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Financial Literacy

School opens June 8 — here’s how to spend smart

Sep 1, 2026 · 2 min readBy KasKasan Buddies

Back-to-school expenses can quickly add up, but Filipino families can use 0% installments, cashback, and shopping promos to stretch their budget without falling into costly credit card debt.

  • For families with two or three kids in public school, back-to-school season easily runs ₱3,000 to ₱10,000 per child. Your credit card can help — but only with a plan.
  • Use 0% installment for big-ticket items.
  • Laptops, tablets, and bags qualify for 0% installment at National Bookstore, SM Appliance, Abenson, DataBlitz, and Villman. BPI and BDO both start at a ₱3,000 minimum spend. RCBC, HSBC, and Metrobank are also widely accepted. A ₱15,000 laptop at 0% over 6 months is ₱2,500/month — zero extra cost.

Back-to-school expenses can quickly add up, but Filipino families can use 0% installments, cashback, and shopping promos to stretch their budget without falling into costly credit card debt.

  • For families with two or three kids in public school, back-to-school season easily runs ₱3,000 to ₱10,000 per child. Your credit card can help — but only with a plan.
  • Use 0% installment for big-ticket items.
  • Laptops, tablets, and bags qualify for 0% installment at National Bookstore, SM Appliance, Abenson, DataBlitz, and Villman. BPI and BDO both start at a ₱3,000 minimum spend. RCBC, HSBC, and Metrobank are also widely accepted. A ₱15,000 laptop at 0% over 6 months is ₱2,500/month — zero extra cost.

For families with two or three kids in public school, back-to-school season easily runs ₱3,000 to ₱10,000 per child. Your credit card can help — but only with a plan.

Use 0% installment for big-ticket items.

Laptops, tablets, and bags qualify for 0% installment at National Bookstore, SM Appliance, Abenson, DataBlitz, and Villman. BPI and BDO both start at a ₱3,000 minimum spend. RCBC, HSBC, and Metrobank are also widely accepted. A ₱15,000 laptop at 0% over 6 months is ₱2,500/month — zero extra cost.

Earn cashback on school supplies and groceries.

GoTyme earns GoPoints at Robinsons Supermarket and Robinsons Department Store. Metrobank Cashback Visa, BPI Amore Cashback, and Security Bank Cash Reward all give straight peso-back on department store and grocery spend.

Check promos before you shop.

BDO, BPI, and Metrobank have active promos at SM Retail through June 30, 2026. ShopBack stacks additional cashback on top. Five minutes of checking saves hundreds.

Coordinate bulk purchases with other parents.

Class supplies bought in bulk on one rewards card earn meaningful cashback. Split reimbursements via GCash or InstaPay instantly.

The one rule that protects your budget:

Only charge what you can pay in full — or what fits a 0% installment plan you can sustain. A revolving balance costs up to 3% monthly / 36% annually under BSP's cap. School supplies should not follow you into October.