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Cost Savings for Common Purchases

Purchasing goods and services in a cost-effective way supports good stewardship of Stanford's financial resources and helps the university fulfill its mission and maximize its impact. 

This page highlights cost-saving options and programs widely used by Stanford departments to lower expenses, reduce risk, and produce positive environmental and community outcomes.

Before making any purchase, departments can also review the responsible purchasing page for best practices, such as

Refer to the Purchase Goods and Purchase Services pages for detailed guidance on preferred purchasing methods and responsible purchasing tips for common purchases. 

The table below provides cost-saving opportunities for common purchases that also support responsible purchasing. 

Purchasing Need: Ordered by Purchase Frequency (Most to Least)Cost-saving opportunities
Lab, Life Science, Research, or Medical Supplies
  • Before purchasing new, check #Stanford-property-reuse Slack channel, Reuse website, or consider lab equipment refurbishments (see example here).
  • Set up internal reuse shelves for sharing across labs.
  • Prioritize reusable options such as reusable pipette tip boxes, refillable racks, and refill wafers.
  • For lab equipment, such as ultra-low temperature freezers, choose energy efficient models and apply for Stanford rebates up to $15K.
  • Refer to Sustainable Stanford’s Waste Reduction for Labs resource, which includes a Waste Audit Toolkit for identifying opportunities for reduced purchases and waste.
  • Check inventory before purchasing to right-size orders; avoid bulk purchasing unless all items are likely to be used.
  • Reduce shipping costs by purchasing at the Fisher Store located in the Lorry Lokey Chemistry Building on campus.
Chemicals
Temporary Workers
Event Venues and Catering
  • Consider virtual or hybrid event options.
  • Choose venues accessible via public transportation and attendees’ main travel points to reduce transportation costs.
  • Utilize the Sustainable Catering Guide to right-size food orders and explore popular plant-forward options.
  • Use detailed RSVPs to reduce over-ordering. 
  • Use the #Stanford-property-reuse Slack channel to borrow event furniture, equipment, and decorations from other departments.
Cloud Computing and File Sharing/Storage
Web Application and Development
  • Use Stanford Web Services for a full range of website planning, design, development, and maintenance support at below-market rates.
Software and AI Tools
  • Check UIT’s Software Evaluation Guide for existing university licenses before purchasing.
  • Use Stanford AI Playground instead of individual AI tool licenses.
  • Check with other colleagues in your department before purchasing new licenses in case existing licenses can be reappropriated or shared.
Hardware and Onsite/Home Office Equipment
  • Use UIT's Stanford University Hardware Program. 
  • Consider lifecycle costs, existing warranties, and repair options.
  • Consider using only a single monitor, which also reduces the need for a docking station.
  • Interested Stanford employees can discuss purchasing these devices for personal use with their department IT administrator at the end of their Stanford life.
Office and Breakroom Supplies
  • Check #Stanford-property-reuse Slack channel before purchasing new.
  • Set up internal reuse shelves for sharing office supplies in the building.
  • Reduce or eliminate purchases of disposable serviceware and ask employees to bring dishware, or set up a reusable dishware program for the department.
  • Reduce or eliminate the purchase of bottled water or water service and ask employees to bring reusable water bottles.
  • Use Amazon Business sustainable shopping list to quickly identify recyclable, compostable, and other sustainable, low cost items.
  • Consider an aqueous ozone cleaning system rather than traditional cleaning supplies.
Printing services
  • Use Cardinal Print for professional printing needs.
  • Print double-sided, using black and white printing.
  • Avoid purchasing excess printers and paper.
Appliances
Travel
  • Consider virtual attendance when possible.
  • If traveling is necessary, use the Stanford Travel Program for certain university-related travel and to take advantage of exclusive discounts and benefits.
  • Consider economical ridesharing options, such as Uber Green, to avoid vehicle rentals. 
Furniture
  • Check #Stanford-property-reuse Slack channel or Reuse website, which includes services to view and/or pick up furniture items (by appointment only). 
  • Borrow existing campus furniture instead of renting when possible.
  • Review existing warranties and evaluate repair versus replace costs.
  • Use vendor design services to maximize reuse of existing furniture in renovations.
  • Consider modular/reconfigurable or third party pre-owned options.
Capital Equipment
  • Check with the Department Property Administrator for capital equipment that can be reused or shared with another department.
Stanford-Branded Merchandise (Swag)
  • Review the Stanford Identify Guide on how to get Stanford-branded swag, including a list of licensed vendors.
  • Consider reusable items (e.g., drinkware, bags, apparel) that can be used by the recipient multiple times.
  • When purchasing promotional items, avoid event-specific branding to promote reuse at future events.
  • Confirm demand before ordering.
Shipping from Stanford and
supplier packaging guidelines
  • When shipping from Stanford, utilize the FedEx at Stanford shipping program for discounted rates.
  • When working with suppliers shipping purchased goods and services:
    • Plan purchases early to take advantage of ground shipping rather than air.
    • When comparing similar products, select items and/or suppliers who can ship from closer locations or nearby warehouses.
    • Consolidate orders into single shipments. Many SmartMart Catalog Suppliers offer easy options for low-cost yet fast delivery. 

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Last Updated: Apr 1, 2026
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