12.8.12

Where to Find Good Deals on School Supplies


Teachers everywhere are gearing up. Packing away their bathing suits and unpacking their school supplies; summer is almost over and inventories are taking place. What do I have? What do I need?

No matter if they teach public or private school, most likely teachers will be investing money out of their own pockets to meet the needs of their students. This especially goes for homeschool teachers.

Where can teachers find good deals on school supplies?

v  Yard Sales (especially those of retired teachers!)

v  Local Charities (Hospice Resale Shop, Yokefellow, etc.) Check frequently for books, games, etc.

v  Thrift Shops (You never know what treasure you’ll find. I found a large wooden, painted pterodactyl that hangs from the ceiling. It has a string you pull to make it “fly.” I’m guessing it cost $25 or more retail. I paid $2).

v  Library Sales (great books for a bargain!)

v  Used Book Sales (Some organizations hold these periodically. If you luck upon a homeschool sale, you may reel in educational games/videos as well.)

v  “Back-to-School” Sales (I love those 1-cent items!) (*By the way, STAPLES recognizes homeschool teachers in their free, Teacher Reward program)

v  Craig’s List, E-bay, Amazon, etc.

v  Homeschool teachers- check around to see if you can borrow/rent/buy books from other homeschool families.

This past week I had a pleasant surprise. A friend called stating she worked with Youth Empowerment, an organization serving at-risk youth in the community. She explained they had some textbooks donated but they could only use a portion of them. She asked if I would I be interested in the rest of the books for homeschooling? Of course, I was!


When I went to preview the books, I was overwhelmed at the quality and quantity of textbooks! Woo Hoo! The floodgates had opened and textbooks on Algebra, Latin, Spanish, World History and Civics had spilled out!

Youth Empowerment needed a certain number of books moved out so I enlisted some help and hauled the books back to my garage. Some excited homeschool moms came to see what they could use and left with armfuls of blessings.

The remaining books were taken to a large homeschool organizational meeting. A donation jar for Youth Empowerment was placed beside the textbooks. We were able to return a wonderful blessing through donations.

Where have you found good deals on school supplies?