Back to school

Every year, towards or near the end of the school year, schools send lists of equipment needed for the next school year. At the same time, malls, office supplies and stationery stores, and even toy stores are on confusing deals. All of them offer a variety of different and strange products, which promise to make our children’s time pleasant and serve them every day at school.

It all starts with a school bag

The school bag, or in its common name: the backpack, is one of the most expensive products in the shopping basket for the return to school: an unbranded bag costs about 140 NIS and a branded bag (a bag with a print of a famous figure) also sells for 300 NIS. No wonder many ask themselves: how do you deal with this case?

Buying a backpack is complex: on the one hand – the high price of backpacks becomes a particularly large expense as many children need a backpack in the family, and on the other hand the desire to give the child the “best”. In addition, the pressure exerted by the children – they want to look the most informed, look for the branded backpack, and do not make it easier.

Do I have to buy a new backpack every year? Before you rush to shop, make sure your child does need a new backpack this year. If you decide yes, think carefully about which backpack to choose. A branded backpack, with a figure that will be obsolete in exactly ten months, and will no longer interest anyone (and neither will the backpack), or a backpack that you can continue to pass on to the younger children in the family. Also check the possibility of purchasing school bags that are not from the new collection, usually they will be cheaper.
But, despite trying to cut costs, remember that sometimes cheap costs dearly. Sometimes a backpack is slightly more expensive but strong and high quality can serve your children for many years.

Not just a pencil and eraser

The backpack should be filled with books and notebooks, pens and pencils. The issue of the price of textbooks has recently come up for extensive discussion, and as a result, the Ministry of Education has begun to implement the textbook loan project. The project is implemented in most schools, and by the beginning of the next school year it will be implemented in all schools in Israel. As part of the project, parents pay a total annual sum of NIS 280 per pupil in elementary school and NIS 320 per pupil in middle and high school, and at the end of the year the books are returned to the school’s lending library. If your child attends a school that has not yet joined the program, it is recommended to purchase the books at used book shops or fairs.

There is no national solution to the issue of stationery and notebooks, and parents must find it themselves. Although prices have fallen this year, here too – the gap between branded and unbranded items can reach tens of percent. Our recommendation is to prepare an organized list, adjust it to your family budget (you can use acalculator), and compare prices between several stores. Sometimes it is even recommended to split the purchase. When you are already in the store, with or without the children, and are exposed to the abundance and the huge supply, it is worth remembering that after all, pencils are perishable, notebooks fill up and markers break down. And we still haven’t mentioned the large amount of equipment that simply “gets lost” whether it’s branded and expensive or generic and cheap.

In order to cope with prices, various purchase groups are set up on Facebook, such as a parent purchase group. These groups often succeed in lowering the price by purchasing directly with the importer. You can also purchase the equipment in a store like 100% Social Business – Office Supplies, which donates 75% of the profits to the association of the buyer’s choice (including Paamonim).

Therules for online shopping will also help you purchase school supplies online at stores like T-Mart, Price Angels and AliExpress.
In conclusion, Paamonim experts have prepared for you a list of tips for wise consumerism when buying school supplies.