School is starting up again so I thought I’d share some of my favorite cheap school supply hacks that’ll support your aesthetic street cred! Ever since I was a kindergartner I loved going to the store to buy new school supplies. However, as a college student it seems like school supply items have become either overpriced or boring, so here’s my tips for finding your ideal supplies in your budget!
Pencil cases:
Can’t find a pencil case that suits your aesthetic? Check out makeup bags instead, they come in more unique patterns than regular pencil cases and are usually larger and more durable, which is helpful in college when you need pens, pencils, highlighters, etc at ALL TIMES.
Highlighters:
Those who want highlighter colors beyond the norm regularly go for Midliners, but they’re expensive. Instead, buy a large pack of Crayola Supertip markers! I bought a pack of 50 about 8 years ago and they all still work! The largest pack that is sold in stores has 100 markers and goes for about $15 but there’s always good deals on Crayola when school starts so keep your eyes open! Not to mention, most craft stores regularly produce coupons that reduce the cost greatly. The other important thing about these markers that makes them great highlighters is that they don’t bleed! Additionally, some Supertip marker sets come with scented markers too, which is extra fun during boring study sessions.
Gel pens:
Gel pens can cost so. much. money. But if you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they sell a 48 piece gel pen set for $13, but if you use they’re weekly 40% off coupon, they cost only about $7. I bought a set in April and used them pretty much every day until June and I still have half of them left. The pens run out of ink after about 2 days of constant note writing (by a history major such as myself) but that’s still a LOT of gel pens in a lot of colors for such a cheap price.
Washi tape:
Not sure if anyone else still misses all of the fun (but expensive) designs that you’d get on folders and binders as a kid or if that’s just me, but I still love to jazz up all of my school supplies with washi tape! This way, you can buy basic folders/binders/notebooks/pencils and just add some washi tape to make them ultra cute instead of buying expensive pre-decorated supplies. I like to put a strip of tape horizontal across the bottom of my notebooks and write the class title and my name on it. That way, if I end up reusing my notebooks I can just take off the old tape and replace it next semester! And as for dorm living, you can use washi tape to decorate! I put it on the sides of shelves, on the base of my light switch, and have seen others make designs on their walls… there are SO many ways to use washi tape. Michael’s Craft store sells 2 rolls of tape for $4 which is already a good deal but you can also use their weekly 40% off coupon!
Pens and pencils:
When you inevitably end up at yet another college information fair, take pens from every booth. They’re free, usually nice quality, and often times rep your school! Sometimes they even have stylus pens and highlighter pens. Also, they often have the phone numbers of important resources at your school which can be helpful!
Laptop case:
Why bother buying an expensive decorative laptop case when washi tape and stickers will do the job on a plain case? When I first got my laptop I decorated the case with bee stickers and it was ADORABLE! Now, like everyone else, I cover the entire surface of my case with stickers representing causes I support as I come across them.
General:
Go to a dollar store y’all, most school supplies can be found for much cheaper than anywhere else there. For cute and cheap school supplies, check out the Target Dollar Spot! It’s my favorite place for adorable office supplies at low prices!
Well that concludes my bargain shopper school supplies list! I’ve done all of these things and they’ve worked out beautifully, so I hope this helps somebody else save some hard earned money!
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