Friday, September 23, 2016

6 Ways Teachers Can Save Money

We all know that teaching is not the highest paid profession in the world, and we often spend a lot of our hard earned money buying supplies for our classroom.  So, we could all use some tips for saving money right?  Here are 6 easy ways teachers can save money.

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love. 





Borrow Things

I know that I am always tempted to open up my Amazon cart whenever I see a great book or idea on a teaching blog, but sometimes you may be able to borrow a resource from a colleague who already owns one.  Check your school library for that great read aloud or ask a team mate if you can borrow their base ten blocks for that next lesson you have in mind.  

Our local university has an educational lending library that loans out books, fossils, math manipulatives, and more!  See if you may have a similar resource available near you.

Just remember to return it in the same condition as you received it (I know those of us who are willing to lend out items will LOVE you for it)!


Amazon Subscribe and Save

Speaking of Amazon, this is seriously my newest addiction.  Not only does it save me money, but it saves me time because I don't have to run to the store as often when we run out of things like toilet paper for my house or Expo markers for my classroom.  I also have items that my local stores always seem to run out of.


Wal-Mart Savings Catcher

If you shop at Wal-Mart (either for you classroom or personal needs), you NEED to download the savings catcher app! If you don't have a smart phone you can enter your receipts right at the website as well.

How it Works:
After you shop, simply scan your receipt using the app or type in the code at the bottom of your receipt into the website.  If a local competitor offers a lower advertised price on an eligible item that you purchased during that shopping trip at Wal-Mart, you automatically get back the difference on a Wal-Mart Rewards eGift Card or a Bluebird by American Express Card.  These amounts can be used to shop at Wal-Mart stores or online at Walmart.com.  The app will also save your receipts for you if you ever need to return something.





Pack Your Lunch

I know many of us have "working lunches" eating at our desk, so many of you are already using this tip.  If you aren't though, you may want to consider this option as dining out can get expensive fast! 

But here is a secret that you may want to try:  When you cook dinner, make an extra portion so that you have left overs to pack for the next day's lunch. You can pack your lunch as you are serving your family their dinner. Super easy!



Team Up With A Friend

Have you found a great resource on Teachers Pay Teachers that you can't wait to use with your class?  Most likely, one of your teammates would love it as well.  Did you know that TpT offers an option for you to buy multiple licenses at a reduced rate?

When you make your purchase, you will see this:




If you click on that edit link, you will see this screen where you can make multiple purchases.



To save money by teaming up, ask a teammate if they would share the price with you when you purchase that awesome resource. Using the example above, if the product above sells for $1.25 for the first license, and $0.63 for the second license.  The total would be $1.88 which divided by two would be $0.94 cost for each of you.  If you are purchasing for your team, you would save even more by splitting the cost multiple ways.  The above example is not super expensive, but think about how much you could save by sharing on a larger purchase or bundle!

You might even ask your principal if the school would buy the resource for you because Teachers Pay Teachers accepts School Purchase orders!  

For more ways to save money on Teachers Pay Teachers, check out this blog post.




Enter Teacher Giveaways



Look for Teacher Giveaways for things that might be helpful in your classroom.  I have been able to win several things for my classroom including: Teachers pay Teachers gift cards, books, a pencil sharpener, an Erin Condron planner, and math manipulatives.

I host giveaways at least once a week on my blog and you can find the most current ones here.  


You can find daily deals for teachers here to save even more money!



I hope you have gained some valuable ideas for saving money as a teacher.  I would love to hear some of yours!  Leave a comment below or join in the conversation at Facebook.






1 comment:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...