Save Money on Office Supplies and Expenses

In no particular order, and surely not a complete list, here are some money saving ideas I use and that others recommend as a great way to save money on your office supplies.

1. Save all paper that is printed on one side only and re-use for drafts and internal documents. Can also cut into fourths and use for scratch pads.

2. If you don't *have* to have it, don't buy it! Sounds simple, but all too often we buy office supplies on impulse.. THINK about what you're purchasing *before* you buy.

3. Cut your address box from all mail you receive and, if your mail doesn't have to be impressive, glue or tape it to your own envelopes for your return address. Or buy a rubber stamp with your return address which is still much less expensive than labels or pre-printed envelopes.

4. Recycle! Many companies will pick-up, and even pay you for, plain white paper that you save for them in specially marked bins. Check your yellow pages under paper recycling. The same thing goes for aluminum cans. You're not only helping the environment, but you can make some extra cash, too.

5. Have employees contribute a minimal amount to the coffee fund each week. Even 10¢ per cup helps cut office expenses.

6. Keeping all company vehicles tuned and the tires inflated properly can save up to $100 a year per vehicle.

7. Borrow or rent the items you need, rather than purchasing them. For example, if you need a spiral punch and binder to prepare an annual report, see if you can borrow them from a neighboring business. Or if you need a letter folder for a large, annual mail-out, check into renting one.

8. Shop around. Look for the best prices available on items you use all the time. Try the Internet. Do a word search for the specific items you need. Sometimes you will be amazed at the savings you find this way.

9. Ask your regular supplier for a discount. If you purchase consistently from the same company, week after week, they will often give you a 10%, 20% or even higher discount to continue buying from them.

10. Teach your employees - and yourself - not to waste. Proofread your documents online before printing them, especially if they're several pages long. Use plain paper, or even recycled pager, instead of higher-priced letterhead and laser papers for internal memos and reports. Save the good stuff for times to send to your clients and prospects.

There are MANY other ways to save money in the office. These are just a few to get you thinking. Just as you budget and save and conserve at home, so should you do in your office. The little things definitely pay off in the end.

Article © 1999 Darlene "Dee" Bishop. All rights reserved worldwide.

Warning: include(http://darlenebishop.com/sidebar.html) [function.include]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found in /home/darlene/public_html/articles/save_money_office_expenses.shtml on line 67

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://darlenebishop.com/sidebar.html' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/darlene/public_html/articles/save_money_office_expenses.shtml on line 67