The end and beginning of the year has arrived, and with it the start of the 2023 school year approaches, which also represents one of the most significant expenses for all families.
In fact, according to a study by the Costa Rican Ministry of Economy (MEIC), the cost of entrance to classes last year it fluctuated between ¢84 thousand and ¢110 thousand per student in public school or college; without considering, obviously, the payment of tuition, books and special uniforms.
In other words, each student requires an investment of around 100 colones only to cover the cost of supplies, the package and the traditional uniform.
And it is that each entrance to classes implies the need to acquire pencils and pens, notebooks, white sheets, geometry game, dictionary, folders, and other elements that will be essential in the educational process of each child, adolescent or young person.
For this reason, in order to assume this moment at the beginning of the school year with greater responsibility and effectiveness, it is important to plan the return-to-school expenses of each of your children. And today, we want to share with you 3 tips to achieve it.
3 tips to deal with back-to-school expenses
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Make a list of all the supplies your son or daughter will need.
If you are unsure about any, ask your school or college.
It is important to know if you will need special sheets or materials, if you can use pens or only pencils, how many notebooks and what type, if they are going to be covered or if you can take them with their original covers. All of that sort of stuff is valuable information in determining the products you definitely need to buy.
Sometimes, we spend more because we buy things that our children will not use in the end, or we overpay for notebook covers with cartoons, but then we have to cover them and cheaper ones would have served us just the same.
Our shopping list must adhere to the real needs of the student and the requirements of the educational institution.
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Quote and compare prices.
Before going shopping, put on some comfortable tennis shoes and go with time to quote and compare prices between shops. It has been shown that the same product can be up to 25% cheaper if you choose the place where you will buy it well.
One of the big mistakes that we make many times is to go shopping without time, with uncomfortable clothes and shoes, so we end up buying everything in the first place that appears to us and paying more.
It is even good to take a day to compare, analyze at home and then go to the stores again, but now, yes, to buy the products.
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Value a loan with good conditions.
Finally, already having a clear list of supplies that you really need and the cost of each thing, you will be able to make a budget and recognize whether or not you have that money.
It may be necessary to acquire a loan for personal expenses to cover the cost of admission to classes, and then pay that amount little by little. In this way, the January slope will not feel so "stopped".
At Coopealianza we offer you personal loans with excellent conditions, comfortable interest rates and long terms. You can start the credit application process by filling out use this form, and it will be a pleasure to accompany you in this important stage.