If you haven’t bought your children’s school supplies yet, unpleasant surprises await you. The bill once again promises to be particularly steep. According to the UFC Que-Choisir, a 10% increase is to be expected on “pens, notebooks, rulers and other materials” compared to last year. These are “stationery products that have suffered the highest inflation, at 14%”, specifies the consumer association. To compensate for these additional costs, the back-to-school allowance, paid in August to 3 million families, has been increased by 5.6%. To avoid blowing your budget, Le Figaro gives you some tips.
If the start of the school year still seems far away, it is better not to wait until the last moment to buy school supplies. “Research [on these products] is more and more anticipated”, notes Henri-Noël Bouvert, general manager of France for Tiendeo, which lists the promotions of the brands. “The groups are also anticipating more and more with promotional offers from the beginning of July,” he adds. Stocks are therefore dwindling over the weeks, until the references are exhausted. If your child wants a particular diary, for example, it is better to buy it in advance, at the risk of having to change the product.
As with food, it is essential to compare the prices of school supplies, which can vary by several cents between two different brands. A set of ten BIC ballpoint pens, for example, is offered at 2.99 euros in a supermarket, while they are displayed at 2.29 euros at a competitor. “You have to be careful, look at item by item and price by price,” says Jamy Belkiri, president of the Families of France consumer association. Being patient will save you a few euros on your receipt.
A plastic ruler, whether Maped brand or private label, will have the same usefulness and will allow your child to draw a straight line. If we compare two rulers of 30 centimeters each, of equivalent quality, that of Maped is offered at 0.99 cents, against 0.79 cents for a Carrefour reference. “The brands offer a lot of alternative offers to classic brands,” explains Henri-Noël Bouvert. Note that some first-price products are at the bottom of the shelves and you sometimes have to keep your eyes open to spot them.
In the same class, or even in the same school, the lists of school supplies requested by teachers are substantially similar. It may therefore be interesting to order around thirty notebooks at once, and to share the bill between all the parents. “Making group purchases allows savings of up to 30%”, assures Jamy Belkiri. If it requires a little organization, the initiative can be led directly by the school management. It remains to discuss the idea with the future teacher of your children. And if it’s too late for this year… Think about it for the next school year.
Paying nothing is still the best way to reduce your re-entry costs. Sites like Leboncoin or Geev offer their users to give away everyday objects for free. In 2022, 150,000 supplies were put online on Geev and the company plans “between 180,000 and 200,000 for 2023”. To find them, all you have to do is fill in your location, look around your home to see if items are available and contact the person who posted the ad. “There are always pens, sheets or bags available”, underlines Hakim Baka, co-founder of Geev, who adds “a peak of searches on the application from August 15”.
Conversely, if your child no longer uses certain supplies, you can create donation announcements for free. This will not only allow another student to enjoy it, but also sort through your drawers.
