College supplies are things that many of us get excited over. If you are a parent, you may be more excited about the fact that your son or daughter is entering college. In this view, you may tend to spend unnecessarily on a lot college supplies that you could easily and cheaply get hold of.
This brief article will guide you through the dos and donts of purchasing college supplies for your kids.
The first thing to consider is where your child is residing at while in college. If he/she is planning to stay at the dorm, which is the usual case, you should not buy many things until you get to see the dorm room.
The common college supplies needed for any kid is extra comfort for the mattress, bed sheets, pillow cases, insulation sheets for winter, quilts and blankets. All these need to be bought only after seeing the size of the mattress or bed that is facilitated at the college dorm.
Additionally, your child will need college supplies such as first aid, drugs for headaches, sore throat etc. plus stationary for college. Remember that although it is a big step, not everything needs to be brand new. So if you can some college supplies at home, it is best to pack them up.
College supplies that you take from home could include books, cds, stationery, laundry supplies, umbrellas, alarm clock, calculators and so on. However, carrying a lot of goods across States is not advisable unless you are driving all the way. If you decide to fly over to college, it is best to buy college supplies from that particular State.
Many State showrooms will put up discounts for college supplies about three weeks after college starts. So if there are things that you dont need immediately, it is best to hold on for a few weeks until the bargains are on.
Another essential college supply is a steamer trunk that comes with a lock. All essential college supplies and personal belongings can go in here for safety while your kid is out of the dorm. Other essentials to look in to at a college dorm are furniture and whether they come with facilities for e.g. to lock a laptop computer on to a table while your son/daughter is away.
As per textbooks, getting in to a trading system or buying used textbooks is the cheapest way out as otherwise; the cost per textbooks alone will easily exceed $500 per semester.