How to Get More for Less on Teachers Pay Teachers
Do you purchase resources for your classroom on Teachers Pay Teachers?
TpT is one of the best sites around for finding teaching resources. But do you know how to get the most for your money on TpT?
Let me teach you to get the absolute most for your money on Teachers Pay Teachers.
1. Utilize Feedback
Did you know that providing feedback on your TPT purchases is actually a win-win for both you and the seller?
Here's why.
When you provide honest, thorough feedback, sellers understand what works with their products and perhaps what doesn't. We see what interests buyers and what doesn't. It helps us to revise what we currently have listed and shape future products.
It's a win for you because it helps you earn free resources on TpT, helps build relationships with sellers, and enables you to request custom work should you ever need it.
Let's talk about that earning free resources. Here's how it works straight from the TpT site:
You get one TpT Credit for every $ you spend on TpT. Thing is, you only get the Credits after you Provide Feedback -- both a fair rating and a fair comment -- on the items that you purchase. We will round up for you, too! If you provide fair feedback on a $4.75 item, you will earn 5 credits. Every 100 Credits is worth $5 that you can apply towards future TpT purchases, but there is no need to wait until you have 100 to redeem them. 50 credits is worth $2.50, for example.
If you've never left feedback before, the process is really simple. Just log into your account, hover over "My TPT," and click on "My Purchases."
Purchases are divided into two sections - paid and free. If you've already left feedback on an item, it will look like this:
You'll see a thumbs up and a thank you note. If you haven't left feedback, you'll see a flashing star where the thumb should be. Just find the products for which you haven't left feedback and leave it!
Super simple.
Besides earning free resources for yourself, you'll make someone's day like these sweet buyers did for me:
2. Buy Bundles
Many sellers have resource lines, or series, in their stores. For example, one might sell multiple sets of writing prompts - one for each month of the year. You buy one, love it, and head back for more. But, wait! Before you fill your cart with multiple individual resources, check first to see if they offer a bundle.
Just like in a grocery store - when you buy more, you save more.
Many sellers offer bundles of their best resources and they're often listed at a discount of 20% or more. ( All of the bundles in my store are at least 20% off the cost of buying each resource separately - some discounted as much as 35%.)
Some sellers offer growing bundles. This means they have planned a resource line, but don't have it completed yet. Instead, they have one or two parts finished and a timeline for when the rest will be posted. Sellers list a growing bundle containing just a few parts completed and add to it as more are finished.
Purchasing a growing bundle gives you access to the entire line, but at a heavily discounted price - oftentimes a mere fraction of what the completed bundle will be.
Bundles are great items to add to your wishlist for purchasing during Teachers Pay Teachers sitewide sales.
3. Shop the sitewide sales
A few times a year, Teachers Pay Teachers throws a sitewide sale. Most sellers set their stores for 20% off and TpT throws in an extra 5% off when you use a special code. You'll find the absolute best deals during these sales - so shop them when they happen!
Remember these three tips to make sitewide sales even better:
submit feedback on everything you've purchased or downloaded beforehand so that you have a large bank of credits to use
purchase bundles (like me, many sellers allow the extra 25% off their already discounted bundles!)
remember to use the sitewide sale code at check out! (without it, you'll lose that extra 5% off)
4. Open a Class Fund Account
The best way to save money on TpT?
Not spend your own money at all.
TpT Class Fund is a new initiative from Teachers Pay Teachers. Have you heard of or used Donors Choose? This works nearly the same. You create an account, share links with friends or on social media, and raise money for classroom resources. For more information, see the Teachers Pay Teachers Class Fund site.
Following these four simple tips will get you the most bang for your buck on Teachers Pay Teachers. Make every dollar count - you deserve it!
Looking for More Help?
If you’re looking for step-by-step instructions for completing the tips shared here, be sure to check out my Planned Just So™ course. It’s the only planning course of its kind that teaches you step-by-step how to create a year-long instructional plan, design units that are aligned to your standards and keep students engaged, and provide you with tips for making your overall planning routine as simple as possible.
In my course, you will go from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to feeling empowered and in control as you learn the systematic process of creating lesson plans that increase rigor for your students and free time for yourself.
Planned Just So™ will transform your professional life and help you reclaim your personal life. Learn more here.
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