No college fund? No trust fund? Not enough scholarships? You’re not alone—and you’re probably one of the many students looking for ways to save money.
Sadly, school supplies are a recurring expense that can add up quickly.
Year after year, students and their families keep rebuying school supplies, such as notebooks, notebook paper, planners, pencils, pens, etc.
You get the hint. We kept rebuying these things because we needed them. Most of which don’t last and end up thrown away after a few months.
The good news? A few smart supply swaps can save you money year after year.
Here are three school supplies that help you save money over time by reducing how often you need to replace them.
This site contains affiliate links, please view our disclaimer policy for more information.
1. Reusable Notebook
Every time a new semester starts, you either always get a new notebook or notebook paper for your binder. Before long, those notes get tossed, misplaced, or completely forgotten.
It’s a no brainer. They are one of the most frequently replaced school supplies.
While many students rely on laptops for note taking, some classrooms discourage their use, seeing them as more of a distraction than a learning tool.
A reusable notebook, like Rocketbook, can help change that.
A reusable notebook with college-ruled sheets that include Smart Titles and Smart Tags to name and organize files efficiently.
With the Rocketbook's App, all you need to do is:
- Write in your Rocketbook with Erasable Pens
- Scan the pages to digitize your notes
- Erase your writing
- Reuse the Rocketbook
Personally, I have the app hooked up to my Google Drive. I’ll write, scan my papers, and upload them to Google Drive. Sometimes, I’ll just send my papers to myself via email.
The Rocketbook app can read your handwriting, even if it’s in cursive. If someone needs to read your notes and your handwriting is hard to understand, the app can place typed text over your writing so everything is clear and easy to read.
If I can’t remember a specific note, I just type what I remember into Rocketbook and it finds it for me.
That kind of convenience is my main reason why I’ve stuck with Rocketbook for so long.
I have used Rocketbook since my early college days. After buying Rocketbook Core, I never needed to buy another notebook.
Because of that long-term use, it’s easy to see why Rocketbook is such a smart choice.
If your goal is to save money while staying organized, a reusable notebook like Rocketbook Core is a great investment.
2. Reusable Planner
Another thing that goes hand-in-hand with notebooks are planners.
Planners are another school supply people buy every single year. Once the dates expire, the planner is no longer useful, even if you didn’t get to use many of the pages.
If you like the planner you were using, you would also have to wait nearly an entire year before you can get the same one again.
A reusable planner, like Rocketbook Flex, solves this problem.
A smaller reusable planner with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual pages.
With the Rocketbook App, all you need to do is:
- Write in the Rocketbook with Erasable Pens
- Scan the pages to digitize your notes
- Erase your writing
- Reuse the Rocketbook
With erasable pages, reusable planners let you use the same planner year after year.
No need to replace it when the calendar changes or plans shift.
Most of these planners typically have weekly schedules, goals, and to-do lists that can be wiped clean whenever you make updates.
I personally use the Rocketbook Flex in the executive size. It’s compact to fit in my mini backpack or purse, which makes it perfect for carrying around everyday.
If I don’t bring my Rocketbook Core with me, I always have this ready in my mini backpack.
The planner’s layout is simple but practical. It has:
- 7 daily pages
- 2 weekly planner pages
- a year calendar
- a year review
- pages for just note taking
Having all of this in one reusable pllaner has helped me stay organized and save money from buying anymore physical planners.
3. Refillable Pens
Erasable pens are a small change that can make a big difference.
When you make a mistake with a regular pen, you either cross it out, white it out, or start over. Starting over makes you not only waste paper, but your time and ink.
Erasable pens let you fix mistakes instantly without wasting anything away.
When used with reusable notebooks and planners, erasable pens complete the system for helping you save money.
If you don’t know where to start with erasable pens, I recommend these assorted pens.
- Refillable
- Quick Drying
- Erasable
These pens can help you save money by helping you reduce paper waste, works well with reusable supplies, and works as a normal pen on regular paper.
These pens have the eraser at the back of these pens. All you have to do is slide the pen’s clip to show or hide the pen’s ballpoint.
I will warn you that on reusable notebooks and planners, just wet a paper towel or a cloth and just erase your writing that way.
The pen’s erasers work good only on regular paper.
Though, keep in mind that these pens are sensitive to heat. If it’s too hot, the ink will fade.
Should you need a refill you can just find the refillable ink cartridges here.
If you want to save money on school supplies, reusable tools are a smart choice. The products above may cost more upfront, but they pay for themselves over time.
By switching to these three supplies, you can save money, reduce waste, and stay organized throughout the school year and beyond.
