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How can you save money on schoolbooks in Spain?

Everything has gotten more expensive in Spain, and schoolbooks are no exception. With the return to classrooms just around the corner, here are some tricks parents can use to cut costs in terms of textbooks and other material.

how to save money on school books in spain
In 2022, parents in Spain will spend on average €405 per child on 'la vuelta al cole'. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Most children in Spain will be going back to school in the second week of September, which still leaves quite a bit of time to get all the new materials and books. However, it’s best to start as early as possible, as a scramble for books in early September often causes them to run out, and prices to go up. 

In 2021, families in Spain spent on average €386 per child on their return to school, with books and other materials making up about half of the expense. 

In 2022, with rising inflation affecting pretty much all living costs, the overall return to school cost per child inched up to €405, roughly the same as for la vuelta al cole (return to school) in 2023.

For infantil (0 to 6 years), parents can expect to spend €101 per child on schoolbooks, for primaria (6 to 12) it will be €187 and for secundaria (12 to 16) the average expense is €260.

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.

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.

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.

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 2023/2024 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. 

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BANKING

EXPLAINED: How to change bank accounts in Spain

Deciding to change bank accounts can feel like a big decision. Fortunately in Spain the process is incredibly quick and easy if you know what you're doing.

EXPLAINED: How to change bank accounts in Spain

So you want to change bank accounts in Spain. Maybe you’re fed up of the customer service and branch opening hours. Or maybe you’ve had enough of paying the various extra charges and commissions many Spanish banks charge account holders. 

Whatever the reason, changing bank accounts can feel like a big decision. For many people, it can be something we put off despite knowing that we could be saving ourselves time (and even money) in the long run.

This could be because it feels like a hassle, or perhaps because you’re well versed in the difficulties that can arise when trying to get anything administrative done in Spain.

READ ALSO: The Spanish bank accounts with no extra charges in 2024

Fortunately, the process of changing bank account in Spain is surprisingly easy, and very quick.

This is because the Banco de España did a review in 2022 and changed the rules on switching accounts to make it easier for customers, putting the onus on banks themselves to actively collaborate.

This was also done to better allow customers to move between banks in order to benefit from the best offers on the market, and the banks should complete the account transfer within a period of 13 days.

READ ALSO: Can you pay taxes in Spain with a foreign bank account?

How to change bank accounts in Spain

It really is very simple (and entirely free) to change bank accounts in Spain.

All you need to do is, firstly, choose your new bank and open an account there. Once you’re registered customer there, you’ll need to request an account transfer with your new bank. In Spanish this is known as a traslado de la cuenta.

You’ll also need to choose a date.

Then, after that, the banks take care of everything. Your old bank will transfer your balance, bills and even any direct debits out standing orders that you had set up on your old account. You can specify which ones you do or don’t want transferring over.

All of this is free, according to Banco de España regulations, as long as both banks are in Spain. It really is that simple!

There’s a handy video guide by Banco de España below that walks you through the process:

The steps to change banks accounts in Spain

So, in summary, the steps are:

  1. Open account at new bank.
  2. Ask for account transfer at new bank.
  3. Indicate the date you want to make the change.
  4. The banks take care of the rest!

READ ALSO: LISTED: The Spanish bank accounts you can open with just a NIE number

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