First, let me give this disclaimer: I love pinterest just as much as you do. I love browsing and scrolling through photos that are inspirational, beautiful, and simply perfect. I love seeing the extent and range of people’s creativity showcased; it’s a beautiful thing.
…But as Nick Carroway from The Great Gatsby would put it, I’m “too old to lie to myself and call it honor.” So while I love to browse and be inspired by pinterest, I have no delusional hope whatsoever that the aesthetics of my life will ever resemble it; it’s just not my priority.
Saving money, however, is always my priority! My parents taught me to love a great deal (who doesn’t?) and to not be wasteful. I have vivid memories of my great-grandmother carefully hand-washing, line-drying, folding into neat squares and then re-using aluminum foil. She lived through the Great Depression, and those thrifty habits served her well for many years.
While I admit that I am slightly more reckless than her in this category (I often use aluminum foil just once), I do look for opportunities to re-use and upcycle as much as possible. It’s thrifty, creative, and makes me feel like I’m doing something good for the environment.
Before kids/after kids, two incomes/one income, supporting just myself/supporting a family of 6, bankrupt/livin’ large, one job/multiple jobs to make ends meet…I’ve done them all. But at heart I am always a bargain shopper. Even if I have the money to afford a higher priced item, if I genuinely think it’s overpriced, I won’t buy it just based on principle.
- This is why I love library book sales where I get 25+ books for $5 instead of $25 for one new book at a bookstore (because you and I both know that kids are going to rip pages and crack the spine within a matter of days…)
- This is why I love shopping at thrift stores, to snag a great dress for $3 and a purse for $5, or a whole season’s wardrobe for my kids for $15 per child.
- This is why in our house we buy peanut butter in glass jars; when they’re empty, we wash and re-use them as drinking glasses.
So what are the best money-saving strategies for a classroom? Here are my real-life recommendations.
Tip #1: Function over Form
Don’t be married to a pinterest-perfect classroom. Instead, sell out to a classroom that functions the way you need it to: smoothly and efficiently. I am a big fan of developing a bin system. The categorization possibilities are endless (do whatever works for you), but get yourself some bins! It is so much tidier and easier to organize.
Bins can be super-cheap or even free! When I moved to my new school, I “splurged” for the first time (after 17 years) and bought some bins that match our school colors…from the Dollar Tree (grand total $3.75+ tax). But for YEARS my homework bin was the bottom half of a cardboard box that was the original packaging for some folders: it was just the right size for standard 8.5×11” paper.
Cost? Free, if you consider that I was going to buy the folders anyway; why throw away a perfectly good box? And that cardboard box lasted me years. Yes, I did have to tape the corners after awhile…but I wasn’t concerned that it wasn’t the greatest aesthetic; it got the job done!
Tip #2: Maximize Free Resources
Everybody loves free stuff. If you are in a position of authority (department head, administration, school board, PTSA, etc.) the following examples are practices that you could implement pretty easily and cheaply to boost the morale of your team and help them feel appreciated. If you’re not in a position of authority in your current role, it wouldn’t hurt to make the suggestion to whoever is!
Example #1: Extra Miscellaneous Budget Money & a Group Trade Supply Room
In my first school, the department head was an incredible friend, teacher, and mentor (love ya, Lu)! We always knew she appreciated us, and her thoughtfulness was unrivaled. Each year the school would give her a certain amount of money to spend on things needed in our department. Aside from the big-ticket items like books, she always used a portion of the money to buy basic school supplies like white-out, post-its, pens, paper clips, etc. Then she would divvy it all up, and when we returned to school in the Fall, we would each have a personalized goody bag waiting for us on our desks. It was a small gesture that really showed consideration and made a big impact.
We also had a supply room where all the teachers would contribute random things they no longer wanted or needed; it was a free community trade and it was GREAT! As a brand new teacher, I got folders, desktop organizers, staplers, tape dispensers, tacks, rubber bands, index cards, and more, all for free. As a more seasoned teacher, I was then able to give back and contribute as well.
Again, these are relatively simple ideas that could be implemented by anyone at your school, but they make a big difference in helping teachers to feel appreciated!
Example #2: PTSA & Community Donations for Schools
At my second school, the community has a couple of larger-scale programs for its teachers. Firstly, I was shocked when the PTSA sent out an email my first year there asking teachers to submit a wish list of anything they needed for their classrooms. The only thing I could really think of that I would like to get (but couldn’t afford to buy for myself) is this lockdown emergency kit, at around $100:
Several years ago a lockdown happened at my school that lasted for over 3 hours.
