Parents unite in textbook exchange and sale groups to save on school supplies. see options

In the list of expenses that impact families’ budgets at the beginning of the year, school materials leave parents and guardians worried. The prediction of the sector’s industry is that the items are up to 30% more expensive, depending on the type. But a specific part of the list of materials weighs more on the pocket: the Didatic books.

Read more: List of school supplies: prices may vary by up to 1,212% in 2023; see tips to save

The IBGE’s Extended Consumer Price Index (IPCA) calculated that books used in the classroom were 5.21% more expensive last year, almost the same percentage as general inflation, which ended 2022 at 5.79%. In the IPCA-15, considered the inflation preview, the price of textbooks rose 3.46% in January, well above the 0.55% of the general index.

A survey by consultancy Nielsen released with the National Union of Book Publishers (Snel) this week showed that children’s, youth and educational books rose 3.67% between 2021 and last year.

With more expensive books, the way out for many parents is to look for alternative ways to traditional bookstores to try to save some money, such as exchanging with students from older classes or buying used copies.

Maiga Ferreira, 42, is always on the lookout for groups for exchanging and reselling books on social networks when the school term arrives. The teacher is the mother of two boys: João and Joaquim, aged 15 and 11, respectively. She says that, before, she had spent R$ 2,000 on about 20 books, but this year, she will buy only four copies for her two children.

In addition to benefiting from the exchanges, Maiga encourages her children to take good care of the books, which can be used by other students later:

— I think it’s important to remember that this attitude not only helps with the family budget, but also encourages conscious consumption. I like to reinforce that they need to take care of the book, because the next year other children will use it. In my time, I didn’t have that opportunity and I struggled a lot to get my books, because I wasn’t always able to buy them. This practice should happen in all schools.

In addition to groups on social networks that bring together parents and guardians who are selling books and those who are looking for copies, there is also the possibility of the exchange taking place within the schools themselves. This is the case of Colégio Mopi, which organizes an annual book exchange fair.

Lower spending and environmental awareness

At the school, which has units in Tijuca, in the North Zone of Rio, and in Itanhangá, in the West Zone, the didactic and paradidactic books — which serve to complement teaching in the classroom, addressing specific topics — are not all from the same publishing company.

The list varies according to the class and disciplines, based on the indication of what the professors consider most suitable — which, in the evaluation of the school’s executive director, Vinícius Canedo, facilitates the exchange between students.

— When you reduce the purchase of books, it gives parents more room to invest in other parts of the family budget. Today, we have parents who save around R$ 1 thousand. As well as being more sustainable. We work to raise students’ awareness throughout the year that the book is still alive after the end of classes – she argues.

Housewife Gisele Lima Ferreira, 37, managed to save R$1,500 on books for her children João Flávio, 16, and Gustavo, 7, before the boys’ schools adopted their own material. Now, she goes to groups to buy paradidactic and English copies:

— We bought one for R$ 100 that cost R$ 230. It is already a relief, because the weight on the bills is great.

Sales sites are also an option

In addition to groups on networks and even those restricted to parents and guardians of students from certain schools, another way to try to save money on the purchase of textbooks is to look for copies on websites that sell used books. One of the options is the Estante Virtual website, a portal that brings together the used book collection from various parts of the country.

Amazon also bet on the sale of second-hand books. Last December, the retailer launched a specific page for this type of product (www.amazon.com.br/livrosusados), where it is possible to search for works by title or genre. Those who have books that are no longer used can also put them up for sale on the company’s website.

– The page has a selection of works for sale in which it is possible to search by highlights, such as textbooks and school books, literature and fiction – exemplifies Ricardo Perez, general manager of Books at Amazon: –We observe that since the beginning of January, when we started Amazon’s Back to School campaign, there was a growth in the search for used books. – explains Ricardo Perez, General Manager of Books at Amazon.

See some options to save

in networks

In Facebook groups, those who are trying to sell books that will no longer be used can find those who are looking for copies at more affordable prices. Just type keywords like “textbooks” into the social network’s search bar and select the “Groups” option. In some cases, there are neighborhood groups or even specific pages for parents and students from certain schools. In these groups, it is possible to search by the name of the book or publisher, for example. In some cases, there are also groups on WhatsApp.

At Schools

In some schools, there are parent-guardian groups and even lists organized by the school itself that align families who want to sell or exchange old materials with those who need to buy them at a more affordable price. It is worth asking the school coordination if this is an option.

Virtual bookshelf

Another option for buying cheaper books is the Estante Virtual portal. The site brings together booksellers and used bookstores with cheaper copies than in traditional bookstores. But it is necessary to pay attention to the edition number and year of publication indicated in the school list so as not to end up buying the outdated textbook.

selling sites

Sales portals such as OLX, WWN Livre and Enjoei also feature advertisements for textbooks and educational books. Just search for the title of the issue and the name of the editor. It is also possible to filter offers by state and city. But it is necessary to pay attention to the edition indicated by the school in the list.