Saving on Stationary Expenses

Items usually classified as office stationary include a lot of little things like desktop stationery such as pens, pencils, sticky notes, notebooks, paper, rulers, notepads, glues, clips, staple removers, scissors, staplers, ink stamp inks, index tabs, tape dispensers, hole punches, ink stamp pads, sticky tapes and drawing tools. Desk accessories like organizers, diaries, labels, calendars, filing and archiving supplies, among others, are also typically classified as office stationary. At some point, the supply will run out or you will need to replace these items. So buying office supplies often and at regular intervals will be necessary. Unless, of course, you have a plan – not just on how and when to shop, but also on saving on office supplies costs.

Here are some ways to save on office stationary expenses:

1. Read up, research, compare and then choose. Don’t settle for the first office supplies store – both online and brick and mortar -- that you find. Do a bit of research. Try to find out if the store has a good track and record and has been in business for some time. And check out what previous customers have to say about these stores. Also, take a good look at the products and prices that the stores are offering. Compare, do the math and choose the store that can give you the best prices.

2. Bigger stores often have more impressive inventories. This means that you get more choices in terms of products and prices. And most of the bigger office supply stores – this is true with both online and brick and mortar outlets – have more discounts and promos. That’s because they typically purchase their inventory in bulk and can then easily offer lower prices.

3. If you prefer online stores, you should make sure you are getting detailed information on the products and that you can easily compare prices. The website should also be completely user friendly and easy to navigate. And since you’re online anyway, you can check out the consumer feedback on review sites. Take note that if you decide on shopping online, you need to know if there are shipping costs and exactly how much they would be. Ask how you might be able to get free shipping – some stores offer this if you purchase a certain amount.

4. If your budget allows, go ahead and buy most of the office items in bulk. Buying in larger quantities help you save more on costs for office supplies. But you do have two things to consider: your money will be tied up on these items that you purchased in bulk and you will need to have space for storing these extra items. So, definitely, you don’t have to buy every last office supply item in bulk. Choose which items are used up more frequently and those that you can provide space for.

5. Office supply outlets, particularly the superstores, often have discounts, monthly specials, membership or loyalty discounts and other promos. So always ask about them so you can cut down even more on your office stationary expenses.