How to save money on TpT (and even shop for free)
Do you love getting things on sale? How about free? I think we would all say, “YES, of course we do!” We work really hard for the money we have, and we want to spend that money wisely. So, it stands to reason that we want to save money on TpT.
But have you ever asked yourself, “How do I save money on Teachers Pay Teachers? There are actually a few ways to get your Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) resources for free or at least cheaper than the listed price.
Do you want to know my secrets for rarely paying full price for the TpT resources I purchase?
I’m going to give you three tips for saving money on Teachers Pay Teachers.
But, before we start talking about getting amazing deals, make sure you have taken the time to read the other two posts in The Essential Guide to TpT including, Finding the Perfect Resources, and Maximizing Your Searches on TpT. These posts will help you take complete control of your Teachers Pay Teachers experience by directing you to the exact resources you want in a fraction of the time!
Don’t worry, I’ll be right here waiting on you when you return. 🙂
So, are you ready to tackle the last piece of the puzzle? Let’s start saving money!
How to Save Money on TpT
1. Shop Sales
This may seem glaringly obvious, but hang with me. TpT has site-wide sales fairly consistently, and sellers are allowed to throw sales whenever they choose. This begs the question…when do these sales occur? Well, site-wide sales typically happen some time during the following months.
- August (Back to School)
- November (Black Friday, Cyber Monday)
- February (Valentine’s Day)
- May (End of the Year)
It’s up to individual sellers whether they choose to throw a “shop” sale during these times. However, most sellers will choose to coordinate shop sales with the site-wide sales.
This means that a seller may have 20% off her shop, and TpT will provide you with a code to provide an additional 10% off of your total. This is a fairly substantial discount when you combine the two.
Sellers also have the freedom to throw flash sales of their own whenever they desire. They may choose to do a sale for one day or for a week. Some sellers also have a reduced rate on new products for the first 48 hours after the items are posted to TpT. (I’ll give you more information about each of these in tip three!)
2. Leave Feedback
Every single time you spend money on TpT through purchasing a resource, you have an opportunity to earn TpT credits immediately to use toward future purchases. For every dollar you spend, you earn 1 credit.
So, let’s say you bought 3 items. The prices for the individual items were $3.00, $5.00, and $7.00. If you rate each product, and leave appropriate feedback, you could earn 15 credits. You might be wondering what appropriate feedback looks like.
It can be as simple as “thank you” or “I love it.” Those are completely appropriate responses, but sellers really appreciate meaningful responses like “My students are going to love this activity!” or “We just finished talking about frogs, and this project will wrap up our study perfectly!”
In both cases, you earn credits, but it is so encouraging for sellers to receive authentic feedback.
How to Leave Feedback
Well, if you’ve already made purchases, and never left feedback, you can access all of your purchases by clicking on the dropdown box beside your name. You’ll see the section that says “My Purchases.” This is where you can locate all of the resources you’ve invested in. (By the way, my drop down menu looks different from yours because I’m a seller. I have several sections that shoppers don’t have!)
If you haven’t left feedback, you will notice a place below the title of each product that says “Provide Feedback.” By clicking this link, you’ll be taken directly to the rating section for that item. (Obviously, I’ve already provided feedback for this resource, but this is where the link is located. Then once you have left your rating, you will get this message.)
As soon as I download my purchase and check it out, I take a few minutes and leave feedback. This way, I don’t forget!
TpT Credits
After you’ve submitted your feedback, you can check your TpT credits by going back to your account at the top. In the drop down box, you’ll see the heading for “TpT Credit Balance”. You can check your current balance anytime. As you earn and redeem credits, your balance will reflect the changes so you don’t have to keep up with the total!
When you click the link, you’ll be taken to a screen that shows your current balance of credits. Below your balance, you can read all about how they work, as well as how to redeem them. One thing to note is that you’re required to have a minimum of 20 credits before you can redeem them.
However, the credits are cumulative so that means that if it takes you a year to accumulate 20 credits, you can use them then. This is also great news if you want to stockpile them. Personally, I have a tendency to spend mine as fast as I earn them.
But whether I spend them immediately or save them up for a larger purchase, they are still one of the easiest ways to save money on TpT.
I love providing feedback because sellers work extremely hard on the products and resources they post, and I love to shower them with well-deserved praise. It also doesn’t hurt that the credits are like free money!
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do like to saving money on TpT. And when I save money, it gives me the opportunity to purchase more resources for my kids!
3. Follow Sellers
You may be thinking, “How does following a seller help me save money on TpT?” I’m so glad you asked because it has A LOT to do with it!
When you follow sellers, you’ll receive automated emails from TpT each time they post a new product. Remember in tip one I told you that some sellers have the newly posted items on sale for the first 24-48 hours?
Well, receiving these emails gives you a heads-up on resources you might want to check out. If you see something you like, snag it at a discounted rate!
Also, by following your favorite sellers, you’ll receive correspondence on TpT about product updates and shop sales. This is different than the emails you receive from TpT to your email provider.
Because TpT does NOT give your email address to sellers, the only way you can be reached by a seller is through your TpT inbox.
Accessing your TpT Inbox
To find your inbox, go to the drop down menu beside your name (again), and just below the “TpT Credit Balance” link is the “Inbox” link. By clicking this, you’ll be taken to your TpT inbox.
Remember, this is the only way sellers can communicate with you, and the TpT staff moderates all emails before they are sent to shop followers. If you have any new notifications about messages, a number will show up beside the “Inbox” link.
Remember, this will be the only place you receive these specific notifications since sellers do not have a direct link to your primary email provider.
When you get to your inbox, it looks similar to any other inbox. You can read, check, and delete just like you normally do.
Be sure to mark your calendars now with all of the important sale dates. That way you’re saving money on TpT every time you shop. Then, make sure you’ve left appropriate feedback on all of your purchases. Finally, follow all of your favorite sellers.
Wisely spending our hard-earned money is the goal, and using these three tips will guarantee you save money on TpT.
