The Average Cost Per Month For Office Supplies & Equipment

Updated: October 8th, 2022

What are office supplies?

In general, all the necessary things that you use in an office regularly are considered office supplies. Although these may seem like minor costs, items like your desk, chairs, pens, paper, filing cabinets do add up.

What Is The Average Monthly Cost Of Office Supplies?

Office supplies range from around $50 per month per employee to a maximum of $100 per month per employee.

Cost Factors For Office Supplies

The cost of office supplies depends on many factors, here are the main ones:

  • Number of employees - The more employees you have means you need more office supplies.
  • Office type - Your office supply cost depend majorly on what kind of office you have. For example, office supply costs in a consultancy are relatively lesser than a law firm.
  • Clientele - Good clientele requires more budget on office supplies. Also, you have to keep an extra budget for amenities for your clients to maintain a good relationship.

A List Of The Best Places To Buy Office Supplies

  1. Officesupply.com: Officesupply.com is one of the go-to stores for office supplies. Not only do they have a wide range of products, but also they keep giving fabulous incentives to their customers, which makes them favorite store for the office owners.
  2. Amazon: No list completes without Amazon. It is the biggest online store, and you can get plenty of deals for office supplies.
  3. Best Buy: Best Buy holds a fabulous repute when it comes to electronic products, which can be a great option for printers, inks, and other supplies for your office.

Office Supplies Checklist

Desk Supplies Paper Products Filing Supplies Office Storage Electrical Supplies
Pens/Pencils Spiral Notebooks File labels Paperweight Computer
Markers/Highlighters Writing Pads Index dividers Bulletin board Printer
Tape Fax Paper Ring binders Pen holder Projection device
Stamps Envelopes File cabinet or File box Pushpins Fax machine
Erasers Printer paper Accordion file folder Magazine holders Scanner

How To Lower Your Office Supply Costs?

  1. Hire Appropriately - Hiring more people than you need can significantly increase your office supply costs. So, hiring appropriate employees can help you in reducing your office supply costs.
  2. Keep track of Inventory - You have to know what supplies are limited and when you are supposed to get a refill. Keeping track of inventory ends your hassle and saves you some extra bucks.
  3. Buy in Bulk - Buying several items each day will cost you more in transportation and shipping. So, buying in bulk is not only peaceful but also economical.
  4. Reuse and Recycle - Why buy more supplies when using the old ones. For instance, folders, binders, and even notepads from the previous year can be used again with a little hint of creativity and resourcefulness.
  5. Compare Prices - While restocking the office supplies, you should look for the best offer or deals by comparing different vendors.