We did not know at the time what was happening or if this was a real threat (thank goodness it turned out not to be).
All we knew was that we had to keep waiting quietly (I was pregnant at the time…boy, did I spend a lot of that 3 hours praying).
Amazingly, no one in my class had a restroom emergency during that time. However, when it was over, I did hear stories of other classes where students had to go empty out buckets after the lockdown. Yup, they were cleaning the chamber pots.
I remember thinking:
- I’m glad that didn’t happen in my class!
- What’s to prevent that from happening in my class?
We’ve all experienced our own personal bathroom emergencies, and we all know that it just isn’t always physically possible to wait 3 hours for a restroom if you need one. I thought of how potentially mortifying it would be for myself or any of my students to be put in that position. So I wanted the emergency bucket as insurance: you pay for it and then hope you never use it.
Anyway, to my great surprise, the PTSA bought it for me and delivered it to my school! What an amazing blessing. If your school or PTSA doesn’t have a program like this for teachers, why not suggest it? It will benefit your whole staff, boost teacher morale (sorely needed these days), and is in my opinion a better use of funds than a free T-shirt or staff breakfast once a year. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
The second program at this school requires donations from the community. Local businesses and individuals donate school supplies, and the district hosts a pop-up store four times per year. Each year, every classroom teacher is granted 100 “points” to spend in the store (it’s kind of like the supply closet at school #1, just on a much bigger scale). I usually get pencils, pens, whiteboard markers and erasers, hand sanitizer, lined paper, binders, folders, stickers, classroom posters, craft markers, colored pencils, tissues, etc. The amount of supplies I walk out with for 100 points would easily cost me about $150 if I bought it myself at a store. I get so excited to shop for free here each year!
If your school doesn’t have a program like this one, it would take a little bit of effort or hustle to get it up and running, but would really be worth it. You could approach local office supply stores or even department stores like Walmart, etc. We’ve all seen the local grocery chains and restaurants partner with school fundraisers; this would be a way to just allocate that generosity differently.
Let’s face facts: in light of the national teacher shortage, schools are scrambling not only to hire teachers, but to keep the ones they already have. Thousands of schools are trying to brainstorm ways to attract and retain teachers. Small gestures of appreciation go a long way towards breeding loyalty and employee satisfaction.
Tip #3: Make it a Class Project
This is one that I learned within my first few years of teaching from a colleague/mentor/friend who always had my back (thanks, Tina!): the tissue box project. It’s ingenious, easy to grade, and stocks your classroom to the brim with free tissues!
I’ll be sharing a free template for this on my resources page in the near future, but the gist of it is this: students read a book. Then they do a modified book report project, using 5 or 6 sides of a new, full tissue box. This then floods your classroom with all the tissues you could possibly need for the winter and allergy seasons (Fall, Winter, Spring…wait a minute…that’s the whole school year!), with surplus left over to share.
Although I’ve always taught high school, I suggested this idea to my husband when he first started teaching 3rd and 4th grade in a small Christian school, and it worked great for elementary, too!
Another way to use class projects is as decorations–so you don’t have to buy them! I’ve always had a few corkboards/bulletin boards in my classrooms as part of the permanent fixtures, but I’ve never (let me say that again: NEVER ) purchased fancy paper or borders to cover them up. Instead, give your students creative visual projects to do and display them on the board! This could literally work for any grade level, any subject.
Plus, you get the bonus teacher points of being creative, engaging students with alternative forms of assessment, incorporating projects that speak to visual learners, validating student voice as important in the classroom, creating a classroom culture that values student contribution…and if you can manage to time it to be on display before Open House, Meet the Teacher Night, parent-teacher conferences, or your annual administrative formal observation, even better.
Honestly though, this is not pandering to any of these things or doing something just for appearances.
It’s just that good teaching is good teaching, and when you do it, you organically and automatically check off all those boxes of the trendy education buzzwords.
Tip #4: Re-Use & Re-Purpose
Another simple and thrifty tip I learned from my awesome mentor Lu was to use paper that you’re planning to recycle as note paper instead. As long as it’s printed on only one side and there’s no sensitive personal information (don’t use a printed copy of a student’s IEP or an email…), cut it into squares and voila! You have scrap paper to write notes, lists, use as bookmarks, impromptu hall passes, etc. You don’t need to buy fancy personalized note pads, even from The Dollar Tree. (Speaking of fancy notepads: the only ones I do have are those that various businesses send to me for FREE with matching address labels. Are you getting the same junk mail I am? Open those envelopes for the freebies before you toss them)!
