The school season has officially begun, and with that comes a number of expenses for students. Shelves are stocked up with the same back-to-school essentials, but they are now marked at higher prices.
School supplies for college students are already costly, between required technology, textbooks and other miscellaneous purchases. With recent inflation, these materials are costing students more than they have in past years.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index has risen 2.7% in the past 12 months—meaning consumers are paying more at stores.
Finding deal items and sales is a good start for students wanting to combat rising prices as the school year kicks off.
Where to find these deals?
When it comes to back-to-school shopping, technology is often the highest expense on college students' lists. Apple, Best Buy and Target are a few stores with student deals on technology this year.
Glen Adona, a senior studying nursing, used the Apple student discount freshman year to buy iPads for school.
Apple offers deals on iPads, Macs and select accessories for students. Discounts range from product to product, saving students anywhere from $100 to $200 on their cart.
Similarly, Best Buy has a yearly sale for the back-to-school season. Laptops, headphones and printers along with other items go on sale toward the end of summer. Lanai Taylor, a freshman studying clinical exercise science, used this deal to buy a new laptop for the school year.
"It definitely notched (the price) down for me, being a student," Taylor said.
The price of couponing
When it comes to living expenses, food costs can add up, whether students choose to eat out or grocery shop. Couponing is an efficient way for students to get more bang for their buck when buying groceries.
Although most students do not receive direct mail coupons, lots of grocery stores offer mobile apps with discounts that can make a difference at checkout.
Fry's Food and Drug and ALDI grocery stores offer mobile apps where customers can check weekly ads on a variety of food items.
The Fry's Food and Drug app gives customers the ability to clip coupons and apply them during checkout once the phone number or email associated with the account is entered.
Clipping coupons ahead of time allows students to shop intentionally when arriving at the store, avoiding unnecessary purchases and potential food waste.
Adona said memberships at ALDI, Safeway and Target help lower the cost at checkout to stay under budget.
Target gives students a one-time 20% discount on all items and 50% off of its Circle 360 membership. This discount is offered from the end of June through late September. Ranging from bedding to groceries, students can get all the essentials they need at a discounted price.
The treasure in thrifting
Thrifting is both a sustainable and affordable way to shop for back-to-school clothing. With the growth of thrifting culture in media, students are exploring what the world of second-hand clothing has to offer.
Adona is among the students who have made the switch to exclusively purchasing clothing from thrift stores.
About 10 minutes from the Tempe campus is Gracie's Thrift Store, a nearly 50-year-old store that sells an assortment of gently used clothing, furniture, home goods and more.
Store manager Jayce Candrea has been with Gracie's for almost a year, working on "new and innovative ways to create sustainable, ethical and impactful business practices."
Students have a wide selection of options to choose from as the store sells hundreds of thousands of products within a year, and none are exactly the same, Candrea said.
"Every product on this floor comes with a story, and the goal is that we put it on display so that when an individual takes it home, they get to create more stories with it," Candrea said.
Gracie's goal is to make thrifting an easy experience for its customers while not overwhelming the shop with too many products, Candrea said.
"You just have to have an open mind and you might find something that traditionally may not be what you wear, but if it works and it fits you, then it could add another level to your wardrobe," Candrea said.
Whether students are shopping for unique clothing, technology or groceries, there are ways to save themselves from paying inflated prices.
Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, Senna James and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at dbell39@asu.edu.
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Dhemi Bell is a reporter on the Community and Culture desk at The State Press. She is a second-year at Arizona State University. This is her first semester with The State Press.
