Save Thousands in College Supplies

You and your college-aged children are probably quite aware of the fact that college is expensive. While it might be difficult to save on tuition, unless you have scholarships and financial aid, these tactics can help you save on college supplies and books.

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1.       Reusing Dorm Items

At the end of the school year, your children might be tempted to throw out all of their dorm stuff. However, they certainly should be seeing what they can keep. No need exists to throw out perfectly acceptable sheets, towels, shower caddies and so forth. Sure, buying new items each year is fun, but it is not frugal. If your youngsters need new items, tell them they must pay for these pieces by themselves.

2.                   Buying Used Books

Brand new books purchased on-campus is almost always the most expensive type out there. Find out if your children can purchase the book list before classes even start. If not, they can look in the bookstore for used copies of the book, and they can also see what is available online. Sometimes, professors will need the latest edition of a book, and finding a less expensive copy can be difficult.

3.                   Keep Those college Supplies!

Not only are students tempted to throw out all of their dorm items from the previous school year, but they also might want to get rid of college supplies. When a diary is only halfway-filled, they can use the book next year for at least part of one class. They should also keep pens, pencils, calculators, planners and any other items that they can still use next year.

4.                   Sharing Some Items

Generally, students are not able to share books with one another because they need them to learn, but they might be able to share other supplies. For example, let's say that both of your children attend the same college. Do they both actually need to have a printer in their rooms? Let the oldest keep the printer, and the younger one can use it. When your older child graduates from college, the younger one can have the printer in his or her room.

College supplies can certainly be extremely expensive, and any parent of college students probably already knows this fact. Still though, supplies and books do not have to cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars each and every year. When you are ready to use some specific tips, you have the ability to save a lot of money on a regular basis.

Author: Annabelle Smith