As consumers shift gears from the holiday season to the new year’s back-to-school panic, it is crucial that parents know that there are budget-friendly shopping options to get ready for the school year and not end up overspending. While ordering a stationery box through your child’s school may seem like the obvious and convenient choice, it is not necessarily the only option. “You might end up with stationery items that you don’t necessarily need. “Take control, shop around, either at your local mall or at online stores and choose the items that you and your child prefer,” a mother told Herald.
A survey by the Herald showed that online stationery buying is a great option to save. “But be careful and compare before you fork out your cash,” she said. Some parents said that before they buy school stationery for their children, they browse through the shops to compare prices to see which one has affordable individual options. “You will find that some items are cheaper at one shop, while others are more expensive. Like the A4 Typek paper reams. At Shoprite they are cheap, they cost R55, and at Spar, they are more expensive, they cost R75. By shopping around and comparing prices I got to save R20.
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“When it comes to Pritt glue, they are all the same price regardless of where you buy,” said Brenda Malatji, a parent from Bolobedu.
As a parent, you do not have to buy the brands specified on the stationery list provided by the school. “You also do not have to send ten glue sticks and 24 pencils with your child on the first day. You have the option to purchase what your child needs at the beginning of the school year and supplement later if needed.” Shops like Makro, Shoprite, Checkers, Game, and Pep have stationery on sale and also school uniforms to make it affordable for parents.
