Did you know teachers don’t make a lot of money? I know, “Duh!!” We are forever scavenging for classroom resources that don’t cost a pretty penny.

My husband dragged me kicking and screaming into the thrifting world. He is quite frankly, the Cheapest Man Alive. We resell on Ebay, and it actually grew on me.

Thrifting is the best way to buy classroom resources and products. You can find some exciting materials for not a whole lot of money.

Here are my tried and true tips for stocking your classroom with new and used materials for a fraction of the high price of Lakeshore.

Saving at Savers

1. Books– Books are a large part of the classroom resources in the majority of rooms. Savers has the best selection of children’s books known to man, outside of your local library.They are the place to go for all things book-related. 
   • They have classic picture books that have been saved by your parents, and they are just now donating. The old books by Dr. Seuss that you read as a child are there, as well as plenty of easy readers.
   • You will experience many childhood flashbacks. I see Archie Comics, Hardy Boys, old Nintendo and Atari games, Coleco hand held electronics, and the list goes on and on. I buy the picture books in themes for my kindergarten classroom. Holiday lots are in great supply.Savers has plenty of books in each category every time I go.
   • I collect books from the same author for author’s studies. Eric Carle, Mercer Mayer, and Robert Munsch books abound!
   • In addition, upper grade teachers will also find a vast supply of chapter books and novels. On many occasions, class sets can be found. Many classroom resources are available for middle school and high school.
   • Mondays are Happy Hour for book lovers. Half price day!! Yay! Buy 4 and get the 5^th book free. This averages .45 cents a book. Most of the books are in great condition and many are hard cover. If you are there on another day of the week, hide the books you want until Monday. 🙂 Increase your library quickly!!

2. Puzzles and Games– For the younger grades, puzzles and games can add tremendous benefits to your classroom resources. They have many unopened puzzles and games.

We find LeapFrog products on a daily basis. Older models such as the LeapPad 2 are priced very low. I created a center of 4 with the LeapPad 2 for about 20 dollars. Amazing, am I right?

We found a LeapPad 3 the other day for 5.99. They are 137.00 new on Amazon. Score!!!

Goodwill

1.  Center Activities- I find the most used and new center activities from Lakeshore, Trend, and Carson Dellosa at Goodwill. Teachers change grade levels and give stuff away because we have too much stuff! Goodwill prices learning centers usually between 3.99 and 6.99. That is a significant savings if you have ever shopped at Lakeshore. Learning centers are priced between 20 and 40 dollars.

 These classroom resources are my favorite to find. I am always looking for center activities. Surprisingly, many items I find are still in the plastic wrap. 

More than likely, a teacher has every intention to use the product, but moves to a different position, or other curriculum resources took precedent.

 These items are hard to make, and I am that kindergarten teacher that doesn’t like to make things. Our time is valuable. Am I right?

2. Teaching Supplies- Goodwill has a plethora of what I would call miscellaneous classroom resources. There is always an assortment of scrapbook paper for student scrapbooks.

Also, Goodwill has all kinds of binders, used and new. I buy these for my end of the year scrapbooks. Students create a page a month. Parents can be asked to buy these binders for their child to save costs.

In addition, classroom resources such as glue, yarn, pencils, staples, and construction paper are always well stocked and cheap.

Every kind of flashcard made for education is here at Goodwill. Math, Spanish, English, sight words and even algebra are in the supply aisle.

Tips from A Professional Thrifter

1. When you see a cart at Goodwill or Savers

You need to run like Black Friday shoppers trying to get the last Furbie. I realize that was a while ago. A cart means new merchandise untouched by human shopper hands. This is where the good deals are.

2. Make use of shoppers’ club cards.

You can only get the deep discounts if you have a Club Card. Savers has 25 percent off the whole store on Thursdays and 50 percent off on Mondays. Also, Goodwill sends you texts on when their sales are on a regular basis. Teachers get 10 percent off everyday and 20 percent off on Wednesdays. You just need to show your id once. They register your savings on your VIP card.

3. Bring your phone and download an Ebay app.

These apps have scanning tools that allow you to see the market value of each item. This is a great way to make sure you are getting a killer deal.

4. Look everywhere

Don’t neglect aisles. People dump great items everywhere. We have found the best classroom resources in the beauty or electronics sections of the store. Do a quick scan in each section of the store.

5. Location, Location.

Some stores are better than others for classroom resources. Better socio-economic areas have better products. Also, managers determine pricing, so some stores have lower priced items.

So, there you have it. Make a fun weekend and stock up on classroom resources for your school year. It really is an enjoyable way to add value and excitement to learning activities. When you have new classroom resources, the teacher and students mutually benefit. Become a Goodwill Guru today.