No student looks forward to the end of summer vacation, but it may be teachers and parents with the most to worry about during the back-to-school season. Families with students from Pre-K to college know this is the time when they will be shopping for school supplies for the upcoming year. For most of these parents, shopping for even one child can turn into a pricey endeavor, and that multiplies when they have several children returning to school.
Last year, the average K-12 parent spent about $100 per student for required back to school supplies, a 12 percent increase over the previous year, NBC Today reported. When you add in things like new clothes, electronics, and shoes, that number climbs to about $669 per student.
Back to School Shopping Gets Expensive For Parents and Teachers
Today, students are not only required to have the basics – pencils, notebooks, paper, and other classroom staples – but they’re also expected to purchase items like their own graphing calculators, laptops, and tablets.
Personal devices are increasingly finding their way into the classroom as tools to aid in a more interactive educational model. A report from CBS explained that many schools are forgoing textbooks in favor of PCs and iPads that students can use to download and read eBooks. In the long run, this should cut down on the cost of buying new textbooks for schools and students, but the upfront investment in the technology can be burdensome. Additionally, while student discount rates are available for these products, they’re still expensive additions to the back-to-school shopping spree.
Tablets are being used in classrooms as replacements for textbooks, but the cost can be prohibitive for families on a budget.
Parents aren’t the only ones worrying about the high cost of back to school shopping. Teachers also end up footing some of the bill for classroom supplies. A report from Vox found that 30 percent of teachers pay between $201 and $400 of their own money per year for classroom supplies. Another 26 percent reported having to spend more than $400 for various classroom supplies and projects. The main reason for this, according to Vox, is that education funding hasn’t kept up with inflation since the recession in 2008 and 2009.
“Until the districts figure out how to better utilize the money coming in from the government, we’ll have to supplement the best we can,” Abigail Johnson, a third grade teacher in Boise, Idaho, told Deseret News. “If that means using our own money, that’s what we’ll do.”
Secondary Marketplaces Help Parents and Teachers on a Tight Budget
Each year, teachers and parents turn to the Internet to find less expensive school supply options. Online secondary marketplaces offer refurbished, overstocked, and gently used products for prices below retail, providing an avenue for budget-conscious families to find what they’re looking for without the stress of retail shopping.
Teachers and parents on a budget should look to online secondary marketplaces for their back-to-school needs.
In addition to school supplies, many kids have their eyes set on the latest trending gadgets. Parents can save money on these extras by shopping on online marketplaces such as Secondipity. In essence, Secondipity is a one-stop shop for every back-to-school need. Through the marketplace, parents can buy the products that their children need, while having enough left over to get them the things they want. And when it’s time to spring for those new gadgets, Secondipity offers an impressive selection of headphones, tablets, and other electronics that get kids excited to go back to school. All products on the marketplace are refurbished and restored to like-new condition before they are sold, and detailed item descriptions ensure that shoppers receive exactly what they expect.
Furthermore, educators who spend a significant amount of their own money have some recourse as well in online secondary marketplaces. Teachers can buy items like arts and crafts supplies, electronics, cleaning supplies, and other necessities in bulk on Liquidation.com. Buying school supplies in larger quantities makes it easy for teachers to build a stock of goods that will last them the entire year without having to foot a massive bill.
The back-to-school season should be an exciting time for parents, students, and teachers, not a time to worry about budget constraints. Purchasing school supplies through secondary online marketplaces like Secondipity.com and Liquidation.com makes it easy for students to get what they need – and want – without breaking the bank to do it.
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