As the forthcoming school term gets closer and closer, here are five back to school hacks from Teljoy to help you save money on supplies.
Do your [shopping] homework.
While it might seem obvious, in order to know if you’re getting a good deal on school supplies, you need to know how much the items sell for! Make sure you know the pros and cons of every item, so the buying process is breezy.
Make a [budget] plan.
When you know exactly what you need and where to find it, get a budget going. It’s without a doubt the most important part because we know the last thing you want to do is blow your grocery money on pens and pencils. However, you’ll often find the best school supply deals after the back‐to‐school rush, so it’s not the end of the world if you miss something during the shopping rush. It is also recommended that you buy before the rush, as this is usually cheaper.
Rent your school supplies
Thanks to Teljoy, the online retailer for appliances, electronics and furniture, you’re able to buy products on a rent‐to‐own model. This essentially means a consumer with a clear credit record and permanent employment can buy a product on a month‐to‐month contract. Laptops, TVs, sound systems, cellphones, cameras, you name it.
Doing it this way also means you avoid the stampedes that usually go with back‐to‐school shopping. As well as dodging hectic mall parking, you have the benefit of having supplies delivered directly to you. South Africans are becoming increasingly braver about trusting the internet for school shopping, and rightly so. To make things even better, they can upgrade, downgrade or cancel your product purchase at any time. Talk about convenience!
Check out China Town
While it might not be your first choice when it comes to shopping, stores within the ChinaTown complex are unexpectedly helpful when it comes to back to school shopping.
Calculators, tape dispensers, staplers, glue… you’ll be surprised just how much is on offer. Start looking for stationery and other products in the summer months, because they sell fast.
Download money‐saving apps
Another helpful tip is to use money saver apps. They aid the process of tracking your expenses and allow you to comprehensively understand how to better afford school supplies. Some examples include:
This application analyses your spending and gives you a better insight into how to take control of your spending behaviour. While the Nedbank app is only web‐based, it isn’t limited to those with Nedbank accounts.
‐ My Money
This handy app sets up automatic bank feeds so your income, expenditure, and bank transfers are automatically updated in My Money.
‐ 22seven
The iOS, Android and web application gives you an automatic overview of your finances and a personalised budget.
This application shows you how much you can spend on a daily basis. It even has the ability to factor in fixed expenses too. If you overspent for whatever reason, the app will recalculate to make sure you reach the end of the month.
Some others are: ShopSavvy and Hollarhttps://www.hollar.com/.com.
Shop on the off‐season.
To no surprise, some of the best deals for back‐to‐school shopping can be found in the school off season! This is especially relevant for clothes, as you’ll find it isn’t easy to purchase a winter coat in the middle of summer, but retail experts say the savings will all be worth it! Always be on the lookout for things that’ll come in handy for the coming year/s.
Just pray your child doesn’t grow too much!