Ready for the new school year and your home office: the complete office checklist
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
A no-nonsense office and school supply list for August: what you really need, what often goes unused, and how to save money by buying in sets. With tips for a back-friendly workspace.
Mid-August, things start to change at home. Agendas reappear, the first school letters drop onto the doormat, and somewhere at the bottom of a drawer, there's a pencil case with three empty ballpoint pens. Whether you're sending a child to secondary school, starting a new academic year yourself, or simply want to spruce up your home office before things get busy again: this is the time to take a good look at what you need. And especially: what you do not need.
Below is a straightforward list. Not twenty items that look good in a photo, but items you will actually use in September.
The Basic List: What You Really Need
For almost everyone—student, pupil, or remote worker—it boils down to the same core. Writing, marking, organizing, sending. The rest is supplementary.
With these six items, you're basically ready for a school year. Together, they cost less than one expensive backpack gadget, and they last longer.
What usually goes unused
Let's be honest: every year, money is spent on items that no one touches. Think of sets with twelve marker colors where only three are used, expensive agendas that remain empty after October, and loose folders in five sizes. Only buy these if you find you miss them. Also, wait to purchase subject-specific items until after the first week of school—teachers often only then communicate what they really want to see.
Writing Utensils and Marking
Pens are consumables. They get lost, they leak, they disappear into someone else's pencil case. Buying them individually is therefore rarely smart. A set of ten ballpoint pens for € 2.00 means you put five in your pencil case, three in the desk drawer at your workspace, and two in the kitchen drawer—and you'll still be able to write in November.
For marking, a set of four markers (€ 4.00) suffices. Four colors are enough to distinguish between main points, minor details, questions, and deadlines. More colors mostly lead to pretty summaries that you can no longer read.
The difference between a calm and a chaotic year rarely lies in the agenda. It lies in the question: where do I put this? Make sure every type of paper has a designated place.
Stapling and fastening. A box of 3000 staples for € 2.60 lasts for years and prevents loose sheets.
A tidy desk is not an aesthetic matter but a matter of concentration. Every time you search for something, you break your focus. Three things really help.
Firstly: one collection point for small items. The multifunctional desk organizer (€ 5.00) keeps your phone, pens, and charging cable in one spot, so the desktop remains clear.
Thirdly: tape that stays put. A tape dispenser (€ 6.00) seems superfluous until you realize how much time you spend looking for the end of a loose roll. For opening packages and trimming tabs, a set of snap-off knives, 3 pieces (€ 4.95) is more practical than scissors.
The biggest savings are not found in discounts but in purchasing format. Individual items are almost always more expensive per piece than the same items in a set. A few calculations from this list:
Ten ballpoint pens for € 2.00 works out to € 0.20 per pen. One single pen in a shopping street will quickly cost you more.
Practical tip for families: create one shared supply drawer instead of individual sets for each child. You buy in bulk once and replenish from that drawer. This saves money and avoids arguments about whose pen that was.
A Workspace That Saves Your Back
Students and remote workers easily spend six to eight hours a day sitting. A few adjustments cost little and save a lot:
Make sure the top edge of your monitor is roughly at eye level. A stack of thick books under your laptop works fine.
Feet flat on the floor, knees at about a right angle. If you're sitting too high, use a sturdy box as a footrest.
Forearms supported, shoulders relaxed. If your shoulders are shrugging, the desk is too high.
Stand up every half hour. That's more important than any accessory.
Tidying up at the end of the day
Finish with two minutes of tidying up. Everything loose back into the organizer, papers in one pile or folder, and caps on the markers. Wipe the desk with a surface cleaner 80S 150 ml (€ 3.95) and put a bottle of hand sanitizer 150 ml (€ 2.95) in your bag for on the go. The next morning, you start at a clean desk instead of yesterday's mess—that saves more ramp-up time than you think.
Get Started
Go through the basic list above once, see what you already have at home, and only supplement what's missing. View the full range in Office & School, Office Supplies, Desk Accessories, and Office Essentials. Questions about stock, delivery time, or larger quantities for a school, association, or office? Feel free to email info@verpakkingdeals.nl—we're happy to help you figure out what you need and what you can safely skip.
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