Many more people are turning around toward the self employed route and plenty of those are making space in the home for an office, computer room or study. Whether this is reflective of the amount of redundancies that have occurred over the past few years due to the credit crunch we aren't sure, but a question we can help answer is just what office supplies for the home are available and non-retail prices.

Don't let that retailer take your hard earned cash - there are many office supplies businesses and stores out there that want your business and can offer juicy discounts when buying a number of items at one time, or when buying on a regular basis. Regular buying will mean that you are fully stocked up on items you need every day such as printer paper, labels, ink cartridges etc and buying more than one at a time should be kinder to your pocket.

So if you are decking out a new home office it may be worth making a list of items that you will use daily, monthly and annually. This might be a simple stapler or a fascinating filing system, though we're pretty sure you'll be on a tight budget so have a look at our tips below for buying equipment for the home office.

Use comparison websites if you intend to buy online. They may get a commission for your purchase, however you will be able to list the best prices on items you need - particularly office chairs and desks which take up quite a large portion of anyone's budget. Write down the type of item, its price and the store you can pick it up from at that price, comparison sites list online stores that you may not have come across (simply because there are so many) but they're all competing against each other for your business.

Visit a couple of high street stores. Take brochures and have a look at the options available there. Stores like Argos, Tesco and Staples all have brochures and offer home delivery and they all sell a variety of furniture and office stationery at fairly competitive prices - but don't be tempted to shop at the first place you think of just to collect loyalty points, you may well find cheaper items and more variety at specialist suppliers or online.

When buying office supplies for the home, always try to get a discount or at the very least free delivery, if a smaller local business is selling what you want and wants your business they may be happy to negotiate a deal so that you stay loyal and they get your custom.