or you can also have them sharpened if they’re a bit dull already.”

7. Secure and label.
Mommy Kath shares that it is important to keep things secure because this is one way of stretching the budget. She adds, “Label everything. One prominent label on the outside, one secret label on the inside (on the bag interior or a book page) just in case the outside label is intentionally removed.”

8. Search for quality deals.  
According to Mommy Michelle Dee, she chooses a specific brand when it comes to school supplies as she would rather invest in those which her daughter can use for a longer period of time. Mommy Penny suggests to always be on the lookout when school supplies are on sale because this is the best time to purchase. Mommy Michelle suggests being more intentional in saving for your child’s school supplies. Based on her experience, she recommends that mommies survey the prices from different stores before buying.

9. Involve your children.
Mommy Kath explains, “Talk with your child and help him be aware. Have a fixed list of needs and bring the child along when you buy their supplies. Show the prices, compare and ask which is more reasonable to buy, or, for younger children, say the reason why one was bought over the other. It will help the child realize the value of money and things and be more conscientious in using them.” Mommy Hannah suggests that mommies ask their children to decorate the covers of the recycled school supplies as uniquely as they can. Norfe Luces, mom to Jemmuel, 10 years old and Jethro, 6 years old, shares, “I always tell my boys to value that the things they have. If these go missing, they really need to look for them because they know we won’t buy a replacement no matter how cheap it may be.”

10. Make it a teachable moment.
Moms should remember that budgeting is also a teachable moment for their children. As for Mommy Bon, she teaches her children the value of sharing through their use of the school supplies. She points out, “Teach your children that sharing is a very good thing so hand me downs are not bad.”
Stretch your child’s school supplies by being practical and at the same time, involving your child in the process. By doing so, you teach your child the value of money and appreciation and care for one’s things.


Photo by *Zoha.N from flickr creative commons