School and office supply shopping can be a pain, especially if you have a ton of things to buy in a short amount of time. If you have multiple children and/or you work in an office, there are some simple tips that can keep you from losing your mind during that time of year.

School

Little things such as buying in bulk can make your life a little easier. A great tip to follow is to make an inventory of everything you have and everything you need. Once you’ve done that, if you have multiple children to shop for, you can cross reference their lists and see how many similarities there are. Buying 1/2 inch binders in bulk, 1 inch binders in bulk and 3 ring binders bulk is common since those are typical items on school lists. Cheap ring binders are incredibly hard to come by, so buying them in bulk can save you a chunk of change.

Office

Most Americans say they will judge their co workers by how tidy they keep their desks, and 8 out 10 people believe that productivity is hindered by clutter. That idea is proven by the fact that $177 billion is lost each year by corporate America due to messy workspaces and time spent trying to find misplaced items. Buying organization items such as printable sticker labels and numbered dividers could help you immensely. Cheap ring binders can also be helpful tools for organizing different paperwork. Also, since-on average- office workers use 10,000 sheets of copy paper each every year, you can buy items in bulk to make things easier!

Most importantly, don’t wait until the last minute for back-to-school shopping! The time crunch in addition to all the things you need to buy on a budget will double your stress level. Another option, if you have to wait until late summer but want to avoid crowds, is to shop online. Cheap mailers can cut down on shipping, and the saved stress may be worth it!