August is slowly winding down and it’s time to start thinking about the back to school prep ready for September. There can be a lot to organise – and to buy, especially if you’ve got older kids who need an ever-growing list of school supplies.

All this can soon add up and cost quite a bit. According to a recent Milanuncios survey, 90 percent of families are concerned about the increase in prices of school supplies.

They estimate that they could easily spend up to €300 just on books, stationary, backpacks and uniforms. More than half of these families are considering resorting to second hand items to help cut the costs.

In fact, around 67 percent of those surveyed claims to have bought second-hand textbooks, and 55 percent are considering this for the new school year. Half believe that they could save between €100 and €199 by doing this.

According to news site Cuatro, it is the most expensive return to school in history, with an estimated €492 spent on each child, this is 10 percent more than in 2023. The majority of this will go on books, around €342, which is 17 percent more than last year. 

READ ALSO: Why are books so expensive in Spain?

Keeping this in mind, parents should be armed with all the tricks in the book to help reduce costs, so here are some handy cost-cutting tips: 

Compare prices in different bookshops

The website Ahorra en Libros allows you to compare prices in different bookshops, so you can find the cheapest new books. You can search them easily by using the ISBN number.

Independent bookshops

Many independent bookshops will give you the maximum authorised discount of 5 percent on books for Bachillerato (high school), and up to 10 or 15 percent for primary and secondary schoolbooks, so it’s worth asking for a discount.

READ ALSO – Costs, tax cuts and choices: What you should know about nurseries in Spain 

Second hand websites

Of course, the best way to save money (and to be less wasteful) is to buy second hand. Websites like OkLibros and Relibrea have been set up in recent years specifically to help people find schoolbooks.

Meanwhile many parents have also been using re-sale websites like Wallapop, where users can buy, sell or exchange with people in their neighbourhood.

Some bookshops like La Casa del Libro also have their own second hand book sections, which you can search on their website.

When buying used books, be sure to check that the ISBN number matches the one in the list provided by the school. Text books have to be reedited with new information every few years, so some of them get outdated very quickly.

Regional aid

If you live in Catalonia, there’s a scheme called Ayuda Gremio Llibreters which runs until November 30th. It’s specifically for students who attend public or concertado (semi private) schools in the region and allows them to get two vouchers of €30 to spend on textbooks, literature, stationary or dictionaries. Find out more from your local school or bookshop. 

For those that live in Madrid, you can join the ACCEDE Textbook Loan Programme. It means you can have free access to all the books you need for your children during the school year. At the end of the course, you must hand in the books so that other children can use them for the following year. It works in all public centres that teach Primary Education, Compulsory Secondary Education, Basic Vocational Training and Special Education and you can apply for it through your local school. 

READ ALSO: What are the laws on homeschooling in Spain? 

Check if your Spanish region offers deductions

Some regional governments offer either free text books or pay for part of the price parents pay for them. For the 2024/2025 academic year, Aragón, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, Castilla-La Macha all offer to reimburse the cost of these text books, whilst other regions and provinces help out large or low-income families in other ways with the cost of text books. 

Help for large families 

The Spanish Federation of Large Families is an organisation dedicated to helping bigger families or those with disabled children through aid and benefits. The bookshop Casa del Libro collaborates with them and offers large families a five percent discount on books and eReaders, in addition to offering free shipping from €18. You must be a member of the Spanish Federation of Large Families to benefit.

Getting in touch with other parents at the school

Perhaps the most effective way of swapping books is by getting in touch with other parents. It’s likely many of the books on the curriculum will be the same as the previous year, so it’s worth trying to find someone in the year above who can pass on their books, and someone in the year below who might be able to reuse yours.

The school’s own second-hand scheme

Many schools have been organising their own book swaps, where children effectively “rent” their books and return them at the end of the school year. However, this means the books need to be looked after throughout the year and kept in good condition if you want to get your deposit back.

Youth Culture Voucher 

If your child is heading off to university and hasn’t yet applied for the Youth Culture Voucher, this can be another great way to cut down costs on books. Spain’s €400 youth culture voucher is back for a third year this year and is available to all those who turn 18 in 2024. A maximum of €100 can be spent on physical books.