Lu also taught me to re-use manilla folders. I came up in the generation of teachers that used paper files and filing cabinets (by the end of year 17 I had 8 drawers filled). Each student had a writing portfolio stored at school that was a folder with their name on it. Once the student graduated, those folders just got thrown out…unless someone scooped them up to use them. In a school where the graduating class was around 800, that’s a lot of folders every year.
But I saw Lu take the folders, cross out the name on the tab, turn it inside out, and there you go: good as new for the next student to use. So I copied her, and then upped the game by writing in pencil, or using white-out once both sides had been used so that I could write on the tab again and continue to use the folder.
Tip #5: Know Where to Shop
The Parent-Teacher Store has great stuff, but you can get away with shopping for a fraction of that cost! As with most things, knowing where to shop makes a huge difference.
Here’s a short list of my favorites:
- Dollar Tree & Family Dollar: You can get pretty much any of the basic things you’d need for a classroom for $1-$5 per item. In addition to the school/office supply aisle, don’t forget to look in the craft aisle, housewares, and seasonal sections. Get creative!
- Thrift Stores: There are SO many around; just use google maps in your area to search and you’ll probably be surprised. Bonus: these are usually owned by local folks and/or connected to a charity, so you are helping the environment (less goes in the landfill when you buy it secondhand), supporting local business, helping charity, and saving money. WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN!
- Habitat ReStore: Although this is a thrift store, I gave it its own bullet point here because it’s really one of my favorites. In addition to having super-low everyday prices, they also usually have a “free” area outside the front door. The items there will be a very random mixture, but I have found some great stuff there before I even enter the store!
- Facebook Marketplace: One of my favorite places to shop for almost anything. I like it better than browsing yard sales because you can target search for exactly what you’re looking for, price compare between sellers, and negotiate prices online before you even get in your car to go anywhere. Just make sure you always use good online safety sense! (Meet in a public place and/or don’t go alone, use fb messenger and don’t give your phone number out, etc. Sometimes I will set up the purchase and then send my husband to do the pick up, too).
- Michael’s Craft Store: I don’t shop here regularly because it’s not the cheapest, but I do love to browse 🙂 (Speaking of free, they also have “Make Breaks” once a week which is a free craft class for kids)! For great deals here, they often have deep discount sidewalk sales to get rid of inventory at the end of a season. Also, ALLLLLL the way in the back of the store is the bargain bin. It can be hit or miss, but it’s worth looking at! The front of the store also has small cubbies lined up in front of the registers filled with various inexpensive items: you might just find a gem.
- Amazon…of course: We all know there are some great deals to be had on Amazon, especially if you have Prime same day/next day free delivery (don’t get me started on shipping costs…I’ve been known to simply not order from a merchant if they don’t have free shipping…)! Also, they have the distinct advantage of the convenience of delivering goods to you instead of you having to drag your kids out of the house with you to the store.
Tip #6: Re-Use What You’ve Already Got
It’s slow-going, but last January I started a passionate mission to DE-CLUTTER our house. With 4 kids, most days it just feels like we are drowning in THINGS, and I was starting to notice a correlation between this and my stress level. So far it’s been slow-going (mostly because of the time needed to tackle it with 4 small kids running around), but we are making progress!
Is there is anything you already have that you can live without at home, but which would also serve a good purpose in your classroom? Maybe some interesting knick-knacks, posters or pictures, or even furniture? I have brought all of these types of items into my classroom from home, and it does two things at once: gives me more breathing room at home, and serves a function in my classroom, for FREE!
Tip #7: Make it a Class Project for OTHER Classes!
Speaking of furniture, if there is something specialized that you’re really dreaming of for your classroom, another option is to approach the shop teacher with your idea and ask if there’s a possibility that one of his/her students could make it for you as a class project.
Most often I’ve seen this take shape as small tables and shelves that adorn faculty bathrooms and teacher classrooms. Are they aesthetically pinterest-perfect? Usually not. But do they work, and are they cheap? Yes and yes!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully there are a few strategies from this list that you feel like you could try right away to save yourself some money in the classroom.
Just remember: if you can’t judge a book by its cover, then you can’t judge a classroom by that either.
When it comes down to it, a productive and well-run classroom does not have to be the prettiest one in your hallway: it has to be built on efficiency, organization, and proper functioning.
Sometimes, a cardboard box with tape on the corners will do that job just fine.
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