As promised (before I got in over my head on my home office re-design) here are some basic ideas for saving money on office supplies.
Take advantage of tax free shopping holidays: Not all states have them, but many do and they're kicking in soon with the back to school sales. You can save on "school supplies" but you'd be surprised how many typical office supplies fit into this category. Basic paper, pens, pencils, computers, and more.
Some states offer tax free shopping at other times as well; such as around the winter holidays. But right now the back to school sales are the ones to watch for.
Retailers are not required to participate, but typically if a state participates, retailers jump on board. You can check with your local state tax website or look at this list from About.com's Single Parents site -- it's the most comprehensive list of states that I've found.
Shop tax free year round: This obviously works if you live in a state without a sales tax. But it also works if you live near a sales tax free state. Of course these states are few and far between. States without a sales tax include:
But, if you live close enough to one it may be worth the drive if you can pick up all your supplies for say, six months to a year at a time. I live in Washington but right over the border from Oregon. I'm lucky because that saves me a lot in tax money. Especially if I need a new big ticket item like a file cabinet or a desk. But if I need to buy a ton of copy paper, ink cartridges, and high quality pens, it also saves me money.
Loyalty is good but...: Try not to be too loyal to one store. Blindly purchasing all your supplies at one chain or shop can put a dent in your budget. To a point store loyalty is good. If say, you have an Office MaxPerks card like me. If I buy supplies at Office Max I do get money back but it's not always the best deal because you can't use the money perks on all items and they expire. So better than loyalty is shopping smart.
Shop smart: This may seem extra basic; but check for sales and look around before you buy. Office superstores like Office Max and Office Depot tend to sell cheaper than local business office supply stores -- but not always. The chain stores buy in huge wholesale amounts and use warehouse stocking which saves you money on the basics like copy paper but smaller chains often have hard to find items at better prices. Check sales flyers, compare online deals, and if you need to, call the store directly and ask what the price is on a certain item.
I'll be back later with some extra savvy saving tips; we're moving on to advanced!
What are some great basic tips you have for saving on office supplies?
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» Save Money On Office Supplies: Savvy Tips from OfficeStuffer
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Tracked on: July 30, 2007 9:37 PM | Permalink to Trackback