School books are an essential item for children and can be high on the list of back to school costs. We have 11 school going kids between us here at Mykidstime and we have teamed up with Irish company The Book Haven to share our 5 top tips for buying school books.

From primary school, through secondary school and into third level education, school books are always a substantial portion of parents’ back to school budget. There are a few tips and tricks that can help. Here we share our top tips for buying school books to help with the process.

Mum Caroline says “be sure to buy early”. Not only are you more likely to get the books you need but often retailers, like Book Haven, will offer seasonal discounts for the early purchase of school books.

Mum Michelle says “it is worth looking out for school books in secondhand school book stores, you can make significant savings by buying secondhand”. Do check that you are getting the latest edition needed for your child. The best way to do this is to compare the ISBN number on the book list with the secondhand book.

You can also make money by selling your old school books too. Or at least get credits towards the cost of your next years school books.

Mum Jill says “if there is one piece of advice I would give on buying school books, it would be to get them covered”. This is especially relevant is you have several children in school who will need the same books.

“I have been that parent battling with sticky back plastic at 1am the night before school starts and it is no fun!”

Many school book suppliers offer covering as part of their service. And often, in June or early July, they have discounts on covering.

Mum Emily recommends “checking online and in-store retailers to see if they have your book list”. It saves you trying to find it in the bottom of your child’s school bag and also means you will get exactly the books you need.

The other benefit of using the stores book list facility is that you can easily check availability and be notified when your school books are in stock.

Email your school booklist to info@bookhaven.ie and The Book Haven will upload your booklist and advise you of the Quick code and this will retrieve the full list.

Mum Fionnuala says “shop online and leave it to the experts! There is nothing more frustrating than setting aside time to buy your school books only to find some are out of stock and you have to go back several times. Or that you have inadvertently picked up the wrong edition of the school book you need and have to return to the store to exchange it”.

By shopping online for your school books you can avoid multiple trips to the book store. Their experts will select the correct editions of your school books and you can collect the order when all the books are in stock.

Online ordering has the added benefit of enabling you to order school stationery, school bags and other back to school essentials from the comfort of your home.

“If they have a delivery service, go for it” is Fionnuala’s final piece of advice!